Homebrew [TUTORIAL] Recover DSiWare/3DSWare after a system format.

[ShadowOne333]

*DISCLAIMER:
This goes into Data Management on sysNAND. Don't forget it removes all of your other unofficial CIAs and such (use a seperate SD card for this).
I'll not be held responsible for anything that might happen to your previous CIAs and/or 3DS*

NOTE: This will only work if you previously had the game installed and somehow lost it during a system format or something else!

Special thanks to Kelton2, cearp for the CIA and the DS Flashcard CIA respectively.
Here's a pic in case no one believes me.

A brief story:
I formatted my SysNAND way back when I first got my Gateway on the 3DS because I bought the 3DS from second hand retailers, and it already had an eShop account linked, so I couldn't access that one and I needed to get a working eShop account. The only option was to format it and start all the GW mode thing again from scratch with a fresh NAND on both sides (Both Emu and Sys).

I had a major collapse in negativity when I saw that the Zelda Four Swords Anniversary Limited edition software got deleted and I couldn't get it back because the Downloads were linked to the previous eShop account. :/

Since then, I've been scratching my head as to how to get this done.
And now I finally made it!

HOW TO GET YOUR PREVIOUSLY OWNED 3DS/DSiWARE TITLES BACK ON YOUR 3DS:
*WARNING: This won't work on unlinked NANDs!*

What do you need?

• Gateway Flashcard
• CIA Installer (Big Red Menu, Big Blue Menu, DevMenu, etc)
  I recommend using Title Manager / Big Blue Menu to avoid conflicts.
• Your game's CIA (i.e Four Swords Anniversary ID: 000480044b513945).
• 3DS with linked sysNAND and emuNAND.

Steps:

1. First off, be sure that you have a linked sysNAND and emuNAND. This way we can be sure that the tickets will be the same for both NANDs. I haven't tried it with non-linked NANDs, so if you are willing to, go for it and let me know the results.
2. Get your game CIA. Obviously I can't provide any links at all. You're on your own with this one (and Google).
3. Run Gateway Mode and enter DevMenu or Title Installer or whatever you use for CIA installation.
4. Search for the CIA file, and install it.
5. You will now have your game banner on the emuNAND of Gateway!...
   But you won't be able to run it at all. Why? Because Gateway mode is not compatible with DS/DSi games yet. They all boot you to a black screen.
   
   Now for the nuance...
6. Go to System Settings --> Data Management --> DSiWare. You will see the Four Swords info in there.
   Copy it to the SD inside your 3DS.
7. Once the Copy process is done, exit Gateway mode (or reboot the 3DS).
8. Now that you are on sysNAND (NOT GW mode) go to System Settings --> Data Management --> DSiWare AGAIN and copy the file BACK into your system, but this time it will be in your SYSNAND and not your EMUNAND.The process should not give you any problems if you have linked NANDs
9. Exit Settings and go back into your SysNAND menu, you should now see the Four Swords icon in there.
10. Open it up
11. ???
12. ENJOY, MOFOS!

That's it.
I don't know if any of you will have any issues, post them in your comments.
Keep in mind that I did this with a CIA of another 3DS' file, not mine, so I don't see why it shouldn't work.

Oh, and in case some of you are still a bit skeptical, this is my restored Zelda Four Swords game...

Spoiler

PS: The first pic has my previous save data because I had the save data backed up.

 

[daxtsu]

You should put a disclaimer up about going into Data Management on sysNAND. Don't forget it removes all of your other unofficial CIAs and such (or remind people to use a seperate SD card for this).

 

[ShadowOne333]

You should put a disclaimer up about going into Data Management on sysNAND. Don't forget it removes all of your other unofficial CIAs and such (or remind people to use a seperate SD card for this).

Thanks, did just that at the top of the post.

 

[ShadowOne333]

MOD OR ADMIN:
Could you guys change the title to [TUTORIAL] (The rest intact)?
I have the feeling people think this is just another guy annoying about how to get it working while this is HOW TO GET IT WORKING. XD

 

[Haymose]

Attempted on unlinked sysNAND/emuNAND and the dsiware doesn't show on the sd card (expected). Also none of my CIAs got erased after this (likely because of unlinked NANDs).

 

[nastys]

Could this work with other DSiWare and 9.2?

 

[ShadowOne333]

Attempted on unlinked sysNAND/emuNAND and the dsiware doesn't show on the sd card (expected). Also none of my CIAs got erased after this.

So that sums it up, it only work on Linked NANDs.
Thanks for the heads up!
Will update the OP right now.

Could this work with other DSiWare and 9.2?

Perhaps it could, as long as you have linked NANDs, I don't see why not.
Try it out and let me know!

 

[daxtsu]

IIRC, it only happens when your emuNAND and sysNAND are linked, so it'll still end up happening if you use linked NANDs (required to make this work).

 

[FR0ZN]

I got 2 questions:

1) What are linked NANDs?
2) Why do my other unoffical CIAs get deleted once I enter System Management on my sysNAND?

 

[ShadowOne333]

Linked NANDs are supposed to be the following:
Once you get a working sysNAND after the GW Downgrade, you can format your SD to enable emuNAND.
If you do format your emuNAND normallly and update it, you have linked NANDs.

To unlink both sysNAND and emuNAND, you format one of the two.
Either sysNAND or emuNAND.
If you format your sysNAND AFTER the emuNAND has been already setup, then you get unlinked NANDs.

Did I make myself clear?

 

[sonic2756]

IIRC there was a guide similar to this a while ago and it only worked on EU consoles, but maybe that's changed.

What we really need is a way to move our title.db/ticket.db from emuNAND to sysNAND.

 

[DarkFlare69]

Awesome job! Really helpful

 

[ShadowOne333]

Awesome job! Really helpful

Did it work for you?
Or was that sarcasm? XD

IIRC there was a guide similar to this a while ago and it only worked on EU consoles, but maybe that's changed.
What we really need is a way to move our title.db from emuNAND to sysNAND.

Uh?
If the NANDs are linked doesn't that make them have the same tickets.db?
Or do you mean for unlinked NANDs?

 

[FR0ZN]

Linked NANDs are supposed to be the following:
Once you get a working sysNAND after the GW Downgrade, you can format your SD to enable emuNAND.
If you do format your emuNAND normallly and update it, you have linked NANDs.

To unlink both sysNAND and emuNAND, you format one of the two.
Either sysNAND or emuNAND.
If you format your sysNAND AFTER the emuNAND has been already setup, then you get unlinked NANDs.

Did I make myself clear?

No

 

[ChrisX930]

Does it work with cfw instead of Gateway?

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I think the reason why this works is because Four Swords was free to download without needing a code, it's not linked to your console like purchased content would be.
Therefore, a completely valid "legit" CIA can be created that will work without GW's patches, as long as you have the ticket on your console (I guess that's what the Data Management process adds)
An easier way to do this that is likely to work would be to boot into GW mode without emuNAND, and install the CIA with BigBlueMenu. It should then work without GW mode, and you wouldn't have to go into Data Management or do all the extra steps.

 

[ShadowOne333]

Does it work with cfw instead of Gateway?

Try it out, as long as you have a way to install CIAs, I don't see why not.
Try it with CFW, install it to the emuNAND, copy it to the SD, etc.
If it works, let me know so I can add a tuto for CFW too.

I think the reason why this works is because Four Swords was free to download without needing a code, it's not linked to your console like purchased content would be.
Therefore, a completely valid "legit" CIA can be created that will work without GW's patches.

An easier way to do this that is likely to work would be to boot into GW mode without emuNAND, and install the CIA with BigBlueMenu. It should then work without GW mode, and you wouldn't have to go into Data Management or do all the extra steps.

Try it.
I don't have the means to do so since only booting GW Mode will boot me to my emuNAND.
I would have to format.

 

[ChrisX930]

Another question. If this works with a downloaded cia of this game, could it possibly work with other games (3ds, gba-VC) or dlcs too?

 

[ShadowOne333]

Another question. If this works with a downloaded cia of this game, could it possibly work with other games (3ds, gba-VC) or dlcs too?

My bet goes into saying that it SHOULD.
As long as you have a way to copy the file back into the SYSNAND and both sys and emu NANDs are linked, the same method should work.
Try it out. I don't have any more DSiWare games to test this out.

 

[ChrisX930]

My bet goes into saying that it SHOULD.
As long as you have a way to copy the file back into the SYSNAND and both sys and emu NANDs are linked, the same method should work.
Try it out. I don't have any more DSiWare games to test this out.

I'll try it when I'm home