Hardware Unbrick R4ISDHC

[elFuso]

I accidentaly bricked my r4 installing the wrong kernel (There were an error that said the kernel wasn't original. When I restarted the ds i see the "no cart inserted" error). I've tryed reinstalling the firmware (Find via wayback machine) with hotswapping in NDSL (It stops at eresing 0%) and in NDSIXL (It completly skip the eresing progress, it succed but still not working). I've tryed also with TWL menu (Same as howswapping with dsi xl) and unlaunch (same as hotswapping with ds lite). Do you know any other method to unbrick it?

That's the card:
R4iSDHC white 2011, can't attach link
View attachment 312656

 

[Pk11]

Unfortunately, there isn't any known way to unbrick those carts after they're bricked by YSMenu (or the r4isdhc.com kernel it sounds like?)

Your only option is to just buy a new cart. I recommend taking a look at the r/flashcarts wiki for what's recommended currently.

 

[bbking67]

I have read thta these carts are possible to brick, but how to you know it irreversibly bricked vs just having the wrong kernel? I had always assumed experimentation was relatively safe (which I assume it is unless you have a cart that isnt). Its odd since you wouldnt expect carts to have any kind of flashable area. It almost seems like a deliberate "suicide pill" to blow up the carts if used incorrectly.

 

[Pk11]

I have read thta these carts are possible to brick, but how to you know it irreversibly bricked vs just having the wrong kernel? I had always assumed experimentation was relatively safe (which I assume it is unless you have a cart that isnt). Its odd since you wouldnt expect carts to have any kind of flashable area. It almost seems like a deliberate "suicide pill" to blow up the carts if used incorrectly.

When they're completely dead they don't show up in the menu anymore, where the wrong kernel will simply show an error.

It's not an intentional brick afaik, it's simply that the card happens to use the same commands DSTT clones use for "read SD" as "write flash" or something like that, which means when YSMenu or such tries to read the SD it actually ends up writing garbage into the flash, killing it. And without any way to load it anymore there's no way to recover it.

 

[bbking67]

Does this issue ONLY affect the r4isdhc.com devices? What other clones are affected? Is it a large number of devices? what about r4isdhc.com.cn for example?

 

[Pk11]

Does this issue ONLY affect the r4isdhc.com devices? What other clones are affected? Is it a large number of devices? what about r4isdhc.com.cn for example?

I'm not 100% sure, but I think probably any card that supports the BL2CK kernel:

These carts may support BL2CK OS. Only these carts are confirmed to actually work so far:
- r4i3d.com 2012-2013
- r4igold.cc 3DS
- r4i-gold.me 2014-2015
- r4isdhc.hk 2015
- r4isdhc.com NEW/2013 carts
- r4i-drive.com carts

These carts may support BL2CK OS, but have not been attempted. This information is based on its provided DLDI, which are identical.
Please do not attempt cross-loading without knowing what you're doing.
- 3dslink.com Blue
- r4i3d.com 2014-2015
- r4infinity.com Dual-Core
- r4isdhc.hk 2014, 2016, 2017
- r4isdhc.in 2014
- r4ixds.com 2014-2016 non-white
- r4i-gold.me 2013
- r4i-gold.com 3DS Gold Pro

I don't think that r4isdhc.com.cn was used back then so nothing with that site is affected afaik, I belive there are r4isdhc.hk (see ^) cards that are however.

 

[SylverReZ]

I accidentaly bricked my r4 installing the wrong kernel (There were an error that said the kernel wasn't original. When I restarted the ds i see the "no cart inserted" error). I've tryed reinstalling the firmware (Find via wayback machine) with hotswapping in NDSL (It stops at eresing 0%) and in NDSIXL (It completly skip the eresing progress, it succed but still not working). I've tryed also with TWL menu (Same as howswapping with dsi xl) and unlaunch (same as hotswapping with ds lite). Do you know any other method to unbrick it?

That's the card:
R4iSDHC white 2011, can't attach link
View attachment 312656

Apologies for the necrobump, but this is very useful. I have provided a link as to where you can find a flash backup for this card.

https://gbatemp.net/download/r4-sdhc-dual-core-no-year-new-bubble-r4isdhc-com-flash-backup.39038/

You will need to desolder the flash chip from the board prior to writing the backup, this sadly doesn't work when an IC clip is attached. Your card is based on the many R4DS Pro clones.