Hacking USB Loader GX

[Duncan Idaho]

So I managed to install my emunand, but I am failing totally at installing wads on it with usbloadegx, I can't even read the error message about it because as soon as it pops up half a second late usbloaderGX shoves into my face a 100% screen.

 

[Cyan]

Voxel : the loader needs to reload to cIOS to allow reading the ISO from usb instead of disc.
The loader let you choose a slot number to reload to before launching a game, but it forbid all IOS slot under 200 (because they are not cIOS, they wouldn't redirect to USB).

If you want to launch the disc itself, you can try the disc icon in the top bar, but I think it's also reloading to cIOS instead of reloading to the official requested IOS.
what you could do (if the disc launching method also reload to IOS 249) is install the IOS16 in a slot >200 (preferably > 230 or it would think it's a hermes cIOS), and set that slot for that disc, but it will work only from the disc drive not as ISO.


duncan:
by "100% screen" you mean the progress bar used for the install wad window?
did you try different wad files? it could be corrupted
or you don't have a full NAND dump on the "EmuNAND Channel" path.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

by "100% screen" you mean the progress bar used for the install wad window?
did you try different wad files? it could be corrupted
or you don't have a full NAND dump on the "EmuNAND Channel" path.

1) Yes.
2) No it's not, using pimp my wii (I know I know) wad manage function I installed on my real nand gunstar heroes. And yes I did try different files, no it gives me the same issue.
3) The switch app grabs the contents folder of USB\nands\pl_us and places them all over the hard drive (the contents of the pl_us folder aka the contents of extracted_nand) I have nand.bin on the root of my USB too.

 

[Cyan]

you correctly set the EmuNAND Channel path to nands/pl_us/ in the loader's settings?
if you did, then I don't see what's wrong and don't know why it displays an error.

how did you create the NAND dump?
did you try dumping NAND directly from the loader and use it to install wads?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

you correctly set the EmuNAND Channel path to nands/pl_us/ in the loader's settings?
if you did, then I don't see what's wrong and don't know why it displays an error.

how did you create the NAND dump?
did you try dumping NAND directly from the loader and use it to install wads?

1) Yes.
2) Bootmii>dump nand to SD.
3) No because I have a bootmii dump, and I am also trying to figure out how to do this via showmiiwads.

Progress! I told mod mii to generate me an entireley new emunand, I found what the issue is, the switch app seems to grab the Pl_us folder and move all the folders inside that one to the root of the hard drive, I have no idea why, but the folder being empty does not allows to install the games because usbloader GX is searching for an inexistent process.

Hmm I think USBLoader gX would also benefit of an option to erase titles directly and a batch installer too, I have a lot of wads that I want to play, but having to install them one by one is kinda of a pain (YAWMM and multi mod don't play nice with my emu nand, wads that work with usbloader gx don't want to work with YAWMM, etc.)

 

[Squirps]

it happens for all your games?
because maybe your game takes the full disc size so there's nothing to remove.

if not, then maybe there's a bug, but nobody reported it. Well, it's recommended to use 1:1 for most backups, so maybe nobody used that option.
Sorry, I can't help here. It should make smaller ISO, I don't know why it didn't work.
Maybe someone else can confirm or know why it happens?

Actually, I got that problem fixed --- the settings apparently didn't save the first time for some reason because both of the options were set to off --- I turned them both on again and redumped a game and it turned out fine.

Do you by any chance have answers to my other two questions?:

In addition, I am also having a problem with the Forwarder channel --- I installed the WAD from Sourceforge updated on 4-15-2015, but after installing it on my NAND and launching it from the Wii Menu, it turns to a black screen with my Wiimote disconnected. Is there a way to fix this? Am I doing something wrong? (I am also using r1256-r1257 from Sourceforge as well).

Finally, is there by any chance a full channel WAD for the latest revision, or is the latest full channel WAD only for the stable release of v3.0 from years back? Thanks again!

 

[BlazeHeatnix]

Something needs to be addressed, because so many people on Reddit and this forum have problems with USBGX including me. The latest installer on Sourceforge gives this:

Absolutely NOTHING here gives you the option to install the forwarder. The base installation is the HBC app which is up to date, and the channel option gives you the full channel which is r1180, instead of the forwarder. This is confusing, and it means people will install both of them, as I did, and have messed up settings/changed paths all the damn time. @Cyan, PLEASE update the installer as I'm sure this is the reason people keep having issues.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Also cyan for your next update could you please be so kind to add a simple something? Let us remove the check mark from all, I spent a bit of time classifying my games so I wouldn't have 100+ games all over the place, I kinda wanted to have a category for wii, gc, Arcade, SNES, Sega Genesis, etc. and simply accessing a category to display only and only the games of that category.

Currently that sorta seems impossible.

 

[BlazeHeatnix]

Uninstalling the channel and reinstalling the forwarder actually seems to have fixed the sound issue mentioned a couple pages back. It's fixed all sorts of issues I had earlier actually.

EDIT: Nope, nvm. Switching tracks still causes a crash. Actually...clicking the "HBC or Wii Menu" menu button in USBGX will make a different track play, that's weird.

 

[Squirps]

Actually, I got that problem fixed --- the settings apparently didn't save the first time for some reason because both of the options were set to off --- I turned them both on again and redumped a game and it turned out fine.

Do you by any chance have answers to my other two questions?:

In addition, I am also having a problem with the Forwarder channel --- I installed the WAD from Sourceforge updated on 4-15-2015, but after installing it on my NAND and launching it from the Wii Menu, it turns to a black screen with my Wiimote disconnected. Is there a way to fix this? Am I doing something wrong? (I am also using r1256-r1257 from Sourceforge as well).

Finally, is there by any chance a full channel WAD for the latest revision, or is the latest full channel WAD only for the stable release of v3.0 from years back? Thanks again!

So I just realized my problem ---- I had two different versions of USB Loader GX here, the r1256 version that I booted from HBC and (unknowingly) the extremely old r1180 version that was installed as a channel WAD to my Wii menu. I kept launching USB Loader GX through one and then the other --- it turns out the reason the dumping wasn't working was because I was using a different USBLGX each time.

Secondly, I also discovered I (amazingly) installed the vWii version of the Forwarder WAD instead of the regular Wii version, which is why I went to a black screen every time I booted USBLGX from the Wii Menu. Don't make the same mistake I did, haha. (And if you do, be sure to uninstall the WAD to prevent any other issues!)

But I also agree with the previous poster, I think removing the full channel WAD from the installer would help clear up a lot of confusion --- I myself did not use the installer (I actually had the full channel WAD installed from about 4-5 years ago, lol), but it could definitely lead to some problems for new users of the loader.

 

[Cyan]

I found what the issue is, the switch app seems to grab the Pl_us folder and move all the folders inside that one to the root of the hard drive

What is switch app? Really, stop using this.
That's only creating issues, and I don't understand why you need to "switch" emuNAND path "on the fly", because neek2o is compatible with subfolders.
neek2o and USBLoaderGX don't need the EmuNAND on the ROOT. don't use switch app. you don't need it.

Why do you use different homebrew program using emuNAND?
Choose one, USBLoaderGX OR another one, don't mix them, that's only unnecessary steps and actions. it only create issues and I didn't know you used other thing than the loader, how did you want me to help you if I didn't even know that you were messing with EmuNAND using other tools?

I have no idea why, but the folder being empty does not allows to install the games because usbloader GX is searching for an inexistent process.

Of course you can't install wad to "nothing", you need a copy of your NAND to edit the system files and register the tickets and the titles to that wii NAND copy.
The loader can't install wads to empty folders. install is not "copy" or "extract", it's install.

No because I have a bootmii dump,

Don't !

bootmii dump are a single binary file, that's NOT what the loader need to emulate NAND.
You need a file system copy (not a sector dump).
Why don't you follow what I suggest?

The loader NEED the user to DO THIS:
1. set NAND PATH in the user path menu.
2. go to setting > Feature > dump NAND.

You can't use bootmii NAND (even an extracted one !!), because the cIOS use a different file system for non-FAT32 characters. You will see "a system error occured, blablabla" like you had, I guess.
And that's the same with older cIOS (rev17 are not using the same non-FAT32 characters than d2x !), if you use two different EmuNAND cIOS version, you need two different dump done with each corresponding cIOS while in the loader.

I have to deal with inexistent bugs and wonder why it doesn't work for specific users while it works for everyone else, just because users can't follow steps and think they know better. and most of all, all your issues were usually because you didn't explain correctly what you use. I have to try and find what you are doing to first understand what is the cause of your issue.
I don't have a crystal ball, sorry.

I installed the WAD from Sourceforge updated on 4-15-2015

There's nothing from april 15th, but there's one from april 1st.
This one is ONLY for WiiU vWii, NOT for wii.
if you installed the vWii channel on Wii, of course it will not work.

For the Wii, you need the one from 2012-04-21.

Finally, is there by any chance a full channel WAD for the latest revision

No.
At best, it would be for final release only (like it has always been)
But releasing a new full channel would break lot of console, because users converted or injected wrong wii file to install them on WiiU.
the current version doesn't make any console detection because WiiU didn't exist when last channel was released. It would install wii channel on wiiU.
There's no different URL to use to download different version of the wad based on the current console. The current installed channel on user's WiiU have ALL the Wii version URL.
I can't add detection inside the wad, it needs to be inside the currently installed loader.


Current version of the loader is also missing WAD install on real NAND, which is required to update the full channel from the loader.

Full channel update URL is still on googlecode... which can't be updated anymore.

I have a policy of no NAND write from inside the loader to prevent bricks. (we already had accusation of bricks in the past, and all users went away, all developers dropped the project)

for all these reasons, I decided to drop full channel support completely.

if users want a channel, why not install the forwarder? "buuuuut, It needs a SD or USB for the forwarder, that's ssooooo awkward !!", yeah, because "USB" loader doesn't need USB device for games, settings, covers, etc? just put the dol on the device, and problem solved. that's not like you can launch USB games without USB. you NEED a device connected. I don't understand the need of a full channel, which require a new install/overwrite after each updates, while you can just replace a dol on SD to update and never touch NAND anymore.

It would also prevent having multiple version (one on NAND, one on HBC).
And users who injects the latest dol into a wad to make it full channel are the one generating all the issues for other users. the "dol" version update to SD. not the wad, even if injected inside a wad. result : you have different installed version : the injected and the HBC one.

If there's a common wad channel for both Wii and vWii, I will revise my opinion, but until then it's a dropped option.
Fix94 made the NANDLoader for vwii, before crediar released a method to detect the console.
Maybe there's a way to add the detection in the NAND loader and make a single wad for both consoles.
We have the vwii NAND loader sources, but I don't have the Wii one to merge them to a single channel loader.

@BlazeHeatnix :
Like I said, I need to make a new installer.
I already "prepared" the files to be used by the installer to download forwarders.
http://svn.code.sf.net/p/usbloadergx/code/branches/updates/
I have to "learn" how to create an installer program.
the current one has lot of unnecessary menus and codes inside its sources.
I started looking at it this summer, but computer crashed, had to reinstall everything (still haven't finish), and I didn't look at it yet.

I should maybe DELETE the installer completely?
what's so hard to extract a zip to SD card to install the loader?
That's all you need. extract a folder...
no installer required to do that, really.

Also cyan for your next update could you please be so kind to add a simple something? Let us remove the check mark from all, I spent a bit of time classifying my games so I wouldn't have 100+ games all over the place, I kinda wanted to have a category for wii, gc, Arcade, SNES, Sega Genesis, etc. and simply accessing a category to display only and only the games of that category.

Currently that sorta seems impossible.

It's ALREADY possible.
You are just not looking in the correct menu.

Top menu -> category -> All : Click on it and it will remove the "all" and will display only the game which contains the category you enable.
click again on it, and it will be a "X", it will display "ALL" the game except the the games which contains a category you forbid. (X in the main category menu)

You should read the category tutorial here:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/usb-loader-gx.149922/page-778#post-4251265


What you need to do, to prevent "clicking 100 times" on all categories, is to use the "X" mode.
1. feature>import categories.
it should set all correct VC console to each of your games.
2. Category (in the TOP menu, not in the game's option) > All : X
3. category you want to hide : X
for example, you want to display only VC Snes, then you hide all other VC.

This way you have only 5 or 6 option to click (to put an X), instead of 200+ (to put a V)

To display only Snes, remove the "X" to Snes.
to display only NES, remove the X to NES, and put X to Snes.

That's the only filtering option you will have access to.
I won't add console filtering as an option (lot of ROM inject wouldn't work)

Nope, nvm. Switching tracks still causes a crash. Actually...clicking the "HBC or Wii Menu" menu button in USBGX will make a different track play, that's weird.

What you could try, is using the old 3.0 (r1180), (or older v2.3)
Make a new install (don't use the same setting file).
see if the issue was already present or not. I think it was already present because I never touched the media player, but if it works then it's a memory issue due to recent changes.
You could find which revision added that issue by testing different revisions.

 

[BlazeHeatnix]

Like I said, I need to make a new installer.
I already "prepared" the files to be used by the installer to download forwarders.
http://svn.code.sf.net/p/usbloadergx/code/branches/updates/
I have to "learn" how to create an installer program.
the current one has lot of unnecessary menus and codes inside its sources.
I started looking at it this summer, but computer crashed, had to reinstall everything (still haven't finish), and I didn't look at it yet.

I should maybe DELETE the installer completely?
what's so hard to extract a zip to SD card to install the loader?
That's all you need. extract a folder...
no installer required to do that, really.

Installer or not, it'd be nice if the standard download on Sourceforge included the forwarder WAD.

 

[tswntk]

I should maybe DELETE the installer completely?
what's so hard to extract a zip to SD card to install the loader?
That's all you need. extract a folder...
no installer required to do that, really.

I guess either remove all outdated files completely or if for archival purpose, move them all to a folder named something like "Legacy"

I think part of the problem are ppl just jump in and start using or writing "tutorials" without understanding how things work.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Installer or not, it'd be nice if the standard download on Sourceforge included the forwarder WAD.

yes, they are, in \files\releases\forwarders folder

 

[Deleted User]

Voxel : the loader needs to reload to cIOS to allow reading the ISO from usb instead of disc.
The loader let you choose a slot number to reload to before launching a game, but it forbid all IOS slot under 200 (because they are not cIOS, they wouldn't redirect to USB).

If you want to launch the disc itself, you can try the disc icon in the top bar, but I think it's also reloading to cIOS instead of reloading to the official requested IOS.
what you could do (if the disc launching method also reload to IOS 249) is install the IOS16 in a slot >200 (preferably > 230 or it would think it's a hermes cIOS), and set that slot for that disc, but it will work only from the disc drive not as ISO.

How can I go about installing IOS16 into slot >230? I tried d2x cIOS installer, but it's only allowing me to choose an IOS number of 37 or greater.

 

[BlazeHeatnix]

yes, they are, in \files\releases\forwarders folder

For first-time users, nobody is going to bother searching for the forwarder folder. To the common man "forwarder" means something technical and that we shouldn't bother with it.

Something else has been posted on Reddit about Macs: https://www.reddit.com/r/WiiHacks/comments/3yeib8/mac_users_read_this_before_posting/

 

[Cyan]

d2x installer is used to install cIOS.
what you want to install is an official IOS (not a custom one).

just use a wad manager to install the wad.
There are wad editors to change the target slots, like ShowMiiWads.

But I really don't support doing that, it's just the idea and I thought you knew what you were doing.
If you want to launch disc from the loader, I better adds a "reload to real slot" instead of cIOS.


Note:
I tested the batch wad install feature myself today, and found few bugs I fixed.
Even bugs old from ... 3.5 year! haha
thanks to maschell for pointing it out.

well it should be good for a new release soon, even if I don't like deleting features (I removed nintendont updates to fix the network issue).

 

[Deleted User]

d2x installer is used to install cIOS.
what you want to install is an official IOS (not a custom one).

just use a wad manager to install the wad.
There are wad editors to change the target slots, like ShowMiiWads.

But I really don't support doing that, it's just the idea and I thought you knew what you were doing.
If you want to launch disc from the loader, I better adds a "reload to real slot" instead of cIOS.

Why don't you support it? What could go wrong?
It sounds like a good idea. I didn't even know you could change the install slot using ShowMiiWads!

 

[Cyan]

I don't support it because it's not a common practice to install IOS > 200 (same as we don't install cIOS < 200)
if you want to try, you can, but you should do a nand dump first (bootmii nand dump, to be able to restore it in case of issues), as that IOS is not designed to be in another slot and I don't know if there are internal checks on it.

 

[Deleted User]

I don't support it because it's not a common practice to install IOS > 200 (same as we don't install cIOS < 200)
if you want to try, you can, but you should do a nand dump first (bootmii nand dump, to be able to restore it in case of issues), as that IOS is not designed to be in another slot and I don't know if there are internal checks on it.

Okay, I'll be careful and make a bootmii dump, then. Perhaps I could practice it on an emunand?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

What is switch app? Really, stop using this.

This is the app I am talking about, I believe it was from either this tutorial or modmii that it came from.

bootmii dump are a single binary file, that's NOT what the loader need to emulate NAND.
You need a file system copy (not a sector dump).

Before you told me about that, I was following the section on the tutorial that says 'Getting a NAND dump' and it works for me pretty well, could it be because I run bootmii as boot2? (What I did was use my GC controller to go to the third option and select the option ot dump nand to SD, then I ran showmiiwad/nand to extract the contents of said .bin file to a folder called nand-extracteda, from there I replaced the contents of the pl_us folder for those of the folder)

I don't have a crystal ball, sorry.

I apologize as well, this'll be a lesson for the future.

In short following the tutorial I linked before I attempted to compile SNEEK, that was unsuceful for a number of reasons (nameley the tutorial as I later learned is outdated and it omitted mention of a very important thing I had to dl) a member then suggested the obvious option, use modmii to create a nand and replace the contents of the pl_us folder with those of my nand, and then emunand worked like a charm.

However I figured why the wad install of USBloaderGX was not working, is due to switch2uneek, it grabs the contents of the pl_us folder and moves them to the root of my usb, however it does not moves them back, despite claiming that it did, so I am never going to use that ever again.

Anyway it works, I use showmiinand to install the wads I want to my nand and from there I copy and paste the folders into the pl_us folder.

It's ALREADY possible.
You are just not looking in the correct menu.

As I learned last night, however I was too tired to change my post.