Hacking USB Loader GX

[blackb0x]

Hi @blackb0x

Do you remember when I talked to you about some games I was having problems with (Ige Age 3 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) where the audio wasn't working? They still aren't working... I've tried other USB drives and different hard drives, but the audio still doesn't work The Mummy's case is quite strange because it works in the FMVs, but not in the in-game audio However, when I try them on CFG USB they work perfectly so I don't understand it Interestingly, both games are from the same developer What do you think is happening? Or could anyone figure it out?

I remember, but I wasn't ever able to replicate the issue across a few of my drives.

Have you tried removing the loader and using the previous major release (r1281)? If that works then the issue might resolve itself in the next update.

 

[lokethechamp]

In most cases people use a template, like this one.

As for the file layout, if we take Super Mario 64 as an example:

https://art.gametdb.com/wii/cover3D/US/NAAE.png goes into sd:/usbloader_gx/images/
https://art.gametdb.com/wii/cover/US/NAAE.png goes into sd:/usbloader_gx/images/2D/
https://art.gametdb.com/wii/coverfullHQ/US/NAAE.png goes into sd:/usbloader_gx/images/full/

You shouldn't try to use custom image dimensions.


Is the cluster size 32KB or 64KB? You could try changing it between one or the other to see if it helps.

Were the games added to the drive via the loader itself, or via TinyWiiBackupManager?

I don't suppose device manager or some software (e.g. AIDA64, HWiNFO) can confirm the JMicron chipset? If you were using a Linux distro the lsusb -v command might work.

https://sabrent.com/products/ec-uasp

The Sabrent website links to a firmware update, which suggests that the enclosure normally comes with the JMS583 chip. Two other people (one from the UK and one from the US) have confirmed that this enclosure normally works. However, I think they were both using HDDs.

Cluster size was 32 KB, I tried out 64 KB, which did not solve the issue.

I added the games via "WiiBackupManager_Win64.exe", build 78, using wbfs. That way, it also worked on SD card and other devices.

I checked via HWiNFO, see the attached screenshot. If I (and by that I mean my trusty AI ), PID=A578 might mean it is the JMS579 instead of the JMS583 you mentioned.

I then tried out the same thing with a "Internal 2.5 Inch SSD SATA III Top, 256 GB, 520 MB/s, Black", and this time it worked without any issue.

In other words: Stay away from "Fikwot FX815 512GB 3D NAND 2.5"!

Thank you for your help!

 

[holdyscratchcoder]

Hi. Can you add support for SanDisk Ultra Flair? I am having problems with it on the Reinstalling devices (when I force format it to FAT32), And when I try to install a game, it crashes.

 

[AlfredoDore]

Hi, I'm using a CRT TV now. The games have excellent geometry, but I'd like to fix the aspect ratio in USB Loader GX; it looks like it's set to 16:9

 

[TBP_Machiavelli]

Hello! I managed to solve my Resident Evil Archives problem by switching to Component and 480p, but another problem has come up. Scarface: The World Is Yours does not work in 480p. The game either crashes right after launching, or it is forced to run in 480i. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Thank you very much in advance for your help!

 

[blackb0x]

Hi. Can you add support for SanDisk Ultra Flair? I am having problems with it on the Reinstalling devices (when I force format it to FAT32), And when I try to install a game, it crashes.

I don't own the hardware, so it's impossible for me to debug the issue.

https://gbatemp.net/posts/10871471

The next update might help, but there's no release date for it yet. So, I'd suggest using a large SD card if you don't want to gamble on USB drives.

Hi, I'm using a CRT TV now. The games have excellent geometry, but I'd like to fix the aspect ratio in USB Loader GX; it looks like it's set to 16:9

Are you sure your Wii isn't set to 16:9? That's where the app reads the aspect ratio setting from.

Scarface: The World Is Yours does not work in 480p

Some PAL games can't be forced to 480p, and this is probably one of them. However, the NTSC version of the game will support it.

 

[TBP_Machiavelli]

Some PAL games can't be forced to 480p, and this is probably one of them. However, the NTSC version of the game will support it.

I have a problem specifically with the NTSC version. It does not work in 480p through USB Loader GX. However, the game does launch successfully in 480p when I use another loader.

 

[blackb0x]

I have a problem specifically with the NTSC version. It does not work in 480p through USB Loader GX. However, the game does launch successfully in 480p when I use another loader.

I'd assume the issues caused by modified global settings, so go to the settings menu and select Default Settings.

 

[Alepss]

Recently my hard drive partition got corrupted and I had to format it. Fortunately I have a backup on my computer, so I transferred the games using Tiny Wii Backup Manager. I've noticed it split my wbfs files.
USB Loader GX recognizes them perfectly, but it does NOT execute Ocarina cheats. I've reinstalled USB Loader GX and the problem persists...
EDIT: I'm using vWii

 

[DorDur215]

Hello,

I updated USB Loader GX to the latest version (v4.0-r1283) when it came out last year and while I haven't played that much Wii since then, I've had issues with my Wii freezing while starting games since I updated.

I have a PAL Wii and use mostly PAL games, but I also have a few NTSC games, but the region of the game doesn't seem to affect this at all, since it happens with all regions and seemingly randomly.

I'm pretty confident that I installed the new d2x cIOS correctly, and I also did a clean installation of the new USB Loader GX.

I also always compare my games against Redump and they are all "clean".

So I'm not quite sure what the problem is.

The previous version I used (v4.0-r1282) worked flawlessly.

 

[jeannotte]

Hello,

I updated USB Loader GX to the latest version (v4.0-r1283) when it came out last year and while I haven't played that much Wii since then, I've had issues with my Wii freezing while starting games since I updated.

I have a PAL Wii and use mostly PAL games, but I also have a few NTSC games, but the region of the game doesn't seem to affect this at all, since it happens with all regions and seemingly randomly.

I'm pretty confident that I installed the new d2x cIOS correctly, and I also did a clean installation of the new USB Loader GX.

I also always compare my games against Redump and they are all "clean".

So I'm not quite sure what the problem is.

The previous version I used (v4.0-r1282) worked flawlessly.

Post a SysCheck report so we can check it.

Where are your games stored? (USB? SD card?) FAT32?

 

[DorDur215]

Post a SysCheck report so we can check it.

Where are your games stored? (USB? SD card?) FAT32?

I installed SysCheck ModMii Edition and let it run, but it doesn't generate a .csv file on my SD Card.

I have tried multiple times now.

Uploading the SysCheck fails too.

Edit: Well, as it turns out, it seems like I accidentally flipped the lock switch on my SD Card.

I flipped it back, and now it generates a SysCheck.csv properly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SysCheck ME v2.5.0 von blackb0x, JoostinOnline, Double_A, R2-D2199 und Nano
...laeuft auf dem IOS58 (rev 6176).

Region: PAL
Systemmenue 4.3E (v514)
Priiloader installiert
Laufwerksdatum: 18.12.2008
Homebrewkanal 1.1.2 benutzt IOS58

Hollywood v0x21
Konsolen-ID: -
Konsolentyp: Wii
Shop-Kanal-Land: Germany (78)
Boot2 v4
Es wurden 77 Titel gefunden.
Es wurden 49 IOS gefunden, von denen 15 funktionslos (Stub) sind.

IOS3 (rev 65280): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS4 (rev 65280): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS9 (rev 1034): Keine Patches
IOS10 (rev 768): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS11 (rev 256): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS12 (rev 526): Keine Patches
IOS13 (rev 1032): Keine Patches
IOS14 (rev 1032): Keine Patches
IOS15 (rev 1032): Keine Patches
IOS16 (rev 512): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS17 (rev 1032): Keine Patches
IOS20 (rev 256): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS21 (rev 1039): Keine Patches
IOS22 (rev 1294): Keine Patches
IOS28 (rev 1807): Keine Patches
IOS30 (rev 2816): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS31 (rev 3608): Keine Patches
IOS33 (rev 3608): Keine Patches
IOS34 (rev 3608): Keine Patches
IOS35 (rev 3608): Keine Patches
IOS36 (rev 3608): Keine Patches
IOS37 (rev 5663): Keine Patches
IOS38 (rev 4124): Keine Patches
IOS40 (rev 3072): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS41 (rev 3607): Keine Patches
IOS43 (rev 3607): Keine Patches
IOS45 (rev 3607): Keine Patches
IOS46 (rev 3607): Keine Patches
IOS48 (rev 4124): Keine Patches
IOS50 (rev 5120): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS51 (rev 4864): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS52 (rev 5888): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS53 (rev 5663): Keine Patches
IOS55 (rev 5663): Keine Patches
IOS56 (rev 5662): Keine Patches
IOS57 (rev 5919): Keine Patches
IOS58 (rev 6176): USB 2.0
IOS60 (rev 6400): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS61 (rev 5662): Keine Patches
IOS62 (rev 6430): Keine Patches
IOS70 (rev 6912): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS80 (rev 6944): Keine Patches
IOS222 (rev 65280): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS223 (rev 65280): Funktionslos (Stub)
IOS248[38] (rev 65535, Info: d2x-v11beta3): Trucha Bug, ES Identify, NAND Zugriff
IOS249[56] (rev 65535, Info: d2x-v11beta3): Trucha Bug, NAND Zugriff, USB 2.0
IOS250[57] (rev 65535, Info: d2x-v11beta3): Trucha Bug, NAND Zugriff, USB 2.0
IOS251[58] (rev 65535, Info: d2x-v11beta3): Trucha Bug, NAND Zugriff, USB 2.0
IOS254 (rev 65281): BootMii
BC v6
MIOS v10
Bericht wurde am 03.09.2026 generiert.

 

[CyanMagentaYellow]

Everything was looking so good. I've updated everything and I was surprised to see that even Castlevania is working. However, I noticed Art Style Cubello wasn't working and after testing, it looks like none of the Art Style games are working anymore—and I definitely played some of them before. Now they all go to the black screen.

I even tried removing USB Loader GX and the emuNAND from my SD card, reinstalling everything, dumping a new emunand, and still nothing.

I also deleted the WAD from the USB it was on, transferred a fresh backup, and tested on the real nand (it did work there)

I tried changing some of the setting as well.

What could be causing the Art Style games to go to the black screen? Absolutely everything else seems to work.

I found another WiiWare game that doesn't work anymore, "Line Attack Heroes".

the last couple of weeks my girlfriend and me had a lot of fun with brandnewman's translated line attack heroes wad. I decided a few days ago to update the wii with modmii classic,but also usb loader gx and other hacks (p+, mario kart ctgp, etc.). Now the wad from emunand only shows a black screen and the wii cannot progress further. The wad works on the natural wii nand and also on dolphin. I already tried different cios 249-251, always with forced ntsc480 and full nand channels as suggested by the translator. I also tried reversing as much as possible, but no use. If you have the time, could you please provide any troubleshooting suggestions? Thanks for your time in advance.

Hi @blackb0x,

Thanks for your amazing work! Sorry to revive this issue, but I also get a black screen when trying to play these games specifically (all "Art Style" games, "Line Attack Heroes") on the latest version of USB Loader GX. You mention identifying the issue - and I assume it will be fixed in the next release - but is there any workaround in the meantime? Thank you!

EDIT: I was able to fix this issue myself for all affected games (with AI assistance). It is related to commit 5e1158e3 ("Fixed single ROM loaders and bad forwarders") - specifically deleting the line with GameID_Address = 0x81000000. I didn't actually alter the USB Loader GX code to fix the problem though - I patched the DOLs of the affected games instead.