Hacking USB Loader GX

[GerbilSoft]

Nintendont v4.406+ also supports extended partitions with type 0x05. (Note that it'll still only recognize the "first" FAT32/exFAT partition based on the ordering in the partition table, which includes logical partitions.) [Oh yeah, v4.406+ also supports exFAT. Not sure how hard it'd be to add that to USB Loader GX; we're using the FatFs library, which added exFAT in R0.12.]

I'll try out this update tonight.

EDIT: Was behind by a few pages, but I think what I said still applies.

 

[Undeadslayer]

I've got my USB drive in port 2 of the Wii, and I'm using a USB case 3.0 with the y cable.

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Also I was unaware their is a new version of nintendont.

 

[Cyan]

I don't know how hard it could be for me to add exFAT support, as I might have to add wbfs/cios support to it too.
At least, I released a mod of latest release to allow launching nintendont with GPT and extended partitions (it's 1 or 2 pages back).

 

[InfiniteBlue]

A few weeks ago, I created a thread in the homebrew forum attempting to find a way to force N64 VC games into 240p (for cleaner output on a CRT, matching the N64's original resolution). The thread yielded no results, but would it be possible to implement such a feature into USB Loader GX, seeing as it is capable of loading NAND channels? If it is using a GXRModeObj to determine video output, then theoretically one could add a "Force 240p" option using TVNtsc240Ds? http://libogc.devkitpro.org/group__gxrmode__obj.html

I'm not sure of the technical details at play here or if this would be even possible on NAND channels that don't already output 240p. Thanks for reading.

 

[Cyan]

yes, that's possible to add that option (though I might not release it officially, as not all other users need it). I could make a version for you to test.
I don't know if it will work fine on NAND channel, but if it's cIOS emuNAND it should work. if it's Neek mode then there's nothing the loader can do about it, you need to set the video mode inside neek settings.

I can set the Wii video mode to any of the mode you linked before launching the game, but you will probably have to patch the dol (using the video dol patch option in USBLoaderGX) to tell the game to not change to another mode (480i etc.). the problem is that it might not work for channels.

edit:
Made a version for you.
Select "force NTSC 480p" to force it to 240Ds instead.
you will never need to forceNTSC480p as you are on a NTSC console already, just use "disc default" to get 480p.
let me know if it works as intended, for wii and channels, if you need the "dol patch" option set to "all" etc.

 

[morrisonian]

Hey guys I have a problem with my USB Loader GX, and it seems to be related to the wii & GC games recognition of my HDD. I wanted to try using another USB (to try if it worked) and it didn't load any games. Then, I just reconnected my HDD and all my games were gone except for the last I put on the HDD (Pokemon Battle Revolution). Now, my USB Loader GX, doesn't recognize any other game. Even tried reinstalling the games with WIi Backup Manager. Nonetheless, WiiFlow, does recognize all my games. Don't know what to do, since it's been like two years I didn't play Wii and haven't visited the scene that much. Thanks in advance.

 

[GreyWolf]

Hey guys I have a problem with my USB Loader GX, and it seems to be related to the wii & GC games recognition of my HDD. I wanted to try using another USB (to try if it worked) and it didn't load any games. Then, I just reconnected my HDD and all my games were gone except for the last I put on the HDD (Pokemon Battle Revolution). Now, my USB Loader GX, doesn't recognize any other game. Even tried reinstalling the games with WIi Backup Manager. Nonetheless, WiiFlow, does recognize all my games. Don't know what to do, since it's been like two years I didn't play Wii and haven't visited the scene that much. Thanks in advance.

What version of GX are you using (revision number, not "latest" or "3.0") and what format is the drive?

 

[Cyan]

it could be because you don't have the correct source selected (gamecube/wii/nand/etc.), look in the 4th icon in the top menu.
It could be a partition issue, check you have the correct partition loaded, if you have more than one, in the settings>hdd menu>first option. click on it to force a partition refresh.
It could be a category filtering, look in the "desk" icon, be sure "all" is enabled. (a V check, not the X check mark)
It could be the favorite option is enabled and you only have one game with a favorite star ranking set. disable the star icon in the top menu.
An last, it could be because the loader is locked (the icon at the left of the disc icon in the top menu) and the parental control is enabled with that option set., but you should see more than one game if that were the case.

 

[morrisonian]

Where do I check my version? I'm sorry but don't really know. I went to credits and it says Rev1232MOD2 ISO249 (Rev 21007) + AHB (d2x v7final base 56).

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it could be because you don't have the correct source selected (gamecube/wii/nand/etc.), look in the 4th icon in the top menu.
It could be a partition issue, check you have the correct partition loaded, if you have more than one, in the settings>hdd menu>first option. click on it to force a partition refresh.
It could be a category filtering, look in the "desk" icon, be sure "all" is enabled. (a V check, not the X check mark)
It could be the favorite option is enabled and you only have one game with a favorite star ranking set. disable the star icon in the top menu.

Ok ok. It was the favorite thing. Damn, I'm a complete noob sorry. Don't even know what version I have BUt thanks man.

 

[Cyan]

Glad it was just the favorite option

you can check the version in settings > credit > top of the screen.
If you have one of the latest revisions, it's also written on the boot screen.

You have this version : v3.0 Rev1232 MOD2
current latest release is rev 1260 (you can update).
if the internal update option doesn't work, you can find 1260 in my signature.
If you have a too old version, the internal update option depends on googlecode server (which is closed now) so you will have to update manually by replacing the files on your SD card.


Edit:
in the credit, it also said that you have the cIOS v7 final.
it's good, but not the latest. most game should work fine, so as long as you don't have issues that's fine to keep it.
If you want/need to update, you can update to cIOS v8 final, or v10 beta, but it's not required.
if one day you want to update, ask here and someone will help you with the install process.

 

[morrisonian]

Glad it was just the favorite option

you can check the version in settings > credit > top of the screen.
If you have one of the latest revisions, it's also written on the boot screen.

You have this version : v3.0 Rev1232 MOD2
current latest release is rev 1260 (you can update).
if the internal update option doesn't work, you can find 1260 in my signature.
If you have a too old version, the internal update option depends on googlecode server (which is closed now) so you will have to update manually by replacing the files on your SD card.


Edit:
in the credit, it also said that you have the cIOS v7 final.
it's good, but not the latest. most game should work fine, so as long as you don't have issues that's fine to keep it.
If you want/need to update, you can update to cIOS v8 final, or v10 beta, but it's not required.
if one day you want to update, ask here and someone will help you with the install process.

Ok man thanks. Yeah it's just that honestly, I don't even remember how to update the USB Loader GX, neither what does it mean to have cIOS v7 LOL. But thanks!!

 

[Cyan]

like I said, as long as it works, you are good.
don't worry about updates and all the IOS stuff.

But if you want to know how to update the loader :
Settings > 3rd or 4th page > update ! > loader > full.

if it works, and the updated version is still not 1260, it means it first downloaded the latest version available on google servers, and you need to update again from the same menu to get the latest update from the new server.
If it doesn't work, download the r1260 from my signature and extract it to your SD card (replace existing files).

Newer revision are fixing a lot of gamecube compatibility with nintendont.

 

[InfiniteBlue]

yes, that's possible to add that option (though I might not release it officially, as not all other users need it). I could make a version for you to test.
I don't know if it will work fine on NAND channel, but if it's cIOS emuNAND it should work. if it's Neek mode then there's nothing the loader can do about it, you need to set the video mode inside neek settings.

I can set the Wii video mode to any of the mode you linked before launching the game, but you will probably have to patch the dol (using the video dol patch option in USBLoaderGX) to tell the game to not change to another mode (480i etc.). the problem is that it might not work for channels.

edit:
Made a version for you.
Select "force NTSC 480p" to force it to 240Ds instead.
you will never need to forceNTSC480p as you are on a NTSC console already, just use "disc default" to get 480p.
let me know if it works as intended, for wii and channels, if you need the "dol patch" option set to "all" etc.

Unfortunately it did not work on N64 VC channels. Of the three I tried, Majora's Mask boots into 480i; F-Zero X and Sin and Punishment both softlock the console. I had Dol Patch set to All.

Results were the same for NAND and emuNAND. Some Wii games booted into 480i as well. A few however, actually did boot into 240p (Sonic Colors and Punch Out), but the aspect ratio was forced into 16:9 and the top half of the picture occupied the entire screen (makes sense if you think about it). Might need some scaling done in the code to ensure it displays correctly.

Anyways, thanks for the build! I wonder what logic is going on behind the scenes that causes the softlock.

 

[morrisonian]

How do I force native controls on Nintendont via USB Loader GX. It's just that I don't see any option to do that, except for Nintendont via the HBC. Is there any way to do that via the loader?

EDIT:

like I said, as long as it works, you are good.
don't worry about updates and all the IOS stuff.

But if you want to know how to update the loader :
Settings > 3rd or 4th page > update ! > loader > full.

if it works, and the updated version is still not 1260, it means it first downloaded the latest version available on google servers, and you need to update again from the same menu to get the latest update from the new server.
If it doesn't work, download the r1260 from my signature and extract it to your SD card (replace existing files).

Newer revision are fixing a lot of gamecube compatibility with nintendont.

If I update my USB Loader GX, then should I have to reinstall the channel or what?

 

[Cyan]

That depends of your channel :
if it's the full channel, you should delete it and install the forwarder.
if it's the forwarder, you don't need to touch your channel anymore, just replace the files on the SD Card.

The nintendont settings are probably missing because you have an outdated version of the loader, just update to 1260, then you will find the nintendont options (maybe it's named differently, like "native controller" etc.)


Kiddy dong :
The video output is always a headache to work with. There are a lot of different element involved in the output, there's the console resolution and the game resolution.
If you have a full picture but taking only half the space on the screen it's because the game send 240p on a 480p screen. it would require to output 240p on a 240p screen to take the full area.
theoretically this is what needs to be done, but not all resolution are compatible with newer flat tvs, only old CRT could output 240i on a 480p screen.

The loader is switching the "screen" resolution before launching the game, and the game executable contains a list of compatible "game" resolution to display inside the selected screen mode. but sometime both are not compatible and the game re-setup the screen mode, or crash if it doesn't re-setup but the resolution doesn't match.
It requires lot of settings and tests to make it work, but it's never guarantee to work.

 

[Evanfly]

Hi hope this is in the correct place I'm a newbie with regards to wii modding so with that in mind can any one please advise me how to update to latest version of usb loader gx i have checked my version and it is V 3.0c iso249 rev 20 i have read through some of the threads and i think i have the full version but am unsure of how to get and delete & install the latest version and channel.thanks for any help

 

[Allgamesdude]

Hey all. So I'm trying to work a problem out with my vWii USB Loader GX. Is there a way I can run Rock Band, with all the USB peripherals on my WiiU? My Wii U is on 5.1.1 modded with Loadiine and such, and my vWii is on System Menu 4.3U. I've installed HBL and USB Loader GX, and I can confirm that it works. I've gotten to the point where the Wii U powers the USB Hub/USB dongle im using(both get powered, however they both result in the same problem, explained in the next sentence.). In this, they get powered, but never actually are able to communicate with the game. Also, these are cross compatible controllers according to Harmonix, so my PS2/PS3 controllers(The Guitar Drums,etc) should work on Wii(Since its the same layout and output). How can I get this to work with everything up to date? My HBL is up to date(Hacked using Indiana Pwns) and I updated my USB LOader GX(so that its on the newest version).

Thanks, and I hope to see a result/fix to this soon.

Thanks!

AGD

 

[Toyskyline]

Hey Cyan, just want to thank you for your time and effort working on this truly fantastic loader. I'll never forget the shocking amount of dedication you've put in to making this the best it can be. I'm continually pleased to see you and this project improve and grow. I know you've reached some walls right now both creatively and technically but I'm confident you'll work past them, this project has come so far after all.

 

[Cyan]

Hi hope this is in the correct place I'm a newbie with regards to wii modding so with that in mind can any one please advise me how to update to latest version of usb loader gx i have checked my version and it is V 3.0c iso249 rev 20 i have read through some of the threads and i think i have the full version but am unsure of how to get and delete & install the latest version and channel.thanks for any help

hello,
You are right, it's the "full channel", which means that the executable is installed inside the channel and on the Wii memory. This type of channel is not maintained anymore (for different reasons, mainly incompatibility with Wiiu, but also because it's harder to update automatically a channel instead of a file on SD card).

What you have to do is delete the "full channel" and install the "forwarder channel".
You can delete it from the official channel menu (wii>data>channel) or use a WAD manager to completely delete all trace of that channel (recommended).

Replacing the full channel with the forwarder channel
on computer:
1. download this full channel wad, and put it on SD:/wad/ folder
2. download this forwarder channel wad For Wii, or this one for vWii, and put it on SD:/wad/ folder
3. download and extract this wad manager or This one (get and extract the ZIP! not the .elf) to your sd:/apps/ folder (example : sd:/apps/some-yawmm-mod-v1.0/boot.dol)
4. download latest stable USBLoaderGX revision (usually located on my signature! or on sourceforge) and extract ALL the files to your SD card's root. (not only the boot.dol, but ALSO the meta.xml, it should replace your sd:/apps/usbloader_gx/ content)

on Wii :
1. launch Wad manager,
2. select the Full channel WAD (from the wad folder) with the uninstall option.
3. Select the Forwarder channel, with the install option.
4. Exit the manager.

Done
Now you can launch the loader either from HBC, or from the channel, they will both launch the loader from the SD card.
note that you can use USB instead of SD for all the steps above.

I've gotten to the point where the Wii U powers the USB Hub/USB dongle im using(both get powered, however they both result in the same problem, explained in the next sentence.). In this, they get powered, but never actually are able to communicate with the game.

cIOS are not compatible with HUBs.
you can use the HUB as additional power plug for your Y-Cable, but all peripheral data line has to be connected directly to the WiiU USB Ports. keep in mind that the HDD need to be on USB Port0 for better compatibility, or USBPort1 if you installed d2x r53 but it requires more setup.

Additionally, some games using USB accessories requires either a cIOS with a base57 or 58. You probably installed 3 cIOS so select IOS SLot 251 for that game.

Another things too : if you installed cIOS d2x r53, then Plug-and-play is enabled, you can connect USB devices when you want.
if you installed cIOS d2x r52, you need to plug the USB devices before launching the loader and the games.

 

[Evanfly]

Hi firstly many thanks followed instructions and got it installed can i ask i have gamecube games and normally use nintendont to play them now that the loader shows my gamecube games i have to change settings and select nintendont for game to run is this correct or is there a better way as i said just starting to find my way round the wonders that the wii can do.also are there any other programs i need or you can recommend to enrich my experience again many thanks for the help