Hacking Using a different IOS will not save Priiloader!

[JoostinOnline]

Hopefully this will clear up any doubts on the issue.

I've seen multiple people ask if changing the IOS to something other than the System Menu one (see Priiloader's settings if you don't know what I mean) would let Priiloader run in the event of your System Menu IOS being stubbed/deleted.

I have not known either way, but I didn't bother trying it until tonight. It's a very dangerous thing to test, so don't do so yourself.

I backed up one of my boot2 Wii's that was running 4.2, then changed Priiloader to use IOS60 (which isn't stubbed). I installed a stub IOS70, then restarted to get a black screen. That was to be expected. I turned off my Wii, then back on while holding RESET button. I held RESET for over 10 seconds.

I got a black screen! Priiloader would not load!

I restored my nand with bootmii and everything is running smoothly. Again, I don't advise that anyone test this themselves. The whole reason I did this was to prevent anyone from thinking Priiloader could save them from such an event.

---------------------------------------------------
Test Results (will be updated after each test).

Stats before for changes:
4.2U on DarkCorp v1.1 IOS70
Priiloader v0.5 using System Menu IOS.

Test 1:
4.2U with stubbed IOS70
Priiloader v0.5 using DarkCorp v1.1 IOS60
Result: Black Screen, can't access Priiloader or System Menu

Test 2:
4.2U on DarkCorp v1.1 IOS70
Priiloader v0.5 using stubbed/deleted IOS60
Result: Priiloader appears upon boot giving the following error:

Error autobooting systemmenu!
The going to load IOS was detected as Stub!Selecting System Menu returns to Priiloader (doesn't reboot). The IOS in settings is set to "2". Reinstalling IOS60 or changing it to IOS70 fixes it.

Test 3
4.2U on DarkCorp v1.1 IOS70
Priiloader v0.5 using stubbed/deleted IOS60
Launching System Menu through Gecko OS rebooter.
Result: System Menu loads properly on IOS70. Priiloader is skipped and hacks are not applied.

Test 4
4.1U on DarkCorp v1.1 IOS60 (Preloader wouldn't install on 4.2)
Preloader v0.29 using stubbed IOS70
Result: Black screen, can still access Preloader by holding RESET.

Test 5
4.1U on DarkCorp v1.1 IOS60
Preloader v0.29 using DarkCorp v1.1 IOS70
Result: The System Menu loaded properly.

This next one caught me by surprise. I did a NAND restore and tested it again, just to see if it happened again. It did.
Test 6
4.1U on DarkCorp v1.1 IOS60
Preloader v0.29 using IOS70 (deleted IOS70 after saving settings).
Result: After pressing A at the health screen, I received this message:
QUOTEThe system files are corrupted. Please refer to the Wii Operations Manual for help troubleshooting.

When I went to Preloader to change the IOS back to 60, the current IOS was set to "1195917891". Either changing it back to IOS60 or re-installing IOS70 will fix it.

Test 7
4.1U with stubbed IOS60
Preloader v0.29 using DarkCorp v1.1 IOS70
Result: Black Screen, can't access Preloader or System Menu

Test 8
4.1U with no IOS (deleted IOS60)
Preloader v0.29 using DarkCorp v1.1 IOS70
Result: Black Screen, can't access Preloader or System Menu

Test 9
4.2U on DarkCorp v1.1 IOS70
Preloader v0.29 using stubbed/deleted IOS70
Launching System Menu through Gecko OS rebooter.
Result: System Menu loads properly on IOS60. Preloader is skipped and hacks are not applied.

 

[kylster]

Thank you

have you tried out the new mod of Priiloader?

•PreFix 2.0 --> http://webrewwii.blogspot.com/2011/06/prefiix-02.html

 

[JoostinOnline]

Thank you

have you tried out the new mod of Priiloader?

What mod would that be?

Edit: No, I haven't tried PreFiix. However, since it is just a mod of Priiloader the result should be the same.

 

[kylster]

ah ok

 

[Hielkenator]

good info....
So basicly unstub-stubbed ios should be always included in a Wii softmod to get rid of this danger.

I think moddmii does this or gives the option to do this.

 

[JoostinOnline]

good info....
So basicly unstub-stubbed ios should be always included in a Wii softmod to get rid of this danger.

I think moddmii does this or gives the option to do this.

Yeah, ModMii (and many other guides) install a patched version of IOS60 with elevated version numbers to all System Menu IOS slots. I have the ones from DarkCorp v1.1 installed for the dip patch, even though I really don't need it with boot2.

This is just evidence that there are no saves from a deleted/stubbed System Menu IOS unless you have a boot2 Wii or a NAND backup.

 

[WiiCrazy]

That's what to be expected, order of things running makes pr(e/i)loader dependent to system menu ios...
Remember ios executes first... if it's a stub one then pr(e/i)loader and/or system menu has no chance to remedy the situation because they are not getting loaded at all..

 

[JoostinOnline]

That's what to be expected, order of things running makes pr(e/i)loader dependent to system menu ios...
Remember ios executes first... if it's a stub one then pr(e/i)loader and/or system menu has no chance to remedy the situation because they are not getting loaded at all..

I didn't expect it to work, but I didn't know for sure until I tested it. I did do some searching on the subject, but I couldn't find a case where someone had changed the Priiloader setting, then deleted/stubbed the System Menu IOS. I did this as a reference for the future.

 

[lulwut]

ofc changing ios in priiloader wont work

anyone with common sense knows that (or anyone who bothered looking up how the wii starts up)

boot0->boot1->boot2->IOS->System menu Title

 

[JoostinOnline]

ofc changing ios in priiloader wont work

anyone with common sense knows that (or anyone who bothered looking up how the wii starts up)

boot0->boot1->boot2->IOS->System menu Title

Lol, well excuse me for my lack of common sense. I know the boot process, but I thought the best way to make things clear was to test it myself.

 

[Taleweaver]

ofc changing ios in priiloader wont work

anyone with common sense knows that (or anyone who bothered looking up how the wii starts up)

boot0->boot1->boot2->IOS->System menu Title

Not really. Anyone with common sense CAN MAKE AN EDUCATED GUESS about it. For actually KNOWING, first hand experience beats guessing any day.


@Joostin: did you try editing or removing the Hacks.ini (or hacks_hash.ini) file? I doubt it'll change things (priiloader probably uses the IOS to read the ini file, so I guess it's stored on the NAND)...but like I said: I'll take real experience over theorycrafting any day.

 

[JoostinOnline]

No, I didn't touch the hacks file. I edited Priiloader's settings. Both the hacks.ini (or hacks_hash.ini if you are using a newer version of Priiloader) and what hacks enabled are saved to the NAND.

While I doubt removing the hacks file will change anything, I will test it in the morning. I already have a NAND backup from a few hours ago, so it will be easy for me to fall back. This is risky stuff normally, but with all the brick protection I have I doubt a rocket launcher could take out my Wii (not testing that one, lol).

If you have any requests on things to test related to Priiloader, please do so within the next 6 hours or so. It's best to test all theories (even if they are ridiculous) right now, so we can get doubts out of the way for the future. Hopefully this thread can become somewhat of a reference.

If anyone has any "what if's", just tell me soon and I will test them tomorrow. I'll be testing both Friiloader and Preloader tomorrow as well. I know that the same thing should happen, but like I said, let's cover everything while it's easy.

 

[NutNut]

I think there is a way to patch the System Menu in order to use another IOS instead of the regular System Menu IOS.

 

[JoostinOnline]

I think there is a way to patch the System Menu in order to use another IOS instead of the regular System Menu IOS.

There is, I was part of a group who tested System Menu X. It used IOS60 patched to slot 123. However, the System Menu IOS is whatever the System Menu uses, so deleting 123 (or patching a stub to install to 123) has the exact same effect.

 

[SifJar]

ofc changing ios in priiloader wont work

anyone with common sense knows that (or anyone who bothered looking up how the wii starts up)

boot0->boot1->boot2->IOS->System menu Title

It depends on how Priiloader changed the SM IOS. If it patched it in the TMD, it'd work. But that's not what it does, it loads the new IOS once it has been booted. Meaning the original SM IOS must be in place.

 

[SanGor]

The system menu is loaded like any other title;

1. Boot2(IOS) checks the TMD of the title to be loaded
2. A /sys/launch.sys file is created with the info what title is to be loaded
3. Boot2(IOS) Loads the new IOS version (The version is read from the title TMD)
4. The new IOS version boots up and sees the /sys/launch.sys
5. IOS now loades the new title

 

[JoostinOnline]

Okay, I have had one crazy day. I thought I was going to have plenty of free time, but other than a few drops in here to make posts, I've been busy. I'm going to try doing testing tomorrow instead. If you have anything you would like tested (relating to a deleted/stubbed SM IOS), please do so now.

 

[kirbymaster101]

Okay, I have had one crazy day. I thought I was going to have plenty of free time, but other than a few drops in here to make posts, I've been busy. I'm going to try doing testing tomorrow instead. If you have anything you would like tested (relating to a deleted/stubbed SM IOS), please do so now.

Delete your system ios after installing preloader 236 mod.

 

[JoostinOnline]

Okay, I have had one crazy day. I thought I was going to have plenty of free time, but other than a few drops in here to make posts, I've been busy. I'm going to try doing testing tomorrow instead. If you have anything you would like tested (relating to a deleted/stubbed SM IOS), please do so now.

Delete your system ios after installing preloader 236 mod.

I assume you mean the Priiloader 236 mod. If there is a Preloader one (which I doubt since Preloader is older than the use of 236 afaik), please give me a link.

 

[mauifrog]

priiloader 236 mod wont change anything, the mod is just a mod of the installer making it use cios236. Priiloader/preloader run on the system ios. If you delete the system ios priiloader/preloader will not work. Patching the system ios in priiloader just makes priiloader reload the system menu under another ios, but the system ios is still loaded to load priiloader.

Without priiloader
boot0->boot1->boot2->system ios->system menu

With priiloader
boot0->boot1->boot2->system ios->priiloader->system menu

With priiloader patching the system ios
boot0->boot1->boot2->system ios->priiloader->patched ios->system menu