Hacking UStealth - Wii U 'Format Disk' Nag workaround :)

[godreborn]

unhide the drive, then open the drive in a hex editor, allow write privileges, and change 55 AA to 55 AB. it will then be hidden. it's at the bottom of sector 0.

 

[Pysis]

Just wanted to add my CLI method since I hadn't seen it mentioned here before, and it requires less setup if you already have that environment that trying to run others' applications.
This should work in Linux, Mac, Windows with Cygwin or possibly with some MinGW/msys tools that include the `dd` command.

First I manually identified which device descriptor matched the drive I wanted to work with:
- `cat /proc/partitions`
- `lsblk`
- `sudo fdisk --list 2>&1 | grep -iP '^Disk /dev/sd'`
Then I made a backup of the boot sector(s) for the device:
- `sudo dd if=/dev/sdX of=(read) bs=1M count=1 status=progress`
I viewed the current value:
- `sudo dd if=/dev/sdh bs=1 skip=510 count=2 status=none | xxd -p`
Enable 'stealth mode':
- `echo -n '55ab' | xxd -r -p | sudo dd of=/dev/sdh bs=1 seek=510 status=progress`
Disable 'stealth mode':
- `echo -n '55aa' | xxd -r -p | sudo dd of=/dev/sdh bs=1 seek=510 status=progress`
This seems to be near the end of the first sector, which is the boot sector for MBR. GPT uses the next one. I backup both, and even well more than that to be safe. Each should be 512 bytes in size.

I also found a similar value located in the first sector of the partition too. I think it was at a similar address, just offset by the partition start. Without searching for and understanding storage drive/filesystem, specifications, I made the change only for the entire drive in the appropriate area.

 

[SaulFabre]

Sorry for bump

But i've compiled the latest libfat SVN with the UStealth mod, maybe you want to take a look to this and become BETA TESTERS of this?: https://gbatemp.net/threads/latest-precompiled-libfat-svn-library-with-ustealth-mod.613877/

 

[elk1007]

I am wondering if anyone has a Nintendont channel WUP that works with UStealth?
If I boot HBC on vWii, and then launch Nintedont ,my UStealth hidden drive works great.
If I inject that same dol using Teconmoon VC Inject, the USB drive is not found.

Any advice? Is VC disabling USB support?

 

[SaulFabre]

Any advice? Is VC disabling USB support?

Maybe VC disables the USB functions, but i'm not 100% sure about that (and i disagree with that).
I've seen several WUP forwarders of Wii homebrew (ex. Wii64) to support USB too

 

[Gamesmaster_OG]

Ustealth not working for me at all, it simply wont hide no drives please help, nothing is wrong with my flash drive

 

[elk1007]

Ustealth not working for me at all, it simply wont hide no drives please help, nothing is wrong with my flash drive

It won't even hide it from within Windows?
Run with admin privilege?

 

[Gamesmaster_OG]

Yes i did that and still nothing, but someone directed me to a homebrew app to install called USBhide

 

[godreborn]

Yes i did that and still nothing, but someone directed me to a homebrew app to install called USBhide

change the last byte in sector 0 using hxd from 55 AA to 55 AB. if it still doesn't work, something is likely wrong with the boot sector, which you can use test drive to fix.

 

[elk1007]

Yes i did that and still nothing, but someone directed me to a homebrew app to install called USBhide

Glad you found a solution.
I'm just curious, if you use UStealth and then remove/resinsert the drive, does it day "format drive to use" ?

I'm asking because, iirc, the drive is hidden on next mount.

 

[Gamesmaster_OG]

Just tried that doesnt work either geez

 

[godreborn]

Just tried that doesnt work either geez

Try what I suggested.

 

[Gamesmaster_OG]

I have no clue how to do what you suggested lol

 

[godreborn]

go into HxD, the hex editor, load the drive, check the box to make it writable, then change 55 AA to 55 AB at the bottom of sector 0. that's all hiding a drive is doing. if it doesn't work, you need to fix the boot sector.

 

[SaulFabre]

go into HxD, the hex editor, load the drive, check the box to make it writable, then change 55 AA to 55 AB at the bottom of sector 0. that's all hiding a drive is doing. if it doesn't work, you need to fix the boot sector.

but how to load the drive with HxD?
In what exact offset need to be edited 55 AA to 55 AB?

 

[elk1007]

but how to load the drive with HxD?
In what exact offset need to be edited 55 AA to 55 AB?

Tools>Open Disk

 

[Gamesmaster_OG]

How do i install this USBHide homebrew? all i see is folders, what do i do?

 

[godreborn]

I'm trying to research this using a small drive of mine. I think there are some drives, in almost all cases they're flash drives, that will not hide for some reason, even with the edits to the disk. it will say hidden, but the drive still shows up if you unplug it, then plug it back in.

 

[Gamesmaster_OG]

Exactly lol it wont hide at all

 

[godreborn]

Exactly lol it wont hide at all

How large is this drive?