Hacking Virginize Wii, and BootMii

[lednar]

Hello guys.

I've been following this forums for quite some time. Reading, testing a bit out and stuff like that.
I got a Wii with Backup Laucher, Homebrew and whatnot on V4.0E. Used one of your earlier versions of the guides here. No BootMii nor PreLoader installed (yeah, kinda stupid if it bricks. Thought, I got some questions and stuff.

1) I kinda want to virginize my Wii, as much as possible. Then upgrade to 4.2. After that I'll probably softmod it again to whatever things I want to do. Preferaly playing backup games again. So, are there any reasonable way to do this? I'll be following this guide http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=168890 to do hack it once it's on 4.2 again. Are there anything I need to consider before doing this?

2) Reason I didn't install BootMii is the fact that I can only install it as boot2 (whatever that means, haven't found any decent straight forward explanation on this). Since I had to install it on boot2, I was advised not to do it. Are there really any disadvantages with installing it as boot2?

3. Per today I'm using Backup Launcher with USBloader or something to play my backup games. Made by NeoGamma if I remember correctly. But I've heard that cIOScorp should do the same thing without any huge troubles.

Thanks for taking your time to read throught this.

Basically, I want my Wii Virginized and 4.2 installed. Should I install BootMii as boot2 or not? Are there any danger with installing it as boot2? What is CIOScorp and is it even close to be called an alternative for Backup Launcer and USBloader or something?

 

[nabster92]

Hello guys.

I've been following this forums for quite some time. Reading, testing a bit out and stuff like that.
I got a Wii with Backup Laucher, Homebrew and whatnot on V4.0E. Used one of your earlier versions of the guides here. No BootMii nor PreLoader installed (yeah, kinda stupid if it bricks. Thought, I got some questions and stuff.

1) I kinda want to virginize my Wii, as much as possible. Then upgrade to 4.2. After that I'll probably softmod it again to whatever things I want to do. Preferaly playing backup games again. So, are there any reasonable way to do this? I'll be following this guide [url=http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=168890]http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=168890[/url] to do hack it once it's on 4.2 again. Are there anything I need to consider before doing this?

2) Reason I didn't install BootMii is the fact that I can only install it as boot2 (whatever that means, haven't found any decent straight forward explanation on this). Since I had to install it on boot2, I was advised not to do it. Are there really any disadvantages with installing it as boot2?

3. Per today I'm using Backup Launcher with USBloader or something to play my backup games. Made by NeoGamma if I remember correctly. But I've heard that cIOScorp should do the same thing without any huge troubles.

Thanks for taking your time to read throught this.

Basically, I want my Wii Virginized and 4.2 installed. Should I install BootMii as boot2 or not? Are there any danger with installing it as boot2? What is CIOScorp and is it even close to be called an alternative for Backup Launcer and USBloader or something?

First off, follow xzxero's guide instead. It is more up to date and easier to follow. Updating officially to 4.2 essentially WILL make your Wii a virgin, but isn't really advised Just follow xzxero's update to 4.2 section and that will install legit, up to date IOS's over whatever you have there and update your system menu itself to 4.2. Everything in the guide will essentially just overwrite what you did before so you shouldn't really run into any trouble with anything you had before, especially if you never had preloader or cIOSCORP. (Also since you wouldn't be officially updating to 4.2, you shouldn't need to do those steps of deleting the stubbed cIOS's.)

As for question 2, you likely COULDN'T install bootmii to boot2. If you could, then you would be able to install it both ways. The boot2 install is the useful one, the IOS install is not. You can do it anyways, but it won't really protect you from any bricks. There's a rather long section I wrote on bootmii in my guide in the stickies if you want to read more about it (Noob Starter Guide). If you have a boot2v4 Wii (that can't install bootmii to boot2), then preloader/priiloader is your only brick protection solution. Install that after updating at the point that xzxero's guide suggests.

And to question 3, if you use a USB Loader, stick with the USB Loader. What cIOSCORP does, is essentially takes all of the official IOS's on your system (actually it spares a few older ones in the latest version) and turns them into cIOS's with maxed out version numbers just so you can click on the disc channel to load your disc based games instead of a backup loader channel. But if you're already using a USB Loader, then you might as well stick with the twice as fast loading speeds and awesome looking GUI's with full cover arts and shit (provided you use a USB Loader that isn't NeoGamma, which is more meant for disc based loading although some people may enjoy the simple look for usb loading I suppose). So yea just stick with USB Loader GX or WiiFlow or CoverFloader or uLoader or something and don't bother with cIOSCORP. If you don't really know what you're doing, it's most likely just going to cause more trouble for you in the future.

 

[lednar]

Better safe than sorry is what I think when it comes to Softmodding Wii.

So basically, I do a normal update (Settings -> System Update thingy -> 4.2 -> Then start softmodding with xzxero post then? Including BootMii so I can fix if it bricks? I'm home later, but I do remember that I only could install it as boot2. Nothing about installing it as IOS... hm..

Interesting anyway. Thanks for the reply.

 

[ipawii]

Better safe than sorry is what I think when it comes to Softmodding Wii.

So basically, I do a normal update (Settings -> System Update thingy -> 4.2 -> Then start softmodding with xzxero post then? Including BootMii so I can fix if it bricks? I'm home later, but I do remember that I only could install it as boot2. Nothing about installing it as IOS... hm..

Interesting anyway. Thanks for the reply.

Not to put words in nabster92's mouth, but I think he is talking about updating your system to 4.2 following xzxero's guide. Look for the section at the top called:
Update to 4.2
Follow this if your not on 4.2 yet, it will update all of your IOS's & System menu to the latest firmware.

 

[lednar]

Hmm. Could be. Didn't see it from that perspective first.

But he said

Updating officially to 4.2 essentially WILL make your Wii a virgin

Which means I probably could update the official way, and it'll be a virgin. My system is already 4.0 with softmods so. Don't want my settings now to mess around with something when I follow that guide. As I said, better safe than sorry.

 

[techboy]

As I said, better safe than sorry.

The guide is actually the safer option.

The official update has been known to sometimes brick the wii during the boot2 update. I'd use the guide, since that method skips the boot2 update. As a bonus, it also skips installation of stub IOSes.

Your settings won't be messed with when you update with the guide.

 

[nabster92]

Updating officially to 4.2 essentially WILL make your Wii a virgin, but isn't really advised

Everything in the guide will essentially just overwrite what you did before so you shouldn't really run into any trouble with anything you had before

 

[lednar]

Hmm, seems like I'll be following the guide as much as I can.

Checked about boot2. Apparently, I my memory fails badly. I can only install it as IOS and not boot2. Hmm. Still I'd like to have a way to go back incase of a brick or something that's related.

 

[transam81]

Hmm, seems like I'll be following the guide as much as I can.

Checked about boot2. Apparently, I my memory fails badly. I can only install it as IOS and not boot2. Hmm. Still I'd like to have a way to go back incase of a brick or something that's related.

installing priiloader & Bootmii after HBC will give you same amount of protection as boot2

 

[techboy]

installing priiloader & Bootmii after HBC will give you same amount of protection as boot2

No it won't. Preloader offers no protection against stubbed/deleted/corrupt system menu IOSes, nor does it protect against an uninstalled system menu.

It protects only against banner/theme bricks and a few other instances that don't involve missing menus/menu IOSes.

 

[transam81]

installing priiloader & Bootmii after HBC will give you same amount of protection as boot2

No it won't. Preloader offers no protection against stubbed/deleted/corrupt system menu IOSes, nor does it protect against an uninstalled system menu.

It protects only against banner/theme bricks and a few other instances that don't involve missing menus/menu IOSes.

With the latest Preloader you can still run Bootmii after bricking. look it up.

http://sites.google.com/site/completesg/sy...acks/priiloader

 

[techboy]

Yes, but it still requires a functioning system menu IOS, and the menu can't be uninstalled. Without the menu IOS, nothing will run. Period.

When installed, preloader effectively becomes part of the menu. If you uninstall the menu, preloader goes with it.

So technically, what I said was correct. Uninstalling the Menu/Menu IOS or stubbing the menu IOS will prevent preloader from working, and brick your wii. Corrupting the menu with a theme or such will NOT brick it.

Bootmii can indeed be run from preloader, assuming preloader works.

 

[nabster92]

Yea being able to boot the IOS bootmii from priiloader doesn't really make it any more useful, and especially not up to the quality of brick protection boot2 bootmii offers. It's still just as dangerous to do a NAND restore with the IOS bootmii from priiloader as the nand restore can possibly kill priiloader and still not work, effectively screwing you even harder, whereas if a boot2 bootmii nand restore fails, it wouldn't have touched boot2 anyways so you still have access to bootmii regardless to possibly try the restore again.

And if you're in a situation where you are bricked and can still load priiloader in the first place, you likely have much safer/better options of fixing the brick than a NAND restore anyways.

 

[lednar]

So IOS BootMii and Priiloader doesen't give the same security as Boot2 install of BootMii. Are there any other alternatives or am I stuck with this as the best option? Is it any good idea to go PriiLoader and IOSBootMii then even thought it gives limited security?

Noticed something

So it is quite interesting to have. However, before you install it, consider if you really want it. Many people were sorry of their installations and wanted to get rid of it. (Uninstallation can be done with the same installer in case you are one of those people.)

Why do they want to get rid of it afterwards? Quoted from http://sites.google.com/site/completesg/sy...acks/priiloader which was linked earlier.

 

[nabster92]

So IOS BootMii and Priiloader doesen't give the same security as Boot2 install of BootMii. Are there any other alternatives or am I stuck with this as the best option? Is it any good idea to go PriiLoader and IOSBootMii then even thought it gives limited security?

Noticed something

So it is quite interesting to have. However, before you install it, consider if you really want it. Many people were sorry of their installations and wanted to get rid of it. (Uninstallation can be done with the same installer in case you are one of those people.)

Why do they want to get rid of it afterwards? Quoted from http://sites.google.com/site/completesg/sy...acks/priiloader which was linked earlier.

Because people are fickle. Anyways, yes without being able to install bootmii to boot2, priiloader is your best option for brick protection. That should protect you from most feasible bricks, and not being stupid should prevent any other bricks.

 

[techboy]

not being stupid should prevent any other bricks.

In theory, that would cover all bricks if everyone managed it and spent a lot of time unpacking wads to check banners and such.

 

[nabster92]

not being stupid should prevent any other bricks.

In theory, that would cover all bricks if everyone managed it and spent a lot of time unpacking wads to check banners and such.

True, but I wouldn't categorize that on the same level of stupid as the other things that you can possibly do (such as those fools who thought it'd be a good idea to uninstall IOS60 after it caused a system menu is corrupt message because of preloader.) Preloader is just an easier alternative to checking for banner bricks since it doesn't really matter if it does brick you with it.

 

[techboy]

Very true. It is a great solution for banner bricks, and the only for the bootmii-less. I remember the days when Zelda was always laying next to the wii in case it bricked...

As for uninstalling IOS60 due to preloader...Those idiots either don't know how to, or don't want to, search and read. Sadly, I saw a post about someone uninstalling IOS60 because of preloader just the other day.

 

[lednar]

Haha.

Well, thanks for the help. Managed to update and install everything I needed according to the guide. Also had a backup with BootMii as ISO (installed Priiloader aswell, works like a charm... for now.

). Cheers again.