Hacking Whats the difference between CIA and 3DS file?

[anthony001]

do they have an advantage over the other? whats the more popular one? if I install a cia game it will be on my internal sd card right? is the size gonna be like my CIA + the installed cia game(using devmenu).

Can I uninstall the cia using only the ui or do I have to use devmenu?

 

[Livin in a box]

3DS file you keep on your Gateway / Sky3DS / other card. A CIA file is installable so will install to the SD card inside your 3DS. Once it's installed, you can delete the CIA file from your SD card.

I'm not sure about using the system settings to uninstall CIA files, but I imagine it would work as long as you are in emuNAND? I think using DevMenu is a little easier though.

 

[MrJason005]

Never access the data management if you have .CIAs installed, it wipes all .CIAs from memory UNLESS you have unlinked sysnand from emunand

 

[anthony001]

by data management you mean the original 3DS option of deleting downloaded games right? so I should always delete via devmenu. hmm.. is there really an option to delete cia via the devmenu? will check if there is one once I get home

 

[anthony001]

how do you guys delete the update file that comes in cia? is it deleted if I delete the 3ds game on my red card?

 

[andzalot55]

I find that .cia files are smaller than the regular .3ds files and you can easily play online with a .cia file cause it does not require a header as compared to a .3ds file where you can't play online unless you inject a header into the file.

 

[anthony001]

Thanks andzalot. Do you happen to know if the update file that comes in cia for some games can be deleted? are those like patched to the 3ds file itself or is it still inside the sd card?

 

[andzalot55]

Thanks andzalot. Do you happen to know if the update file that comes in cia for some games can be deleted? are those like patched to the 3ds file itself or is it still inside the sd card?

I think so though I'm not an expert myself to know such things.

 

[cearp]

Thanks andzalot. Do you happen to know if the update file that comes in cia for some games can be deleted? are those like patched to the 3ds file itself or is it still inside the sd card?

updates for basically everything (there are a few rare exceptions) are stored separately to the app/game on the sd card, you can delete them if you ever wanted to

 

[anthony001]

cearp

thanks man. ju

Also is the .sav file found on the root of the sd card the save of 3ds games? can I just copy it to the pc for backup or is tehre a process to do it properly??

 

[cearp]

Also is the .sav file found on the root of the sd card the save of 3ds games? can I just copy it to the pc for backup or is tehre a process to do it properly??

yes, they are the saves, you can back them up

 

[Anorhc]

Never access the data management if you have .CIAs installed, it wipes all .CIAs from memory UNLESS you have unlinked sysnand from emunand

This explains why I lost my legitimate eshop downloads.