Hacking Wii backup Manager for Windows

[Squall Leonhart]

you cannot rip gcn disks/isos using this software.

 

[Squall Leonhart]

Since the last post, here in this thread, from fig2k4 is now more than 1 year old, may be it's time (for me) to share his last special and unreleased build of "Wii Backup Manager Build 79" !
I had the opportunity to test it, by the time, since I posted a feature request.

The following link appears to be still working:
http://www.4shared.com/file/M3gzXGR9/WiiBackupManager_Build79.html

The changelog:
0.4.6 Build 79
--------------
|-Added: A little antialiasing for the software cover renderer. Still not as good as using OpenGL/Direct3D, but it removes some of the jaggies when the image isn't too large.
|-Changed: The covers menu moved to "Tools->Covers".
|-Changed: Internal cover folder format to "c:\covers\3d". I'm not sure why it was using "c:\covers\3d\%s.png".
|-Added: When selecting a folder, there's a new dialog that allows you to manually enter the path. Use the button in the dialog to browse for the folder just as before.
|-Changed: Only one instance of WBM is allowed to run from the same folder at any time. It's still possible to run multiple instances as long as they're not in the same folder. The main reason for this is that the database can't be shared between instances and would lock up the app.

registration required to download

you know where you can stick that file host?

 

[TehCupcakes]

Here you go, a mediafire mirror for build 79:
http://www.mediafire.com/?tjpk0cw0lb2b0mx

 

[geokilla]

I have a problem here. I have my games under G:\Wii and while it can detect the games under the Files tab, it will not let me transfer it over to my external (H:\) as the transfer button is greyed out.

 

[geokilla]

I have a problem here. I have my games under G:\Wii and while it can detect the games under the Files tab, it will not let me transfer it over to my external (H:\) as the transfer button is greyed out.

It will however let me transfer it over to my G:\wbfs...

Fixed? I can now transfer my games over to external, which is H:\wbfs.

 

[diesal11]

Was Gamecube support ever added? If not, how should i sync my Gamecube ISOs and covers? (Don't need a full tutorial but just some programs that could help with it)

 

[Cyan]

maybe try GameCube ISO Tool
http://www.wiibackupmanager.co.uk/gcit.html

It was a test version before adding it to WiiBackupManager.

I don't think it can manage covers, but your usual USBLoader can probably download covers and banners for you.

 

[diesal11]

yeah im using iso tool now. have to manually copy over but no biggie.
For covers i've just downloaded the full pack qnd put them on my HDD. Unfortunetly my Wii wireless doesn't work anymore so i miss out on all that cool stuff.

Was there a reason Gamecube ISO Tool never went past testing and into backup manager?

 

[Cyan]

probably missing time and interests.
Fig always develop for a month and leave the forum for a year
Maybe he will come back one day and add gamecube support.

 

[ulao]

I download the latest and also the gcit file. I'm trying to convert my GC iso files to ciso. Is there any way to do that?

 

[Cyan]

no, and what would be the point? no program/emulator/homebrew supports ciso for gamecube.
What do you want to do? Compress the ISO to remove unused parts? it's the "compressed" option in a lot of tools. It keeps the file extension to .iso but it's compressed if it's not 1.35GB.
Compressed ISO are working fine for most games with consoles and emulators.

For example: DiscEx -c ISOfile
You can also align files to 32k for better compatibility when compressing ISO.

 

[ulao]

Dolphin runs ciso images fine. Are you saying a wii game can be compressed to ciso and ran in Dolphin just fine where a Game cube game would not? I used yacc to get all of my GCM images down in size(CSO), they compress better then GCZ. Turns out Dolphin will not load a CSO, it only loads CISO, I thought they were one in the same but maybe not?

Or maybe GC games just can not be compressed ISO's, is that what you mean? If so how are wii games so different then GC games (just for understanding)

 

[Cyan]

as far as I know, ciso is only for wii.
Three's no ciso for gamecube.

on wii, the ciso format is a re-created ISO with only the game data (dummy data are deleted).
If dolphin is compatible with ciso format, it's for Wii games, not for Gamecube games.


Wii
Full game: ISO
scrubbed game: ISO (full ISO size, with dummy data replaced with 0x00 or 0xff, used to compress the file efficiently)
compressed game: CISO (ISO extracted and recreated with only the data. no dummy data present)
compressed game: wbfs (came as cISO, but with an additional container to work with homebrew Loaders)
Archived format: WIA (compressed even more, but can't be launched unless decompressed)
FST format: Extracted ISO into files and folders. used by Neek.

GameCube
Full game: ISO or GCM
scrubbed game: Doesn't exist
compressed game: ISO or GCM (ISO extracted and recreated with only the data. no dummy data present)
FST format: ISO in extracted format (File and folders). Used by loaders.
I don't know the CSO format for Gamecube. isn't YACC a PSP tool?


If you want to compress Gamecube game, use existing Gamecube tools to compress the ISO to ... ISO!
the file extension has no meaning on the file's content. what's important is the content and the file size, not the file extension. you can rename it to .bin if you want it won't change the format.

 

[ulao]

hmm interesting info you have there. I have been working with gamecube files for a long time now.
mou ( winmount ) lowest size I can get the GC collection down to and remain playable with decompression. To play a game you "mount" the mou to a folder ( few seconds ) and play.
7z/zip/rar/ect No way to play it directly but has the best over all compression.
GCZ (dolphin's compression) worst compress in matter of the size.
CSO ( yes PSP format ) compressed better then GCZ, almost as good as zip but dolphin has no support to uncompressed and load it like it does for wii games.
ICSO, looks like you just can do this?
GCM/iso same thing, no difference fully uncompressed.

So I'm just doing research here, trying to find the best compression that is playable. Mou works but require buying mou and many dont like that, it was free. GMZ works well but any form of compressed ISO's would be best. I thank you for this info I understand more now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.CSO -- suggest its also can be use for sega CD?

 

[Cyan]

just because Sega CD can be compressed using the same method to be read on PSP (SegaCD emulator on PSP) doesn't mean that it's a compressed method working with other plateform. It's only PSP which can read cso.

So, don't use YACC to "compress" gamecube ISO. it's NOT for anything else than PSP. it will only render it unusable (you can't uncompress/read it from PC or Wii/GC).

 

[ulao]

I found the sega CD a bit interesting as I have some experience with them. Is this ciso specific to wii in the way cso is specific to psp? In all attempts to research ciso they call it cso but its very clear to me they are not the same thing.

 

[Cyan]

I think the ciso is a normal ISO. it's called compressed ISO because it's not 4GB anymore. But if you burn that ciso to a blank DVD, it works fine and the Wii load it.

I don't know the PSP's cso format, how it's compressed, the method used etc. I didn't find any information.

 

[ulao]

I think the ciso is a normal ISO. it's called compressed ISO because it's not 4GB anymore.

This is the reason I figure i could use it for GC. If its not specific to wii. You said "compressed game: CISO (ISO extracted and recreated with only the data. no dummy data present)". So to me that sounds like GCZ would still have better compression. So its not worth it anyways.

 

[elm]

Can anyone help me figure out this??

I haven't used my Wii Manager in a long time. So last night I downloaded WBFS Manager 3.0 and I plugged in my Wii hard drive (w/USB Loader and games that I have on it) and I "Select Load" and I select which drive my hard drive is on. and I get this message ------> "Error occurred while loading drive, Make sure the drive is not in use or open and has been formatted to wbfs" . My hard drive is and always has been wbfs formatted, I've been playing games on my Wii with this hard drive, through the USB Loader?? And if I format, I will lose all my games and I can't do that.

Any help as to what is going on??

Thanks

 

[dreamon]

Can anyone help me figure out this??

I haven't used my Wii Manager in a long time. So last night I downloaded WBFS Manager 3.0 and I plugged in my Wii hard drive (w/USB Loader and games that I have on it) and I "Select Load" and I select which drive my hard drive is on. and I get this message ------> "Error occurred while loading drive, Make sure the drive is not in use or open and has been formatted to wbfs" . My hard drive is and always has been wbfs formatted, I've been playing games on my Wii with this hard drive, through the USB Loader?? And if I format, I will lose all my games and I can't do that.

Any help as to what is going on??

your question belongs to another thread (since it's not about this specifc Backup Manager).
i'm not a tech guy but i would like to help you a little; WBFS manager 3.0 is very old and known to corrupt the drives. (it was last released five years ago). it is very unstable. same problems happen with wbfs format too.
you can't use WBFS for any backup program nowadays.
the best way to be safe is formatting the entire drive to FAT32 with cluster size 32kb using EaseUS Backup Manager. it has to be primary active drive. then you can use Wiibackup manager from this thread (latest version was posted on previous page) to transfer the games to your hard drive in .wbfs format if you want.

before you do the format, transfer all games to another USB-device if you can and transfer them back again after formatting. this way you won't lose them.