(Created page with "== What is Homebrew?== ---- Homebrew usually refers to software that is not authorized by Nintendo. It allows you to run homebrew games, tools like save editing and backup, an...") |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
Running homebrew on your console is 100% free using nothing but the system’s browser. | Running homebrew on your console is 100% free using nothing but the system’s browser. | ||
== What is Custom Firmware?== | === What is Custom Firmware?=== | ||
---- | ---- | ||
Custom Firmware (“CFW”) enables you to use more advanced hacks that userland homebrew can’t easily do, in addition to anything homebrew can do. | Custom Firmware (“CFW”) enables you to use more advanced hacks that userland homebrew can’t easily do, in addition to anything homebrew can do. | ||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
CFW can be easily set up on any console in any region on the latest version. | CFW can be easily set up on any console in any region on the latest version. | ||
==What does this guide install?== | ===What does this guide install?=== | ||
---- | ---- | ||
This guide has the end goal of taking a completely unmodified Wii U from stock firmware to Coldboot Haxchi powered Mocha Custom Firmware. It utilizes homebrew as a stepping off point, but Custom Firmware is still the goal. | This guide has the end goal of taking a completely unmodified Wii U from stock firmware to Coldboot Haxchi powered Mocha Custom Firmware. It utilizes homebrew as a stepping off point, but Custom Firmware is still the goal. | ||
==What can I do with Custom Firmware?== | ===What can I do with Custom Firmware?=== | ||
---- | ---- | ||
* Play all game discs and eShop games, regardless of region | * Play all game discs and eShop games, regardless of region | ||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
* Dump your discs to a format you can install, and play them without needing the disc | * Dump your discs to a format you can install, and play them without needing the disc | ||
==What do I need to know before starting?== | ===What do I need to know before starting?=== | ||
---- | ---- | ||
* Before beginning the guide, you must know the risks of Wii U hacking: EVERY time you modify your system, there is always the potential for an UNRECOVERABLE brick. They’re rare, but still a possibility so make sure you follow ALL directions EXACTLY. | * Before beginning the guide, you must know the risks of Wii U hacking: EVERY time you modify your system, there is always the potential for an UNRECOVERABLE brick. They’re rare, but still a possibility so make sure you follow ALL directions EXACTLY. | ||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
* If everything goes according to plan, you will lose no data and end up with everything that you started with (games, NNID, saves, etc will be preserved). | * If everything goes according to plan, you will lose no data and end up with everything that you started with (games, NNID, saves, etc will be preserved). | ||
* Your SD card is recommended to be at least 16GB or 32GB to have enough space for dumping and installing games. | * Your SD card is recommended to be at least 16GB or 32GB to have enough space for dumping and installing games. | ||
* Your SD card should be MBR, not GPT. | * Your SD card should be [http://www.howtogeek.com/245610/ MBR, not GPT]. | ||
* If you need to format a brand new SD card, you can use guiformat and set to an Allocation Unit Size of 64K. | * If you need to format a brand new SD card, you can use [http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm '''guiformat'''] and set to an Allocation Unit Size of 64K. | ||
==Get Started== | |||
These steps will prepare your SD card for installing Coldboot Haxchi custom firmware. | |||
Before beginning, you should make sure your Wii U is currently on firmware 5.5.0, 5.5.1 or 5.5.2. Older versions aren’t currently supported. | |||
Your SD card is recommended to be at least 16GB or 32GB to have enough space for dumping and installing games. If you want to make a backup of your Wii U’s system in case it needs to be restored in the future, you will need an SD card at least twice the size of your Wii U’s system memory (16GB SD card for an 8GB white console; 64GB SD card for a 32GB black console). | |||
Your SD card must be formatted as FAT32 (64KB clusters if possible). Most SD cards will be formatted this way by default. | |||
If you need to format an SD card on Windows, do not use the built in formatter or it may cause issues. Use [http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm guiformat] instead and set to an Allocation Unit Size of 64KB. | |||
Your SD card cannot be named <span class="label [radius round]" style="font-size:16px;border-radius: 4px">wiiu</span>, or it will cause problems. | |||
<span class="label [radius round]" style="font-size:16px; background-color:#87625a; padding:20px; border-radius: 4px; box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(208,135,112,0.25);">Before starting, you may want to check your SD card for errors using [[H2testw (Windows)]], [[F3 (Linux)]], or [[F3X (Mac)]]!</span> | |||
===What you need=== | |||
Revision as of 18:01, 6 February 2018
What is Homebrew?
Homebrew usually refers to software that is not authorized by Nintendo. It allows you to run homebrew games, tools like save editing and backup, and emulators for various older systems.
Running homebrew on your console is 100% free using nothing but the system’s browser.
What is Custom Firmware?
Custom Firmware (“CFW”) enables you to use more advanced hacks that userland homebrew can’t easily do, in addition to anything homebrew can do.
CFW can be easily set up on any console in any region on the latest version.
What does this guide install?
This guide has the end goal of taking a completely unmodified Wii U from stock firmware to Coldboot Haxchi powered Mocha Custom Firmware. It utilizes homebrew as a stepping off point, but Custom Firmware is still the goal.
What can I do with Custom Firmware?
- Play all game discs and eShop games, regardless of region
- Backup, edit, and restore saves for many games
- Play games for older systems with various emulators, using RetroArch or other standalone emulators.
- Install homebrew titles to your system, and have them appear on your system menu
- Dump your discs to a format you can install, and play them without needing the disc
What do I need to know before starting?
- Before beginning the guide, you must know the risks of Wii U hacking: EVERY time you modify your system, there is always the potential for an UNRECOVERABLE brick. They’re rare, but still a possibility so make sure you follow ALL directions EXACTLY.
- This guide will work on all Wii U devices in all regions on the version 5.5.0 to 5.5.2.
- If everything goes according to plan, you will lose no data and end up with everything that you started with (games, NNID, saves, etc will be preserved).
- Your SD card is recommended to be at least 16GB or 32GB to have enough space for dumping and installing games.
- Your SD card should be MBR, not GPT.
- If you need to format a brand new SD card, you can use guiformat and set to an Allocation Unit Size of 64K.
Get Started
These steps will prepare your SD card for installing Coldboot Haxchi custom firmware.
Before beginning, you should make sure your Wii U is currently on firmware 5.5.0, 5.5.1 or 5.5.2. Older versions aren’t currently supported.
Your SD card is recommended to be at least 16GB or 32GB to have enough space for dumping and installing games. If you want to make a backup of your Wii U’s system in case it needs to be restored in the future, you will need an SD card at least twice the size of your Wii U’s system memory (16GB SD card for an 8GB white console; 64GB SD card for a 32GB black console).
Your SD card must be formatted as FAT32 (64KB clusters if possible). Most SD cards will be formatted this way by default.
If you need to format an SD card on Windows, do not use the built in formatter or it may cause issues. Use guiformat instead and set to an Allocation Unit Size of 64KB.
Your SD card cannot be named wiiu, or it will cause problems.
Before starting, you may want to check your SD card for errors using H2testw (Windows), F3 (Linux), or F3X (Mac)!