| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Hack Your Wii

Page history last edited by haruspex 14 years, 3 months ago

 

OMG this is a lot to read! (Then just follow the green text.)

Yeah, well, we're thorough here.  However, you don't have to read it all.  The information is there for people who want details, but if you just want to get things done then look for the green text.  There are only 6 steps.

 

What is USB Loader?

USB Loader is an application for the Nintendo Wii which allows you to to install and load your backup ISO game files to/from a USB storage device. It also allows you to create such backups straight from the original DVD, or you can put ISO files which you have backed up to your computer onto your USB drive and load them from there. This guide will prepare your Wii to use USB Loader GX, which will launch both the USB drive and burned DVD-R discs.

 

What if I just want homebrew?

If you don't want to launch backup games and just want to enjoy the world of homebrew, homemade games and applications for the Wii, then you only need to follow steps 2 through 4; it couldn't be simpler.

 


 

USB Loader Guide (These 6 steps take about 20 minutes)

 

Welcome:

This guide is targeted at people wit no hacks/mods on their Wii, so essentially a store-bought system. However, this guide can still help people that have the HomeBrew Channel already installed (simply do step 1 and then skip to step 5).


Disclaimer: 
WiiHacks and its editors are not responsible for any harm done to your system by using our guides. This guide is meant to be simple and clean, and works on all Wii systems to get them modified. However, after you have modified an LU64 or newer Wii system, DO NOT use downgrade applications or anything that alters IOS files (besides what is in this guide), cIOS installers, and new IOS files from games released in 2009 and beyond. (This may cause a brick [dead Wii].)

 

Korean Wii Systems:

You will need to alter this guide.  Do step 1 and 2 (load the Wii Hacks Package and Bannerbomb onto your SD card), but alter step 2 to launch dop-IOS MOD (instead of the HackMii installer) by placing its boot.dol on the root of your card.  Then follow steps 5a through 5j (and don't exit yet), then use dop-IOS MOD to install the latest version of IOS34 and IOS35.  You can then do the proper steps 1 through 4, then do step 6 and you're done.  A proper guide for this will be set up at a future date if there is demand.


What You Need:

 

Summary:

In this guide you will

  1. Install the HomeBrew Channel and BootMii via BannerBomb
  2. Restore the Trucha Bug to IOS36
  3. Delete IOS stubs (installed by Nintendo to prevent hacking)
  4. Install cIOS222 to enable homebrew access to the USB port and DVD drive

 

The terms IOS and cIOS is going to come up a lot in this guide.  If you're curious about what they mean, go check out the IOS Information page.


Instructions:

This guide is meant to be simple for you and clean for your Wii. It will attempt to explain each step clearly and provides notes before certain steps so that you can understand what you are doing, why, and how to address any problems. 

STEP 1. Load the contents of the Wii Hacks Package to your SD Card.

Note: Skip steps 2 through 4 if you already have the HomeBrew Channel and BootMii (but make sure to do step 4a if you don't have a NAND backup, otherwise you will have a horrible time trying to recover from a brick).

STEP 2. Follow the BannerBomb instructions to load BannerBomb and the HackMii installer onto your SD card properly, and launch HackMii installer.


STEP 3. You are now in the HackMii installer. Install everything (only the HomeBrew Channel is required, BootMii as boot2 is strongly recommended [although if you can only install as IOS do it anyway], and DVDx is at your discretion).

STEP 4. When done, exit to the System Menu.

4a. If you installed BootMii as boot2, it is suggested to do a NAND Backup before continuing. Read the BootMii Guide for more information.


Note: Steps 5 is meant to restore the Trucha Bug to IOS36. The purpose of this is to allow step 6 to use IOS36 to install a cIOS (custom IOS). The cIOS is what will allow backup launchers such as USB Loader GX to access the USB port and the DVD drive.

     If you don't wish to launch backup games, you are done and can move on to optionally upgrade/downgrade your Firmware and/or head over to WiiBrew Wiki to get some fresh, homemade homebrew applications.

      If you modify the IOS file used by the HomeBrew Channel (which, in some cases, can be IOS36), it will cause the channel to flip upside-down and backwards. This is to deter people from launching backup games (the creators of the HomeBrew Channel don't approve of game backups). Simply re-install the HomeBrew Channel via the HackMii installer to fix this.

     Step 5j is only necessary for those on Wii Firmware 4.2, although it also ensures a clean Wii system for all others. The reason step 5j is important for 4.2 is that along with the System Menu, stub IOS files were installed to slots 222, 223, 249, and 250 in order to prevent cIOS files from being installed. These must be deleted in order for step 6 to succeed on a 4.2 or higher Wii system.

STEP 5. Run dop-IOS MOD from the HomeBrew Channel.

5a. Press A to continue
5b. Select "Install an IOS that accepts fakesigning" and press A
5c. Press A on <Load IOS from sd card> to get IOS15 revision 523
5d. Press A on <Load IOS from sd card> to get IOS15 revision 257
5e. Press A on <Load IOS from sd card> to get IOS36 revision 3351
5f. Press A on <Load IOS from sd card> to get IOS15 revision 523
5g. Press A to continue
5h. Go up and select IOS36 (use the WiiMote arrows [dpad] to move left/right if it says a different IOS) and press A
5i. Press A to continue
5j. Press A to continue to delete the stub IOS files
5k. Press HOME to exit

 

Note: Step 6 installs a cIOS, and is the whole reason for the previous steps. This cIOS gives HomeBrew access to the USB drive and the DVD drive, among other things. This allows the included USB Loader GX to create/run backup games on/from your USB drive.

     If you are unable to get step 6 to work for you, then delete the 00000001 folder from your SD card and try again. If you're still having trouble, check the Hermes cIOS 222 and 223 page for additional help.


STEP 6. Open the HomeBrew Channel and run the cIOS222 v4 Installer

7a. Choose IOS36 for install 
7b. Install Custom IOS 222 
7c. Use IOS38 merged with IOS37 


You now have a fully hacked Wii with the following:
HomeBrew Channel, BootMii, cIOS 222, and USB Loader GX

 


 

Now What? 

To get started running backup retail games, visit the USB Loader GX ReadMii.

For WiiWare and Virtual Console, please see the go to the WiiWare and Virtual Console page.

To upgrade or downgrade your Wii Firmware and learn why, visit the Firmware page.

Launch the included Homebrew Browser from the HomeBrew Channel or head on over to WiiBrew Wiki.

 


 

Can I get some additional help please? 

Noob Starter Guide 

Complete Softmod Guide 

GAF's Wii Homebrew Tutorial 

Deviyl's Wii Homebrew Tutorial

xzxero's Wii Homebrew Tutorial

 

Are there any more good links?

USB Loader Releases

WBFS (The Filesystem for your USB Drive) Managers

USB Device Compatibility List

Game Compatibility List

Matriculated's HBC Icons

Low Line's Wii Style Icons

Mirrored IOS and Channel WADs from NUS (Nintendo Upgrade Server)

HackMii Blog

 

I need some box art and/or disc art for my loader. 

WiiTDB (the gold standard)

Wii Boxart (pre-sized, also has disc art)

Raffles' Wii Box Art (high res, also has disc art)

 

Backup Wii ISO Files

Hippyfreak's Wii ISO Only Thread

ILoveTorrents

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.