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Softmod, modchip, semi-brick and firmware problems
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noobster1
Junior Member
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12. February 2010 @ 07:56 |
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Hi,
I'm having a few problems with softmods, modchips, semi-bricks and firmware (hence the title of this thread). I'm just going to provide some background information on my Wii to help you help me:
It's an American Wii. I bought it already modchipped, so I don't know what chip is inside it (and I don't want to go and open it up). Later I got it softmodded. The things that were installed were the Homebrew Channel (duh) and NeoGamma R7 (which means that cIOS249 rev 14 was also installed). Oh yes, and my Wii is also both semi-bricked and has duplicate News and Forecast Channels. My current firmware is probably 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2 (I don't know what it is exactly because of the semi-brick, and I think it's semi-bricked with a European firmware).
Okay, now that you're clear with that I've got a few questions.
1. Is it necessary to have NeoGamma R7 installed if my Wii is already modchipped?
2. If I was to update my firmware to, let's say, 3.3U or higher, would it stuff up (brick) my Wii considering that I have cIOS249 installed?
3. Is it safe to update the firmware to 3.3U or higher with a modchip installed (that inoperability message scares me and yes, I know that people have said that it's completely safe but I just need to make sure)?
4. Out of curiosity, is it any different if you update firmware with a backup game instead of it's original copy?
Thanks to everyone who posts. I'm a total noob at this.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. March 2010 @ 08:59
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. February 2010 @ 10:47 |
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Quote:
(I don't know if it's U or E, but definately not J)
If you bought it in the USA then it is probably U (U=USA). To know for sure look at the serial on the Wii. North America (USA) starts with the letters LU then #####.
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1. Is it necessary to have NeoGamma R7 installed if my Wii is already modchipped?
This depends on the modchip and the firmware that is on the modchip. Some system updates can cause issues with modchips that then need a firmware update (on the modchip) to bypass those issues. It would be easier to help if we new what Modchip you had installed.
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2. If I was to update my firmware to, let's say, 3.3U or higher, would it stuff up (brick) my Wii considering that I have cIOS249 installed (theoretically another IOS would be installed, right?)?
If you have a USA system then updating the system should not cause issues. If anything the softmod would be uninstalled and you would have to reinstalled the softmod if you want it softmoded again.
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3. Is it safe to update the firmware to 3.3U or higher with a modchip installed (that inoperability message scares me and yes, I know that people have said that it's completely safe but I just need to make sure)?
How many times does it need to be said for you to feel safe? It is SAFE to update a Wii that has a modchip.
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4. Out of curiosity, is it any different if you update firmware with a backup game instead of it's original copy?
There is no difference. But you need to make sure the update that is on the game disc is an update for the proper region as your system. The reason you semi-bricked was probably due to updating your system with an out of region update.
You should be able to update the firmware to 4.1 by using a game disc that has a 4.1 firmware update on it.
You could also use NUS to download system menu 4.1U and install that by using WAD manager.
Any of those two options below should fix your region brick.
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noobster1
Junior Member
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13. February 2010 @ 00:06 |
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Thanks for your solid answers larrylje. I've been searching everywhere for answers like that. Yes, my Wii is definately American.
As for which modchip is installed, I won't be able to find out. I bought it in Jakarta (Indonesia) in 2008. Can you tell me anything I can look for to possibly identify the chip without opening the console? Or maybe you have an idea of a chip that is popular throughout Indonesia which majority of gamimg stores use (which is pretty unlikely since there are heaps)? And just so you know, my cousin bought a Wii from the exact same store, only a few weeks later (it was also modchipped but not softmodded). Their Wii was able to play later games (such as Mario Super Sluggers) than mine via the Disc Channel (which means they somehow got their firmware updated to a later version than mine). Could this mean that it's safe to update to 3.?(*). I haven't updated my firmware since 2008, which is why I'm using NeoGamma.
I'm already aware that my Wii was semi-bricked because of an out-of-region update.
Right now, my concern isn't the semi-brick. It's not being able to play my backups using the Disc Channel. NeoGamma gets pretty annoying after a while compared to it's (the Disc Channel's) convenience.
Okay, so updating my firmware will only possibly remove the softmod. What's the case with firmware 4.2 then? I've heard it's extremely risky to update to it (which is probably why you told me to update to 4.1).
Anyway, thanks for those two methods of updating to 4.1. But I won't update my firmware just yet until I'm clear with everything. Since you're so awesome at this stuff, I'll be clear pretty soon. :)
(*)What I mean is a version below 4.0. My cousin's firmware was definately below 4.0 since it was only 2008 when I tested it (it needed an update when an NTSC-U version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl or Wii Music was inserted).
My Wii can play the PAL version of Brawl using the Disc Channel, but needs an update to play the NTSC-U version (this really confuses me). Here's just a summary of the games my cousin's Wii and my Wii can play (Disc Channel):
Super Smash Bros. Brawl NTSC-U
Mine: No
Cousin's: No
Super Smash Bros. Brawl PAL
Mine: Yes
Cousin's: Unknown
Wii Music NTSC-U
Mine: No
Cousin's: No
Mario Super Sluggers
Mine: No
Cousin's: Yes
Mario Kart NTSC-U
Mine: Yes
Cousin's: Yes
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 16. February 2010 @ 06:26
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noobster1
Junior Member
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16. February 2010 @ 06:32 |
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Sorry for the double post, but is anyone able to help me? I'm pretty desperate...
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penguin98
AfterDawn Addict
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16. February 2010 @ 08:31 |
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Originally posted by noobster1:
Can you tell me anything I can look for to possibly identify the chip without opening the console?
You can attempt to run the wiikey 1.9s update disk. If it lets you complete the update then you have a wiikey. If the update will not run then you don't. There's a pretty good chance that you do have a wiikey though, as that was the most popular modchip for quite a while.
Originally posted by noobster1:
I'm already aware that my Wii was semi-bricked because of an out-of-region update.
Updating from a US game will un-semi-brick the wii. The fact that you're running such an old firmware is likely the reason that many of your games don't work as well. You should update.
Originally posted by noobster1:
Okay, so updating my firmware will only possibly remove the softmod. What's the case with firmware 4.2 then? I've heard it's extremely risky to update to it (which is probably why you told me to update to 4.1).
Updating to 4.2 will undo most or all of your softmod, however you can always reinstall the parts it removed. The process has become FAR simpler in recent months and now only takes about 10 minutes.
Updating to 4.1 (new super mario bros wii contains the 4.1 update) will not remove any of your softmod.
Originally posted by noobster1:
My Wii can play the PAL version of Brawl using the Disc Channel, but needs an update to play the NTSC-U version (this really confuses me.
Most likely the PAL backups you have were brickblocked, with the update removed. That is why they don't ask to run updates.
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noobster1
Junior Member
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19. February 2010 @ 05:29 |
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Thanks penguin98.
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Most likely the PAL backups you have were brickblocked, with the update removed. That is why they don't ask to run updates.
I forgot to mention that the PAL version of Brawl I tested was original (I borrowed it from a friend and I own the NTSC-U version).
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You can attempt to run the wiikey 1.9s update disk. If it lets you complete the update then you have a wiikey. If the update will not run then you don't. There's a pretty good chance that you do have a wiikey though, as that was the most popular modchip for quite a while.
Okay, so nothing negative will happen if I run the Wiikey 1.9s update right? I'll give it a try then. Oh, and can a version of a chip only be installed on it's corresponding region (i.e. can a PAL chip be installed on a US console, a US chip be installed on a JAP console etc.?)? Because I don't know whether to download the JAP, PAL or US Wiikey firmware update. And can firmware 1.9s support firmware 4.2 (Wii)?
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Updating from a US game will un-semi-brick the wii. The fact that you're running such an old firmware is likely the reason that many of your games don't work as well. You should update.
I didn't mean that my Wii couldn't read the backup discs, what I meant was that it needed a firmware update to play. Sorry for not being so clear. Yeah, my cousin's Wii has a higher firmware than mine, but was bought from the same shop only a few weeks later. So I was just suggesting that maybe it's safe to update to whatever firmware Mario Super Sluggers runs on.
I'm getting some really good information that I haven't been able to get for a long time. You guys are all legends!!!
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penguin98
AfterDawn Addict
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19. February 2010 @ 10:13 |
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Ok, I'm going to try to break this down really simple.
Updating will not harm your wii or your modchip so long as you update online or from a game that matches your wii's region and it will most likely fix the issues you're having with your backup games.
If you update to 4.2 then it will wipe out most of your softmod and block the ability to install wads, but you can easily reinstall it and restore full wad function to the wii in only a few minutes.
I'm pretty sure that's the main question here.
As for the other stuff...
If an original game from one region wants to run an update and an original from another region does not then the one wants to update your news or weather channels, or some other minor update, and shouldn't damage the wii. But it will likely give you duplicates of whatever channels it wants to update.
And if you can play an original copy of brawl then either you have a wiikey already on 1.9s or a different modchip. Either way, attempting to update shouldn't damage the chip, but if it is a wiikey it will default to only playing game disks from whatever region you installed the update from. So you should only use the update from your wii's home region.
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noobster1
Junior Member
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21. February 2010 @ 03:45 |
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You're a legend penguin98. So now I don't need to use the Wiikey 1.9s update? That's good.
Quote:
If an original game from one region wants to run an update and an original from another region does not then the one wants to update your news or weather channels, or some other minor update, and shouldn't damage the wii. But it will likely give you duplicates of whatever channels it wants to update.
I already have duplicate News and Forecast channels on my Wii. Will updating to a higher US firmware remove them?
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And if you can play an original copy of brawl then either you have a wiikey already on 1.9s or a different modchip. Either way, attempting to update shouldn't damage the chip, but if it is a wiikey it will default to only playing game disks from whatever region you installed the update from. So you should only use the update from your wii's home region.
Right, so if I update to whatever firmware version my NTSC-U Brawl contains and I have a Wiikey, it would default to only playing NTSC-U discs (sorry for repeating things in my posts, I just want to make sure I'm on the right track). Why is this? And how would I set it so that I'd be able to play PAL and NTSC-J discs again? My Wii's firmware has already been updated once (it updated from whatever firmware version Wii Sports contained to whatever version Mario Kart Wii contains) and it hasn't been restricted to only playing games from one region. Could this mean that I don't have a Wiikey?
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penguin98
AfterDawn Addict
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21. February 2010 @ 10:42 |
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Originally posted by noobster1:
I already have duplicate News and Forecast channels on my Wii. Will updating to a higher US firmware remove them?
I thought you might, based on what games you said you were playing.
Updating to a higher US firmware won't fix this. The only way to remove the out-of-region channels is to use some homebrew such as the duplicate channel remover.
Originally posted by noobster1:
Right, so if I update to whatever firmware version my NTSC-U Brawl contains and I have a Wiikey, it would default to only playing NTSC-U discs (sorry for repeating things in my posts, I just want to make sure I'm on the right track). Why is this?
Sorry, I wasn't clear here. I meant the wiikey update, not the brawl update. When you update a wiikey it resets all the modchip's settings, including turning off the region override. To turn it back on, you would need to use the wiikey config disk to access the modchip settings.
Anyway, so long as the modchip region override setting is turned on and your firmware is 4.1 or lower then you can play games from any region. If you update to 4.2 then you need to use a homebrew loader, like gecko OS or neogamma, to load out of region games, as 4.2 blocks playing them even with a modchip.
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noobster1
Junior Member
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25. February 2010 @ 21:11 |
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Ah, good. That clears a lot of things up.
Thanks for telling me how to remove the duplicate channels. I'll remove them soon.
What would happen if I ran the Wiikey Config disc on my Wii and I didn't have a Wiikey? Would anything bad happen? I still haven't checked if my modchip is a Wiikey. So would the safest way to check it (without opening the console) be by using the Config disc or Firmware Update disc?
I've also got another question; out of curiosity, does it make a difference if you use a DVD+Rs for backups? I've heard that they strain (and can damage) the Wii's laser.
Thanks to anyone who replies.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. April 2010 @ 03:36
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noobster1
Junior Member
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6. March 2010 @ 04:06 |
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I'm still waiting on an answer to the DVD+R question, but all I really want to know is, is it safe for me to update my Wii's firmware to 4.1 without making my modchip inoperable? If I can get this question answered then I'll be happy.
penguin98 has already said that I eiher have a Wiikey (on firmware 1.9s) or some other modchip since my Wii is able to play an original copy of a PAL Super Smash Bros Brawl. If it is another chip, then does that mean that it'd be as powerful as a Wiikey with 1.9s (would it be able to remain operable on a Wii with 4.1?)?
The main question here is:
"Is it safe to update to 4.1U without rendering my modchip or Wii inoperable?"
A big thanks to anyone that can help me completely solve my problem.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. April 2010 @ 03:35
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noobster1
Junior Member
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2. April 2010 @ 06:18 |
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Good news! I updated my Wii's firmware to 3.3U (with Wii Music) because I was getting impatient and anxious. I've still got to update to 4.1 though, is it safe? I ran the Wiikey 1.9s/x update disc and it said:
Initiating drive....
Reading firmware data...done.
Stopping drive....
Press A or reset to run TEST cycle
TESTING.. Please wait...
ERROR: test failed!
Check your connections and try again
This forum says that the reasons are:
1) Poor connection between WiiKey and board. Test connections (multimeter), re-solder possibly using long wire method.
2) You may have a clone WiiKey or Something else. Worth having a look inside your Wii if you havn't already.
According to this website, I have a GC2-D2C (v1) Wii. This Wikipedia aritcle says that Wiikeys aren't compatible with D2C Wiis, so that means that I shouldn't have a Wiikey. The only ones I should have are; D2CKey, Argon, D2Pro9 v1, D2Pro9 v2, D2Pro9 v3, Wasabi v1, Wasabi v2, Wasabi v3, Wasabi Zero, Wiizard, D2Sun v1.x, D2Sun v2.x, D2Sun v3.x, D2Lite, WiiKey 2, DriveKey, FlatMod, FlatMii, Wasabi DX, WODE Jukebox, SunDriver or Wiikey Fusion.
So, any ideas? Cheers.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. April 2010 @ 06:02
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