Troubleshooting

If you are unable to boot your device, please look for the section relevant to you, and follow the instructions. Once a solution works for you, you can proceed on with the main guide (The section is fairly long, try using Ctrl+F to search for your issue.)

If you still cannot solve your issue and need to reach out for help, please paste the contents of all relevant .log files from the root of your SD card into a Gist, then come for help prepared with a detailed description of your problem and what you’ve tried.

To use the magnet links on this page, you will need a torrent client like Deluge

DSi / DS functionality is broken after completing the guide

What you need

Instructions

Section I - Prep Work
  1. Create a folder named cias on the root of your SD card if it does not already exist
  2. Copy TWL Version Data - v0.cia to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
  3. Copy DS Download Play - v1024.cia to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
  4. Copy DS Internet - v2048.cia to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
  5. Copy Nintendo DS Cart Whitelist - v11264.cia to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
  6. Copy either New_3DS TWL_FIRM - v9936.cia or Old_3DS TWL_FIRM - v8817.cia to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
Section II - Installing titles
  1. Launch FBI
  2. Navigate to SD -> cias
  3. Select “<current directory>”
  4. Select “Install and delete all CIAs”
  5. Press (Home) to exit FBI

Removing an NNID without formatting your device

What you need

Instructions

  1. Copy GodMode9.bin from the GodMode9 .zip to the /luma/payloads/ folder on your SD card and rename GodMode9.bin in /luma/payloads/ to up_GodMode9.bin
  2. Boot holding (Up) to reboot into arm9loaderhax GodMode9
  3. Navigate to [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND -> data -> (32 Character ID) -> sysdata -> 00010038
  4. Hold down the (R) trigger, then press (X) on 00000000 to rename this file
  5. Press (Up) once to change the name to 10000000
  6. Press (A) to save changes
  7. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND writing, then input the key combo given
  8. Navigate back to the Main Menu
  9. Press (Start) to reboot your device

Cannot inject H&S on Gateway downgraded device

«««< HEAD This is caused by Gateway implementing a very shoddy downgrade method, which leaves two versions of each app on the system. One of them is unused, but it confuses Decrypt9, causing it to inject into the wrong one.

What you need

«««< HEAD

=======

  • The latest release of GodMode9

    upstream/master

Instructions

======= This is caused by Gateway implementing a very shoddy downgrade method, which leaves two versions of each app on the system. One of them is unused, but it confuses the H&S inject system, causing it to inject into the wrong one.

upstream/master

  1. Boot your device while holding (Start) to launch the Luma3DS chainloader menu
  2. Launch GodMode9 by pressing (A)
  3. Navigate to [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND -> title -> 00040010
  4. Navigate to the folder for your device and region:
    • Old 3DS EUR: 00022300 -> content
    • Old 3DS JPN: 00020300 -> content
    • Old 3DS USA: 00021300 -> content
    • New 3DS EUR: 20022300 -> content
    • New 3DS JPN: 20020300 -> content
    • New 3DS USA: 20021300 -> content
  5. Notice that there are two sets of app and tmd files, one set with uppercase extensions (.TMD and .APP), and one set with lowercase extensions (.tmd and .app)
  6. While holding the (R) trigger, press (Y) to create a new directory
  7. Press (A) to confirm the name newdir (it does not matter what the folder is called)
  8. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
  9. Press the (L) trigger on each of the uppercase extension files (.TMD and .APP) to mark them
  10. Press (Y) to copy the files
  11. Navigate to newdir
  12. Press (Y) to paste the files
  13. Select “Move path(s)”
  14. The uppercase extension files will have been moved to the newdir directory
  15. Press (Start) to reboot your device
  16. Return to Installing arm9loaderhax and retry the FBI injection
  17. If this still doesn’t work, move the uppercase extension files back to the content folder, then move the lowercase extension files to the newdir folder, then return to Installing arm9loaderhax and retry the FBI injection

A browser based exploit is not working

Browser based exploits (such as browserhax or 2xrsa) are often unstable and crash frequently, but they can sometimes be fixed by doing the following steps

  1. Launch the browser, then launch the browser settings
  2. Scroll to the bottom and Initialize Savedata (it also may be called Clear All Save Data)
  3. Try the exploit again

System boots directly SafeA9LHInstaller

You copied the wrong arm9loaderhax.bin file to your SD card (you were only supposed to copy the 3ds folder and SafeA9LHInstaller.dat file from the SafeA9LHInstaller zip)

  1. Use the correct arm9loaderhax.bin
  2. Copy arm9loaderhax.bin from the Luma3DS .zip to the root of your SD card
  3. Reboot holding (Select) and continue

SafeA9LHInstaller shows a glitched screen

This happens occasionally, but the reason is unknown. The buttons will still work, but the screen will be glitched looking

  1. Follow instructions as normal
  2. Press (Select) and arm9loaderhax will be installed
  3. Wait a few seconds
  4. Power off your device by pressing any button

Black screen on SysNAND boot

  1. Try booting with your SD card out, and then reinserting it after booting
    1. Power off your device
    2. Remove your SD card from your device
    3. Power on your device
    4. When the home menu appears, reinsert your SD card into your device
    5. If this worked, you should clear Home Menu’s extdata by navigating to the following folder on your SD card: /Nintendo 3DS/(32 Character ID)/(32 Character ID)/extdata/00000000/
      • EUR Region: Delete 00000098
      • JPN Region: Delete 00000082
      • USA Region: Delete 0000008f
      • CHN Region: Delete 000000A1
      • KOR Region: Delete 000000A9
      • TWN Region: Delete 000000B1
  2. Try booting without any cartridges inserted (including flashcarts)
  3. If you have a hardmod and a NAND backup, flash the backup back to SysNAND
  4. Try booting into recovery mode and updating your system
    This probably will not work for an Old 3DS downgraded to 2.1.0
    This will BRICK a New 3DS downgraded to 2.1.0
    1. Power off your device
    2. Hold (L)+(R)+(A)+(Up)
    3. Power on your device
    4. If you enter safe mode, update your device only if you have an entrypoint for the latest FW version and it is possible to downgrade from it and attempt the downgrade again.
  5. Your device may be bricked. For support, ask for help at #3dshacks on Rizon IRC or Nintendo Homebrew on Discord

Black screen on SysNAND boot after installing arm9loaderhax

  1. Ensure you have a working payload.
    1. Check for the existence of arm9loaderhax.bin in the root of your SD card.
  2. Try resetting Luma’s config and fix options
    1. Delete /luma/config.bin from your SD card
    2. Set your options when it boots
  3. Test booting GodMode9
    1. On Luma3DS, hold (Start) on boot
  4. Try deleting home menu’s extdata
    1. Clear Home Menu’s extdata by navigating to the following folder on your SD card: /Nintendo 3DS/(32 Character ID)/(32 Character ID)/extdata/00000000/
      • EUR Region: Delete 00000098
      • JPN Region: Delete 00000082
      • USA Region: Delete 0000008f
      • CHN Region: Delete 000000A1
      • KOR Region: Delete 000000A9
      • TWN Region: Delete 000000B1
  5. Try booting without any cartridges inserted (including flashcarts)
  6. If you previously downgraded with Gateway, ensure that you are using the latest Luma3DS version (v6.2.3 or higher, at the least)
  7. If your NAND is of a version between 3.0.0 and 4.5.0, do the following:
    • Ensure that you are using the latest Luma3DS version (v6.6 or higher, at the least)
    • Download this file and rename it to firmware.bin
    • Download this file
    • Copy firmware.bin and cetk to the /luma/ folder on your SD card
    • Delete both of these files after updating your device
  8. Try following 9.2.0 CTRTransfer
  9. Ask for help at #3dshacks on Rizon IRC or Nintendo Homebrew on Discord.

Error during SafeCTRTransfer

If an error occurs during the SafeCTRTransfer process, you will be prompted to launch an external payload for the purpose of repairing your device.

What you need

Instructions

  1. Select “Unmount SD card”
  2. Insert your SD card into your computer
  3. Copy GodMode9.bin from the GodMode9 .zip to the /ctrtransfer/ folder on your SD card and rename GodMode9.bin in /ctrtransfer/ to payload.bin
  4. Reinsert your SD card into your device
  5. Select “Run 0:/ctrtransfer/payload.bin”
  6. If it was successful, you will have entered GodMode9
  7. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> ctrtransfer
  8. Press (Y) on <serialnumber>_nand.bin to copy it
  9. Press (B) twice to return to the main menu
  10. Navigate to [S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
  11. Press (Y) to paste <serialnumber>_nand.bin
  12. Press (A) to confirm
  13. Press (A) to inject into nand.bin
  14. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND overwriting
  15. Input the key combo given to unlock SysNAND (lvl3) writing
    • This process will take some time
  16. Press (A) to continue once it has completed
  17. Press (Start) to reboot your device
  18. Report this issue to the SafeCTRTransfer Issues Page

Blue screen on boot (bootrom error)

  1. Your device is bricked
  2. You will need to get a hardmod or repair / replace your device
For support in English, ask for help at either #3dshacks on Rizon IRC or Nintendo Homebrew on Discord.
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