Moving from ReinX to Atmosphere -- Looking for best guide

[Hayato213]

Ah, you did mention that, almost forgot! I've used a Wifi connection on my switch since 2017 so i'll restore my 2017 NAND, makes sense! So, Atmosphere switches that use emuNAND can still go online, Interesting, I've heard that banned switches use this feature called LanPlay so that hacked switches can all play online together apparently?

Also, is Hekate the best tool for restoring NAND backups?



Ok, said it'll take 7 hours, is that the usual wait time? No errors so far, i'll let you know if anything comes up

Partition based? Thought so, i'll go with that!

Yea 1TB take a while to write and verify, 7 hours sounds right, I usually leave it overnight, and it be done in the morning.

 

[RHOPKINS13]

Ah, you did mention that, almost forgot! I've used a Wifi connection on my switch since 2017 so i'll restore my 2017 NAND, makes sense! So, Atmosphere switches that use emuNAND can still go online, Interesting, I've heard that banned switches use this feature called LanPlay so that hacked switches can all play online together apparently?

Lan play simulates a local wireless or LAN connection between switches over the internet. It will allow you to play online, even without having to pay for a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. But it's limiting, not too many games support it, and compared to the number of people on NSO, there's a lot less people playing on it. For many games, you're limited to only playing with other people on hacked consoles.

Also, is Hekate the best tool for restoring NAND backups?

I don't think any one way is particularly better than another, but Hekate is fine. Actually, I think Hekate is great for it.

Ok, said it'll take 7 hours, is that the usual wait time? No errors so far, i'll let you know if anything comes up

For such a big microSD card, yes, long wait times are to be expected. But it's worth it, you don't want to spend a lot of time setting all of this up, only to find out you have a bad microSD card.

Partition based? Thought so, i'll go with that!

Good choice.

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2023

Ah, you did mention that, almost forgot! I've used a Wifi connection on my switch since 2017 so i'll restore my 2017 NAND, makes sense! So, Atmosphere switches that use emuNAND can still go online, Interesting, I've heard that banned switches use this feature called LanPlay so that hacked switches can all play online together apparently?

You can actually see a list of compatible games here: http://www.lan-play.com/games-switch

 

[Tails54321]

Ok, it just finished after 11 hrs in total, says that there were no bad sectors!

I'll continue with the NAND restore tomorrow I guess

Post automatically merged: Apr 15, 2023

From what I can tell looking online, ReiNX never supported emuNAND. I highly doubt you are actually using one, regardless of what you see in Hekate. If you're intending on using your Switch online, I highly recommend restoring your 2017 NAND backup. Then go online, update your Switch to the latest firmware, and follow a guide to set up Atmosphere and EmuMMC.

The typical setup, if you haven't figured this out yet, is to leave your sysNAND clean of all traces of homebrew and piracy. Then you can play online, with legit games that you own, without any fear of a ban. The emuMMC is typically stored on a hidden partition on your SD card, and you should limit all your CFW, homebrew, and piracy usage to that.

Also finished with the NAND back up from 2017! Current system version is 2.1.0!
Sounds about right! Just wanted to make sure this is correct first, I'm meant to update my system to the latest version now?, then follow the "How to set up emuNAND with Atmosphere on Erista (Unpatched)" right?

Also, in order to disable "automatically backing up save data" and "automatically downloading save data", do I need to get Nintendo switch online? If not, is it off by default or no?

Then go online, update your Switch to the latest firmware, and follow a guide to set up Atmosphere and EmuMMC.

UPDATE: I've upgraded my switch to the latest firmware now, realised that save data cloud is off by default as I dont have Nintendo switch online yet

I've done steps 1-3 creating the relevant files and putting:

fusee.bin IN bootloader/payloads
hekate_ipl.ini IN /bootloader
exosphere.ini IN root of SD Card
default.txt IN atmosphere/hosts (Created hosts folder)

However when I put my RCM jig into the right rail and press VOL + on the switch it doesn't go into RCM mode!
It boots like a normal switch, as if the switch was not in RCM mode
I think the right pin is a bit too far to the right, ill upload and picture and show you
A new payload injector + RCM jig is on Amazon so I ordered it!
I think the jig is the issue, either way, I need a payload injector for future use so I got one coming tomorrow!

P.S: Payload injector is from "Slo Life", hope its legit

 

[Tails54321]

I found out it was the Jig causing the issue, I bought a new payload injector from Amazon and its working as well as the jig, just finished the entire guide, thanks for all the help guys!

Anything else I need to know now that I have atmosphere up and running? I have lots of questions

1) Like the 3ds, the switch has emuNAND, should I customize emuNAND with different themes to make it look different to sysNAND? I did that for my 3ds and it was safe, does the same apply to the switch?

2) I heard that the "eshop" is the best way to check if you're banned before I buy retail games for my sysNAND to play online, should I only check the eshop via sysNAND? will just opening it in emuNAND get me banned?

3) What do most atmosphere users do, do they boot into emuNAND for all their custom stuff and sysNAND only for online (if switch isn't banned), silly question but just making sure I understand what everyone does now

4) Silly question but is it safe to be online in emuNAND for homebrew store, and other reasons other than playing online?

5) In sysNAND I got a controller update nag that appeared, is it safe to accept this update in sysNAND? Is it also safe to accept any other updates in sysNAND such as firmware updates?

<NOPE>

 

[linuxares]

I removed nr. 6... You can't ask that here.

 

[Tails54321]

I removed nr. 6... You can't ask that here.

Whoops, I almost forgot about that, my bad!

Thanks so much for everyone's help with everything though! Once I get a bit on understanding on these questions I should be done! Also linuxares, I forgot to also ask, how do I change my signature on this site?

 

[linuxares]

You click your profile in the top right corner, and then "Signature"

 

[Tails54321]

You click your profile in the top right corner, and then "Signature"

Thank you, I am official hyped for Tears of the kingdom as you can see, it's the main reason I got atmosphere setup in the first place!

You can actually see a list of compatible games here: http://www.lan-play.com/games-switch

Thanks, hopefully I dont have to resort to the new Lan play way of playing, I checked and im not banned on e-shop, will probably buy nintendo expansion pack + online today as it comes with mario kart 8 deluxe courses

Also, i've heard there are issues with themes and updating them is a hassle, so i'll stick with black on emuNAND for now!

 

[RHOPKINS13]

I found out it was the Jig causing the issue, I bought a new payload injector from Amazon and its working as well as the jig, just finished the entire guide, thanks for all the help guys!

Anything else I need to know now that I have atmosphere up and running? I have lots of questions

1) Like the 3ds, the switch has emuNAND, should I customize emuNAND with different themes to make it look different to sysNAND? I did that for my 3ds and it was safe, does the same apply to the switch?

2) I heard that the "eshop" is the best way to check if you're banned before I buy retail games for my sysNAND to play online, should I only check the eshop via sysNAND? will just opening it in emuNAND get me banned?

3) What do most atmosphere users do, do they boot into emuNAND for all their custom stuff and sysNAND only for online (if switch isn't banned), silly question but just making sure I understand what everyone does now

4) Silly question but is it safe to be online in emuNAND for homebrew store, and other reasons other than playing online?

5) In sysNAND I got a controller update nag that appeared, is it safe to accept this update in sysNAND? Is it also safe to accept any other updates in sysNAND such as firmware updates?

<NOPE>

1) Yes, the Switch theme community is amazing. All theme mods are implemented as patches that go in the atmosphere folder. If anything bad happens and you can't boot your Switch because of it, you can fix it by deleting everything in the following folder:
/atmosphere/contents/0100000000001000/romfs/lyt

2) Right, try to avoid going online at all using emuNAND unless you've cleared your emuNAND's prodinfo, or have set blank_prodinfo_emummc=1 in exosphere.ini, or are using 90DNS or Atmosphere's DNS redirection features to block Nintendo servers. More on that last part here: https://nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/extras/blocking_nintendo/

You may want to use more than one of these methods simultaneously, just to be on the safe side. This will allow you to keep your Switch online while in emuNAND, which can be helpful for some homebrew, while making sure you don't get your sysNAND banned in the process.

3) Exactly. Use emuNAND for CFW/homebrew/piracy/mods/cheats/whatever. With the proper protections in place, you should not get banned. Note that you won't be able to play online officially while using emuNAND, although you can still use switch-lan-play. Use sysNAND for playing purchased retail games, especially ones that you want to play online. This is the most common, dirty emuNAND / clean sysNAND setup.

4) Yes but only if you take the proper precautions like I listed in part 2.

5) In general, yes, it's safe. And there is a tool called Daybreak that comes with Atmosphere, and you can use it to keep your emuNAND updated as well. Note that sometimes a Switch update will update the firmware on the game cartridge reader. I've seen this break Atmosphere before, but at least when I've seen this happen I've still been able to boot Atmosphere by leaving the cartridge slot empty. Once you've updated emuNAND, it should no longer be a problem. Note that Atmosphere also has an option, called nogc, that allows you to disable the cartridge reader while in emuNAND, if desired.

 

[Tails54321]

1) Yes, the Switch theme community is amazing. All theme mods are implemented as patches that go in the atmosphere folder. If anything bad happens and you can't boot your Switch because of it, you can fix it by deleting everything in the following folder:
/atmosphere/contents/0100000000001000/romfs/lyt

2) Right, try to avoid going online at all using emuNAND unless you've cleared your emuNAND's prodinfo, or have set blank_prodinfo_emummc=1 in exosphere.ini, or are using 90DNS or Atmosphere's DNS redirection features to block Nintendo servers. More on that last part here: https://nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/extras/blocking_nintendo/

You may want to use more than one of these methods simultaneously, just to be on the safe side. This will allow you to keep your Switch online while in emuNAND, which can be helpful for some homebrew, while making sure you don't get your sysNAND banned in the process.

3) Exactly. Use emuNAND for CFW/homebrew/piracy/mods/cheats/whatever. With the proper protections in place, you should not get banned. Note that you won't be able to play online officially while using emuNAND, although you can still use switch-lan-play. Use sysNAND for playing purchased retail games, especially ones that you want to play online. This is the most common, dirty emuNAND / clean sysNAND setup.

4) Yes but only if you take the proper precautions like I listed in part 2.

5) In general, yes, it's safe. And there is a tool called Daybreak that comes with Atmosphere, and you can use it to keep your emuNAND updated as well. Note that sometimes a Switch update will update the firmware on the game cartridge reader. I've seen this break Atmosphere before, but at least when I've seen this happen I've still been able to boot Atmosphere by leaving the cartridge slot empty. Once you've updated emuNAND, it should no longer be a problem. Note that Atmosphere also has an option, called nogc, that allows you to disable the cartridge reader while in emuNAND, if desired.

1, 3, 4) Got it, thank you so much! I'm learning fast!

2) I've heard the exosphere method is better than 90DNS, is 90dns outdated?
I just follow the exosphere method as I used rentry's guide!

5) So basically I need to make sure the latest atmosphere is supported before I update my firmware in emuNAND?

6) Silly question but when the next sysNAND firmware comes out, do i update that normally to keep playing online?

7) The games I want to play online just came in the mail, it's 5 of them for now,
You know how the guide said to turn off "Save Data cloud" for people who had Nintendo Switch online before doing the steps?
I am now about to buy nintendo switch online for sysNAND, is it best to keep "Save Data Cloud" off? Or can I use it if I wish without getting banned? Just wanted to make sure, personally I won't use it if possible...

 

[RHOPKINS13]

2) It's not outdated, just a different method to accomplish the same thing (avoiding bans). The DNS methods work by taking any network requests to Nintendo, and blocking them by redirecting them to localhost. The disadvantage is that theoretically if Nintendo put up a new server with a new IP address, and released a system update to use that new server, you could be vulnerable until 90DNS updates their servers, or if using the Atmosphere DNS method, you'd have to update your own Atmosphere config file. Another disadvantage with 90DNS is that depending on the country you're in, it might resolve some DNS requests to IPs that are in different countries. So if you're pirating off of a "shop" on tinfoil, and 90DNS is set up, if they're using Google Drive for storage, it could point you to a Google server in a different country than your own. The only real consequence to this is much slower download times.

In contrast, wiping prodinfo or setting blank_prodinfo_emummc=1 doesn't block access to Nintendo's servers at all. It just hides your console's unique data from them, in order to prevent bans.

5) Yes. Update atmosphere first, then update your emuNAND. You can update sysNAND without worrying about anything though, except the potential (and kinda rare) issue with the cartridge reader I described earlier.

6) Generally yes. I think there's usually a "grace period" where they'll let you play online with a slightly older firmware, but I'm not sure. I know back on the 3DS I played with older firmware all the time.

7) They had you turn it off so the resulting emuNAND wouldn't be trying to backup save data in the cloud. But after following the guide, you can turn save data cloud back on in sysNAND, if you want. No problems with it.

 

[Tails54321]

2) It's not outdated, just a different method to accomplish the same thing (avoiding bans). The DNS methods work by taking any network requests to Nintendo, and blocking them by redirecting them to localhost. The disadvantage is that theoretically if Nintendo put up a new server with a new IP address, and released a system update to use that new server, you could be vulnerable until 90DNS updates their servers, or if using the Atmosphere DNS method, you'd have to update your own Atmosphere config file. Another disadvantage with 90DNS is that depending on the country you're in, it might resolve some DNS requests to IPs that are in different countries. So if you're pirating off of a "shop" on tinfoil, and 90DNS is set up, if they're using Google Drive for storage, it could point you to a Google server in a different country than your own. The only real consequence to this is much slower download times.

In contrast, wiping prodinfo or setting blank_prodinfo_emummc=1 doesn't block access to Nintendo's servers at all. It just hides your console's unique data from them, in order to prevent bans.

5) Yes. Update atmosphere first, then update your emuNAND. You can update sysNAND without worrying about anything though, except the potential (and kinda rare) issue with the cartridge reader I described earlier.

6) Generally yes. I think there's usually a "grace period" where they'll let you play online with a slightly older firmware, but I'm not sure. I know back on the 3DS I played with older firmware all the time.

7) They had you turn it off so the resulting emuNAND wouldn't be trying to backup save data in the cloud. But after following the guide, you can turn save data cloud back on in sysNAND, if you want. No problems with it.

Thanks so much man everyone, you're all legends! I've learn quite a bit!

Gonna buy NS Online now on sysNAND For the 5 games I bought today! I think i'm all done!

Day time: Bruce Wayne, Regular sysNAND user
Night time: Batman, emuNAND Legend

If there's anything else I need to ask i'll let you know

 

[BaamAlex]

Sorry for bumping this thread. But I want to know if DNS mitm from atmosphere is enough to prevent me from a ban? I mean, I'm still on 16.0.0, but in the future I want to update. Atm I have prodinfo blanked and DNS redirection enabled. Turn on the airplane mode or disabling the wifi connection wouldn't be an issue for me. But it is convenient to download almost every homebrew/update via AppStore.

 

[Tails54321]

Sorry for bumping this thread. But I want to know if DNS mitm from atmosphere is enough to prevent me from a ban? I mean, I'm still on 16.0.0, but in the future I want to update. Atm I have prodinfo blanked and DNS redirection enabled. Turn on the airplane mode or disabling the wifi connection wouldn't be an issue for me. But it is convenient to download almost every homebrew/update via AppStore.

I use exosphere + dns mitm like the rentry guide told me so I think you'll be ok as long as you have that
90DNS is apparently older, lets see what the experts think, whatever rentry guide says is best imo

P.S: I also use switchway guides too, they are often updated!

 

[BaamAlex]

I use exosphere + dns mitm like the rentry guide told me so

Yeah me too. But you can't use exosphere on 17.0.0

 

[Tails54321]

Yeah me too. But you can't use exosphere on 17.0.0

Really, so we need a new method? I didnt hear about this

https://github.com/Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere/issues/2215 - ok im reading this atm

 

[BaamAlex]

Really, so we need a new method? I didnt hear about this

You can't blank your serial on 17.0.0 or (probably) higher. It causes a fatal error and can't be fixed from SciresM because it is Nintendo's fault. With a DNS blocker, you also lock yourself out. PRODINFO blanking is unnecessary and SciresM himself says that it is unclear whether it is useful at all and whether the information is not cached elsewhere in the system.

 

[Tails54321]

You can't blank your serial on 17.0.0 or (probably) higher. It causes a fatal error and can't be fixed from SciresM because it is Nintendo's fault. With a DNS blocker, you also lock yourself out. PRODINFO blanking is unnecessary and SciresM himself says that it is unclear whether it is useful at all and whether the information is not cached elsewhere in the system.

Ok, i think i understand now, lets wait for a solution, maybe one of the devs can do something
guess we just gotta be patient, fortunately there super mario bros wonder and sonic superstars for 16.1.0 users atm

 

[BaamAlex]

Ok, i think i understand now, lets wait for a solution, maybe one of the devs can do something
guess we just gotta be patient, fortunately there super mario bros wonder and sonic superstars for 16.1.0 users atm

There is no fix for this. SciresM posted his statement already on Twitter.

 

[SkullHex2]

You can't blank your serial on 17.0.0 or (probably) higher. It causes a fatal error and can't be fixed from SciresM because it is Nintendo's fault. With a DNS blocker, you also lock yourself out. PRODINFO blanking is unnecessary and SciresM himself says that it is unclear whether it is useful at all and whether the information is not cached elsewhere in the system.

I think this question is off-topic, but since we're here..
I've blanked my serial long ago using incognito, do I need to write it back before updating to 17.0.0?
Not saying I want to update right now, but I could make a mental note for whenever I'll update.