Tutorial Project  Updated

How to set up ISFShax

Warning

Use this at your own risk. Messing with the isfs superblocks is dangerous and can brick your Wii U. Make sure to make a SLC backup before installing isfshax. If something goes wrong, you will need defuse to restore this backup. The superblock linked here was tested and confirmed working. Installing an broken superblock will brick your Wii U.
Also while ISFShax is installed standby services and with that the quick start menu won't work. (Your Wii U will hang once you turn it off till you remove power if standby services are enabled).
Also keep in mind: if you are restoring an old SLC backup, which was taken before installing ISFShax, ISFShax will remove by restoring that backup.

To protect against Nintendo pushing a boot1 update (very unlikely, but you newer know), which would brick a console with ISFShax, system updates get blocked by the wafel_isfshax_patch.ipx plugin. If you need to do a system update, you can use the v1.0 of said plugin, which doesn't contain the update block. Game updates are not affected.


Update

04.04.2024 - Add Fastboot
13.03.2024 - System updates now get blocked by the wafel_isfshax_patch.ipx plugin.
29.12.2023 - Standby Services are now supported. For that to work you need to have the latests ISFShax superblock installed and need to use the latest minute fw.img and wafel_core.ipx. Also autoboot needs to be enabled.


What is this for?

ISFShax exploits boot1 with specially crafted ISFS (the filesystem of the SLC) superblock. Once it is installed ISFShax provides similar capabilities to defuse once it is installed. Since it launches before IOSU, so it can be used to apply early patches to IOSU and can be used to fix most bricks. But it won't protect you of bricks caused by: breaking boot1, seeprom bricks or installing a broken ISFShax superblock. ISFShax also doesn't help you if you already bricked the Wii U.
Usecases are:
  • Rebuilding / upgrading the MLC
  • Removing 64GB MLC limit and disabling SCFM
  • Brick protection (e.g. before doing region change)
  • Cold booting redNAND (useful when when the eMMC is failing)
  • It gives a minimal CFW, which can launch old homebrew using the homebrew launcher (not sure how usefull since we have Aroma and Tiramisu)
  • Stop the Wii U from turning the Tablet on during boot (using a stroopwafel plugin)

Choosing the Exploit

There are multiple ways to launch the ISFShax installer:
If you already have Tiramisu or Aroma installed and can launch it follow the Instructions for [Tiramisu]
If the Browser still works and you can launch the browser exploit u.wiidb.de follow the Instructions for [Browser]
If you can't access the Browser, but Settings still work follow Instructions for [DNSpresso]
If you your Wii U crashes in the initial setup on Mii creation follow Instructions for [DNSpresso]
If your Wii U can't launch the browser anymore or can't connect to the internet follow the Instructions for [UDPIH]
Steps without a prefix apply to all.
Preparing the SD card


Make sure the SD card is formatted FAT32 (already the case if you are using it for Tiramisu). You can use guiformat for that.

Get the following files and put them in the root of the SD. Choose the release tagged with "Latest" for each.
  1. ISFShax installer (ios.img) from https://github.com/isfshax/isfshax_installer/releases
  2. ISFShax superblock.img and superblock.img.sha from https://github.com/isfshax/isfshax/releases
  3. Put the stroopwafel wafel_core.ipx from https://github.com/jan-hofmeier/stroopwafel/releases in wiiu/ios_plugins
  4. Put the wafel_isfshax_patch.ipx stroopwafel plugin from https://github.com/isfshax/wafel_isfshax_patch/releases in wiiu/ios_plugins
  5. [Tiramisu | Browser | DNSpresso] minute fw_encrypted.img from https://github.com/jan-hofmeier/minute_minute/releases and rename to fw.img
  6. [Browser | DNSpresso] fw_img_payload from https://github.com/wiiu-env/fw_img_payload/releases extract the zip and put the wiiu folder, containing the payload.elf on the SD
  7. [DNSpresso] Extract the root.rpx from https://github.com/wiiu-env/PayloadFromRPX/releases and rename it to launch.rpx and place it in the root of the SD card
  8. [UDPIH] minute fw.img and boot1.img from https://github.com/jan-hofmeier/minute_minute/releases
  9. [UDPIH] recovery_menu from https://github.com/jan-hofmeier/recovery_menu/releases
The structure on the SD should look like this:
Code: 
boot1.img (only for UDPIH)
fw.img
ios.img
recovery_menu   (only for UDPIH)
superblock.img
superblock.img.sha
wiiu
    ios_plugins
         wafel_core.ipx
         wafel_isfshax_patch.ipx

Launching into minute

This step heavily depends on the used Exploit.

  1. Hold B on the Gamepad while booting (if coldboot is enabled) or launching the H&S app
  2. A black and white menu should show up asking you to choose a payload.
  3. Select fw_img_loader

  1. Open the Browser and browse to u.wiidb.de
  2. Click on "HAXX"

If you can a access the settings just follow these instructions (you already have the right files on the SD): https://gbatemp.net/threads/dnspresso-a-wii-u-dns-exploit.642123/
If you are stuck on the Mii creation in the Inital setup:
  1. If you already connected your Wii U to your AP / Router, turn the AP / Router or the Wifi on it off.
  2. When the setup asks you if you already have a NNID, say yes (even if you don't have one)
  3. Now it tries to connect to the Internet, but will fail and ask you to take you back to the Wifi settings, follow back to thge settings.
  4. Turn your Router / AP on again and give it time to start.
  5. If you don't already have your Wifi configured there, connect to it now, but enter a wrong password.
  6. Edit your wifi connection and configure 85.215.57.182 as Primary DNS, if you entered a wrong password before set the right one now.
  7. Press (B) Back and select Connection Test.

  1. Load the recovery using UDPIH: https://gbatemp.net/threads/udpih-usb-host-stack-exploit-recovery-menu.613369/ (don't replace the recovery_menu)
  2. Unplug the Pico
  3. select the "Load BOOT1 payload" and proceed. (If you don't have screen output: 18x eject, 1x power, 1 eject, 1 power)

Now you should see the minute main menu. If not something went wrong, make sure you have the correct fw.img file on the SD.
In minute you move the cursor with the power button and enter with the eject button (swapped compared to the recovery menu).

Note minute only outputs 1080p through HDMI, no picture on the gamepad, and nothing on the analog outputs.
Some people reported that the screen output is not working for them when minute was loaded from the recovery. If you made sure nothing else is the problem (right fw.img, TV supports 1080p HDMI), you can still follow along blindly by pressing the approriate buttons. Make sure to wait long enough between the presses, so the system has time to load. Without display output skip the first backup and go directly to Installing ISFShax.

Backup

  1. Navigate to Backup and Restore
  2. Dump SEEPROM & OTP
  3. Dump SLC.RAW
  4. Return to Main Menu
Installing ISFShax

  1. Choose Boot `ios.img` (5x Power, 1x Eject)
  2. Now the ISFShax installer should launch (this takes a few seconds)
  3. Follow the Instructions on the screen, the buttons are the same as in minute. (3x Eject, 1x Power, 3x Eject)
  4. The console should now turn off.
  5. [Tiramisu | Browser | DNSpresso] replace the (encrypted) fw.img on the SD with the fw.img (NOT the encrypted one) from https://github.com/jan-hofmeier/minute_minute/releases
  6. If the install was successfull the Wii U should directly start into minute once you turn it on again.
Backup ISFShax

Dump the SLC.RAW again. This will overwrite the previous SLC.RAW file on the SD. This is required if you need to restore the SLC for unbricking, without loosing ISFShax. Keep that backup in a safe place.

Booting

If you came here from the redNAND or the MLC rebuild tutorial continue with that tutorial now.

For now your Wii U needs the SD card to boot. From there it loads minute (fw.img), which then applies the required patches from SD card. (IOSU needs to be patched, so it doesn't fall over the ISFShax superblock).
To boot into the Wii U OS select Patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc)

Aroma / Tiramisu

  1. To install Aroma or Tiramisu put the corresponding files on the SD.
    Tiramisu: https://tiramisu.foryour.cafe/
    Aroma: https://aroma.foryour.cafe/ (You don't need to have install Tiramisu to have Aroma, also the FTPiiU plugin will become handy later)
  2. Put the wafel_payloader.ipx in the ios_plugins folder https://github.com/jan-hofmeier/wafel_payloader/releases
  3. Put the root.rpx from PayloadFromRPX in the wiiu folder on the SD https://github.com/wiiu-env/PayloadFromRPX/releases
Note: if you are already coldbooting Tiramisu / Aroma via the PayloadLoaderInstaller, you have to disable the coldboot in the PayloaderLoaderInstaller first. For more detailed instructions on this, see this post by ZaMaster: https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-set-up-isfshax.642258/post-10343876

Booting without SD

This step is optional but highly recommended. Now the Wii U doesn't show anything on the screen without the SD. That could lead to confusion if the SD ever gets lost or corrupts.
To make it from the internal memory we need to install the minute fw.img and the ios_plugins to the SLC. This can be accomplished using FTPiiU Everywhere, which can be launched from Tiramisu and is already part of the Aroma Package (enable Everywhere in the settings) or you can use the haxcopy homebrew https://github.com/mackieks/haxcopy/releases
Using haxcopy is recommended for most users, but if you copy a wrong plugin to the slc or need to delete one for whatever reason you still have to use FTP for that.
  1. create a folder hax on the SD card (this will be copied to the slc)
  2. copy the fw.img to the hax folder
  3. create a subfolder ios_plugins in the hax folder
  4. rename the wafel_core.ipx to 0core.ipx and copy it to the hax/ios_plugins folder
  5. rename the wafel_isfshax_patch.ipx to 6isfshax.ipx and copy it to the hax/ios_plugins folder
  6. if you want to coldboot aroma or tiramisu, rename the wafel_payloader.ipx to 9payldr.ipx and copy it to the hax/ios_plugins folder
  7. If you need any other plugins like the wafel_unlimit.ipx, you have to rename and copy it to the hax/ios_plugins folder
  8. Copy the haxcopy app to the wiiu/apps folder (like you usually install homebrew)
  9. Put the SD in the Wii U and run haxcopy to copy the hax folder to the slc.
On Aroma you have to make sure access to system files is enabled:
  1. Open the Aroma Plugin Configuration Menu using L + Down + SELECT (-) on the GamePad or Pro Controller (or B + Down + Minus (-) for WiiMotes)
  2. Open the FTPiiU option, then settings and set ‘Allow access to system files’ to ‘true’ by pressing A

Uploading the files:
  1. (Tiramisu only) Make sure FTPiiU Everywhere is running on the Wii U
  2. Using a FTP client on the PC browse to /storage_slc/
  3. If you see a scfm.img file and sys folder go into the sys folder. If you see a bunch of folders (config import logs proc rights security title tmp) just go to the next step.
  4. create a subfolder hax and enter it
  5. Make sure your FTP client is in binary mode (not ASCII mode)
  6. upload the minute fw.img to the /storage_slc/sys/hax folder
  7. create another subfolder ios_plugins in /storage_slc/sys/hax
  8. enter that /storage_slc/sys/hax/ios_plugins folder
  9. rename the wafel_core.ipx to 0core.ipx and upload it
  10. rename the wafel_isfshax_patch.ipx to 6isfshax.ipx and upload it
  11. if you want to coldboot aroma or tiramisu, rename the wafel_payloader.ipx to 9payldr.ipx and upload it
  12. If you need other plugins like the wafel_unlimit.ipx, you have to rename and upload them too
Now the Wii U should autoboot if no SD card is inserted.
If a SD card is inserted the minute menu should show up (even if the SD doesn't contain a fw.img). In that menu you can select the Patch (slc) and boot IOS (slc) to load the plugins from the slc and boot (no need to have them on the SD anymore).

The Wii U will first try to load the fw.img from the SLC and if that fails it falls back to the SD.
If you installed a broken fw.img which doesn't load, you can force isfshax to load the fw.img from sd by repeatly pressing power till the menu shows up.

Warning: A factory reset will delete the hax folder. Without the fw.img on the SD the Wii U will then just have a black screen with a orange LED


Optional Autobooting with SD

To make the Wii U autoboot with an SD card inserted you need to create the file sd:/minute/minute.ini with the following content:
Code: 
[boot]
autoboot=1
autoboot_timeout=3
You can adjust the timeout (in seconds) to your liking. The autoboot option specifies which entry from the minute menu will be loaded. 1 corresponds to Patch (slc) and boot IOS (slc), which loads the ios_plugins from the SLC. If you haven't installed them to the SLC or want to load them from the sd for another reason you can change that value to 3 which corresponds to Patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc)

As an Alternative check out the Fastboot option below.

Optional: Fastbooting (Advanced)

To make the Wii U boot as fast as possible, without showing minute, you can now use the fw_fastboot.img. This won't work with redNAND
It is hardcoded to go straight to the first option (booting the slc, with patches from SLC). It won't display anything and ignore any autoboot configuration in the minute.ini.
  1. First make sure the system can boot using the first option in minute. (see booting without SD)
  2. Replace the the fw.img in the hax folder on the SLC with the fw_fastboot.img (renamed to fw.img)
In case you ever get stuck and need to load the full minute from SD you can do this:
  1. Place the minute fw.img on the SD card
  2. repeatedly press the power button until the minute menu shows up on the screen.


Uninstalling ISFShax

DON'T just restore an older SLC backup, as that would break SCFM!
  • Make sure your Wii U doesn't depend on any patches (linke wafel_unlimit_mlc.ipx or redNAND). You can check that by booting with only the wafel_core.ipx and the wafel_isfshax_ipx plugins in the ios_plugins directory on the SD and using the Patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc) option
  • Delete the /storage_slc/sys/hax folder if you set up the slc booting
  • run the ISFShax installer again from minute and follow the on screen instructions to uninstall.

Credits

  • @rw-r-r_0644 for finding and implementing isfshax
  • @GaryOderNichts and ashquarky for their direct contributions and help
  • @vgmoose for all the support and for the Wii U that replaced the one Idestroyed during early isfshax testing
  • @Maschell for his help and all other contributions to the Wii U scene
  • hexkyz for the warmboot boot1 exploit which made all of this possible
  • @shinyquagsire23 for de_Fuse, minute and stroopwafel
  • Salt Team for the original minute CFW
  • dimok789, FIX94 and others for the iosuhax CFW
  • fail0verflow for mini
  • and all other contributors to the Wii U scene!
 
Last edited by SDIO,
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Cormanette

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Greetings, I come from the tutorial to fix error 160-0103 without soldering using redNand, and I'm a bit lost in the installation of AROMA. In step 1 of the AROMA/TIRAMISU section, what exact files should I copy to the SD memory card? The "payload" and "base aroma" files? Should I overwrite the payload.elf file? Does this tutorial conflict with the default tutorial on the wiiu.hacks page? Since it uses the payloadloader file. How do I autoboot Aroma, I assume the steps in this tutorial will be different; do I do this after rebuilding the MLC? Thank you very much for your help.
 
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Ddddddddd said:
Need help, my wii u keeps bootlooping when i press patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc)
Click to expand...
What exactly do you mean by bootlooping and what exactly did you do?


Cormanette said:
Greetings, I come from the tutorial to fix error 160-0103 without soldering using redNand, and I'm a bit lost in the installation of AROMA. In step 1 of the AROMA/TIRAMISU section, what exact files should I copy to the SD memory card? The "payload" and "base aroma" files?
Click to expand...
Yes you need at least the Environmentloader Payload and the Aroma base. For the plugins you can choose what you want, but the FTP would be helpful if you want to use that to copy the files to the SLC.


Cormanette said:
Should I overwrite the payload.elf file?
Click to expand...
You replace the payload.elf with the Aroma one. We only used that to initally load minute to install ISFShax. The fw_img loader is now no longer needed, so you can just replace it with the aroma payload.elf

Cormanette said:
Does this tutorial conflict with the default tutorial on the wiiu.hacks page? Since it uses the payloadloader file.
Click to expand...
The wiiu.hacks.guide uses the Payloadloader injected in the Health and Safty ab to load aroma. We don't need that, we load aroma with the wafel_payloader ios plugin.

Cormanette said:
How do I autoboot Aroma, I assume the steps in this tutorial will be different; do I do this after rebuilding the MLC?
Click to expand...
Yes you can just follow the coldboot aroma steps here, after you finised rebuilding the MLC
 
Ddddddddd

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SDIO said:
What exactly do you mean by bootlooping and what exactly did you do?



Yes you need at least the Environmentloader Payload and the Aroma base. For the plugins you can choose what you want, but the FTP would be helpful if you want to use that to copy the files to the SLC.



You replace the payload.elf with the Aroma one. We only used that to initally load minute to install ISFShax. The fw_img loader is now no longer needed, so you can just replace it with the aroma payload.elf


The wiiu.hacks.guide uses the Payloadloader injected in the Health and Safty ab to load aroma. We don't need that, we load aroma with the wafel_payloader ios plugin.


Yes you can just follow the coldboot aroma steps here, after you finised rebuilding the MLC
Click to expand...
Its all good, I fixed it
 
FireChat

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Hi, I followed your steps, I autoboot with SD card, but now my Aroma homebrews take forever to load.

(Examples: WiiU Shell takes 50s, HB App Store takes 1m25, SaveMii WUT Port takes 25s, WUP Installer GX2 takes 35s, WiiUIdent takes 55s…)
 
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FireChat said:
Hi, I followed your steps, I autoboot with SD card, but now my Aroma homebrews take forever to load.

(Examples: WiiU Shell takes 50s, HB App Store takes 1m25, SaveMii WUT Port takes 25s, WUP Installer GX2 takes 35s, WiiUIdent takes 55s…)
Click to expand...
That happens to me as well, I'm not sure why it is, but since I uninstalled ISFSHax for some testing it's true, my console is a lot faster. Weird.
 
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SDIO said:
Are you using rednand? Does this also happen without the payloader plugin?
Click to expand...
No I don't use rednand, and this also happens without the payloader plugin.

By the way, I'd like to mention that I did the "Aroma / Tiramisu" section AFTER the "Optionnal Autobooting with SD" section. I don't know if that changes anything.
 
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SDIO said:
Are you using rednand? Does this also happen without the payloader plugin?
Click to expand...
No redNAND here, and not using the payloader plugin, I tried coldbooting with Health & Safety and the results are the same.
HBAppStore for example without ISFSHax it takes around 10 seconds to load, with ISFSHax it goes to around 1 minute. It's not of a big deal since I rarely use homebrew nowadays, but yes, it's a big difference the few times I use it.

With the payload plugin it does happen as well.

SDCard is a 64GB with FAT32 64k, maybe that could be the issue? I will try a format to 32k.
 
Viejodamis09

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Hello, I come from the Fixing System memory guide, which told me I needed to install ISFShax, however the warning at the very start of this guide mentions that it's very reccomended to at least have a SLC backup and something named "defuse" (Again, I'm a complete noob to Wii U homebrew and all that so I'm not even sure if it is a program or an action).
With all that said and done, I want to make sure the "backup" section of this guide will make me perform these actions and safeguard my Wii U from Bricking the bed if something terrible happens or if I need another guide.
 
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CrazySquid said:
I can, but I don't know how it works, should I just use it as it is? Or do I need a special config? It says something that it needs a FTDI FT232 chipset serial cable and TeraTerm
Click to expand...
Just install the module, you don't need to configure anything or have anything additional. The plugin will prevent some log spam which slows down the homebrew loading when stroopwafel sends the log over the debug port

Viejodamis09 said:
Hello, I come from the Fixing System memory guide, which told me I needed to install ISFShax, however the warning at the very start of this guide mentions that it's very reccomended to at least have a SLC backup and something named "defuse" (Again, I'm a complete noob to Wii U homebrew and all that so I'm not even sure if it is a program or an action).
With all that said and done, I want to make sure the "backup" section of this guide will make me perform these actions and safeguard my Wii U from Bricking the bed if something terrible happens or if I need another guide.
Click to expand...
The guide makes you do the backup. Defuse would be a hardware mod required to restore the backup in case ISFShax itself bricks. So you don't need defuse now and likely never will.
iSFShax proved itself very reliable. So just follow the guide
 
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Ebutuoy135

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Ive been having some trouble with this. Im at the "booting" step and every time I select "Patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc)" it does what the first image shows, goes to the wiiu boot screen, then text shows up and then repeats infinitely
IMG_4818.jpeg
image0.jpeg
 
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Maybe you still have the payload.elf you used to install ISFShax. You need to replace it with the aroma one
Post automatically merged:

I just removed the syslog to debug port mirroring from stroopwafel, which caused the slowdowns with the WUT apps. This should also slightly improve performance / boot time in general.
The functionality is still available in it's own stroopwafel plugin.

@FireChat @CrazySquid after updating the wafel_core.ipx, you can remove the USB Serial Logging aroma module / plugin again.
 
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Mininux

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Hi, does anyone know if this is compatible with EUR wiius ? I'm guessing yes since it's loaded so early, but i still want to make sure before breaking anything.

also, thanks to the hackers ! this looks AWESOME, and my hynix wiiu showed its first memory error (while trying to delete a savegame, will have to check the logs later) good thing i discovered this a few days ago
 
Last edited by Mininux,

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