Hacking Half-Bricked Switch (Downgraded OS)

[Notshane]

Yeah, me again. Though, this is probably the worst thing I've done yet.

I had a Switch that was on 2.1.0. Using ChoiDujourNXv101, I brought it up to 5.1.0. However, it couldn't read game cards and I don't know if the homebrew played a role in this, so I believed it could read them again if I went back to 2.1.0, so I downgraded back to 2.1.0 using ChoiDujourNXv101, the same way I went to 5.1.0 by finding 2.1.0 files online. However, well the menus do load and everything, now it gives me an error and needs to reboot every time I try to insert a game card, as do various other functions, such as trying to change the pfp on the account or even trying to load the homebrew menu itself when I load into RCM. Oh, auto-RCM also went off at some point, thankfully after I went back to 2.1.0 I noticed, so I did do another BriccMii check to see it still says "FUSES: 2" which is good.

As such, I could be half-bricked. I have a NAND of both 2.1.0 and 5.1.0, and feel if there is a way to reload them onto the Switch, now would be the time to know this information. At this point, my Switch says "FUSES: 2" with BriccMii, meaning I was properly loading into 2.1.0 without the fuses playing a role in messing it up.

I need to know how to load a backup NAND, or if there's a way I can fix this naturally. I did try to do the "UNBRICK" function in BriccMii, hoping the errors it fixed would resolve the crashing, but sadly nothing happened.

 

[Kafluke]

When you upgrade it updates the gc slot. There is a way to prevent this but looks as though you didnt research enough before you upgraded.

 

[Notshane]

When you upgrade it updates the gc slot. There is a way to prevent this but looks as though you didnt research enough before you upgraded.

Is there any way I can load a NAND backup and fix the GC Slot?

 

[Kafluke]

Is there any way I can load a NAND backup and fix the GC Slot?

I dont think so. Damage is done.

 

[Notshane]

I dont think so. Damage is done.

I asked so many questions too before I started any of this, even about ChoiDujourNX. I'm very disappointed nobody told me it would mess up the GC Slot. Well, I guess that ends my homebrew days with my Switch already and I was only a couple of weeks in too. Might as well throw it away since nobody will want to buy this. Don't even know what the point was in backing up the NAND in the first place if it was this easy to ruin it.

Well, I mean if it's broken already anyway, I might as well try to update the Switch through Nintendo's servers, since I have nothing else I can do to fix it.

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If I don't receive any other solutions to address this in about the next hour, I will most likely try to just risk my FUSES and update through Nintendo servers anyway, since there's no point if I can't even load the Homebrew Menu at all anymore.

 

[Kafluke]

A clean nand dump of 2.1.0 is still valuable. Especially with the fuse count to match. We'll sort this out.

 

[stephrk398]

I've never understood the whole GC slot issue people have had, and ironically I was reading about it today to learn more. Someone said once the GC slot FW updates there's no going back, but that might change in the future, according to one poster (see links below). FW 4.0 is the threshold for when the cart slot updates apparently. I first hacked my Switch when I was on 5.1 and have never had to worry about it. I was on 5.1 officially through Nintendos cdn though. /shrug

All is not lost. You can still get the nsp (eshop version) or xci (sx os required) of whatever game carts you own. Not sure if you ever planned on running backups. Also in these threads they talk about GC slot issues. Might be worth a quick read.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/my-patience-ends-more-and-more.510941/page-2
https://gbatemp.net/threads/nogc.517030/
https://gbatemp.net/threads/sx-doesnt-update-gc-reader-firmware.529202/

 

[chippy]

You can disable the game cart slot disabler so you can update the slot.
If you upgrade the slot you can't use the game cart slot below 4.

So do you want to use The cart in 4+ then update the slot. If you just use nsp/xci Then you don't need to update it.

I would just let the slot upgrade as you can s t ill downgrade the OS just the cart slot won't work

 

[stephrk398]

You can disable the game cart slot disabler so you can update the slot.
If you upgrade the slot you can't use the game cart slot below 4.

So do you want to use The cart in 4+ then update the slot. If you just use nsp/xci Then you don't need to update it.

I would just let the slot upgrade as you can s t ill downgrade the OS just the cart slot won't work

Why wouldn't the cart slot work once he went to 5.1 though?

 

[oriam]

Honestly, I would try do restore the NAND backup. But first of all check your SD card before because you can't start the Homebrew menu maybe there is a corruption. Maybe also the files you found online had an error. I would definitely try your own NAND backup.

It's as far as I know a known behavior that the Gamecard slot was not working when you were on 5.1. it was disabled so you don't update accidently the Gamecard slot with the new firm.

Since your fuse count is still that low it is valuable.

 

[M7L7NK7]

Lol at might as well throw it away, c'mon...

 

[Notshane]

You can disable the game cart slot disabler so you can update the slot.
If you upgrade the slot you can't use the game cart slot below 4.

So do you want to use The cart in 4+ then update the slot. If you just use nsp/xci Then you don't need to update it.

I would just let the slot upgrade as you can s t ill downgrade the OS just the cart slot won't work

I don't understand why that has to be separated. One of the reasons I wanted to homebrew mine was to mod Ultimate, so I was pretty upset I couldn't load any game cards.

 

[Jayro]

So many poor bastards being dumb and holding out for a supposed "coldboot exploit for lower firmwares" that will never be released. Hilarious to me. Just suck it up, update to the latest, and continue enjoying everything again.

 

[Notshane]

So many poor bastards being dumb and holding out for a supposed "coldboot exploit for lower firmwares" that will never be released. Hilarious to me. Just suck it up, update to the latest, and continue enjoying everything again.

Come on now, that's not very nice to say to them.

 

[Paperjin]

What cfw are you using

 

[Notshane]

What cfw are you using

Used Atmosphere when changing firmware, but initially used Hekate earlier. I did use it to backup my NAND for 2.1.0 before I did anything at all and 5.1 when I still had it on there in the event I accidentally loaded stock. But now, I'm back to 2.1.0 at "FUSES: 2" and this is where I ended up.

 

[nachuz]

A brick is a brick, you can't say it's only a half

 

[Notshane]

A brick is a brick, you can't say it's only a half

For lack of better phrasing, I did, lol. One of my buddies told me the same thing already.

 

[mdmachine]

Here ya go... Just shoot for 6.1.0 or 6.2.0 and be done with it (you'll still have your original fuse count).
Keep AutoRCM on. IF your carts dont work, just use dumps (just less crap you have to carry around)...
Also atmosphere is a CFW, Hekate is not.

 

[Draxzelex]

Here ya go... Just shoot for 6.1.0 or 6.2.0 and be done with it (you'll still have your original fuse count).
Keep AutoRCM on. IF your carts dont work, just use dumps (just less crap you have to carry around)...
Also atmosphere is a CFW, Hekate is not.

ChoiDujour does not currently support firmware 6.2.