Hacking How To Backup WIi U Saves and Downloaded Content!!

[Captain_N]

I have discovered a Way to backup Wii U content.
I downloaded loaded Nano Assault and moved it to a 256MB Flash Drive for the test.
I then Plugged the drive into my pc and used a program called Image USB to make a bit by bit Clone of the flash drive partition. After the Clone I placed the flash drive into the wii U so i could copy the data back to the Wii U incase the test did not work. I then Used the usb image program to restore the flash drive back to when it had the Nano Assault data.
It works. I had nano Assult in both systme memory and usb storage. I then used a diff flash drive to move the data from the Wii U to a 8 gig flash drive so i can see if the game would play off the cloned flash drive.
I then attempted to play Nano Assult off the cloned 256MB Drive and it worked. All data including my save was there and its playable.

so If you dump a flash drive to a file then restore it, it works. My guess is that it only works if you restore it to the same flash drive or Flash Drive size.

So it Seems that we can make a copy of the data just not in the way users wanted.
Now there is more testing i need to do.

1) Can you restore a flash drive to a different drive of same size?(256MB-->256MM)
2) can you restore a flash drive to a different drive of different size 256MB--8GB)
3) Hard drives. Can you restore a hard drive to a different drive? on Hard drives even though its say a 500 GB drive, the LBA can different for different drives. IE, some drives might have a little less then 500 or more then 500 GB.
4) Is there a time stamp on the save game so an older one cant be used? prob not but it seems nintendo is scared about exploits using save games

Im pretty sure the Wii U Drive format is encrypted. There is also probably a check sum or sh1 that checks to see if the drive is exactly the same size as the partition written to it. This would be one reason why u cant have multi partitions on wii U.

So there you have it. You can clone Wii U Formatted Drives. Once i try the other tests ill let you all know.

 

[naxil]

do u try with DD on linux? iam sure with linux u can do the same copy.. for the timestamp i don't know.. if u can read it.. u can mod the new timestamp

 

[jalaneme]

it's a good idea but there is no point cloning a whole drive for just one game save file, it would be good if you could copy over multiple save files to a flash drive and then clone that and backup the save files that way, if nintendo didn't have such ridiculous copy protection on the system we wouldn't be doing this in the first place, but that is just the way it is.

 

[Stalkid64X]

it's a good idea but there is no point cloning a whole drive for just one game save file, it would be good if you could copy over multiple save files to a flash drive and then clone that and backup the save files that way, if nintendo didn't have such ridiculous copy protection on the system we wouldn't be doing this in the first place, but that is just the way it is.

It's only ridiculous to you as it cuts off a nice avenue to explore and stops you stealing shit. As is intended.

 

[jalaneme]

It's only ridiculous to you as it cuts off a nice avenue to explore and stops you stealing shit. As is intended.

erm.. how is trying to backup your save files "stealing" use your brain.

 

[Captain_N]

it's a good idea but there is no point cloning a whole drive for just one game save file, it would be good if you could copy over multiple save files to a flash drive and then clone that and backup the save files that way, if nintendo didn't have such ridiculous copy protection on the system we wouldn't be doing this in the first place, but that is just the way it is.

I agree. But it does offer a way to clone all data at once.I only tested it with nano assault because its small and easy to test. If someone is using a 2 tb drive then the entire drive would have to be cloned. each dump would then be 2TB. I guess its best to use a a 16 gig flash drive or a 40 gig hard drive. Then all you would have to do is copy over what you want to backup and then clone that usb drive. then copy it back to system memory and then it can be moved to a different drive. Its a shame we cant select just the saves to be transferred. The move feature only allows you to transfer everything related to that game. even other users save data. you have to be careful that you don't restore over another users save data.

At least cloning can be done. My method can let you have a copy of your data on multiple usb drives.
you can have a second flash drive with your data as apposed to only 1. The drive cloning is really for archiving saves. if only 1 save is affected then we would have to copy all other saves to system memory before we restore or all data on the drive will be reset to when the clone was created. Using the Wii U system memory as a temp storage allows us to at-least change drives. With my drive clone method u can have multiple drives with same data. Or a nice large RAW Dump on your pc.

 

[jalaneme]

yeah you got something good here, this could also be useful for someone who buys digital games and their console is broken, they can restore the games without loosing them, or be used for backup up save files.

 

[raulpica]

yeah you got something good here, this could also be useful for someone who buys digital games and their console is broken, they can restore the games without loosing them, or be used for backup up save files.

Won't work, games are encrypted per-console, so if their console is broken and they get another one, "cloned" digital games won't work on the new console.

And if you get the exact SAME console you send in, then you wouldn't lose anything in the first place (except if they do format the system... but they'd transfer your purchases anyway)

 

[Achilles]

Won't work, games are encrypted per-console, so if their console is broken and they get another one, "cloned" digital games won't work on the new console.

And if you get the exact SAME console you send in, then you wouldn't lose anything in the first place (except if they do format the system... but they'd transfer your purchases anyway)

And I have first-hand experience of this problem. I sent my Wii U in for repairs (the case fan was loud as hell) and the douchebags at Nintendo sent me back a new console without copying any of my data over to it! I've lost all my saved games! Someone in their higher-ups is supposed to be contacting me to see what can be done, but I don't have a whole lot of hope.

It's not a HUGE deal, as it was just saved games for NintendoLand, Scribblenauts and Little Inferno (which I had completed), but still. There was no warning at all that I might lose all my content so I'm still pretty freakin' pissed off about it.

 

[PrixM]

Is there anyone who can check if you can transfer between 2 Wii U.
I'm not sure if the usb will work on any WiiU or only the one you formated it with.

If i format 2 Sticks i get interesting data
1GB has about 54KB data after formating
16GB about 92KB data
So it seems you cant transfer from 256MB to 8GB

The Data also seems to be encrypted on the first look
I can't find any signature or identical Data to identify as WiiU Stick

 

[9thSage]

And I have first-hand experience of this problem. I sent my Wii U in for repairs (the case fan was loud as hell) and the douchebags at Nintendo sent me back a new console without copying any of my data over to it! I've lost all my saved games! Someone in their higher-ups is supposed to be contacting me to see what can be done, but I don't have a whole lot of hope.

It's not a HUGE deal, as it was just saved games for NintendoLand, Scribblenauts and Little Inferno (which I had completed), but still. There was no warning at all that I might lose all my content so I'm still pretty freakin' pissed off about it.

You're in luck that they have confirmed they can associate an already in use NID with a new system....I'm sure they can transfer content as well, weird that they didn't. Still, I hope they change it so that we can just enter our NetworkID on a new system and have it work. Not that this would help with your save data, but at least it would be better than how it is now.

Is there anyone who can check if you can transfer between 2 Wii U.
I'm not sure if the usb will work on any WiiU or only the one you formated it with.

If i format 2 Sticks i get interesting data
1GB has about 54KB data after formating
16GB about 92KB data
So it seems you cant transfer from 256MB to 8GB

The Data also seems to be encrypted on the first look
I can't find any signature or identical Data to identify as WiiU Stick

No, that's already going to obviously not work. Try doing a little bit of research and you'd have seen that immediately.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Until I can use these saves on a different console it's not too useful.
I wish Nintendo would have made it like Microsoft did on the 360. At least there you can transfer XBLA games and your profile to a memory module and use it on any 360 (as long as your profile is logged in to XBL)

 

[Captain_N]

Until I can use these saves on a different console it's not too useful.
I wish Nintendo would have made it like Microsoft did on the 360. At least there you can transfer XBLA games and your profile to a memory module and use it on any 360 (as long as your profile is logged in to XBL)

I know. its not usefull when it cant be transferred to a different console. It jsut a way to clone a save. Perhaps nintendo will let us copy saves to sd card. The Wii did not support save copies at launch.

 

[Ray Lewis]

I need to backup my games and saves. They are on an external hard drive. Then I need to factory data reset plus try to fix a boot issue I have. Could I use a thumb drive, copy it (clone), do this to my Wii U, then simply plug in the cloned drive and it will work? Or simply use that thumb drive to plug and go with my saves again. I know games can be downloaded again. Advice on keeping my saves?

 

[sammus2]

hey m8 im trying to understand what you did here because im searching a solution to my problem. so you just said you put the drive like a (flash drive for me) from wii u on pc? and you had access on the pc on the data? from nano assault.? because if i put my flash drive on pc is not readable and if i use the USB image also i don't really know what to pick there. ok let me explain more my situation. i format my wii u and i wasn't know if i do the format my wii u is gonna ask to format the flash drive again. on that flash drive i have my saves and i want somehow to put them again on my wii u. the whole problem is that i cant have access to the data or somehow find it with programs it is like they are not there. i also heard a program US stealth that program is making the flash drive like stealth and the wii u is not asking for format? because i wanna put a program like this on the flash drive so the wii u wont ask me for format on my flash drive with the saves i also use a second usb atm 8gb and making tests with this i left the main usb untouched

 

[goblin]

basically your looking to move your data to another usb that was formatted by the wiiu's new encryption code? if so have you found a way yet im going through the same thing right now =/

 

[Cyan]

That's an old thread and there are now solutions to backup/restore savegames.
Did you try Saviine homebrew ? it should work wherever the game is located (internal or external WiiU drive)
https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-saviine-wiiu-savedata-tool.399833/