Announcing RVT-H Tool v1.0: https://github.com/GerbilSoft/rvthtool/releases/tag/v1.0
RVT-H Tool is a utility for managing Nintendo RVT-H Reader systems. Among other things, it supports:
What isn't supported at the moment is converting unencrypted images to Retail Fakesigned. RVT-H prototypes are typically unencrypted, and unencrypted images aren't supported by either Dolphin or USB loaders. My initial attempt at recrypting these images didn't work correctly, but I decided it would be better to release the tool sooner rather than later so the images could at least be dumped and preserved, even if they can't be run on non-devkit hardware at the moment.
RVT-H FAQ:
Q: Did you crack the special encryption used by RVT-H Readers that isn't used by any other Nintendo system?
A: There is no special encryption. The HDD itself is unencrypted and doesn't have any sort of hard disk password, unlike NPDP cartridges. The HDD has a non-standard layout, but it was trivial to decode. For more information on the HDD layout, see: rvth_notes.md
Q: But when i plug in my RVT-H Reader, Windows says it doesn't recognize the file system!
A: That's because the RVT-H HDD doesn't have a Master Boot Record. Windows only recognizes storage devices with an MBR (or GPT, which has a protective MBR). rvthtool will be able to access the HDD anyway. Just make sure you don't allow Windows to "initialize" or "format" the system.
Q; What about the disc images on the RVT-H Reader?
A: Disc images may either be encrypted using the RVT-R common key, or unencrypted. Encrypted images have been supported by Dolphin since January 12, 2017. I don't know of any USB loaders that support debug-encrypted images at the moment; however, you can use rvthtool's `--recrypt` option to convert the debug-encrypted image to Retail Fakesigned.
Unencrypted images are not currently supported by anything.
Q: But what about installing retail games on the RVT-H Reader?
A: Both GameCube and Wii games can be installed using rvthtool. All GameCube games can be installed with no issues, since GameCube didn't use any sort of encryption. For Wii games, rvthtool automatically converts retail-encrypted images to debug encryption. Note that you must have the corresponding IOS version installed in order to run the game. In particular, debug versions of IOS36 and IOS58 seem to be very difficult to find, and I haven't located them yet.
Games with multiple partitions, e.g. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, also seem to have some issues. Note that Brawl requires IOS36. It is possible to modify the TMD to use IOS56, but I encountered a crash after the Mario vs. Kirby battle in Subspace Emissary when doing this.
Dual-layer games require two banks. rvthtool will not overwrite banks that are in use, so you must use the `delete` command first in order to delete two contiguous banks, then use the `import` command to import the dual-layer game into the first bank.
Q: Why does your RVT-H Reader show Bank 11? I thought they were limited to 8!
A: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Early RVT-H Reader systems were shipped with a 40 GB HDD, which can only hold 8 images. Later systems include an 80 GB HDD, possibly because the 40 GB drive was no longer manufactured. The system is still limited to 8 banks by default, but with some tweaking, it's possible to use more. See rvth_notes.md for more information.
rvthtool does not currently support expanding the bank table automatically; doing so requires manual hex editing.
EDIT: v1.0 was released a month ago, but I forgot to update this post.
RVT-H Tool is a utility for managing Nintendo RVT-H Reader systems. Among other things, it supports:
- Dumping images from the RVT-H Reader (`extract` command)
- Installing images onto the RVT-H Reader (`import` command)
- Undeleting images on the RVT-H Reader (`undelete` command)
- Recrypting images from Debug to Retail Fakesigned and vice-versa.
What isn't supported at the moment is converting unencrypted images to Retail Fakesigned. RVT-H prototypes are typically unencrypted, and unencrypted images aren't supported by either Dolphin or USB loaders. My initial attempt at recrypting these images didn't work correctly, but I decided it would be better to release the tool sooner rather than later so the images could at least be dumped and preserved, even if they can't be run on non-devkit hardware at the moment.
RVT-H FAQ:
Q: Did you crack the special encryption used by RVT-H Readers that isn't used by any other Nintendo system?
A: There is no special encryption. The HDD itself is unencrypted and doesn't have any sort of hard disk password, unlike NPDP cartridges. The HDD has a non-standard layout, but it was trivial to decode. For more information on the HDD layout, see: rvth_notes.md
Q: But when i plug in my RVT-H Reader, Windows says it doesn't recognize the file system!
A: That's because the RVT-H HDD doesn't have a Master Boot Record. Windows only recognizes storage devices with an MBR (or GPT, which has a protective MBR). rvthtool will be able to access the HDD anyway. Just make sure you don't allow Windows to "initialize" or "format" the system.
Q; What about the disc images on the RVT-H Reader?
A: Disc images may either be encrypted using the RVT-R common key, or unencrypted. Encrypted images have been supported by Dolphin since January 12, 2017. I don't know of any USB loaders that support debug-encrypted images at the moment; however, you can use rvthtool's `--recrypt` option to convert the debug-encrypted image to Retail Fakesigned.
Unencrypted images are not currently supported by anything.
Q: But what about installing retail games on the RVT-H Reader?
A: Both GameCube and Wii games can be installed using rvthtool. All GameCube games can be installed with no issues, since GameCube didn't use any sort of encryption. For Wii games, rvthtool automatically converts retail-encrypted images to debug encryption. Note that you must have the corresponding IOS version installed in order to run the game. In particular, debug versions of IOS36 and IOS58 seem to be very difficult to find, and I haven't located them yet.
Games with multiple partitions, e.g. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, also seem to have some issues. Note that Brawl requires IOS36. It is possible to modify the TMD to use IOS56, but I encountered a crash after the Mario vs. Kirby battle in Subspace Emissary when doing this.
Dual-layer games require two banks. rvthtool will not overwrite banks that are in use, so you must use the `delete` command first in order to delete two contiguous banks, then use the `import` command to import the dual-layer game into the first bank.
Q: Why does your RVT-H Reader show Bank 11? I thought they were limited to 8!
A: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Early RVT-H Reader systems were shipped with a 40 GB HDD, which can only hold 8 images. Later systems include an 80 GB HDD, possibly because the 40 GB drive was no longer manufactured. The system is still limited to 8 banks by default, but with some tweaking, it's possible to use more. See rvth_notes.md for more information.
rvthtool does not currently support expanding the bank table automatically; doing so requires manual hex editing.
EDIT: v1.0 was released a month ago, but I forgot to update this post.
Last edited by GerbilSoft,
, Reason: +v1.0
