How to install big WiiU games using a FAT32 USB Drive.

FIRST OF ALL!: Please, if this tutorial has been written before, I request the thread to be deleted, thanks!
Also, I'm not responsible if your Wii U explodes with this, or something bad happens, this tutorial has been tested with CoD:Ghosts with its respective DLC and both were perfectly installed and working, I wouldn't be writing this if that weren't be the case... This guide also assumes that you know how to do the Brazilian method to install games and know how WUP Installer works, etc.

Hi to all! Well, I was lurking for some time in the forums, and I found the Brazilian method a long time ago to install the games here, it was great! But the problem was the need to use a SD Card to install them, the biggest SD Card I have is 16GB (14.6GB) so there are some games that would be imposible to install (Examples are Xenoblade Chronicles X or Call Of Duty Ghosts). And as you know CoD:Ghost doesn't has an eShop release, so AFAIK I can't use Wii U USB Helper Tranfer Tool (Not to mention the slower transfer rates using it)

Taking this in mind, let's start!:

Requirements


Well, I will tell you my setup.

  • 500GB WD My Passport 0730 (FAT32 format, single partition of 465GB approximately, here we will store the game to install and the same files as the SD Card, I will explain this in detail later)
  • 160GB Samsung HDD "HM161GI" (This will be the disk that is in Wii U format, is my main disk for the console)
  • 16GB Kingston SDCard, you will need Homebrew Launcher Access and all the setup for apps done, in my case I used Haxchi.
  • 32GB Wii U, this is necessary since the game before being transferred to the formatted HDD needs to be installed into NAND, a 8GB Wii U would not make sense for this trick.
  • Keeping the last requirement in mind, you should try to have almost your internal memory empty, try to move things to your main formatted Wii U hard disk temporarily, Wii U games maximum size is 23.3GB according to WUDs, I don't think there is a Wii U game that exceeds that size.
Of course, you don't need to use exactly the same setup (except for the Wii U part), you can use a SD Card of whethever the capacity you want, the same applies for the HDDs as long as they have enough space, but I write this just in case.
Another thing, use only MBR partition table, GPT will NOT work (I tried with a GPT disk and I lost over 3 hours of my life trying to make it work).

Apps that will be used:
WUP Installer GX2
Homebrew Launcher (I use version 1.4, I know it is outdated, but it does the job)
Mocha CFW with FAT32 support

Preparing FAT32 HDD

You will need to format your HDD to FAT32, try to use a drive that is below 2TB, the Wii U might have problems with something bigger.
Also I'm not sure if doing a partition to a 2TB drive in order to reduce the volume space will work, it's not been tested but it COULD work.

Once you have your FAT32 HDD ready, you will need to download a modified version of Mocha CFW which enables FAT32 compatibility with Wii U, it is a bit unstable so it has been removed for now from the normal release in GitHub, but it will work fine for our needs.
You can download it here .
Extract that in USB:\wiiu\apps, do the same for the SD Card.
Also make sure to COPY ALL YOUR SD CARD DIRECTORIES TO THE HDD, the devices need to be IDENTICAL.
Here's my setup:
USB:\haxchi (Haxchi files)
USB:\install (Here you will put your encrypted game)
USB:\wiiu\apps (Here we will have all HBL apps)
USB:\wiiu\games (Used by loadiine when I was copying the directories from my SD Card, you don't need it)
USB:\wiiu\saves (Used by loadiine when I was copying the directories from my SD Card, you don't need it)
USB:\fw.img (CFW image, you don't need it for this tutorial)

If you have the HDD directories the same as your SD Card and you also have the modified Mocha in apps folder for both devices (including WUP Installer GX2 and Homebrew Launcher too), then the only last thing we need to do here is to put your encrypted game in install folder to use in Wup Installer! (Put the encrypted files in USB:\install).

Doing the magic!


Connect your FAT32 HDD to the Wii U, don't connect your Wii U formatted HDD yet.

Turn on your Wii U, of course ignore the pop up asking to format the disk, then open Haxchi and launch Mocha, run the CFW. After this you will see that the Wii U will not ask to format the disk, instead it will recognize it like a formatted drive. Your hard drive will start acting now as it were your SD Card, that's why I writed before about making the HDD folders to be exactly the same as the SD Card, is not really necessary, it should be enough just by having WUP Installer GX2, Homebrew Launcher and Mocha on the HDD in the wiiu\apps directory,and your game on install folder with haxchi files in USB:\haxchi, but this way will ensure to work exactly the same.

Open Haxchi again and launch WUP Installer GX2, select the "Install" folder, and when you get asked the directory to install select "NAND". I don't know if it will work using the USB option, but I don't think so, maybe it gets installed on your FAT32 drive, maybe it just crash... anyway, that part does not involve me. (And no, I also don't think it will work if you connect your Wii U formatted hard drive before launching WUP Installer GX2 in HBL, the console only Works using a HDD at the time, 2 HDDs will request you to go Data Managment and we don't want that.)

After finishing, you will see your game is perfectly installed into your NAND! CoD:Ghost for example is 16GB and it fitted well in my console. It would be impossible to do this with my SD Card, since it's real capacity is 14.6GB.

Now, turn off your Wii U, disconnect your FAT32 drive, and connect your main Wii U hard drive, boot the console up, go to data management and transfer the game to the HDD, and also transfer back the data you previously moved.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand... well, that's it.

Frequently Asked Questions


  • Q:Why does your english sucks so bad?
  • A:Because I don't really know how to speak it very well, yes. I studied english at school but well... I will be updating the tutorial if nobody understand how to do this, it is also my first one.
  • Q:The tutorial looks... empty, you didn't post any video, not even a single image, what's this?
  • A:That is because I'm a Little short of time and also I don't know if this tutorial has been posted before, maybe someone else has done this before me and I will be wasting time if I need to upload videos and images, because in that case this tutorial will be deleted.
  • Q:Let's say it's the first tutorial and nobody has made this before, will you update it with images and a video?
  • A:Yes, of course, I may post a video too!, the tutorial will be updated from time to time.
  • Q:Why I need a 32GB Wii U?
  • A:Because that way you can install a big game there, I managed to get about 25GB of free space on my console moving everything to my hard drive, WUDs are 23.3GB so that means the space in the internal memory is enough for holding at least one big game. I don't really think there is a game that is bigger than 23.3GB, that would take 2 Wii U Discs to fit... or a dual-layer one with aproximattely 46.6GB of space
  • Q: OK, but I can't just move the game from my FAT32 HDD to a Wii U formatted one?
  • A:No, the console will ask to go data management if you connect 2 drives, I don't think it will work if you connect the second one while you are in HBL.
  • Q: Is it really necessary to make the USB structure the same as the SD Card?
  • A: Well... not really, I said that to prevent problems, but Mocha will mount your FAT32 USB as a FAT32 SD Card, which means that as long you have WUP Installer GX2 and Homebrew Launcher on your USB it should work fine

Also the credits goes to everyone who developed on the Wii U! I didn't developed anything here except the tutorial, I found this method while I was messing around with my console.

I will be updating this according to the questions the users makes.

Feedback is really appreciated! :), Hope this is useful.
 

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sp3off

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I CONFIRM : Working right now with the game : Injustice : Gods Among Us.

[Offtopic] And mehhh, will be off topic this time: How can we fix a bug in CoD Ghosts ? Because i'm at one mission for the "Atlas Platform" and the version I own freeze totally at the beginning, when i'm killing rebels. [/Offtopic]
 

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well this thread has been dead for a while but i have a problem
after i run mocha and go back to the system menu i cant open the homebrew launcher from loadiine.ovh
it says "could not load wiiu:\apps\homebrew_launcher\homebrew_launcher.elf"
the sd and usb directories are identical
also i dont have haxchi
 
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bonoboy

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well this thread has been dead for a while but i have a problem
after i run mocha and go back to the system menu i cant open the homebrew launcher from loadiine.ovh
it says "could not load wiiu:\apps\homebrew_launcher\homebrew_launcher.elf"
the sd and usb directories are identical
also i dont have haxchi

You should install HBL channel
 
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ScienceBETCH

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You should install HBL channel
thanks for the suggestion i tried it but the homebrew channel doesnt show any homebrew

well i am dumb
i forgot that my usb had gpt partition table because
i used it to install windows 10
so thats probably why the browser exploit didnt work
and why the wup installer couldnt find any installable content
 
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Cyan

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also, as the guide is not fully aware of what would happen if you choose to install to USB, just don't try it !
It will install, but your USB will have only 0byte empty files created. your game will be 0byte size. this is due to missing file permission which doesn't exist for FAT32 format.

just in case you'd expect to install WiiU games to a FAT32 HDD, this is possible but you'll require extra steps for each installed games :
1. dump a WiiU HDD and put the content in a specific folder on FAT32 HDD to act as a real WiiU HDD.
2. install game to NAND
3. delete game from NAND
4. copy game's files manually from computer to USB in extracted (loadiine) format in correct folder name
long and fastidious user's action, I don't even know if someone is using that method.
 
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ScienceBETCH

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well it still doesnt work
neither hb channel nor wup installer will see antying in my usb
my usb is 16gb its fat32 with 32kb cluster size with mbr partition table
the directories with my 2gb sd are identical
i connect it to the lower port at the back of the wii u
what am i doing wrong
 

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ok, what you did so far is good.
then, you launched Mocha beta ? (not the NORMAL mocha, be sure you have the beta 0.2 which supports FAT32 USB)
then you relaunched the homebrew launcher ? this time it will list apps from usb instead of SD.
then you launch WUP installer, which will list USB instead of SD.
then select install to NAND
 
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ScienceBETCH

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ok, what you did so far is good.
then, you launched Mocha beta ?
then you relaunched the homebrew launcher ? this time it will list apps from usb instead of SD.
then you launch WUP installer, which will list USB instead of SD.
i launched the mocha beta
then i launched the hb channel i installed
but it didnt show any homebrew apps
i tried opening wup installer directly from system menu
but it said no installable content found
 
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Cyan

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it says "could not load wiiu:\apps\homebrew_launcher\homebrew_launcher.elf"
that error message you posted few post above seems wrong.
"wiiu:\" seems wrong.
the full path should start with "device:\wiiu\apps\"

I think, your paths are wrong on USB.
could you verify and post a full path ?
or a screenshot?

Also, DO NOT NAME the device's partition "wiiu", that's what causing issue.
you can name your SD or USB "wiiu1" or "wiiu2" but not just "wiiu"

seeing the error message with "wiiu:\" it looks like you used that name for your device.
 
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ScienceBETCH

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that error message you posted few post above seems wrong.
"wiiu:\" seems wrong.
the full path should start with "device:\wiiu\apps\"

I think, your paths are wrong on USB.
could you verify and post a full path ?
or a screenshot?

Also, DO NOT NAME the device's partition "wiiu", that's what causing issue.
you can name your SD or USB "wiiu1" or "wiiu2" but not just "wiiu"

seeing the error message with "wiiu:\" it looks like you used that name for your device.
well i just realized i posted the error wrong it probably beginned with device:\ instead of wiiu:\
can you wait a little bit i will try reformatting my usb
and no the partition name isnt wiiu
 

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usb should have :

wiiu/apps/homebrew_launcher/homebrew_launcher.elf
wiiu/apps/wup installer/wup installer.elf
install/ <put your game's app files here if you use the old WUP installer>
OR
install/<put a folder name here>/<put your game's app files here if you use WUP Installer y mod>

you don't need more homebrew on USB.
you don't need to put mocha, or other homebrew you don't intend to use while in USB FAT32 mode.
 
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ScienceBETCH

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usb should have :

wiiu/apps/homebrew_launcher/homebrew_launcher.elf
wiiu/apps/wup installer/wup installer.elf
install/ <put your game's app files here if you use the old WUP installer>
OR
install/<put a folder name here>/<put your game's app files here if you use WUP Installer y mod>

you don't need more homebrew on USB.
you don't need to put mocha, or other homebrew you don't intend to use while in USB FAT32 mode.
i reformatted the usb, made sure all te paths were right
and when i launch wup installer gx2 from system menu it says no installable content found
when i try to launch hbl with browserhax it says "could not load file /wiiu/apps/homebrew_launcher/homebrew_launcher.elf"

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Now... isn't it easier to inject things using wfsdump (aka wfstools) ?
can you provide me a tutorial for that
 

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don't do it, that won't work.
currently the only way to install game is to use WUP installer.

OR maybe (nobody tried? or reported it as working) copying the full app/h3 into the install/ folder located on the console's internal memory and return to sysmenu (WUP installer is only patching the path to redirect it to sd:/install/ instead of the one from the console)
not sure if it would work.

why can't you just buy a bigger SD card? that's less hassle than trying to make everything else working.
 

ScienceBETCH

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don't do it, that won't work.
currently the only way to install game is to use WUP installer.

OR maybe (nobody tried? or reported it as working) copying the full app/h3 into the install/ folder located on the console's internal memory and return to sysmenu (WUP installer is only patching the path to redirect it to sd:/install/ instead of the one from the console)
not sure if it would work.

why can't you just buy a bigger SD card? that's less hassle than trying to make everything else working.
Well i am planning to buy a note 8 and if you preorder it you get a free 128gb microsd card and a wireless charger (or a gear 360 but who wants that thing lol) and not only that
i want to get the satisfaction of getting something to work
Also if that method cant brick i can give it a shot cyan (the copying to the install folder thing)
Btw can you think of something i can try to get this method to work
 
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I don't know if it won't brick.
you might have to try on redNAND instead, as it might see the app/h3 file but might get stuck as it's the folder used for console's update, not eShop download. and I don't know if it require something else to trigger the install, or "add" it to the download queue to get the status "ready to install".
I would not mess with NAND file content on real NAND without testing on redNAND first.

also note that this install folder is the one our guide tell users to delete to prevent a console update.
if you are on 5.5.2, that's fine as there's no new version yet, if you are on 5.5.1 and you don't want to update you might have to rely on DNS or disable internet.


I would better find why mocha fat32 doesn't work as intended. there's a reason, I just don't understand what.
maybe you don't have the correct revision.
 
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ScienceBETCH

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I don't know if it won't brick.
you might have to try on redNAND instead, as it might see the app/h3 file but might get stuck as it's the folder used for console's update, not eShop download. and I don't know if it require something else to trigger the install, or "add" it to the download queue to get the status "ready to install".
I would not mess with NAND file content on real NAND without testing on redNAND first.

also note that this install folder is the one out guide tell users to delete to prevent a console update.
if you are on 5.5.2, that's fine as there's no new version yet, if you are on 5.5.1 and you don't want to update you might have to rely on DNS or disable internet.


I would better find why mocha fat32 doesn't work as intended. there's a reason, I just don't understand what.
maybe you don't have the correct revision.
dont worry i already set up dns
and thanks for trying to help me
 

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