ROM Hack What Are My Options For Backing Up 3DS Content (New 3DS XL)

[Deleted User]

Hello,
I've been buying a few virtual console games on the 3DS eShop over the years and have a collection I'm fond of now. However, I want to ensure that my downloads can be backed up (including VC games, themes, and maybe badges). I would just download ROMs of my games but I'd prefer to have them playable on my 3DS since it's one of my favorite systems for classic games (and so I can have authentic copies). My brother's 3DS had to get replaced and I thought that putting the sd card into his new system would fix it, but it didn't. So, I'm hoping to have a backup of my 3DS content on my PC that I can plop into a new sd card or system if something goes wrong. How would I go about doing this?

I am open to modding, however I'm very new to 3DS modding (actually, haven't successfully modded it before). I would prefer a means of doing this without modding my system (like a program or something that decrypts the files), but I wouldn't mind learning for this purpose.

Thanks to all who stop by and help!

 

[Ryab]

Hello,
I've been buying a few virtual console games on the 3DS eShop over the years and have a collection I'm fond of now. However, I want to ensure that my downloads can be backed up (including VC games, themes, and maybe badges). I would just download ROMs of my games but I'd prefer to have them playable on my 3DS since it's one of my favorite systems for classic games (and so I can have authentic copies). My brother's 3DS had to get replaced and I thought that putting the sd card into his new system would fix it, but it didn't. So, I'm hoping to have a backup of my 3DS content on my PC that I can plop into a new sd card or system if something goes wrong. How would I go about doing this?

I am open to modding, however I'm very new to 3DS modding (actually, haven't successfully modded it before). I would prefer a means of doing this without modding my system (like a program or something that decrypts the files), but I wouldn't mind learning for this purpose.

Thanks to all who stop by and help!

Yeah for what you are asking you would most likely just want to dump your games via some homebrew app like godmode9. I suggest just modding the system as there is basically no risk to doing so anymore. I suggest following this guide here. all it requires is a 3ds on the latest firmware and an SD card to transfer files between the system and a PC.

 

[Ryccardo]

Use godmode9 to find (for example by pointing to A:/, pressing L+A, search for titles) and dump installed titles as standard cia (that means the license is modified to make it work on any console (with signature patches provided by a CFW that is)

VC games are nothing special - they are for all intent and purposes regular 3DS applications (ie their titleID starts with 00040000), even the few official GBA titles are only special in how they run and save, not in how they are stored and installed

Themes are DLCs for Home Menu and can be backed up in the same way (although many would prefer to later extract those backups so individual themes can be handled and/or installed with third party tools)

[Currently installed] badges are extdata, use a comprehensive save manager (such as a 2016 version of JKSV), or maybe the unofficial badge installer also extracts them (same consideration for themes applies)

I would just download ROMs of my games but I'd prefer to have them playable on my 3DS

Separately from all of the above (definitely keep backups of your original VC games, they include manuals/professional banners/possible on the fly patches), that can be done with New Super Ultimate Injector!

a program or something that decrypts the files

You need to "mod" it at least temporarily to dump the encryption key (movable.sed), and even then you would just be handicapping yourself - you definitely will not be able to install an unsigned cia (or use its contents) on a non-CFW console (which besides has negligible practical downsides, we're not in the emunand days anymore luckily)!

 

[TurdPooCharger]

• (Very Messy Tutorial) SDTransfer: Moving or cloning a (source) system's Nintendo 3DS folder to another (target) system.
• Copying SD Card content to other system's SD Card (ID0)
• Merging 4 sd cards to 1.

 

[Deleted User]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot!
Just to clarify, even if I have to buy a new system, I can install godmode9 on the new machine and install my backup that way?
And also, what systems is it compatible with? Does it have to run on another New 3DS XL, or can it be played on a regular New 3DS or even a regular 3DS? (I have SNES games installed too)

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Thanks for the help, I'll try it out!
I am curious about what you mean by "the license is modified to make it work on any console (with signature patches provided by a CFW that is)". Is a signature a means of essentially letting the 3DS know if the applications it's running are meant to be on that specific system? Does that work with other variations of systems (New 3DS, regular 3DS), or is it only meant to run on one specific kind of system?
Again, thanks for the detailed descriptions! It helps a lot and makes the process seem much more manageable

 

[Ryccardo]

Does it have to run on another New 3DS XL, or can it be played on a regular New 3DS

There's no software difference at all between those two consoles

or even a regular 3DS? (I have SNES games installed too)

N3DS-exclusive titles wll not run on an O3DS series console, but others will

Just to clarify, even if I have to buy a new system, I can install godmode9 on the new machine and install my backup that way?

A full nand backup (also a smart thing to do, but unrelated to creating backups of installed titles and saves) mustn't be installed on a different console - those other things we described can!

Is a signature a means of essentially letting the 3DS know if the applications it's running are meant to be on that specific system? Does that work with other variations of systems (New 3DS, regular 3DS), or is it only meant to run on one specific kind of system?

Titles (well, actually, most of the multiple parts that make up one) are signed so that the console can recognize whether it was actually approved by Nintendo and wasn't modified afterwards; so by themselves they are not a copy protection, however one of those parts is a "ticket" (license), which includes the identifier of the single console for which it is valid (and cfws don't actually bypass this); it is the dumping to "standard cia" that changes this identifier to 0, which means all consoles (which of course makes the signature not valid anymore, but all notable cfws can bypass that)