GodMode9 Usage

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GodMode9 is a full access file browser for the Nintendo 3DS console, giving you access to your SD card, the FAT partitions inside your SysNAND and EmuNAND, and basically anything else. Among other functionality, you can copy, delete, rename files, and create folders.

Note that if you have any payload files other than GodMode9.firm in the /luma/payloads/ folder on your SD card, holding (Start) on boot will display a “chainloader menu” where you will have to use the D-Pad and the (A) button to select “GodMode9” for these instructions.

This is powerful stuff. GodMode9 provides you with the means to do basically any thinkable modification to any system data available on the 3DS console. However, precautions are taken so you don’t accidentally damage the data of your console.

The write permissions system protects you by providing warnings and forces you to enter an unlock sequence for enabling write permissions. It is not possible to overwrite or modify any important stuff without such unlock sequences and it is not possible to accidentally unlock something. As always, be smart and keep backups, just to be safe.

Creating a NAND Backup

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  3. Select “More…”
  4. Select “Scripts…”
  5. Select “Backup SysNAND”
  6. Press (A) to confirm
    • This process will take some time
  7. Press (A) to continue
  8. Hold (R) and press (B) at the same time to eject your SD card
  9. Insert your SD card into your computer
  10. Copy <serialnumber>_nandmin_###.bin from the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card to a safe location on your computer
    • Make backups in multiple locations (such as online file storage)
    • This backup will save you from a brick if anything goes wrong in the future
  11. Delete <serialnumber>_nandmin_###.bin from the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card after copying it
  12. Reinsert your SD card into your device

Restoring a NAND Backup

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD
  3. Press (A) on your NAND .bin to select it, then select “NAND image options…”, then select “Restore SysNAND (safe)”
  4. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND overwriting, then input the key combo given
    • This will not overwrite your boot9strap installation
  5. Input the key combo given to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing
    • This process will take some time
  6. Once it has completed, press (A) to continue
  7. Press (B) to decline relocking write permissions if prompted

Injecting any .CIA app into Health & Safety

Prep Work

  • For organizational purposes, copy the .cia file you wish to inject to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
    • Note that it is not possible to inject files into Health & Safety that are larger than it (including games and other large applications)

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> cias
  3. Press (A) on your .cia to select it, then select “CIA image options…”, then select “Mount image to drive”
  4. Press (A) on the .app file, then select “NCCH image options”, then select “Inject to H&S”
  5. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
  6. Press (A) to continue
  7. Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted

Restoring Health & Safety after injecting a .CIA app

This will only work if the Health & Safety injection was performed by GodMode9 (not Decrypt9 or Hourglass9).

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  3. Select “More…”
  4. Select “Restore H&S”
  5. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
  6. Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted

Dumping a Game Cartridge

Prep Work

  • Insert the game cartridge you intend to dump into your device
    • 3DS game cartridges will be dumped to an installable .cia format
    • NDS game cartridges will be dumped to a non-installable .nds format compatible with flashcarts and emulators

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
  3. Follow the steps applicable to your game cartridge:
    • 3DS Game Cartridge: Press (A) on [TitleID].trim.3ds to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Build CIA from file”
    • NDS Game Cartridge: Press (A) on [TitleID].trim.nds to select it, then select “Copy to 0:/gm9/out”
  4. Your installable .cia or non-installable .nds formatted file will be outputted to the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card

Dumping a Title

Use the Titles menu in FBI to get the Title ID of the installed title you wish to dump

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Navigate to the drive applicable to the type of title you wish to dump:
    • User Installed Title: Navigate to [A:] SYSNAND SD
    • System Title: Navigate to [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND
  3. Navigate to title
  4. Navigate to the folder corresponding to the first 8 digits of the Title ID
  5. Navigate to the folder corresponding to the last 8 digits of the Title ID
  6. Navigate to content
  7. Press (A) on the .tmd file to select it, then select “TMD file options…”, then select “Show title info”
  8. Ensure you have found the correct title
  9. Press (B) to exit the title info
  10. Press (A) on the .tmd file to select it, then select “TMD file options…”, then select “Build CIA (standard)”
  11. Your installable .cia formatted file will be outputted to the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card

Converting a .3DS to .CIA

Prep Work

  • For organizational purposes, copy each .3ds file you wish to convert to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
    • Note that if you wish to convert a .3ds file that is already on a flashcart, you should follow Dumping a Game Cartridge

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> cias
  3. Press (A) on your .3ds file to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Build CIA from file”
  4. Your installable .cia formatted file will be outputted to the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card

Backup GBA VC Saves

Instructions

  1. Power off your device
  2. Insert your SD card into your computer
  3. Create a folder in /gm9/ for each GBA VC game that you want to backup the save for
  4. Reinsert your SD card into your device
  5. Power on your device
  6. Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to backup the save for:
    • Launch the GBA VC game
    • Exit the GBA VC game
    • Boot your device while holding (Start) to launch the Luma3DS chainloader menu
    • Launch GodMode9 by pressing (A)
    • Navigate to [S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
    • Press (Y) on gbavc.sav to copy it
    • Press (B) to return to the main menu
    • Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> gm9
    • Navigate to the folder you created for this GBA VC game
    • Press (Y) to paste gbavc.sav
    • Press (Start) to reboot your device

Restore GBA VC Saves

Instructions

  1. Ensure you have a folder containing a save in /gm9/ for each GBA VC game that you want to restore the save for
  2. Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to restore the save for:
    • Launch the GBA VC game
    • Exit the GBA VC game
    • Boot your device while holding (Start) to launch the Luma3DS chainloader menu
    • Launch GodMode9 by pressing (A)
    • Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> gm9
    • Navigate to the folder you created for this GBA VC game
    • Press (Y) on gbavc.sav to copy it
    • Press (B) to return to the main menu
    • Navigate to [S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
    • Press (Y) to paste gbavc.sav
    • Press (A) to confirm
    • Press (Start) to reboot your device

Format an SD card

Note that this will erase the contents of your SD card!

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  3. Select “More…”
  4. Select “SD format menu”
  5. Select any EmuNAND options you wish to use
    • Most users will want to select “No EmuNAND”
  6. Select “Auto”
  7. Press (A) to accept the label GM9SD
    • Optionally, you may input a custom name for the SD card
  8. When prompted, input the key combo given to confirm

Encrypting / Decrypting a .CIA file

Prep Work

  • For organizational purposes, copy each .cia file you wish to encrypt / decrypt to the /cias/ folder on your SD card

Instructions

  1. Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
  2. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> cias
  3. Press (A) on the .cia file to select it, then select “CIA image options…”
  4. Select the option to perform the desired function:
    • Encrypt to 0:/gm9/out: Create an encrypted copy of the selected .cia file in the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card
    • Decrypt to 0:/gm9/out: Create a decrypted copy of the selected .cia file in the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card
    • Encrypt inplace: Replace the selected .cia file with an encrypted version
    • Decrypt inplace: Replace the selected .cia file with a decrypted version
  5. Your encrypted / decrypted .cia will be outputted to the desired location