Installing boot9strap (DSiWare Save Injection)

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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.

To use the magnet links on this page, you will need a torrent client like Deluge

Before proceeding, ensure you have read all of the notices and warnings on Installing boot9strap (DSiWare)

If you do not use the correct .firm corresponding to the target 3DS, you will BRICK! Ensure you download and use the correct one!

What you need

  • Two 3DS family devices
    • The source 3DS: the device running some kind of custom firmware (such as boot9strap or arm9loaderhax) on the latest version
    • The target 3DS: the device on stock firmware on 11.5.0
  • Already own one of the following exploitable DSiWare games (a pirated copy of the game will not work) on the source 3DS
    • Fieldrunners
    • Legends of Exidia
    • Guitar Rock Tour
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
  • The latest release of 3ds_dsiwarehax_installer
  • The latest release of GodMode9
  • The latest release of b9sTool
  • The latest release of boot9strap (standard boot9strap; not the devkit file, not the ntr file)
  • The latest release of Luma3DS (the .7z file)
  • The Homebrew Starter Kit
  • The 11.4.0 / 11.5.0 (both versions have the same FIRM version) .firm corresponding to the target 3DS (either “OLD” for Old 3DS, or “NEW” for New 3DS):

Instructions

Section I - Prep Work

Use a save manager to backup any saves you care about on the target 3DS (it will be formatted!)

  1. Copy GodMode9.firm (or GodMode9.bin for arm9loaderhax users) from the GodMode9 .zip to the /luma/payloads folder on the source 3DS’s SD card
  2. Copy the gm9 folder from the GodMode9 .zip to the root of the source 3DS’s SD card
  3. Copy the relevant public.sav from the /dsiware/(8 Character ID)/ folder in the 3ds_dsiwarehax_installer .zip to the root of the source 3DS’s SD card
    • Fieldrunners USA Region: 4b464445
    • Fieldrunners EUR Region: 4b464456
    • Legends of Exidia USA Region: 4b4c4545
    • Legends of Exidia EUR Region: 4b4c4556
    • Legends of Exidia JPN Region: 4b4c454a
    • Guitar Rock Tour EUR Region: 4b475256
    • Guitar Rock Tour USA Region: 4b475245
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords EUR Region: 4b513956  
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords USA Region: 4b513945  
  4. Reinsert the source 3DS’s SD card
  5. Boot the source 3DS while holding (Start) to launch GodMode9
  6. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  7. Select “More…”
  8. Select “Scripts…”
  9. Select “Backup SysNAND”
  10. Press (A) to confirm
    • This process will take some time
  11. Press (A) to continue
  12. Hold (R) and press (B) at the same time to eject the source 3DS’s SD card
  13. Put the source 3DS’s SD card into your computer
  14. Put the target 3DS’s SD card into your computer
  15. Backup every file on both 3DS’s SD cards to two separate folders on your computer (keep track of which is which)!
  16. Reinsert each SD card back into their corresponding 3DS
  17. Press (Start) on the source 3DS to reboot
Section II - Installing the Save
  1. Boot the source 3DS while holding (Start) to launch GodMode9
  2. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD
  3. Press (Y) on public.sav to copy it
  4. Press (B) to get back to the main menu
  5. Navigate to SYSNAND TWLN -> title -> 00030004
  6. Navigate to the folder for your game and region:
    • Fieldrunners USA Region: 4b464445
    • Fieldrunners EUR Region: 4b464456
    • Legends of Exidia USA Region: 4b4c4545
    • Legends of Exidia EUR Region: 4b4c4556
    • Legends of Exidia JPN Region: 4b4c454a
    • Guitar Rock Tour EUR Region: 4b475256
    • Guitar Rock Tour USA Region: 4b475245
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords EUR Region: 4b513956  
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords USA Region: 4b513945  
  7. Navigate to the data folder
  8. Press (X) on the existing public.sav to delete it
  9. Input the key combo given to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing
  10. Press (A) to continue
  11. Press (B) to decline relocking write permissions if prompted
  12. Press (Y) to paste public.sav
  13. Select “Copy path(s)”
  14. Press (Start) to reboot the source 3DS
  15. Launch your DSiWare game on the source 3DS
  16. Test if the save is functional
    • Fieldrunners: Touch the ‘Scores’ button at the main menu
    • Legends of Exidia: After pressing (A) or (Start) at the two title screens, select the first save slot and press continue
    • Guitar Rock Tour: Scroll down and go to High-Scores -> Drums -> Easy
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords: Just start the game
    • If your game has an error about boot.nds or a white screen, then the exploit has been successful
    • If your game behaves normally and does not give you this error, then you should stop and figure out what went wrong
    • If you get a black screen, follow this troubleshooting guide
Section III - System Transfer
  1. Backup every file on both 3DS’s SD cards to two separate folders on your computer (keep track of which is which)!
  2. Reinsert each SD card back into their corresponding 3DS
  3. If the target 3DS has a Nintendo Network ID on it, you must format the device using System Settings:
    • Go to the last page of “Other Settings” and select “Format System Memory”, then follow all instructions
  4. Read the following:
    • Your CFW 3DS = the source 3DS = “Source System”
    • Your Stock 3DS = the target 3DS = “Target System”
    • Move DSiWare titles if prompted!
    • Do NOT delete the source system’s SD card contents if prompted
    • Make sure neither device’s battery dies during the transfer
    • Old 3DS or Old 2DS (source) to New 3DS or New 2DS (target) only: if asked which method you wish to use to transfer the SD card data:
    • Do NOT choose the “Low-Capacity microSD Card Transfer” or minimal option (option 2), it will only transfer tickets and likely will not transfer the DSiWare save.
    • Fast Method: If you have the ability to move the data from the SD card (source) to the microSD card (target), when prompted use the “PC-Based Transfer” option (option 3).
    • Slowest Method: If you don’t have the ability to move the data on a PC use the full “Wireless Transfer” option (option 1).
  5. Go to this link and follow Nintendo’s official instructions for System Transferring from one system to another while keeping in mind what you just read
Section IV - Restoring the source 3DS
  1. On the source 3DS, complete initial setup
  2. Do one of the following
    • Do the rest of the sections and then the full guide on the target 3DS, then wait one week, then System Transfer from the target 3DS back to the source 3DS (remember you cannot transfer back from a New 3DS or New 2DS to an Old 3DS or Old 2DS)
    • Call Nintendo and tell them you no longer have access to the device that your NNID is linked to (which is the target 3DS in this case), and would like it linked to a different device (which is the source 3DS in this case)
    • You can also just remove the NNID from the source 3DS if you’d prefer it remain on the target 3DS
  3. Reboot the source 3DS while holding (Start) to launch GodMode9
  4. If you are prompted to create an essential files backup, press (A) to do so, then press (A) to continue once it has completed
  5. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> gm9 -> out
  6. Press (A) on <serialnumber>_nandmin_###.bin to select it, then select “NAND image options…”, then select “Restore SysNAND (safe)”
  7. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND overwriting, then input the key combo given
    • This will not overwrite your boot9strap installation
  8. Input the key combo given to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing
    • This process will take some time
  9. Once it has completed, press (A) to continue
  10. Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
  11. Press (Start) to reboot the source 3DS
Section V - Backing up the target 3DS’s FIRM
  1. Copy boot.firm from the Luma3DS .7z to the root of your SD card
  2. Copy boot.nds (B9STool) to the root of the target 3DS’s SD card
  3. Copy the contents of starter.zip to the root of the target 3DS’s SD card
  4. Create a folder named boot9strap on the root of the target 3DS’s SD card
  5. Copy the 11.5.0 .firm corresponding to the target 3DS to the boot9strap folder on the root of the target 3DS’s SD card
  6. Copy boot9strap.firm from the boot9strap .zip to the /boot9strap/ folder on your SD card
  7. Launch your DSiWare game on the target 3DS
  8. Launch b9sTool using your DSiWare game
    • Fieldrunners: Touch the ‘Scores’ button at the main menu
    • Legends of Exidia: After pressing (A) or (Start) at the two title screens, select the first save slot and press continue
    • Guitar Rock Tour: Scroll down and go to High-Scores -> Drums -> Easy
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords: Just start the game
  9. Select “Dump F0F1” to backup the target 3DS’s FIRM
  10. Exit b9sTool
    • You may have to force power off by holding the power button
  11. Put your SD card in your computer, then copy F0F1_NEW3DS.bin or F0F1_OLD3DS.bin (depending on your device) from the boot9strap folder to a safe location; make backups in multiple locations; this backup will save you from a brick if anything goes wrong
  12. Reinsert your SD card into the target 3DS
Section VI - Flashing the target 3DS’s FIRM

Do NOT use b9sTool on a device that already has arm9loaderhax installed or you will BRICK!

  1. Launch your DSiWare game on the target 3DS
  2. Launch b9sTool using your DSiWare game
    • Fieldrunners: Touch the ‘Scores’ button at the main menu
    • Legends of Exidia: After pressing (A) or (Start) at the two title screens, select the first save slot and press continue
    • Guitar Rock Tour: Scroll down and go to High-Scores -> Drums -> Easy
    • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords: Just start the game
  3. Select “Install boot9strap” and confirm
  4. Exit b9sTool, then power off your device
    • You may have to force power off by holding the power button
  5. Power on the target 3DS
Section VII - Configuring Luma3DS
  1. Your device should have booted into the Luma3DS configuration menu
  2. Use the (A) button and the D-Pad to turn on the following:
    • “Show NAND or user string in System Settings”
  3. Press (Start) to save and reboot
    • If you get an error, just continue the next page

Continue to Finalizing Setup