Hacking Just bought an used WiiU, need advice before bricking it.

[DSoryu]

So I just bought a cheap used WiiU that has this in the Home Menu, I guess those are pirated games and some sort of custom vWii loader? Anyway, after reading some info I now know that if coldboot is installed and I perform a system formatting, it will brick.

How can I tell what type of hack does it have and what should I do from there? I would really like to uninstall coldboot if present as it seems to be very risky, and this console will be used mainly by children.

Thanks in advance.

 

[neoninteger]

Cold-boot Haxchi (CBHC) is a method of launching into homebrew immediately after the console has booted. Typically, if CBHC is installed on the console, you will see either a black screen during boot with the text "Autobooting" or a menu that allows you to select what program the console loads next.

If after turning your console on you see the user selection screen or the Wii U Menu (like in your screenshot above) without any black screen in between, it is unlikely your console has any form of cold-boot loader.

Another thing you can do is look at all the icons on the Wii U Menu, as well as in Data Management in System Settings, to make sure that there are no Nintendo DS games listed, as Haxchi is installed on top of DS games. Also look for icons labelled "Haxchi" or "DONT TOUCH ME" as these are also, as you can probably guess, Haxchi.

I can't say that I've ever seen the program you have highlighted in your screenshot. Is it a vWii loader? What happens when you run it?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

The best is: Don't delete anything until you are sure there is no CBHC.

• Don't delete a DS game used for CBHC
• Don't factory reset (Format System Memory)
• Don't move a DS game used for CBHC to USB
• Don't use System Transfer
• Don't delete any linked NNID → This might delete the CBHC title

Latest CBHC prevents the user from doing some of those stupid things (moving title to USB, deleting title). Factory reset should still "work" in the sense: Deletes everything including CBHC title → Wii U dead.

Strictly no kind of CFW is needed to start any of those games on the photo. Those games were released on discs and have a universal legit signature. Once installed they run without Haxchi/CBHC/Mocha or whatever signature patches.

[…]
Another thing you can do is look at all the icons on the Wii U Menu, as well as in Data Management in System Settings, to make sure that there are no Nintendo DS games listed, as Haxchi is installed on top of DS games. Also look for icons labelled "Haxchi" or "DONT TOUCH ME" as these are also, as you can probably guess, Haxchi.

Exactly this. Some people move the "DONT TOUCH ME" to the far right.

If there is CBHC and you want to get rid of it, start the Homebrew Launcher and from there the CBHC (un)installer.


Good luck and have fun with your Wii U!

Take care of it; there aren't that many Wii U consoles.

 

[godreborn]

imo, it's pointless to move the game to the far right. games in the move, copy, delete section are based on time installed iirc with the most recent being first just like with the 3ds. these cannot be changed. if the game is installed to the NAND, I'd suggest making it the only game on there, so you know what you're doing. the don't move thing is only there is the game is moved. if it's copied, the usb logo will take priority, so the original game icon and name may be visible instead.

 

[DSoryu]

Thanks a lot for your help guys, it turns out that the console didn't had anything installed yet, so I choose Indexine as the entry point for CFW, and this fact:

Those games were released on discs and have a universal legit signature. Once installed they run without Haxchi/CBHC/Mocha or whatever signature patches.

Really blew my mind, can't believe it is that simple lol.

Good luck and have fun with your Wii U!

Take care of it; there aren't that many Wii U consoles.

Yeah I will, although I have a Switch and a PC that runs Cemu pretty damn well in 4K, I find this console pretty unique and the last time when we got a fancy and pretty fun system UI provided ala "Nintendo style" alongside the 3DS, the switch UI is just... there.

 

[Krazyeye]

without[/B] Haxchi/CBHC/Mocha or whatever signature patches.

However, if the game has downloaded DLCs then you do need to run Haxchi/CBHC/Mocha to play the game. Games do not have DLCs will run just fine without running CFW.