I need help getting started

[Hiroshi Mishima]

I looked through several of the forums, this seems to be the right one. I looked through the first few pages of threads, I didn't recognize anything that looks pertinent (though I did check a few) and I have no idea what I'd put into a Search to look that way. I'm sorry if this is not in the right place.

I've been interesting in getting started with Homebrew for a while now, since I learned it was how you could essentially use codes for Wii (and VC I hear) games. However, all the information I can find related to them was all posted last year and with the last quarter of 2009 upon us, I thought it would be a good idea to get some up-to-date information. Unfortunately, I didn't have any luck looking up anything on my own so I figured this'd be the best place to ask.

What do I need to get HBC installed on my Wii? - I don't know what my Wii's current Update is, either.

If I JUST wanna Use/Hack codes, what do I need?

Can I possibly get away with JUST an SD card and Reader? - I don't have the money for a USB Gecko because last I hear it was $50 bucks and I think that's rather outrageous.

If I CAN use use those two things, anyone know what the best (also cheapest) SD card I can use is and what readers go for these days (and maybe the right kind if possible).


Again, sorry for all the questions, I really hope this is the right forum.

[Romaap]

For homebrew (and using codes) you only need to install The Homebrew Channel, you can do this with only a SD card, every SD card should work.
You need to do the following to install Gecko (the application for Cheat Codes)

First follow these steps to install The Homebrew Channel.
Then download the latest version of Gecko from here and put gecko192.zip\gecko192\gecko192\HBC\Gecko192 in SD:\apps on your SD card, so it looks like this:
SD:\apps\Gecko192\boot.dol
                           icon.png
                           meta.xml

Then download the CheatManager from here (in the section "Only for cheaters") and find some codes for your game on geckocodes.org
After you made the .gct file with CheatManager, put the .gct file in SD:\codes
Load The Homebrew Channel and select Gecko and start the game, it should say: "Codes found   Applying"

I hope this helped :)

[Hiroshi Mishima]

Why that all sounds amazingly simple and easy to understand! Many thanks to you.

One last question, I remember hearing that certain SD cards aren't as good for this as others, is there a preference? I mean, should I use a Wii SD card? Or would a SanDisk or Kingston card be good? Is there a GB size that I should go for/avoid? I'm gonna get the card today if I can.

[Romaap]

You don't necessarily need a Wii SD card, a SanDisk, Kingston and many others will work at least as good.
And every size should be compatible.

[Hiroshi Mishima]

Again, I must thank you for your quick and friendly response. I don't always encounter such responses when asking questions on message boards these days. ^_^

[Hiroshi Mishima]

Okay ran into a little problem, and I'm not sure if I should mention it in here, or in the Gecko forum or whatever... but since this is a thread about me trying to figure out how it all works (and I'm not finding anything specific) I'll ask here.

I'm trying to use the cheats for Megaman 9. I got the Homebrew Browser and through it installed Code Manager and Code Downloader. I choose the codes, make the .gct file. However, there is no option to use anything in Gecko, it just wants to automatically load up the disc games instead.

I discovered I have System Menu 4.0, by the way, does that have anything to do with it? Do I need to install Ocarina or something else?

[Romaap]

Did you download the latest version of Gecko?
If so, when you start it, it should have a couple of options.
Choose Load Channel and select Megaman 9, if you have the .gct file in the correct place then it should apply the codes and start the game.

[Hiroshi Mishima]

Yeah, version 1.9.2 I believe it was. The only options it gives me are:

Start Game
Config
About
Quit

Or something to that effect, but it's only 4 options that are displayed. Also, my Wii was first generation, got it the day they came out, if that's of any use figuring out what's going on here.

[Romaap]

Does it look more like:


or like:


because it should look like the last one.

[Hiroshi Mishima]

Looks like the second picture, definitely. But the Load Channel and Rebooter Options are missing. Was there something I didn't install that I was supposed to? I'm looking through the rest of the Gecko 1.9.2 thread and I'm seeing people mentioning additional work to get channels to load? Also saw something about a different version of 1.9.2 somewhere, would that be helpful to try?

EDIT:

I have no idea what's going on, but for some reason my Wii is freezing up a lot now when I try to access various things in the Homebrew Channel. It locks up while trying to connect to the Homebrew Browser every time now with a message saying "IP request failed" or something like that, even though the Wii is connected to the internet. CodeDownloader caused an error with a buncha hex and dump messages. I was gonna try to use the Brawl cheats in liu of being able to use WW cheats at the moment, but that turned out impossible because it said the txt file was empty in the CheatManager I downloaded via Homebrew earlier so I was going to try and grab it straight from the CodeDownloader.

This is fast becoming a train wreck/an exercise in frustration.. why does Nintendo have to make this so hard for us?

[Themissinglink]

Okay ran into a little problem, and I'm not sure if I should mention it in here, or in the Gecko forum or whatever... but since this is a thread about me trying to figure out how it all works (and I'm not finding anything specific) I'll ask here.

I'm trying to use the cheats for Megaman 9. I got the Homebrew Browser and through it installed Code Manager and Code Downloader. I choose the codes, make the .gct file. However, there is no option to use anything in Gecko, it just wants to automatically load up the disc games instead.

I have a similar question to what he asked,  I am dealing with with a black screen everytime i load getko os, i am now on system 4.2 with the homebrew, and forgive me folks if my other post made it up i had some trouble getting it up, But is there going to be an update for getko os that will be compatiable with the current set up?

[Hiroshi Mishima]

OKAY BIG IMPORTANT POST HERE.

I got it to work, but NOT by using Gecko 1.9.2 that's the latest build. I ended up giving the 1.9.0.1 build a show, and that is what gave me the Load Channel and other options. I haven't made absolutely certain that everything works yet, but I thought I should mention this in case anyone else is having a similar problem.

I grabbed the build that I got to work from the Only for Cheaters section. I don't know why that one only worked, but I'm not complaining because it did. :p

EDIT: The Brawl codes didn't work, although I made sure it was RSBE01 like the file had and the site mentioned. However, I may have done something wrong on my end so I'm double checking. Still having trouble getting the Homebrew Browser to reconnect after the last time I used it...

It keeps repeating "Requesting IP Address to www.codemii.com" and then saying "Failed, using stored IP address instead" followed eventually by "Read error -116 occured, retrying ---".

EDIT 2: I'm getting an error "Cannot Generate Channel List" or something to that effect. I noticed a lot of people talking about that in another thread.. something about needing a certain IOS whatever that is.

[Romaap]

Try to "restore" the trucha bug with Trucha Bug Restorer (just google "Trucha Bug Restorer").
Because Gecko uses the trucha bug to load the channels, and the bug is fixed in the newer sytem menu updates you need that application to restore the bug.

[Hiroshi Mishima]

Okay, before I do anything (found a good HowTo guide at gbatemp) I just wanna check on a few details:

1) When I installed HBC/DVDx/BootMii, BootMii installed as IOS, it wouldn't allow me to use Boot2 for whatever reason. I also performed a NAND backup (on accident) as soon as I finished installing everything, but I have no idea where I'd find that on my SD card.

2) This Wii is from the system's launch, and (I really regret) that it did update as far as 4.0 before I got my SD Card. Does this have anything to do with this LU64 stuff I'm seeing people mention? I don't know what that's about or how to find out yet.

3) I know the Trucha Bug Restorer has a chance to brick my Wii if I screw up somewhere. Is there a way to restore it or to at least backup all the stuff I have on it? Channels/Games I got from the WiiShop Channel, saves, etc...

[Romaap]

If you bought your wii early then bootmii should install as Boot2 :-\

The LU64 stuff people are talking about is the serial number of your wii, but if you bought your wii early then you dont have a serial number higher than LU64.
Those LU64+ Wii's prevent you from installing Bootmii as Boot2 and downgrade your wii.

If you installed Bootmii as Boot2 and start your wii, you should see 4 icons.
Go to the last one (you can navigate with the power button on your wii or with GC controller) and select it (with the reset button or GC controller) then select the first icon and it should make a backup of your Wii NAND.
Then you could make a backup of your backup by putting storing it somewhere on your computer (the file is about 512MB).
If you brick your wii (wich is quite unlikely) then you could just turn on your wii and (if you have the bootmii files on your SDcard) and restore the wii NAND by going to the last icon, then select the second icon.