Wii soft mod (3.4U question)

I'm a complete noob to the whole Wii mod scene (or any other mod scene for that matter!) Bottom line, I'm tired of my kids wrecking Wii discs that cost $40+ to replace.

I've been reading about soft modding your Wii to play copied games. I'm interested in backing up my games so that the kids are only playing with $1 discs, not $40+ discs. I have the correct LG dvd drive to do so, but what I need help with is the soft modding.

I have a few starter questions, which for the life of me I haven't been able to find answers to by researching, so I'm sorry in advance if these questions have been answered!

My firmware version is 3.4U, can I soft mod my Wii to play backup games?

If so, I can get my hands on a Zelda, Twilight Princess game, but are there different versions of this game, or just 1 version and any retail copy will do?

Other than the Zelda game, is all I need a computer, a SD card and card reader, and the Wii?

Thanks in advance for any help! I really appreciate it!!

 

This exact question has been asked several times already. Heres one of the other threads. http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/728308

And heres the general softmod help thread for good measure, though they were both still on the front page. http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/706332

 

Thanks. I realize these were both on the front page, but I still questioned it because the first link refers to 3.4E, and I have 3.4U. Is there a difference?

As well, the 2nd link says certain files won't load using 3.4, plus I've read elsewhere that you have to downgrade the firmware before you can do the soft mod. That's what I want clarification on.

As well, is soft modding safe? Or is there a possibility I could render the Wii useless?

 

chances of you bricking your wii are slim, you got a better chance of bricking xbox before the wii.
The wii can become semi bricked if u mod it wrong!
As always there's a fix for this too.
Read the directions and go for it!

 

So regardless of whether it's 3.4U or 3.4E I should be able to soft mod to play backups?

Do I have to downgrade the firmware first?

 

Ok, so I've been doing a lot of reading... can someone please confirm for me that I'm on the right track?

I want to be able to play backup copies so no more of my discs get ruined. I have 3.4U firmware which is the most up to date firmware available.

So... what I need to follow is the guides for Installing Homebrew Channel and Wii Fix shown at http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=112945

Is that correct? I guess I'll be using a backup loader to play the games, so that's all I need to do right? I won't need to downgrade the firmware or anything, correct?

 

Firmware region doesn't matter for the softmod and you don't have to downgrade, just get the homebrew channel and the custom IOS installed.

 

Yes your on the right track with your last post. Follow that guide you referenced to fix the WAD/cIOS instillation block (you do not need to follow the downgrade part).

After that you will need to install the cIOS and use the WiiGator Gamma boot launcher to boot your backups.

After you have followed the above link to fix the limitation on the Wii go HERE and download this file.

Extract the file and transfer all folders inside the Boot Loader Gamma folder to the root of the SD Card (Transfer the folders inside the Boot Loader Gamma folder to the ROOT not the Boot Loader Gamma folder itself).

Now place the SD Card in the Wii and run the Homebrew Channel. Go to the cIOS installer and follow the on screen instructions to install it. After that has been installed you can now boot backups via the Homebrew Channel then the WiiGator Backup Launcher.

 

Ok, this may be a stupid question, but after I finish the first step and I go to download/install the boot loader gamma do I have to format my SD card, or do I keep everything from the previous step on it still? Do I have to keep the SD card in the Wii or does everything get transferred over to the console once all this is done?

 

Format the SD Card after you do the first process. Then transfer over the files for the cIOS and Backup Launcher. After you install the cIOS you can delete the 00000001 folder at the root of the SD Card and the and the cIOS_Installer249 folder inside the apps folder (keep the Backup_Launcher folder).

Now whenever you want to boot a backup run the Homebrew Channel and select the backup launcher in the menu.

 

I'm going to give this all a try in the next day or 2 and see what happens...

Thank you for all the help! You have been extremely patient and helpful with all my stupid questions... I really appreciate it!!

 

Do I need (or should I have) Starfall installed as well? Is this what will help if I accidentally install the wrong files or something? I can't make sense of what the "features" are for this, all I can gather is it may make your Wii less brickable, but I'm not sure.

If it's something I should have, at what point should I install it?

 

Sorry, was this an entirely stupid question or something?

 

Starfall is one of the ways to fix a partially bricked wii and is handy for skipping disc updates.
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=118446

From what I gather is hard to brick a wii, it most likely would happen when installing a modchip.

 

did you get yours up and running? I am in the same boat and would love to save money on replacing discs.

 

no, not yet. i thought i had a friend with a retail copy of twilight princess, but after waiting all this time i found out it was a backup copy so now i'm trying to find a retail copy of it.

 

Rent it, make a backup, run original Zelda, take it back

 

Step 5:
Using the ‘Homebrew Channel’, open ‘IOS Downgrader’. Just follow the instructions on the screen and wait until it finishes installing the necessary IOSs.




i get an error trying to install here, what do i do

 

You get ignored because you hijacked someone's thread...

 

i hope u run into that problem later kid