Guide Modify a Hacked Wii to Boot Straight to the Homebrew Channel (Goodbye, Wiimote!)

[Achilles1515]

I know this isn't specifically about Melee hacking, but it will help a lot of people.

1) Have your Wii hacked so that the Homebrew Channel is available.
2) Insert SD card into computer.
3) Download Priiloader.
- Unzip the file.
4) From the downloaded and unzipped files, Copy the "priiloader" folder, which is inside the "apps" folder, and paste it into the "apps" folder that should be on the root of your SD card.
5)Insert SD Card into Wii --> Boot up Wii --> go to Homebrew Channel --> load Priiloader.

6) Wait a second as it sets up some files. Press A on GC controller (or whatever it says for Wiimote) to start the install.
7) When it is done, exit back to the Homebrew Channel and then hold the power button on your Wii to turn it off.

8) Turn Wii back on by holding the Power Button & the Reset Button, right below the power button, at the same time.
- hold those buttons until a white Priioader menu appears.
9) Go to the "Settings" menu at the bottom.
10) At the top, change "Autoboot" to "Homebrew Channel"
11) Hit "Save Settings" at the bottom.

12) Hold Power Button to turn off Wii. Then turn on Wii normally and it should now boot straight to the Homebrew Channel.

Now you no longer need a Wiimote to start booting up your ISO files, as a GC controller (d-pad) can navigate the Homebrew Channel.

Apparently you can have it boot straight to a Homebrew app if you want, but I've never done this.



--> Try BootMii if Priiloader is not working for you. <---

 

[The Realest]

"Error autobooting HBC. maybe title not installed?"
Help pls​

 

[Achilles1515]

Hmm well I don't know how to troubleshoot this program, unfortunately. I did this to two of my friends' Wiis yesterday and it worked perfectly. What does Google say?

 

[The Realest]

yh i searched for a bit tried some things nothing seemed to work if anyone knows how to fix it I'd be grateful.
Edit:forgot to say i got, had to use a different program though.

 

[TerryJ]

I actually already have my Wii set to do this but instead I've set it to WiiFlow, since you can boot any Homebrew app from it along with Wii games and GC games + any emulators you want to add.

Great guide though!

 

[Achilles1515]

I actually already have my Wii set to do this but instead I've set it to WiiFlow, since you can boot any Homebrew app from it along with Wii games and GC games + any emulators you want to add.

Great guide though!

I never knew WiiFlow could do that. Nice!

 

[luxmivozi]

YAY NO MORE BATTERIES!!!!

 

[Trichael Man]

Weird, I followed this guide on installing Homebrew and 20xx, but when I followed the Priiloader instructions, it says that the Homebrew channel isn't installed, even though it is on my Wii. Any way I can fix this?

 

[luxmivozi]

Weird, I followed this guide on installing Homebrew and 20xx, but when I followed the Priiloader instructions, it says that the Homebrew channel isn't installed, even though it is on my Wii. Any way I can fix this?

same thing happens with me

 

[TechMage299]

i have yet to try priiloader, I'll report back as soon as i can.

 

[luxmivozi]

i have yet to try priiloader, I'll report back as soon as i can.

doesnt always work

 

[The Realest]

for those of you having trouble you could try bootmii. i had the same problem as you guys, but bootmii works just fine.

 

[Trichael Man]

Is bootmii a replacement for priiloader? I was reading up stuff on bootmii and i'm still slightly confused

 

[The Realest]

when you're installing hbc you can install bootmii as well

 

[TechMage299]

when you're installing hbc you can install bootmii as well

what if I chose not to install bootmii?

 

[Goatlink]

what if I chose not to install bootmii?

if you chose not to install bootmii when you installed the Hb channel, and now want bootmii, you can use the Hackmii installer like you were installing the HB channel all over again, but this time instead of selecting "install the HB chanel" deselect that option and instead select to install only bootmii. This is what I did.

 

[pootTheBox]

I already had bootmii through the Hackmii pack and recently installed Priiloader. I set it to boot straight to HBC, then set it to boot DMB but either way it still boots to Bootmii page unless I hold Power on and Eject or whatever the button combo is. Anyway to prioritize Priiloader over Bootmii?

 

[Luigimitsu]

What I do is with Priiloader I go to "install file" and install my usb loader, then in the settings I choose autoboot "installed file". With this the Wii will always boot into your usb loader. I've done this to at least 20 Wii's and it works great, depends how much you care about loading other apps or the system menu though, but you can always just hold reset to go back to priiloader.

 

[TechMage299]

So, here's what I got:

-I installed Priiloader, but got the same problem as The Realest, it said "maybe HBC not installed", even though I have it installed.
-Tried out BootMii/boot2, worked with 2/3 of my SD cards.

Definitely suggest BootMii.

 

[Achilles1515]

So, here's what I got:

-I installed Priiloader, but got the same problem as The Realest, it said "maybe HBC not installed", even though I have it installed.
-Tried out BootMii/boot2, worked with 2/3 of my SD cards.

Definitely suggest BootMii.

Can you by chance write a guide for using BootMii that I can put in the original post?

 

[TechMage299]

Can you by chance write a guide for using BootMii that I can put in the original post?

Do you want me to create another post in this forum?

 

[Achilles1515]

I say just here. No need to overpopulate the forum. I'll add it to the first post.

 

[TechMage299]

In case Priiloader hasn't been working and haven't found the solutions, how about a shot at BootMii?

For right now, I'm going to guess you are already hacked and have HBC installed(I'll go over unmodded Wii's near the end)

1)Go to http://bootmii.org/download/ and Download HackMii Installer v1.2.
2)Place the HackMii folder in your apps folder you use for HBC
Ex: SD Root\apps\hackmii folder here...
3)Go to HBC and there should be an app without a logo, just blank, but when you go to open it, it should be titled HackMii.
4)As soon as you open it, an image should pop up stating "THIS SOFTWARE MUST NOT BE SOLD" blah blah blah, some more scammed mumbo jumbo. It will stay on this screen for a good 20 seconds, just be patient. After some time, on the bottom, it'll state: "Press 1 to continue"
5)You will be taken to some text saying " The test results are in:" and "The Homebrew Channel: Can be installed", "BootMii: Can be installed". Here you just wanna press continue.
6)You will be at the Main Menu(you can tell by the yellow letters at the top), go to "BootMii..."
7)There are a lot of options here so listen(or read) carefully:

Letters in Cyan are taken directly from the README-BootMii.txt.

* BootMii/boot2: This mode will install BootMii into 2 blank blocks in the
boot2 area of your Wii. It will take over the function of
the normal boot2. If no SD card is detected or armboot.bin
is not found on the SD card, the drive slot LED will flash
briefly and the normal system menu will boot.

Pros: Independant of system menu and the rest of NAND flash. Can
boot even if the rest of the system is completely corrupted.
Allows for safe backup / restore of NAND flash from SD card.
Allows direct boot of The Homebrew Channel, or other
programs.

Cons: Relies on a vulnerability in boot1 that was fixed mid-2008;
if your Wii is newer than this, the HackMii Installer will
not allow you to install this form of BootMii. Installation
is complicated and slightly risky; we have tested it and
believe it to be safe, but a power failure at the wrong time
during installation could leave your system unusable.

* BootMii/IOS: This mode will install BootMii into your NAND filesystem as an
IOS (IOS254). It behaves identically to BootMii/boot2, but
you must launch it from a special program (The Homebrew
Channel, or your own code.)

Pros: Universal compatibility with all Wiis. Allows booting
arbitrary code on ARM / PPC. Supports speedy backup of NAND
to SD. Very safe to install.

Cons: Easily deletable or overwritten by a system update. NAND
restore is technically possible, but not safe because you
cannot boot to BootMii/IOS in case the contents of your NAND
flash are corrupted.

In Short:
-BootMii/boot2: uses some files to skip from your SD card to skip into the special loader from when you start your wii where you can use your gamecube controller to navigate into the HBC(where you can also use your GameCube controller in case you didn't know).
-BootMii/iso: you need to be in your HBC channel to activate... you need to go through the original system menu, so duhhh... not what we are trying to get done, it's counterintuitive.

8)You are going to choose "Install BootMii as boot2"
9)Some menacing runtime warnings will show up about violating your SD card, assuming it's in your Wii, click on "Yes, continue"
10)It'll write some files onto your SD card and ask you if you want to install BootMii/boot2 now, click on "Yes, continue" once more.
*The files installed are in a folder on the root of your SD card under:
SD Root\bootmii
*The bootmii folder is transferable, so you can put it in other SD's for your mods, so they as well can bypass system menu.
11)Some CMD prompts will show on screen writing and attacking those filthy NAND blocks 3 & 4, once it's done 'SUCCESS' should pop up, and click continue.
12)Hit "Return to the main menu"
13)Hit "Exit"
14)After reaching the HBC, turn off your Wii and turn it back on
15)The BootMii menu will pop up, going from left to right there are four options:

1 Most Left-Boot original Wii system menu.
2 Mid Left-Boot up to the HBC.
3 Mid Right-Load .dol from SD.
4 Most Right-BootMii settings.

Unmodded Wii's:
When following whatever guide you are reading to mod your Wii, when you are prompted to install HBC, install BootMii as well, so you have it from the Get-go.
You can load HackMii using Smashstacks as well, but sadly I never used Smashstacks so I have no experience there.

As some added bonuses, if the bootmii folder necessary to load the menu isn't found or does not work in any way, the disc drive's LED will flash once and the original system menu will load. Also, this extra menu doesn't replace the old one so it gives you a recovery option, technically making your wii unbrickable.

Letters in Orange are taken directly from http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Bootmii#Benefits to cite the second bonus above.

BootMii allows anything from Recovery modes (creating a practically unbrickable Wii), to lazy access of the Homebrew Channel. For example, if you have corrupted the System Menu, you can use DOP-Mii to reinstall the System Menu. Unfortunately, all homebrew currently require an IOS, because libogc requires one. However, there is Mini (a homebrew IOS-like software), which can be modified specifically for the program, ie, for better communication to the Linux kernel.

If by any chance, your screen stays black after clicking the hombrew button on the Bootmii menu, just reinstall The Hombrew Channel and Bootmii

 

[pootTheBox]

Ok Guys. I fixed the problem. Go to settings and change them to include beta updates. Update to .8 or whatever on the front menu of priiloader. Then set it to autoboot to installed file and it should autoboot to Dios Mios Booter or whatever you set it to with only pressing power button once. Installed everything on two wii's today including mine

 

[Luigimitsu]

It worked first time for me, then I did it on like 20 different Wii's lol.

Here is a quick explanation: Remove bootmii from the SD card if it is on there

After you set the installed file in priiloader, go to the settings at the bottom and set autoboot to "installed file".

 

[Achilles1515]

In case Priiloader hasn't been working and haven't found the solutions, how about a shot at BootMii?

Thanks for this! The main post has been updated. Sorry this wasn't done earlier.

 

[McSlur]

Thanks man, no more forgetting Wiimotes and then cursing Nintendo for not allowing me to use GCC on the home screen!

 

[DRGN]

I know this is mentioned toward the end of TechMage's guide, but I thought it important to reiterate that Priiloader and BootMii are not mutually exclusive and both can be on the Wii.

I always use both Priiloader and BootMii (as boot2) on all Wii's I hack (I haven't done a newer one that doesn't support the boot2 method). I use BootMii specifically so I can back-up the NAND, which is a good idea for any Wii you're working on, but then I prefer Priiloader to handle the booting so that I don't have to go through an extra menu.

There are two ways to do this:

1) Move (not copy) the files "keys.bin", "nand.bin", and the folder "bootmii" onto your computer. These are your Wii's NAND backup (if you performed one), for use in case of emergency. And removing these from the SD card prevents BootMii from interrupting the boot process.

2) I just now found this while looking closer at BootMii's files. In the bootmii folder, there is a "bootmii.ini" settings file. If you open that up, there is a line that says "#AUTOBOOT=SYSMENU". Remove the # sign at the beginning (which normally comments out the line so it isn't read), and change SYSMENU to HBC. Now the Wii will automatically boot to the Homebrew Channel when you boot it up. (There is also an option in there to have it autoboot after a wait period. Setting it is just like changing the AUTOBOOT line.)

Between these two, I prefer the first method, because the second method still goes to the BootMii menu for about a second, before it moves on to the Homebrew Channel.

 

[FerrishTheFish]

There are two ways to do this:

1) Move (not copy) the files "keys.bin", "nand.bin", and the folder "bootmii" onto your computer. These are your Wii's NAND backup (if you performed one), for use in case of emergency. And removing these from the SD card prevents BootMii from interrupting the boot process.

2) I just now found this while looking closer at BootMii's files. In the bootmii folder, there is a "bootmii.ini" settings file. If you open that up, there is a line that says "#AUTOBOOT=SYSMENU". Remove the # sign at the beginning (which normally comments out the line so it isn't read), and change SYSMENU to HBC. Now the Wii will automatically boot to the Homebrew Channel when you boot it up. (There is also an option in there to have it autoboot after a wait period. Setting it is just like changing the AUTOBOOT line.)

Between these two, I prefer the first method, because the second method still goes to the BootMii menu for about a second, before it moves on to the Homebrew Channel.

(As mentioned before by pootTheBox)
A far better and easier way is to load up Priiloader, go to "Settings," turn on "See Beta Updates," and update to Priiloader v0.8 (7). Fixes that problem as well as a few other bugs.

The reason the problem occurs is that at some point, the HBC started calling itself "LULZ" (that's what it's named if you look it up under "Launch Title" in the main Priiloader menu). Source: https://code.google.com/p/priiloader/issues/detail?id=189

 

[DRGN]

Wow, so someone broke it for a laugh? lol

Is the problem you're referring to that of BootMii interrupting the boot process? If it's installed as boot2, wouldn't Priiloader only ever gain control after BootMii? In that case it would be an issue with BootMii. So maybe I misunderstand (or you're referring to when it's installed as an IOS).

 

[Doq]

Wow, so someone broke it for a laugh? lol

Incorrect. Someone broke it because Ninty blocked their original ID (HAXZ).

 

[DRGN]

Ah, I see.

 

[fugless]

Oh god I'm an idiot I tried to get nintendont to launch from priiloader. I'm getting an exception DSI error I can't fix . I see nintendont start for a brief second and the whole thing bricks.

Edit: Whew I fixed it.

 

[glottore]

fugless, I literally have that exact problem. I don't know if it's possible to boot straight to 20XX, but I want to at least be able to boot straight to nintendont. When I start it up I get the exception DSI error, how did you fix it? The homebrew channel is as far as I can get when booting.

 

[Doq]

fugless, I literally have that exact problem. I don't know if it's possible to boot straight to 20XX, but I want to at least be able to boot straight to nintendont. When I start it up I get the exception DSI error, how did you fix it? The homebrew channel is as far as I can get when booting.

use a forwarder, don't load direct

 

[mooki]

use a forwarder, don't load direct

Do you have a forwarder dol? If so could you please share it with me?
Edit: Nevermind, I made one, but I didn't realize my problem was different. Attempting to load the forwarder or nintendont itself from Priiloader gives me the error "Please load Nintendont with AHBprot disabled!" and then shoots me back to the Homebrew channel. Don't know how to fix this one. :/

 

[Cyjorg]

nvermind nevermind

 

[Happa]

Do you have a forwarder dol? If so could you please share it with me?
Edit: Nevermind, I made one, but I didn't realize my problem was different. Attempting to load the forwarder or nintendont itself from Priiloader gives me the error "Please load Nintendont with AHBprot disabled!" and then shoots me back to the Homebrew channel. Don't know how to fix this one. :/

How did you make a forwarder dol? I'm getting the same issue and I'm not sure what to do, I took out the SD card and soft and hard rebooted several times, still coming up with the DSI error

 

[mooki]

How did you make a forwarder dol? I'm getting the same issue and I'm not sure what to do, I took out the SD card and soft and hard rebooted several times, still coming up with the DSI error

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMMCrc7hTRw

I don't think it's possible to boot to Nintendont from Priiloader if that's what you're trying to do.

 

[Happa]

I installed priiloader and set it to boot into Nintendont, it tries to go into Nintendont and then I get the DSI error, I tried removing the SD that I have 20xx on and nothing different happens. I just want to get to HBC so I can uninstall Priiloader.