Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

De-Homebrewing a Purchased Wii

Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed VigiloConfidoRegistered User regular
edited October 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
So my sister bought a Wii and...well, wii have a problem. (har har)

The system has been homebrewed and quite obviously used for pirate-y things. The problem with this is that many new Wii games, as you know, include system updates that can completely brick the console if they detect such modifications.

How do I undo it in such a way that she doesn't have to worry about ruining her console whenever she lets a new game install an update?

PEUsig_zps56da03ec.jpg
Gandalf_the_Crazed on

Posts

  • SeolSeol Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    No guarantees here, but I've installed updates on homebrewed Wiis (used purely to play imported Smash Bros, fwiw) and all it does is remove the homebrew.

    Seol on
  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Yea, I've never heard of any update bricking much of anything (outside of random incidents, even legal ones).
    My roommate uses some homebrew and has changed his firmware and other crap so many times over and over I'm sure you're fine.
    Just toss in a new game and let the updates roll.

    Mmmm... Cocks... on
  • starmanbrandstarmanbrand Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Doesn't the settings menu have a "restore to factory settings" option?

    starmanbrand on
    camo_sig2.png
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Sometimes these hacked consoles have a switch on them. Flick the switch off to not have it screw anything up.

    JebusUD on
    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    A firmware update won't brick the console, at worse it'll disable the homebrew. My wii is homebrew'd to the gills and I don't have a problem playing games (as in retail) with it. Great for playing imports too.

    Mr_Grinch on
    Steam: Sir_Grinch
    PSN: SirGrinchX
    Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
  • Sir CarcassSir Carcass I have been shown the end of my world Round Rock, TXRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    You could always call up Nintendo, tell them you bought a used Wii that has homebrew on it, and ask them what to do. But yeah, I've heard installing the update just removes the homebrew capabilities. It even says it in the little message you get from Nintendo about a new update.

    Sir Carcass on
  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Oh. Apparently I was misinformed, then.

    Thanks, guys.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
    PEUsig_zps56da03ec.jpg
  • starmanbrandstarmanbrand Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    No, you were correctly informed.

    From what I recall, some discs come with updates to files on them. No firmware updates (Ie 1.6>1.7) but just updates to certain files that the game needs. Some of these files can cause the homebrew to freakout and cause a brick or a partial-brick that is still recoverable if you have certain things installed on the wii. I think that newer mods have pretty much disabled auto-updates, but it would depend on the age of the mod.

    I'd still try to find a factory settings option if you're not willing to take the risk.

    starmanbrand on
    camo_sig2.png
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum