Nintendo Wii U Memory Failures Investigated by Homebrew Community, Hynix Chips in the Spotlight

[padripper]

Thank you for your response. But I assumed it could be just fixed with the recovery like in the video that everyone said is the solution. I think I have to take some time to read all the links.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I think I have to take some time to read all the links.

That's a good idea. No need to be hasty. Here's a thought though, with the NAND-AID, you can install a 64GB or 128GB MicroSD and the WiiU will see it all. This allows for a lot of fun that you couldn't normally do. Additionally, an 8GB White North American model can be modded the same way and upgraded with much more storage! That's worth doing the mod all by itself!

@V10lator
Let's let bygones be bygones. Continuing from our PM:
So let's talk tech for sec. Were you serious when you said that the recovery is still running on a black screen? Everywhere I've read and seen indicates that the NAND is unrecoverable at that point. Can it still be recovered from that point? And would the recovery procedure be any different?

Also it's not all Hynix ones but only ones produced in roughly 2012 / beginning of 2013 (chip producing date, not Wii U producing date).

This I was aware of. It was limited run of the NAND that had a previously unknown issue. Most of it didn't.

 

[V10lator]

Here's a thought though, with the NAND-AID, you can install a 64GB or 128GB MicroSD and the WiiU will see it all.

Don't see this as an attack, please, but that's not 100% true: The Wii Us OS supports 8, 32 or 64 GB only. For other sizes (like 128 GB) you need to patch the OS which means de_fuse or ISFSHAX at every boot.
Also you can't resize the FS, meaning you'll loose all data when you change the size as you have to reformat. With going same-size you're able to clone and fix the corrupted FS. For reformatting you also need de_fuse (or ISFSHAX but that's not yet ready for primetime).

So in this case I would suggest to stay same-size to make the process as simple as possible.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The Wii Us OS supports 8, 32 or 64 GB only.

Did not know that. Haven't tried it personally.

So in this case I would suggest to stay same-size to make the process as simple as possible.

With the 8GB WiiU, upgrading it to 16GB or 32GB should be seamless as the WiiU OS natively supports upto 32GB.

 

[V10lator]

Were you serious when you said that the recovery is still running on a black screen?

Yes. As long as the power LED turns purple the recovery menu is running. Ofc. there are also other cases, so what color the LED shows is important.

Can it still be recovered from that point? And would the recovery procedure be any different?

Yes it can and the procedure is the same. Only difference is that you need to navigate the recovery menu blindly.

With the 8GB WiiU, upgrading it to 16GB or 32GB should be seamless as the WiiU OS natively supports upto 32GB.

The OS supports up to 64 GB natively. Looks like Nintendo planned a 64 GB console but never released it.

As said you can't resize the filesystem and filesystem size and physical size need to match. So what's possible is:
- Clone a 8 GB eMMC onto a 8 GB SD.
- Clone a 8 GB eMMC onto a 16 GB SD (only 8 GB will be usable through).
- Clone a 32 GB eMMC onto a 32 GB SD.
For all other you'll have to apply constant OS patches (so need de_fuse or ISFSHAX) and reformat the filesystem (which also needs de_fuse or ISFSHAX + you'll loose all your data).

More technical explaination: The Wii U OS does this:
If physical size < 32 GB its a 8 GB console, so FS must be 8 GB.
Else if physical size < 64 GB it's a 32 GB console, so FS must be 32 GB.
Else it's a 64 GB console, so FS must be 64 GB.

Credits for reverse engineering the OS here + designing the patches used in de_fuse / ISFSHAX is Gary (GaryOderNichts on GBATemp).

 

[lexluthermiester]

Ofc. there are also other cases, so what color the LED shows is important.

Ok, fair enough.

Yes it can and the procedure is the same. Only difference is that you need to navigate the recovery menu blindly.

Ok, and it still recovers properly?

The OS supports up to 64 GB natively. Looks like Nintendo planned a 64 GB console but never released it.

Nice. Wish they had. I personally love the WiiU, one of my Fav Nintendo consoles.

As said you can't resize the filesystem and filesystem size and physical size need to match. So what's possible is:
- Clone a 8 GB eMMC onto a 8 GB SD.
- Clone a 8 GB eMMC onto a 16 GB SD (only 8 GB will be usable through).
- Clone a 32 GB eMMC onto a 32 GB SD.
For all other you'll have to apply constant OS patches (so need de_fuse or ISFSHAX) and reformat the filesystem (which also needs de_fuse or ISFSHAX + you'll loose all your data).

More technical explaination: The Wii U OS does this:
If physical size < 32 GB its a 8 GB console, so FS must be 8 GB.
Else if physical size < 64 GB it's a 32 GB console, so FS must be 32 GB.
Else it's a 64 GB console, so FS must be 64 GB.

Credits for reverse engineering the OS here + designing the patches used in de_fuse / ISFSHAX is Gary (GaryOderNichts on GBATemp).

Based on what I've read, it seems like you could reformat the 8GB to 16GB/32GB, losing all data, but having a factory fresh WiiU? Is that not right?

 

[V10lator]

Based on what I've read, it seems like you could reformat the 8GB to 16GB/32GB, losing all data, but having a fresh factory fresh WiiU? Is that not right?

32 GB will work without constant patches, yes. With 16 GB you'll have to use the constant patches. When you plan to upgrade anyway w/o using constant patches I would suggest to upgrade to 64 GB through as that's the max the OS supports.
With reformatting you start with a more or less factory fresh Wii U (still some things left on the SLC, like old tickets and stuff which survive even a factory reset).

Ok, and it still recovers properly?

Recovery procedure is just the same: You clone, then you fix the corruptions on the clone. Note that FS metadata corruptions aren't fixable, so we can fix corrupted files (by simply replacing them) but corrupted folders or quotas we can just move away so the Wii U won't crash anymore (except when doing a factory reset, that's the reason for the "Bonus: Work around factory reset crash loop" section at the GBATemp howto you linked previously). This is true no matter you have screen output on the recovery menu or not through.
So in a case of having corrupted metadata it's up to the user to either live with factory reset crashing or reformatting (and with it upgrading to 64 GB as it makes no sense to use less when you need to reformat anyway).

 

[lexluthermiester]

32 GB will work without constant patches, yes. With 16 GB you'll have to use the constant patches. When you plan to upgrade anyway w/o using constant patches I would suggest to upgrade to 64 GB through as that's the max the OS supports.

Ok, I'll remember that.