Warning: If your Wii has been region hacked. I.E> You have a Korean wii and you have modified it to think it is a North American Wii. DO NOT USE THIS UPDATE.
If priiloader is your only safety net for brick protection then you will need to reinstall it after updating. Unless you have a specific reason for updating then I recommend you remain on your current system menu.
This guide will install System Menu 4.2 onto your Wii console without removing any of the cIOS files you may have installed (such as 222,223 and 249) which the official update will do. It will also not update your boot2 to boot2v4. Also this update contains the current version of the shop channel.
What does this update do?
Basically everything the official Nintendo update would do, including updating your shop channel, mii channel, photo channel and even your news and weather channels etc. This is particularly useful because if you are on a 3.2 system for example and only upgrade the IOS files, insering an original game disc that has the 3.4 sys menu on even thou you have upgraded to 4.2, may ask for a system update still.
What doesn’t it do then?
It doesn’t overwrite your boot2 file, so if you have Bootmii installed in boot2, it won’t be removed. It won’t install stub IOS files in place of your cIOS files, so you won’t lose your beloved cIOS222,249 etc.
However please note all the IOS files contained in this pack are official IOS files that have NOT been trucha patched. If you require a trucha patch on a certain IOS for any other forms of Homebrew you may be running, such as IOS36 you will need to trucha patch it again manually. This can be done with the included DOP-IOS application.
Requirements:
Latest version of Homebrew Channel to already be installed on your Wii. (currently 1.0.6) go into the homebrew channel and press home. This will tell you your version number. You can either wait for the Homebrew Channel to detect an update is available if your Wii is connected to the Internet, or click here for a guide on installing the latest version offline)
Wad Manager to already be on your SD card.
***Important***
I highly recommend you make a NAND backup of your Wii with Bootmii if you was able to install to boot2 before making any of the modifications listed below. If you was unable to install Bootmii to boot2 I recommend you have priiloader already installed.
This guide is completely offline, and NOT automated. As such there is a chance of human error if you do not follow the instructions correctly. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, make a NAND backup before you continue. if you make a mistake you will be kicking yourself.
1. If you have any wads in the wad folder already on your Sd card, I recommend you back them up to your computer first and then remove them from the SD. This will lessen the chances of making any mistakes.
2. Download the correct pack for your region Wii:
European/Australian Wiis: Download this pack.
North American Wiis: Download this pack.
3. Extract the contents of the download to the root of your SD card.
4. Launch the Homebrew Channel, and select Wad Manager. Choose IOS36. If asked choose to ignore NAND emulation. Press A to open from SD slot.
5. Install the IOS70-64-v6687.wad first.
6. Install the wiisystemmenu wad file next.
7. Install the remaining wad files.
8. Press home to exit to the homebrew channel.
7.1 If your only method of brick protection at this point is Priiloader then I recommend you re-install priiloader NOW before rebooting your Wii. Details for install instructions can be found here if you have removed the installer from your SD card. If you cannot install by holding down B to use cIOS249 then use the included DOP-IOS to trucha patch IOS36 then try again.
8. Power off your Wii.
9. Turn your Wii back on, and you wil be on system menu 4.2
10. Install Homebrew Channel again, to ensure it is working off the correct IOS file for Sys Menu 4.2. Follow the Homebrew Channel install guide again found here.
11. [Optional, see if your games work first] If you were using your Wii to play commercial games via backup loader you may have to patch IOS70 again, do this with the included DOP-IOS homebrew app. launch Dop-IOS from the homebrew channel, select IOS70, if your online choose to download and patch. If your offline copy the IOS70-64-v6687.wad to the root of the SD card in order to complete.
11.1 7.1 If your only method of brick protection at this point is Priiloader then you will need to reinstall priiloader again after dopping IOS70.
Problems: Before posting a comment below, check the list of common error codes found here with solutions on how to fix, and then read other comments below to see if your problem has been reported and solved previously.
Special thanks go out to all the coders that made these apps possible. I did not do any coding of them and have just supplied my own custom downloads with easy to follow guides. Special thanks especially to Team Twiizers, Waninkoko, Comex, Pembo, tekncal, Hermes, Kwiirk , Starcube, Crediar, tona, red squirrel, Wiipower, Marc, Wiigator, WB3000, xzxero, DacoTaco, phpgeek, marc_max, pepxl, nicksasa, josete2k & Kongznutz.
December 2, 2009 at 6:16 am |
Hi, love your guides, thanks very much for gathering all this info in to an easy to read and follow format.
I have updated to 4.2 and have uloader all working nicely, only problem I have now is that on the standard Wii screen I cannot read backup disks even though they work fine under uloader. Any tips on what I have missed?
Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Tim.
December 2, 2009 at 8:02 pm |
I assume you had cIOSCorp installed beforehand in order to play backups through the actual disc channel. You will need to research to see if there is a new version of this available. I don’t offer support on cIOSCorp as it has much greater potential to screw up a Wii than using a basic loader.
December 9, 2009 at 11:40 pm |
Hello Ade, nice work – always… One question: You wrote in your howto at point 6 install the remaining IOS wad files… Must i? all of them? Kind regards, Tom
December 11, 2009 at 1:29 pm |
You don’t need too no, you just wouldn’t have the latest IOS files that some games may call for.
January 20, 2010 at 5:36 pm |
Hey Ade!! Thanks again for all the good info you provide, all nicely put in one website and with all files readily available. This has become my number 1 site for Wii modding.
Regarding updating, I have a question:
I got my Wii off of my little brother, and it was a virgin 4.2U (updated, he bought it when it first came out). Following the guides on your site, I softmodded it and now have it running uLoader and GC backup launcher, no problem. However, when trying to play a newer original game through the Disc channel (e.g. Metroid Trilogy), it says it wants to update the system. If I choose to update it through the disc, the GC backup launcher stops working, although uLoader still works fine. I followed the info on this page to “update” the system, even though I already am in 4.2, just to make sure I wasn’t missing any files, and although everything works well, Metroid still asks for an update if run through the disc channel. However, if I ignore it and run the disc from uLoader, it works well. Any ideas? I kind of don’t wanna have to run uLoader to play original games…
Thanks!
January 20, 2010 at 5:55 pm |
Did you delete any other stub files other than 222,223,249 and 250 when doing the original modification?
January 20, 2010 at 6:14 pm
I can’t really remember, although I am 100% positive I only deleted the ones you recommended in the “HOWTO: Setup a System Menu 4.2 Wii for playing backups of commercial games with uLoader” (not the latest version, but the version you had last week). I am quite careful when I do my modding…
January 21, 2010 at 2:26 am |
Ok, so tried that, didn’t work. Updated thru the metroid game and reinstalled the custom MIOS, metroid wants to update again. I’m using the MIOS you had on your gc post last week.
January 21, 2010 at 9:26 am |
I’ll do some research, it’s possible the gamecube app may have been updated, I rarely use it myself so I don’t really keep upto date with it.
January 21, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Sweetness. Thanks for all the help man, appreciate it.
January 25, 2010 at 12:37 am |
Thanks for the guide. However, it seems the pack for North American Wiis is somehow corrupted. It won’t open in WinZIP or 7 Zip, and in Winrar it says the archive is damaged. Could you re upload it? Thanks so much for your help.
January 25, 2010 at 8:40 pm |
I’ve just downloaded it myself and it’s opened with winrar fine. I would suggest re-downloading as it sounds like it’s your download that is corrupted.
January 28, 2010 at 12:04 am |
when i get to step 7,i select the ios and accept A,it asks me if i want to install it i prees A,it asks me 2 patch sig hash and i accept A,then it says downloading file #%^&&*(the symbols are numbers)
then it says file not found on SD card,
Downloading from internet,
no net connection
and goes back 2 homebrew. i dont have an internet connection,i do have 1 but my wii wouldnt connect and that is one of the reasons i want 2 update…any1??
January 28, 2010 at 1:11 pm |
The wad’s have not copied across to your SD correctly. Ensure it’s formatted to FAT32, normal SD and not SDHC if possible, and if your using a Mac to copy the files, ensure it isn’t treating the wad files as compressed files.
January 30, 2010 at 9:05 pm |
The Wad Manager is Freezing, if I install Dop-iso will help to wad manager to unfreeze and then safely update… Thanks
January 31, 2010 at 11:20 am |
What IOS are loading when launching Wad Manager?
February 2, 2010 at 3:06 pm
I don’t now wend the Priiloadear Failed to
load system menu It seed… IOS v70, system
menu v481 priiloader v0.3 (r41M)…
February 2, 2010 at 3:23 pm
And the wad managers 1.5 it frees entering,
don’t let me change IOS… I’m using the
Game cube control the wii control don’t
works at all…
February 3, 2010 at 5:02 am |
I was using DOP-IOS homebrew app to delete the IOS stubs but I deleted all of them instead of only the select stubs that were supposed to be deleted. Now when trying to play an original wii game (I tried Wii Fit), it says it needs a wii system update. I tried the safe 4.2 upgrade listed here, but it did not fix the problem. What can I do now to fix this?
February 3, 2010 at 3:50 pm |
If you’ve installed every wad from the update then it will be something basic, it won’t overwrite an IOS that is installed with a higher number already. So you can probably safely do the update from the disc, especially as Wii fit contains a much older version of the sys menu on the disc.
February 3, 2010 at 11:19 am |
Hey, I followed your instructions on upgrading the Wii to 4.2 (and it worked) I was just wondering if I can go on the “Wii shop Channel”? I tryed going in there and it still said I had to upgrade my system. The main thing I was wondering was if I’d be able to play newer Wii games that I get at the store? I remember a time when I rented a new game and the Wii said I had to upgade the system then too. If so what should I do to get passed that without losing my hacks. Please help, thanks.
February 3, 2010 at 4:02 pm |
Interesting. Did you install the shop channel wad too? I haven’t heard any news of the shop channel being updated again. It mgiht be worth doing a backup of your NAND before proceeding. However if you have installed all the wads from the upgrade then there shouldn’t be a problem.
February 4, 2010 at 4:01 am |
Wend the priiloadear Failed to load system menu it seed… IOS v70, system menu v481 priiloadear v0.3 (r41m)… And the Wad maneger 1.5 it frees entering, don’t let me change IOS… I’m using the Game Cube control the wii controls don’t work at all…
February 4, 2010 at 5:34 pm |
Try loading IOS36 in Wad Manager and see if it allows you to install the wads then. If not I would try another Sd card or start the trucha bug install process over again.
February 5, 2010 at 1:08 am |
Hi, when I extract the files it asks for a password?
February 5, 2010 at 6:31 pm |
None of my files have passwords on them.
February 7, 2010 at 12:12 pm |
hey man ur doing a great job i wanted to ask u that when i upgrade to 4.2 will it play bakups thru bakup launcher
February 7, 2010 at 3:17 pm |
If it already can, then yes you shouldn’t have any problems.
February 7, 2010 at 7:09 pm |
hey man i did all according to ur tutorial but my hombrew channal wont show mmy apps
February 9, 2010 at 1:50 pm |
the homebrew channel is not touched by the upgrade files. Ensure your apps are in the apps folder on your SD.
February 7, 2010 at 11:08 pm |
i tried to install the wii sytem menu and it is giving me an error (ret = -1022) on content # 10. any ideas
February 9, 2010 at 1:55 pm |
Ensure you have plenty of free space in your wii system memory, if you have lots of game saves, back them up with savegame manager and then remove them, otherwise back up the contents of your SD card, format it to fat32 and copy the contents back and try again. If still fails, try another SD card.
February 8, 2010 at 4:42 am |
The wad Manager and the trucha bug Works with de game cube control..?
February 9, 2010 at 1:56 pm |
It’s advisable to not have them plugged in when doing this process.
January 20, 2010 at 7:54 pm |
Have you tried letting the disc do the update, then reinstall the cmios mod for the gamecube launcher?
January 20, 2010 at 8:05 pm |
I havent tried that, and about an hour ago I actually thought of doing that (during a work meeting… crazy) lol. I’ll give it a go when I get back home after work and let you know how it went…
February 2, 2010 at 9:21 pm |
Try going into Bootmii from the Homebrew Channel and then load the HBC again from there and see if it works. Otherwise but the Wad Manager boot.dol file to the root of the SD and run it via the bannerbomb exploit.