Its not until your Wii has been softmodded that you realise how much you have been missing out on.
Once you have a softmodded Wii it opens you up to a world of Homebrew Applications, Game Loaders, Wii Themes and allot more. It will make you wish you had done it sooner.
In this guide I will tell you how to softmod your Wii in an easy to follow guide. If you have any problems or questions please post them below and I will do my best to answer them.
You need to be on System Menu 4.2 for this softmod guide to work. If you are on something lower please follow my Update to System Menu 4.2 Guide first then come back to continue with this guide.
THIS GUIDE HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED BY A NEWER, UPDATED AND MORE EASY TO FOLLOW GUIDE. PLEASE VISIT THE NEWER GUIDE HERE.
Softmodding Requirements:
- Nintendo Wii with System Menu 4.2 (do NOT try on a system running a different System Menu version).
- SD Card – 512mb or higher.
- Softmodding Files – Available Here or Here or Here
Part 1 – Installing the Homebrew Channel
- Run bannerbomb by going to the SD Card Menu (bottom left) & choosing yes to load boot.dol/elf. This runs the Hackmii Installer from which you should install the Homebrew Channel.
Part 2 – Restoring the Trucha Bug
- Run GP DOP-IOS MOD from the Homebrew Channel.
- Press A to continue.
- Go down to select Install an IOS that accepts fakesigning.
- Keep pressing A until it takes you back to the IOS selection screen.
- Choose IOS36 to start a stub removal process.
Part 3 – Installing cIOS and Patching the System Menu IOS
- Run WAD Manager 1.5 from the Homebrew Channel.
- Press + on whatever cIOS’s you want installed.
- If you will be playing backup games from DISC install these:
cIOS202[38+60]-v4.wad
cIOS222[38+37]-v4.wad
cIOS223[38]-v4.wad
cIOS249-v14.wad
cIOS250-v14.wad
IOS70-64-v6687[TB+ES_diV+NAND].wad
- If you will be playing backup games from USB install these:
cIOS202[38+60]-v4.wad
cIOS222[38+37]-v4.wad
cIOS223[38]-v4.wad
cIOS249-v15.wad or cIOS249-v16.wad
cIOS250-v15.wad or cIOS250-v16.wad
Install IOS70-64-v6687[TB+ES_diV+NAND].wad
- Once you have selected the cIOS’s using the + button, press 1 to install.
That’s it your Nintendo Wii should now be fully softmodded.
Other things I would suggest you install after you have followed the above steps would be:
- Priiloader – Disable Disc and Online Updates.
- Wiiflow – Load Wii Games via a USB Hard Drive.
- cIOSCORP – Load Backup Discs Directly from Disc Channel like Genuine Games.
Good luck and as I said above if you have any problems or questions please post them below.
Related posts:
- New Nintendo Wii 4.2 Softmodding Guide
- Installing cIOSCORP 3.6 on your Nintendo Wii
- How to Play N64 Games on your Nintendo Wii
- Installing Priiloader on your Nintendo Wii
- Update The Wii Shop Channel Without Updating Your Wii
Tags: Homebrew, Homebrew Channel, Nintendo, Nintendo Wii, Softmod, Wii
ok foolish of me it says above not to try unless i have 4.2 installed, i dont have an internet adapter yet so can i download the 4.2 and update somewhere
hi man,
Facing a huge problem of updating my wii, i have internet connection at home which has a broadband which i can access by putting username and password.
Is there a way to update the wii to 4.2 without internet connection something like i can download the update and put it in hte sd card and use that to update my wii.
Eagerly awaiting your reply so that i can homebrew my wii.
whith USB works great…TNX
Yes using this method does not require an internet connection:
http://www.chrislowthian.co.uk/safely-update-your-nintendo-wii-to-system-menu-4-2/518/
Yes use this method to update to 4.2 does not require an internet connection:
http://www.chrislowthian.co.uk/safely-update-your-nintendo-wii-to-system-menu-4-2/518/
Can i install the homebrew in your guide above while my system is on 4.1 as its mentioned only to proceed with if the system is 4.2
need your guidence man dont want to brick my two days old wii
As your are running 4.1 follow this guide:
http://www.chrislowthian.co.uk/installing-the-homebrew-channel-on-your-nintendo-wii/299/
But using these Files:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZSKSKYRQ
Ok, now i have homebrew not shall i install the below utilities my system is still 4.1E
Priiloader – Disable Disc and Online Updates.
Wiiflow – Load Wii Games via a USB Hard Drive.
cIOSCORP – Load Backup Discs Directly from Disc Channel like Genuine Games.
No update your Wii to 4.2 first following this guide:
http://www.chrislowthian.co.uk/safely-update-your-nintendo-wii-to-system-menu-4-2/518/
Then you can install:
Priiloader (enable block disc and online updates)
Wiiflow
cIOSCORP 3.6
Chris – Thanks again for your relentless help.
I followed this guide to softmod my 4.2U. As I had done the Bannerbomb, BootMii (as IOS) & Homebrew Channel before seeing your guide, I had skipped Part 1 of your guide. I was able to run BootMii from Homebrew Channel for backing up the NAND. I had followed all the remainder of your guide for USB HDD without problem. However I discovered that a black screen is shown when I perform the following:
a) Run BootMii from Homebrew Channel
b) Run BootMii from Priiloader
I am unsure on how to recover the BootMii (as IOS). Should I run Bannerbomb again and choose to install BootMii as IOS? Cheers.
In the apps folder on the sd card do you still have a folder called “Bootmii” and is there 3 files in that folder called; armboot.bin, bootmii.ini, and ppcboot.elf ?
Hi Chris,
I’ve just installed Homebrew and I’m currently downloading file to update to 4.2. So far so good.
In Part 3 above for doing the soft mod you mention that if you want to play games from discs then install ‘X’ files and for playing games from USB then you should install ‘Y’ files. Is it OK to install both sets of files so that you have the option of playing games from either disc or USB?
Installing both will just overwrite each other. The best thing to do is try installing the ones for disc (they should work for both anyway) but if you get any problems you can always go back and install the usb ones (they will auto replace the disc ones). But as I said, you shouldn’t get any problems which ever ones you choose.
Re: BootMii – Chris, you were damn right. I had relocated the BootMii folder in the SD root, thinking that it’s safer to prevent myself (or another person) from accidentally invoking it. It worked again after I restore the folder. Thanks again.
do we need any already bought games to use this softmod, like the twilight hack?
No you do not. Just follow the instructions and you will be fine.
Hey sorry to ask these questions unrelated to version 4.2, but I cant seem to find the information I am looking for, and I was hoping you may lend a hand. I am considering softmodding my wii 3.2, and I was wondering, do you need the latest firmware update to play new games? Will my wii automatically update if I go online? Thanks a lot, sorry again for the unrelated comment.
It would be best to update to 4.2 as newer games do require the newer firmare. The wii will not auto update but make sure you switch off connect24 just in case. You will be able to play online games as normail after softmodding.
Jeez thanks for the fast reply!! I’ll go for the 4.2 then. Do you know if there would be anyway around needing the updated firmware for games that will be released in the future that require a version higher then 4.2 ? thanks
hello, i`v done this a while ago with your guide. hav probably done something wrong, can i restore or uninstall the thing i`v done. want to start all over again. Got a black screen during neo gamma and wii flow….thx man….
@ Tony – If you install Priiloader you can block disc and online updates to your wii. I have a guide on this site for installing Priiloader.
@ Frode – You can’t restore or uninstall. You can replace files you have installed by simply installing them over the top.
Thanks for all your help Chris!
thanks for the great site, before i softmod my wii ive read somewhere that i should backup something called nand how and when do i do this, thanks
I used another guide for my friend’s 4.2U (I have 4.1U and have been able to do it successfully using a guide on wiihacks.com) and I have a simple question. If I used their files and their method but not everything works, can I go ahead and use your version and install all these files over and it not brick his wii or is there a greater chance of that happening than normal?
Hi, Just purchased a wii yesterday and can’t softmod for the life of me. Downloaded the pack and my wii will not boot from it. Something I should mention is that it came with 4.2u and I already did an online update.
I also tried others and they didn’t work either. At least they booted but then I got a black screen. Any ideas?
thanks
Chris,
I have 4.2E system and have gone through the ultimate softguide as per instr successfully installing
cIOS202[38+60]-v4.wad
cIOS249-v16.wad
cIOS250-v16.wad
IOS70-64-v6687[TB+ES_diV+NAND].wad
I can’t seem to get cIOS222[38+37]-v4.wad or cIOS223[38]-v4.wad installed though and get the following msg: ERROR -1035.
Can you please help to rectify this, perhaps its a percularity from part 2 – Trucha Bug??
Cheers
hi chris, i wonder why i got errors in the following files when i install them:
cIOS222[38+37]-v4.wad
cIOS223[38]-v4.wad
cIOS249-v15.wad or cIOS249-v16.wad
cIOS250-v15.wad or cIOS250-v16.wad
what could be the problem?
Hey Chris, thanks again for your quick replies to my other questions. I took your advice and upgraded to 4.2 before softmodding, and would like to install priloader like you had suggested to me, I just want to verify that it is safe to do so after the wii has been modded, or should have it been done first? On an unrelated side note, I thought you may know from personal experience, just don’t know who else to ask. Would you suggest using a pay site to get supposedly virus free game downloads? Thanks so much Chris
Hi Chris,
I did it steo by step but when I try to download these files:
cIOS202[38+60]-v4.wad
cIOS222[38+37]-v4.wad
cIOS223[38]-v4.wad
cIOS249-v14.wad
cIOS250-v14.wad
IOS70-64-v6687[TB+ES_diV+NAND].wad
there’s always an Error and ask me back to minue !!
any ideas??
and how will it work now??
Thanks in advance..
By the way the Error number is 1022
I repeat the whole process again and everything went fine except the followinf Errors :
1) Lunchinh bootmii said: boot 1 version preventing boot 2 you can only install bootmii as IOS ??? which I did..
2)This step cause the wii to be freezed so I have to turn it off and restart again and never completed ” Choose IOS36 to start a stub removal process. ”
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaassssssse HELP ..
got my wii up and running just some of the games r jumping and one is loading then when your about to play it pops up with a message saying disc read errer.
can you help .thanks
Top Guide the best I have used 100% the fastest and easiest ever tried it on 5 Wii’s with no probs cheers mate.
I have a 4g sd card and can’t seem to get this to work rite do i need a 2g to get this to work properly?
Hi Chris,
I have had my wii since before christmas I’m on 4.2 and I have read and read and read about softmodding. Following your steps, step by step do you guarentee my system will not brick and function properly as well as let me play backed up games via disk or usb. Please advise. Also how big are games if I use a USB drive?
@ jared
The Wii only supports upto 2gb.
@Derek
Im not going to guarentee anything. You either follow the guide or you don’t. I have used it on many Wii’s with no problems at all.
I can’t seem to get cIOS222[38+37]-v4.wad or cIOS223[38]-v4.wad installed and get the following msg: ERROR -1035.
Chris,
You have never had a wii encounter problems? or brick? I have faith in you and am going to follow your step by step guide. Thanks for your help sir. Also do you have any good websites to dl games for the wii? please let me know. Thanks for all your hard work as it’s good to see someone who is willing to write something in plain english.
Chris,
Ok if i read it right i am best to install the wad files for backup disks and use wiiflow to run games from a usb drive?
Sorry for all the posts… do i need specfic writer and writer software to backup wii games that will work with this?
Never have a problem or brick using the method above. Sorry I cannot tell you where to get games from as it is illegal.
If you are wanting to use wiiflow then install the USB wad files.
If you have downloaded a game in .iso format you can use any dvdrw drive to burn it. Its best to burn at slow speeds like 4x.
If you have game discs already you can use wiiflow to install them to the usb hard drive for you.
Chris,
how big should the usb drive be?
As big or as small as you want really but you have to remember each wii game can be up to 4gb. I would suggest 500gb or higher.
once the games are installed on the usb drive can I move them to and from my computer so i can choose what games i want on the usb drive?
I have a japanese wii and i want to know if I softmod my japanese wii if its going to have english
what about if i upgrate the Wii with System Menu 4.2 (the link given above) will it change??
@ Derek
Yes by using WBFS Manager: http://wbfsmanager.codeplex.com/ you can back them upto your computer as ISO images.
@ zege
No it will still be in your chosen language. You can choose your language in the wii’s settings.
Hi Chris,
I have followed your instructions to the letter but am stuck at the first (or maybe second) hurdle! When I insert my SD card the Wii asks if I want to load boot.dol/elf, I click yes, then I get the scam warning then a black screen and my Wii DVD slot flashes repeatedly. I have to rebbot it to get back to the usual Wii menu.
The SD card is formatted FAT. The Wii is in its virgin state at v4.2e
Any suggestions ?
Andy
Hi Chris
Do you know why I can’t get cIOS222[38+37]-v4.wad or cIOS223[38]-v4.wad installed and get the following msg: ERROR -1035.
dude ive done evrything on the guide but when i run cIOSCORP v3.6 Main Installer i get
Initializing libfat, please wait… OK!
CIOS249 not found!
You need ios16-64-v257-prod.wad and cios249.wad!
press any buttun to restart….
help me please!!!!!
Hi Chris
My Pal Wii was updated from 2.1e to 4.2e via wifi connection but was not completed. I install your softmod 4.2 files but when i click yes to load boot.dol/elf the screen turns black. Please help me, Chris. How can i do now?
Thanks