About the FAQ

Below you will find many questions pertaining to common Wii Homebrew problems.  If you can’t find your question, or have a major problem, please feel free to ask in a comment.  If your problem is persistent, and just want games, emulators, import and exports of games, grab the Wii Unlocker Guide to solve your problems!

Before Installing Homebrew

Will installing the Homebrew Channel hurt (brick) my Wii?

I have never seen it happen. Having said that, in the extremely unlikely event that it does happen, Team Twiizers may not be held responsible.

Will Homebrew work on System Menu 3.4?

Yes. Bannerbomb works!

Can I install homebrew on System Menu 4.0 or 4.1 or 4.2?

Yes, you can run and install homebrew on System Menu 4.0 or greater with the Bannerbomb or Indiana Pwns exploits. You then use your exploit to run the Hackmii Installer which can install the Homebrew Channel, DVDX, and Bootmii.

What kind of an SD card should I use?

As long as they’re formatted to FAT 16 (FAT) or FAT 32, most SD cards should work for you. All SD cards smaller than 256mb will not work for you because they are too small to be formatted properly.

What is the root of my SD card?

A place on your SD card that is not inside any folders.

In general, how do I install homebrew?

First, you run an exploit. The exploit crashes the Wii and runs unsigned code in the form of a .dol/.elf file on the root of your SD Card. If that unsigned code is the hackmii installer, you can then install the homebrew channel, dvdx, or bootmii.

Bannerbomb Questions

Why should I use Bannerbomb instead of the Twilight Hack?

System Menu 4.0 and its successors have rendered the Twilight Hack useless. Bannerbomb is currently the only exploit that works on a System Menu of 4.0 or higher. It is also capable of working on every system menu. Also, some people feel that it is easier to use then the Twilight Hack.

Bannerbomb is freezing on me, what do I do?

Below are some typical scenarios and options in case Bannerbomb freezes on you:

• If you are on System Menu 4.0 or higher, do not use the SD Menu; instead go to Options -> Data Management -> Wii Channels -> SD Card.

• If Bannerbomb freezes before the prompt “Load boot.dol/elf?” try a different version.

• If you run Bannerbomb and get the prompt “Load boot.dol/elf?” and it then freezes, confirm that you have a boot.dol or boot.elf in the root of your SD card (same as with the Twilight Hack). If it is there, try another homebrew application, but most likely Bannerbomb will not work for you.

• If you are on any 3.x System Menu and you’re having trouble running Bannerbomb, you could give up on Bannerbomb and try the Twilight Hack.

HackMii Installer Questions

No vulnerable IOS found

Have Dop-IOS MOD install IOS 30 v1040.

Homebrew Channel Questions

When installing the Homebrew Channel it fails to find boot.elf or boot.dol

Make sure the Homebrew Channels boot.dol file is in the root of your SD card. If that still does not solve your problem, try a different SD card. Some SD cards are simply not compatible with the Twilight Hack. All SD cards smaller than 256mb are not compatible with the Twilight Hack or Bannerbomb. Note: SDHC cards cannot be used to install the Homebrew Channel.

Where are my apps? The Homebrew Channel is only a screen with bubbles.

Make sure that you have these three basic things set up for apps on your SD card:

• There is a folder in the root of your SD card named apps. NOTE: apps is case sensitive. It can not be named APPS, aPpS or anything else other than apps in all lower case letters.

• Make sure that no more and no less than one folder is between the apps folder and the boot.dol or boot.elf file of an application.

• Make sure that each of your applications have a path that looks like: /apps/afolder/boot.dol or /apps/afolder/boot.elf

Also, make sure you are using a compatible SD or SDHC card. (The card you used to install the Homebrew Channel will also work to run apps from).

Invalid Wii App

Convert the .elf file of the application to a .dol file with the ELF to DOL Converter.

The Homebrew Channel is upside-down!!!

Have Dop-IOS MOD install an unpatched IOS 61.

After Homebrew Installation

Can I update my Shop Channel or my Mii Channel without updating the rest of my Wii?

WiiSCU will update those channels (and more) to the latest versions without updating your system menu. Yes, it updates to the latest versions of the channels and their respective IOSes.

Is it safe to update my Wii?

Yes. The current updates will not ruin (brick) or hurt your Wii in any way. However, we recommend not updating since current updates will cause some applications to lose some of their functionality.

Is it safe to leave Wii Connect 24 on?

The answer to that is really up to you. If you’re afraid of Nintendo updating you, leave it off. If you think Nintendo is all bark and no bite, then feel free to leave Wii Connect 24 on. Just to be on the safe side though, it is recommended that you leave Wii Connect 24 off.

I am looking for an app that…

Please refer to the Wii Unlocker guide for apps!

Downgrading?

See the Wii Unlocker Guide for more information!