How to Flash a Wii
Nintendo crippled the Wii’s operating system to keep it from being able to do functions that were considered unnecessary or undesirable. This has led many owners of the game console to modify, or “flash,” their Wii so a special “homebrew” channel could be added where functions and programs not sanctioned by Nintendo could be acquired. You can flash your Wii in less than an hour using free Wii-flashing software that has been installed on a SD card by a Windows-based computer.
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Instructions
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Installing Programs/Transfering Files
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1
Download a Wii flashing program to your PC's desktop. Double-click on the program's icon when it has downloaded. Follow the command prompts to install a folder with the flashing program onto your PC's desktop.
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Download a flashing support file program to your PC’s desktop. Double-click on the program's icon when it has downloaded to decompress it to a folder on your PC's desktop.
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3
Restart your PC.
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Attach the USB plug from your SD card reader to a USB port on your computer. Insert the SD card into the card slot on reader. Wait for the icon of the SD card to appear on the desktop.
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Double-click on the icon of the SD card to open its window. Leave the window open.
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Double-click on the flashing support file program’s folder on the desktop. Double-click on the folder that is inside of the window that appears. Drag the “private” folder out from within the window and into the SD card’s window.
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Double-click on the Wii flashing program’s folder that is on the desktop. Double-click on the Wii flashing program’s folder that is inside of the window that appears. Rename the “installer.elf” file that is inside of the folder to “boot.elf.”
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Drag the “boot.elf” file out from within the window and into the SD card’s window.
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Right-click on the SD card’s icon. Select “Eject” from the pop-up menu. Disconnect the SD card reader from the USB port of the PC. Remove the SD card from the SD card reader.
Flash the Wii
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Turn on the Wii.
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Navigate from the "Home" menu to “Wii options,” then “Data Management channels,” then “SD card.”
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Insert the SD card into the SD slot on the Wii. Click “Yes” in the window that appears on the screen. Press “1” on the Wiimote when prompted. Press “1” on the Wiimote again when prompted.
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Press “A” on the Wiimote when prompted. Scroll up to “Install the Home-brew channel.” Press “A” on the Wiimote. Click on “Yes” in the window that appears on the screen. Click “Continue” on the screen that appears.
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Click on “New install” in the window that appears. Click on “DVDX.” Press “A” on the Wiimote.
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Scroll down to “Exit” and press “A” on the Wiimote. The Wii is now flashed, and the console now will have the homebrew channel on its home menu.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not have any files on the SD card that is used to flash the Wii.
Flashing your Wii will void the Nintendo warranty, but it is not illegal.
Nintendo updates for the Wii have the potential to disrupt the Wii flashing program and make the Wii unusable.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Scott Barbour/Getty Images News/Getty Images
