"message": "This website uses cookies to display the current guide progress on the sidebar and otherwise enhance the site."
}
})});
</script>
<!-- end custom head snippets -->
</head>
<bodyclass="layout--single">
<navclass="skip-links">
<ul>
<li><ahref="#site-nav"class="screen-reader-shortcut">Skip to primary navigation</a></li>
<li><ahref="#main"class="screen-reader-shortcut">Skip to content</a></li>
<li><ahref="#footer"class="screen-reader-shortcut">Skip to footer</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<divclass="notice--danger align-center"style="margin: 0;">You are using an <strong>outdated</strong> browser. Please <ahref="https://browsehappy.com/">upgrade your browser</a> to improve your experience.</div>
<![endif]-->
<divclass="masthead">
<divclass="masthead__inner-wrap">
<divclass="masthead__menu">
<navid="site-nav"class="greedy-nav">
<!-- <a class="site-title" href="/">
3DS Hacks Guide
</a>
-->
<ulclass="visible-links">
<!-- modified to use multilang, guide-specific -->
<li><ahref="#dumping-a-game-cartridge"id="markdown-toc-dumping-a-game-cartridge">Dumping a Game Cartridge</a></li>
<li><ahref="#installing-a-game-cartridge-directly-to-the-system"id="markdown-toc-installing-a-game-cartridge-directly-to-the-system">Installing a Game Cartridge Directly to the System</a></li>
<li><ahref="#dumping-a-3ds-game-cartridge-to-cia"id="markdown-toc-dumping-a-3ds-game-cartridge-to-cia">Dumping a 3DS Game Cartridge to .CIA</a></li>
<li><ahref="#dumping-an-installed-title"id="markdown-toc-dumping-an-installed-title">Dumping an Installed Title</a></li>
<li><ahref="#backup-gba-vc-saves"id="markdown-toc-backup-gba-vc-saves">Backup GBA VC Saves</a></li>
<li><ahref="#restore-gba-vc-saves"id="markdown-toc-restore-gba-vc-saves">Restore GBA VC Saves</a></li>
<li><ahref="#encrypting--decrypting-a-cia-file"id="markdown-toc-encrypting--decrypting-a-cia-file">Encrypting / Decrypting a .CIA file</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
</aside>
<pclass="notice--primary">For support (in English) with GodMode9, as well as help with scripting and to get updates and info, join <ahref="https://discord.gg/BRcbvtFxX4">GodMode9 on Discord</a>.</p>
<h3id="required-reading">Required Reading</h3>
<p>Aside from creating and restoring NAND backups, GodMode9 has the functionality to dump installed titles to an installable <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> file, to dump game cartridge data to a <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.3ds</code> ROM file, and to directly install a game cartridge to the system.</p>
<h2id="updating-godmode9">Updating GodMode9</h2>
<pclass="notice--info">These instructions are written for use with GodMode9 v2.0.0 or later. If you have an older version of GodMode9, follow these instructions to update it.</p>
<h3id="what-you-need">What You Need</h3>
<ul>
<li>The latest release of <ahref="https://github.com/d0k3/GodMode9/releases/latest">GodMode9</a></li>
</ul>
<h3id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<ol>
<li>Power off your device</li>
<li>Insert your SD card into your computer</li>
<li>Copy <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">GodMode9.firm</code> from the GodMode9 <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.zip</code> to the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/luma/payloads/</code> folder on your SD card</li>
<li>Copy the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">gm9</code> folder from the GodMode9 <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.zip</code> to the root of your SD card</li>
<li>Reinsert your SD card into your device</li>
</ol>
<h2id="dumping-a-game-cartridge">Dumping a Game Cartridge</h2>
<divclass="notice--info">
<p>Insert the game cartridge you intend to dump into your device</p>
<ul>
<li>3DS game cartridges will be dumped to a <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.3ds</code> format</li>
<li>NDS game cartridges will be dumped to a <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.nds</code> format</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ol>
<li>Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9</li>
<li>Navigate to <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[C:] GAMECART</code></li>
<li>Follow the steps applicable to your game cartridge:
<ul>
<li><strong>3DS Game Cartridge:</strong> Press (A) on <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[TitleID].trim.3ds</code> to select it</li>
<li><strong>NDS Game Cartridge:</strong> Press (A) on <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[TitleID].nds</code> to select it
<ul>
<li>Trimmed dumps are not recommended for NDS games in general, as they can cause various playback issues</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Select “Copy to 0:/gm9/out”</li>
<li>Your non-installable <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.3ds</code> or <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.nds</code> formatted file will be outputted to the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/gm9/out/</code> folder on your SD card</li>
</ol>
<h2id="installing-a-game-cartridge-directly-to-the-system">Installing a Game Cartridge Directly to the System</h2>
<pclass="notice--info">This will only work for 3DS games; it is not possible to install an NDS game cartridge to the system as a title.</p>
<ol>
<li>Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9</li>
<li>Navigate to <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[C:] GAMECART</code></li>
<li>Press (A) on <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[TitleID].trim.3ds</code> to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Install game image”</li>
<li>Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given</li>
<li>Once the process is complete, your game will show up in the HOME Menu as an installed title.</li>
</ol>
<h2id="dumping-a-3ds-game-cartridge-to-cia">Dumping a 3DS Game Cartridge to .CIA</h2>
<pclass="notice--info">This should only be used if <ahref="#installing-a-game-cartridge-directly-to-the-system">Installing a Game Cartridge Directly to the System</a> does not work.</p>
<ol>
<li>Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9</li>
<li>Navigate to <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[C:] GAMECART</code></li>
<li>Press (A) on <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[TitleID].trim.3ds</code> to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Build CIA from file”</li>
<li>Your installable <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> formatted file will be outputted to the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/gm9/out/</code> folder on your SD card</li>
</ol>
<h2id="dumping-an-installed-title">Dumping an Installed Title</h2>
<pclass="notice--info">This allows dumping of both System- and User-installed digital titles, such as ones downloaded from the eShop.</p>
<ol>
<li>Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9</li>
<li>Press (Home) to bring up the action menu</li>
<li>Select “Title manager”</li>
<li>Select one of the following depending on the type of title you wish to dump
<li><strong>System Title / DSiWare</strong>: <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[1:] NAND / TWL</code></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Select the title you wish to dump</li>
<li>Select “Manage Title…”</li>
<li>Select “Build CIA (standard)”</li>
<li>Your installable <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> formatted file will be outputted to the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/gm9/out/</code> folder on your SD card</li>
</ol>
<h2id="backup-gba-vc-saves">Backup GBA VC Saves</h2>
<pclass="notice--info">The game will be outputted to the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/gm9/out/</code> folder on your SD card with the name <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><TitleID>.gbavc.sav</code>.</p>
<pclass="notice--info">To identify a <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><TitleID>.gbavc.sav</code> file’s Title ID, you can get a listing of all games on the system and their corresponding Title IDs by pressing (Home) to bring up the action menu, selecting <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Title manager</code>, and selecting <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[A:] SD CARD</code>.</p>
<ol>
<li>Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to back up the save for:
<ul>
<li>Launch the GBA VC game</li>
<li>Exit the GBA VC game</li>
<li>Power off your device</li>
<li>Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9</li>
<li>Navigate to <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL</code></li>
<li>Press (A) on <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">agbsave.bin</code> to select it</li>
<li>Select “AGBSAVE options…”</li>
<li>Select “Dump GBA VC save”</li>
<li>Press (A) to continue</li>
<li>Press (Start) to reboot your device</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h2id="restore-gba-vc-saves">Restore GBA VC Saves</h2>
<pclass="notice--info">To identify a <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><TitleID>.gbavc.sav</code> file’s Title ID, you can get a listing of all games on the system and their corresponding Title IDs by pressing (Home) to bring up the action menu, selecting <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">Title manager</code>, and selecting <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[A:] SD CARD</code>.</p>
<ol>
<li>Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to restore the save for:
<ul>
<li>Launch the GBA VC game</li>
<li>Exit the GBA VC game</li>
<li>Power off your device</li>
<li>Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9</li>
<li>Navigate to <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[0:] SDCARD</code> -><codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">gm9</code></li>
<li>Press (Y) on the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge"><TitleID>.gbavc.sav</code> file you wish to restore to copy it</li>
<li>Press (B) to return to the main menu</li>
<li>Navigate to <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL</code></li>
<li>Press (A) on <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">agbsave.bin</code> to select it</li>
<li>Select “AGBSAVE options…”</li>
<li>Select “Inject GBA VC save”</li>
<li>Press (A) to continue</li>
<li>Press (Start) to reboot your device</li>
<li>Launch the GBA VC game</li>
<li>Exit the GBA VC game</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h2id="encrypting--decrypting-a-cia-file">Encrypting / Decrypting a .CIA file</h2>
<pclass="notice--info">For organizational purposes, copy each <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> file you wish to encrypt / decrypt to the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/cias/</code> folder on your SD card</p>
<ol>
<li>Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9</li>
<li>Navigate to <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">[0:] SDCARD</code> -><codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">cias</code></li>
<li>Press (A) on the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> file to select it, then select “CIA image options…”</li>
<li>Select the option to perform the desired function:
<ul>
<li><strong>Encrypt to 0:/gm9/out:</strong> Create an encrypted copy of the selected <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> file in the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/gm9/out/</code> folder on your SD card</li>
<li><strong>Decrypt to 0:/gm9/out:</strong> Create a decrypted copy of the selected <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> file in the <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">/gm9/out/</code> folder on your SD card</li>
<li><strong>Encrypt inplace:</strong> Replace the selected <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> file with an encrypted version</li>
<li><strong>Decrypt inplace:</strong> Replace the selected <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> file with a decrypted version</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Your encrypted / decrypted <codeclass="language-plaintext highlighter-rouge">.cia</code> will be outputted to the desired location</li>
