Installing boot9strap (Frogtool)

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Technical Details (optional)

For technical details on the exploits that you will be using on this page, see “DSiWare_Exports CTCert verification” and “FIRM partitions known-plaintext” here.

To use the magnet link for frogcert.bin on this page, you will need a torrent client like qBittorrent or Deluge.

What You Need

Section I - CFW Check

As an additional safety measure, we will perform an additional check for custom firmware. This is because using this method when custom firmware is already installed has a risk of bricking the console (rendering it unusable without recovery methods like ntrboot).

  1. Power off your console
  2. Hold the (Select) button
  3. Power on your console while still holding the (Select) button
  4. If the check was successful, you will boot to the HOME Menu and you may proceed with this guide
  5. Power off your console

If you see a configuration menu or the console immediately powers off, you already have CFW, and continuing with these instructions may BRICK your console! Follow Checking for CFW to upgrade your existing CFW.

Section II - Prep Work

  1. Power off your console
  2. Insert your SD card into your computer
  3. Copy boot.firm and boot.3dsx from the Luma3DS .zip to the root of your SD card
  4. Copy boot.nds (b9sTool) from the b9sTool release .zip to the root of your SD card
  5. Create a folder named 3ds on the root of your SD card if it does not already exist
    • This folder stores homebrew applications and data; it is different from the Nintendo 3DS folder that the console automatically generates
  6. Copy the Frogtool folder from the Frogtool-nimhax .zip to the /3ds/ folder on your SD card
  7. Copy frogcert.bin to the root of your SD card
  8. Reinsert your SD card into your console
  9. Power on your console

Section III - Patching DS Download Play

  1. Open the Homebrew Launcher through your method of choice (likely the Internet Browser)
  2. Launch Frogtool from the list of homebrew
  3. Select the “INJECT patched DS Download Play” option
  4. Frogtool will automatically run and inject the JPN version of Flipnote Studio into your DS Download Play
  5. Once this operation has finished, read the screens and check if the process was successful
  6. Tap the touch screen, then select “BOOT patched DS Download Play”
  7. If the exploit was successful, your console will have loaded the JPN version of Flipnote Studio
    • If you get stuck on a black screen, follow this page, then try again

Section IV - Flipnote Exploit

If you would prefer a visual guide to this section, one is available here.

In this section, you will perform a series of very specific steps within Flipnote Studio that, when performed correctly, will launch b9sTool, the boot9strap (custom firmware) installer.

  1. Complete the initial setup process for the launched game until you reach the main menu
    • Select the left option whenever prompted during the setup process
    • If you encounter an issue while doing this section, check this troubleshooting guide for your issue
  2. Using the touch-screen, select the large left box, then select the box with an SD card icon
  3. Once the menu loads, select the face icon, then the bottom right icon to continue
  4. Press (X) or (UP) on the D-Pad depending on which is shown on the top screen
  5. Select the second button along the top with a film-reel icon
  6. Scroll right until reel “3/3” is selected
  7. Tap the third box with the letter “A” in it
  8. Scroll left until reel “1/3” is selected
  9. Tap the fourth box with the letter “A” in it
  10. If the exploit was successful, your console will have loaded b9sTool
  11. Using the D-Pad, move to “Install boot9strap”
    • If you miss this step, the system will exit to HOME Menu instead of installing boot9strap and you will need to open DS Download Play and start over from the beginning of this section
  12. Press (A), then press START and SELECT at the same time to begin the process
  13. Once completed and the bottom screen says “done.”, exit b9sTool, then power off your console
    • You may have to force power off by holding the power button
    • If your console shuts down when you try to power it on, ensure that you have copied boot.firm from the Luma3DS .zip to the root of your SD card
    • If you see the Luma Configuration screen, power off your console and continue to the next section

Section VI - Luma3DS Configuration

  1. Press and hold (Select), and while holding (Select), power on your console
  2. Your console should have booted into the Luma3DS configuration menu
    • Luma3DS configuration menu are settings for the Luma3DS custom firmware. Many of these settings may be useful for customization or debugging
    • For the purpose of this guide, leave these options on the default settings (do not check or uncheck anything)
    • If your console shuts down when you try to power it on, ensure that you have copied boot.firm from the Luma3DS .zip to the root of your SD card
  3. Press (Start) to save and reboot

At this point, your console will boot to Luma3DS by default.

  • Luma3DS does not look any different from the normal HOME Menu. If your console has booted into the HOME Menu, it is running custom firmware.
  • On the next page, you will install useful homebrew applications to complete your setup.

Section VII - Restoring DS Download Play

  1. Launch the Download Play application
  2. Wait until you see the two buttons
    • Do not press either of the buttons
  3. Press (Left Shoulder) + (D-Pad Down) + (Select) at the same time to open the Rosalina menu
  4. Select “Miscellaneous options”
  5. Select “Switch the hb. title to the current app.”
  6. Press (B) to continue
  7. Press (B) to return to the Rosalina main menu
  8. Press (B) to exit the Rosalina menu
  9. Press (Home), then close Download Play
  10. Relaunch the Download Play application
  11. Your console should load the Homebrew Launcher
  12. Launch Frogtool from the list of homebrew
  13. Select the “RESTORE clean DS Download Play” option
  14. Once this operation has finished, read the screens and check if the process was successful
    • If there are any errors or missing files, correct the problem and try again
  15. If the process was successful, tap the touch screen, then press START to exit
  16. Power off your console

Continue to Finalizing Setup