Installing boot9strap (Steelhax)

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Technical Details (optional)

This method of using Seedminer for further exploitation uses your movable.sed file to write a custom save file for Steel Diver: Sub Wars, which can then be used to launch the Homebrew Launcher.

This process will overwrite your Steel Diver: Sub Wars save file, if you have one. If you wish to preserve your Steel Diver: Sub Wars game data, you should make a backup of your 00000001.sav file before overwriting it.

What You Need

  • The game “Steel Diver: Sub Wars” installed on your console
    • If you have downloaded it before, you can redownload it
    • Your SD card must be inserted in your console to install Steel Diver: Sub Wars
  • Your movable.sed file from completing Seedminer
  • The latest release of Steelhax (direct download)
  • The latest release of SafeB9SInstaller (direct download)
  • The latest release of boot9strap (direct download)
  • The latest release of nimdsphax (direct download)
  • The latest release of Luma3DS (the Luma3DS .zip file)
  • The latest release of HBL otherapps (direct download)

Instructions

Section I - Prep Work

In this section, you will copy some of the files that will be used to launch the Homebrew Launcher.

  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
    • The root of the SD card refers to the initial directory on your SD card where you can see the Nintendo 3DS folder, but are not inside of it
  4. Create a folder named boot9strap on the root of your SD card
  5. Copy boot9strap.firm and boot9strap.firm.sha from the boot9strap .zip to the /boot9strap/ folder on your SD card
  6. Copy SafeB9SInstaller.bin from the SafeB9SInstaller .zip to the root of your SD card
  7. Copy the steelhax folder from the Steelhax-release.zip to the root of your SD card
  8. Copy the otherapp payload for your model/region/version from otherapps_with_CfgS_11.17.zip to the root of your SD card and rename it to otherapp.bin
    • Do not add the .bin extension if you do not already see it
  9. 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
  10. Copy the nimdsphax folder from the nimdsphax .zip to the /3ds/ folder on your SD card
  11. Reinsert your SD card into your console
  12. Power on your console

Section II - Steelminer

In this section, you will create a hacked Steel Diver: Sub Wars save file that, when used, will load the Homebrew Launcher on your console.

  1. Launch “Steel Diver: Sub Wars” once and select a Mii to initialize your save file
    • Decline the game update when prompted
    • If you have already updated the game, use the Data Management menu of the System Settings to delete the update
  2. Exit “Steel Diver: Sub Wars”
  3. Power off your console
  4. Insert your SD card into your computer
  5. Open the SteelHax Save Tool website on your computer
  6. Select your movable.sed file
  7. Select your region based on your console
  8. Select “Build and Download”
  9. Wait for the process to complete
  10. Navigate to Nintendo 3DS -> <ID0> -> <ID1> -> title -> 00040000 -> <8-character-region> -> data on your SD card
    • EUR Region: 000d7e00
    • JPN Region: 000d7c00
    • USA Region: 000d7d00
  11. Copy the newly downloaded 00000001.sav file to the data folder on your SD card
    • Overwrite the old save file when prompted
  12. Reinsert your SD card into your console
  13. Power on your console
  14. Launch “Steel Diver: Sub Wars”
  15. Your console will have booted into the Homebrew Launcher
  16. Launch nimdsphax from the list of homebrew
  17. If the exploit was successful, you will have booted into SafeB9SInstaller
    • If your console freezes on a red screen, hold the POWER button until it turns off, then retry this section

Section III - Installing boot9strap

In this section, you will install custom firmware onto your console.

  1. When prompted, input the key combo given on the top screen to install boot9strap
  2. Once it is complete, press (A) to reboot your console
  3. 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
  4. 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.

Continue to Finalizing Setup