Guide_Wii/_pages/en_US/wiiflow.md

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title: "WiiFlow"
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If you need help for anything regarding this tutorial, please join [the RiiConnect24 Discord server](https://discord.gg/b4Y7jfD) (recommended) or [e-mail us at support@riiconnect24.net](mailto:support@riiconnect24.net).
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![WiiFlow](/images/wiiflowlogo.png)

This is a quick start guide on how to use WiiFlow, a USB loader for the Wii that's used to play games from a USB drive or SD Card.

#### What you need

* A Wii
* A USB drive/SD Card
* [WiiFlow](https://github.com/Fledge68/WiiFlow_Lite/releases)

Make sure you have installed [cIOS](/cios) before following this!
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We recommend you copy games over with [Wii Backup Manager](/wiibackupmanager) if you use Windows, or [Witgui](https://desairem.com/wordpress/category/witgui-download/) if you use macOS.
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To play games, we recommend a using an external hard drive for your Wii. Flash drives should be usable too, but external hard drives are recommended as they are more reliable, and can store more games. 
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Unlike USB Loader GX, WiiFlow can load games of an SD Card. 
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Make sure your USB drive and/or SD Card is formatted as FAT32 or NTFS. Do not format it as other types such as extFS or WBFS, the latter is an old format of storing Wii games.
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#### Instructions

##### Downloading

1. Extract WiiFlow and put the `apps` and `WiiFlow` folders on your USB drive or SD card.
2. Insert your USB drive, and SD card if you're using one, into your Wii and launch WiiFlow from the Homebrew Channel.

##### Getting Started

This is not a full comprehensive guide on using WiiFlow. This is intended to help you learn how to use it, by giving you a quick start. You should be able to figure out all the great features of WiiFlow by using it.
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* WiiFlow by default is set to only find games on the SD Card. This can be changed by going in to settings, startup settings then turn off "Mount SD Only".
* You can toggle between viewing Wii games, GameCube games, Wii Channels, Plugins, Homebrew apps by clicking the button second to last button on the right.
* You can download game covers by going to "Settings" then "Download Covers and Banners"

##### User Interface

When WiiFlow detects games, they are displayed in flow view. When you click on a game you are given these options:

* Star - Adds game to favorites.
* Bookshelf - Adds the game to 1 of 6 categories of your choosing.
* Gears - Opens the settings menu for the specific game. Changing settings here will only effect the game you changed the settings for.
* X - Deletes the game from the USB Drive/ SD Card

When you bring the cursor to the bottom of the screen while in flow view, there are 6 icons:

* Bookshelf - View the games that are sorted in the categories you chose.
* Star - View games you favorited.
* Gears - Opens WiiFlow Settings.
* Game Type - Toggles between different types of apps/games. The logo changes depending on what game type you have selected.
* Disc - Loads game that is in disc drive.
* House - Will open this menu. This menu can also be launched by pressing the home button.

![WF_menu](images/WFmenu.png)

* Help Guide - Shows all the controls you can use in WiiFlow.
* Reload Cache - Press this when WiiFlow is not detecting a new game on the USB Drive/SD Card.
* File Explorer - Allows you to boot games/apps from anywhere on your USB Drive/SD Card.
* Select Plugins - Allows you to select plugins.
* Credits - Shows the people who worked on WiiFlow.
* Shutdown - Allows you to either go into full shutdown, or Standby mode.
* Exit To - Lets you exit to Wii Menu, HBC, neek2o, Priiloader and Bootmii.
* Settings - Will open the WiiFlow Settings menu

##### Options once complete

[WiiFlowiki](https://sites.google.com/site/WiiFlowiki4/)<br>
WiiFlowiki is a great resource with information about WiiFlow.
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[Continue to site navigation](site-navigation)<br>
We have many other tutorials that you might like.
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