---
title: "BootMii Backup"
---

{% include toc title="Table of Contents" %}

You need an **SD card** to create a NAND backup using BootMii. If you do not have one, you can skip this page, although it is highly recommended to make a NAND backup if you can.

Family edition Wiis (Wiis without GameCube ports) CANNOT restore NAND backups. This is because of the lack of GameCube ports which are required on non-boot2 Wiis to enter the restoration confirmation code. Regardless, it is still recommended to make one on these consoles.
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You need an **SD card** to use BootMii at all, but especially to create a NAND backup. If you do not have an SD card on hand right now, you can skip this page, but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to return to this page later to back up your NAND.
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Navigating BootMii is not possible using a Wii Remote. You must use the POWER and RESET buttons on your console, or a GameCube controller plugged into port 1. To navigate between options, press POWER on your Wii (or left/right on the +Control Pad on a GameCube controller). To select an option, press RESET on your Wii or A on your GameCube controller. One of BootMii's most important features is the ability to backup and restore your Wii's NAND storage. We will be going over how to perform a NAND backup. You can then restore from that backup for any reason.
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If the `Launch BootMii` button does not appear, please [re-launch the HackMii Installer](hackmii) and install BootMii.
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If the screen stays black and the blue disc drive light is blinking, you are missing the BootMii files on your SD card. Download [this zip file](https://static.hackmii.com/bootmii_sd_files.zip) and extract it to the root of your SD card, then try again.
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### Requirements

* An SD card with at least 512MB of free space

### Instructions

If you have BootMii installed as boot2 you will need to launch BootMii by restarting the console. Skip steps 1 and 2 if this is the case.
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1. Power on your console.
1. Launch the Homebrew Channel.
1. Press the HOME Button, then select "Launch BootMii".

    ![](/images/bootmii/BootMii_HBC.png)

1. You should see an image similar to the below now on your screen:

    ![](/images/bootmii/BootMii_Main.png)

1. Select the Options button (the icon with the gears).

    ![](/images/bootmii/BootMii_Gears.png)

1. Select the first button to the left.

    ![](/images/bootmii/BootMii_Backup.png)

1. A NAND backup will start. You can watch the progress on the screen.
    + "Bad Blocks" are normal. Don't worry when you see some on a NAND backup.

    ![](/images/bootmii/BootMii_NAND_Backup.png)

1. After this step, it will verify the backup. Ideally, all the blocks should be green after the verification process.
    + If you have factory bad blocks with uncorrectable pages, these blocks may fail to verify. As long all non-bad blocks are successfully verified, this should be fine.

    ![](/images/bootmii/BootMii_NAND_Backup_Verify.png)

1. To exit BootMii, press the Back button (the one with the arrow) and then you can press either the Wii Menu button or the Homebrew Channel button to exit where you want to.

    ![](/images/bootmii/BootMii_Return.png)

<div id="restore-notice" class="notice" markdown="1">
Please be reminded that <strong>restoring a NAND backup is usually a last resort,</strong> and that there often better ways to fix your brick. There often better ways to unbrick your console.
Try your best to [identify your brick condition](bricks) and reverse the action that caused it in the first place.
To restore from a NAND backup on your SD card, you can follow the instructions for [RestoreMii](bootmiirecover).
</div>

BootMii as boot2 is recommended, but only available to install on early Wii consoles. Otherwise, it can only be installed as an IOS. If you would like to change this, you can use the app [BootMii Config Editor](https://oscwii.org/library/app/BootMiiConfigurationEditor). Or, you can edit `sd:/bootmii/bootmii.ini` manually.
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To make sure you don’t lose the files, it's recommended to copy `nand.bin` and `keys.bin` from the root of your SD card to your computer. `nand.bin` is your Wii's internal memory, while `keys.bin` are your console's keys.
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[Continue to Priiloader Installation](priiloader)<br> Priiloader adds a level of brick protection, and is highly recommended, especially if you were only able to install BootMii as IOS. It is especially important for users of BootMii on IOS.
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