Questions on AnyRegion Changer

I was looking through the README files of AnyRegion Changer and the question pops through my head, "Will I need to downgrade to 3.2?". I understand that ARC has an option to do this, but I don't feel so trustworthy with this. Someone recently told me that I can use ARC without downgrading at all.

ALSO, I KNOW DOWNGRADING IS RISKY. I've been on HBC for 3 years now, and I just needed to get this question clear.

PS: Will I need IOS36 in order to do this?

PSS: In addition, will I need to rename the .dol file?

The question of needing IOS36 is irrelevant, every Wii has IOS36, it's required by a large number of games. The question you should have been asking is "do I need a patched IOS36?", and the answer is yes, if using ARC. As for renaming the file, all homebrew needs to be called "boot.dol" to run via HBC, if it's not called that then yes you will need to rename (apparently 3 years of experience haven't taught you everything...)

Back to the main question, it IS possible to change region without downgrading, and highly advised to do so if for some reason you really feel the need to change region. I believe the best way to do it currently is to use ARC to change the region settings, but not install the other region's SM with it. Then switch to dop-Mii and install the relevant System Menu from the relevant region (making sure you have a working, non stub revision of the IOS used by that System Menu). I have not personally done this procedure, but I think this is the right method. If you have BootMii/boot2, make sure you make a backup before doing anything. If you don't have BootMii/boot2, I would think twice about doing this at all. What exactly is it that you hope to gain from it? (If it's just playing imported games, there are far easier and safer methods for that)

Too many edits for this thread...

Let me just start off with a basic question: Is there anyway around to getting ARC with a LU64+ Wii?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2012 06:24AM by ROBot.

Yeah, like I said you need a patched IOS36 to use ARC and then use dop-Mii to install a new SM. If you install SM 3.2 with ARC, you'll be bricked irreparably (unless you have a NAND reprogrammer and a NAND dump handy - make a NAND dump with BootMii/IOS just in case, always good to have one even if you personally can't restore it). But as I also said, I would strongly consider NOT changing the region of this Wii, as it is a risky procedure, even without downgrading.

Will I be able to do this even though my Wii is LU64+?


EDIT: Speaking of which, I'm trying to install DOP-Mii. Is it installed like a regular application or do I unzip it to the root of the SD card?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2012 05:12AM by ROBot.

No application is "installed". You just put them in the "apps" folder on your SD card. But, yes you place it in the "apps" folder, the same as everything else. And LU64+ wii's just mean you cannot use old revisions of IOS (i.e. downgrade = guaranteed brick, not just high risk). Switching to another region of the same System Menu you currently have does not require you to touch any IOS in anyway (other than patching IOS36 to allow ARC to work).

OK, you've been a REALLY great help to me so far. I just need to reclarify some things.


Before I begin ARC, I use BootMii/boot2 and make a backup for safety.

Then, I go to ARC and change to the region I want.

Finally, I go to DOP-Mii and install IOS36. (This installs the System Menu, right?)



Am I correct, or did I miss a step?

No, there are a number of mistakes there.

First off, if you have an LU64+ Wii, it's not possible that you have BootMii/boot2 installed. BootMii/IOS perhaps, but not BootMii/boot2.

Secondly, you need to patch IOS36 before ARC will work (and we cannot tell you how to do that here, patching IOS is NOT supported here - it is only required for a few legacy apps like ARC).

Thirdly, after using ARC to change your region settings, you do NOT install IOS36, and installing IOS36 will NOT install a new System Menu. Once you have changed the region settings using ARC, you install the new System Menu with dop-Mii. (Let's say for example right now you have a US Wii on SM 4.1 and you wish to change it to PAL; your current SM is 4.1U and the one you must install is 4.1E. DO NOT CHANGE VERSIONS i.e. don't install 4.2E or something if you have 4.1U [different SM versions use a different IOS, and it's much easier if you just install the same version]).

Anyway, as I said before, I highly advise against this procedure. I am answering your questions, but that doesn't mean I am "condoning" it or whatever. Please humour me and answer the question I asked earlier; why do you want to change the region of your Wii?

Also, as a side note I should point out that if the current region of the Wii is Korean (i.e. the letter in the SM version is K) then installing a System Menu 4.2 or 4.3 from another region will brick the Wii. Forgot to mention that before.