Well, I guess this time it really is some kind of bricked

I posted just a few hours ago believing I had bricked my Wii, only to realize that the recently installed Preloader wasn't pointed at the right IOS.

However, in an effort to bypass a game disk system update, I had the brilliant idea to reinstall 4.2 (because the games never complained about updates after patching to 4.2, but before running Dop-ios), using the 4.2 safe installer, only to find that it left me with no way to open the system menu, attempting to load any IOS from Preloader brings up a corrupted system files error. I've tried several possible solutions, but with no success. Homebrew Channel (and thus Bootmii/ios), Wad Manager and Dop-ios fail to load from Preloader. Interestingly, the installer for Priiloader, which I understand can load the HBC, does load, but the wiimote desyncs, leaving me unable to actually install or use it. The only silver lining in this mess is that Gecko OS runs, so I can at least still play games.

A rough sequence of events:
1. Got Wii, patched to 4.2U
2. Used Bannerbomb/Hackmii to install HBC and Bootmii/ios, made a currently useless NAND backup
3. Followed a softmod guide to patch IOS 15 and 36 with Dop-ios Mod
4. Installed Preloader
5. Ran around like a headless chicken thinking I had bricked the Wii because Preloader told me the system files were corrupt. Later realized that it needed to be pointed then at a specific IOS
6. At this point noticed that some games (Wii Fit Plus and Super Smash Brothers Brawl) were prompting for a system update, assumed following through would be a bad idea
7. After numerous failed ideas on circumventing the update (because I'm too lazy to load every game through Gecko OS normally), stumbled upon the truly brilliant plan to repatch 4.2, using 4.2 Safe Installer
8. Discovered that now no IOS would be accepted by Preloader as the system menu.

Try booting Loadmii from Preloader. If it works, you can use it to boot the Priiloader installer. If this does not work, you can boot Crazy Intro and have it load the Homebrew Channel, from which you can run the Priiloader Installer.

Both LoadMii and Crazy Intro crash and error screen when I attempt to load them. Confusing, since Crazy Intro claims to be made to work with Preloader.

I'd assume there was something wrong with my SD card if not for the few programs that still run (Gecko, notably). Hell, even the Priiloader installer physically loads, it just unsyncs the Wiimote at the same time.

Very odd. Try using a gamecube controller in the Priiloader installer. If that doesn't work or you don't have a gamecube controller, you could boot an NTSC-U brawl disc with Gecko and use Smash Stack to launch homebrew. Load Dop-IOS Mod and install IOS 70 and system menu 4.2. Alternately, you could use NUS Downloader to download IOS 70 and system menu 4.2 WADs and install them with WAD Import. This will uninstall Preloader and fix your wii.

Priiloader installer, sadly, doesn't seem to respond to a GC controller. I was able to successfully load Dop-IOS Mod, but it crashed when attempting to load IOS36. Haven't had a chance to attempt your other suggestion of WAD Import, but I'll make certain to try that next.

Sounds like something wrong with your IOS, probably as a result of that "safe" updater you used. I'd take a guess it's probably IOS36 is the problem. Try running dop-IOS MOD on IOS249 if you have it installed (i.e. cIOS). As you use a "safe" updater, I assume you are the type to have a cIOS.

Well, after over a month of not having time to work on the Wii at all, I sat down with it, and decided to try Wii Home. WIth it, I was successfully able to load HBC, so I guess that's a good sign. However, I'm not certain where to go from here. Do I need something to reinstall the system menu? What should I be looking for?

Quote
SifJar
Sounds like something wrong with your IOS, probably as a result of that "safe" updater you used. I'd take a guess it's probably IOS36 is the problem. Try running dop-IOS MOD on IOS249 if you have it installed (i.e. cIOS). As you use a "safe" updater, I assume you are the type to have a cIOS.

Well, you were half right, I probably am the type who would have such a thing. Never actually got around to doing it though, and probably never will. I agree that the alleged sage updater probably screwed up the IOS, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Try using Dop-IOS MOD and installing system menu 4.2 and an unpatched IOS70.

Well, Dop-IOS MOD worked successfully, and my Wii is fully operational again. Thanks for everybody's help in the last month and a half.