Installed BootMii as IOS instead of boot2

Hi
I followed the Wii Homebrew Channel Installation Guide, but i think I made a mistake. I used the letterbomb hack to install the HBC, but then I installed BootMii as IOS, although I remember it said BootMii could be installed (the green 'can be installed' thing).
My Wii still works fine, and I can access the HBC; and I know I'm just a noob in all of this but I read averywhere that having BootMii as boot2 is a very good idea for safety, and I'd like to know if i can still install it? Is it worth it? Did I do something really wrong? Should I just sell my Wii for spare parts?
Whatever it is, now I'm reading everything thrice before doing anything, hah

haha, you don't need to sell your Wii just yet :P

You can very easily run the HackMii Installer again. Download it from here: [bootmii.org] and then on your SD card, inside the folder "apps" (if there isn't one, make one) make a folder called "hackmii_installer" and then place "boot.elf" from the HackMii Installer download inside that folder (i.e. full path = "apps\hackmii_installer\boot.elf"). Then load HBC and you should see a listing like this: "\apps\hackmii_installer\boot.elf" (probably some will be cut off the end, but you should get the idea). Load that and you'll be back in the HackMii Installer and able to install BootMii/boot2, provided your Wii is capable (if it was before, it still will be, but there's always a chance you misread or something - should be possible though).

As for what is BootMii/boot2 or why you need it: Basically, BootMii is some custom code that doesn't rely on official Nintendo code at all. (Regular homebrew, HBC etc. all rely on "IOS", part of the Wii's system software; BootMii does not). And it can either be installed in place of an IOS (doesn't overwrite anything, just uses a blank slot; the Wii can hold 255 different IOS). The problem with this method is that IOS can only be loaded after System Menu and some official IOS have loaded, so if there's a problem with them, you won't be able to access it.

However, BootMii can also be installed as a boot2 replacement. boot2 is one of the first things loaded when you switch on your Wii (the very first thing that can be replaced [without breaking the Wii]). So Team Twiizers made a way to install a custom version of boot2, which allows you to load BootMii. This means that even if all the official Nintendo software on your Wii malfunctions somehow, provided your boot2 is untouched, you will be able to load up BootMii. And BootMii can take and restore a "NAND dump" - essentially an image of your Wii's internal memory chip, in working condition. If your Wii "bricks", you can then restore that dump, returning your Wii to exactly how it was when you made the dump.

In other words, BootMii/boot2 is almost unbeatable brick protection (I say almost; if some jerk really wanted to, they could wipe out BootMii from boot2 and uninstall the other necessary system software via a malicious homebrew, but as of yet I have not seen any deliberate "bricker" applications; also, Nintendo can update boot2, which will remove BootMii - they have done this once, and it is easily reinstalled after the update, but if you brick between the update and getting BootMii reinstalled, you're out of luck)

In short, yeah you should probably install it. Sorry this post was so long. I guess that happens when I try to explain stuff =/

Thank you, it worked! I now have BootMii as boot2 and already made a NAND backup.
Also thanks for the explanation, it feels good to understand some of the things I'm doing not just pushing buttons and levers.

Yeah, I always find it best to fully understand what you're doing, it's safer that way. (e.g. won't accidentally brick your wii messing with something dangerous)

On the same subject...I installed HBC via the letterbomb method (i am running 4.3e), but Bootmii can only be loaded as IOS, not as boot 2. Am i right in thinking i have no brick protection in place at the minute? I just tried to load Bootmii again using the method explained above, and boot 2 option is not available, only as IOS. I don't want to proceed with other apps and things until i get myself protected! I hope you can help :S

You will never be able to install BootMii/boot2. Therefore, you can never have decent brick protection. Priiloader can offer some protection against some trivial bricks, but it works in ways frowned upon by most of the more experienced coders in the Wii scene, and has had several very important bugs. In addition, unless you're an idiot, you should never get those bricks.

Basically, the best brick protection is a good combination of knowledge and common sense. Read a LOT about anything you intend to run on your Wii, know all the potential risks and how to avoid them. Don't mess with stuff you don't understand. If all you want to do is run some homebrew games , emulators and apps (e.g. media players or whatever), you should be perfectly safe with no brick protection.

However, I would avoid stuff like patched IOS/cIOS, themes and custom channels unless you REALLY know what you're doing.

Cheers SifJar. When you say i'll never be able to install Bootmii/Boot2, is this because i'm running 4.3E, specifically? You guessed right about my usage - Snes emulator, and ideally i'd like to backup my games and play them direct from USB. Not at all interested in themes, custom channels and patched ios/cios (whatever they are?!). Homebrew channel is installed, so i guess i'm good to go, just wanted to check i hadn't missed anything fundamental.

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filthyromance
Cheers SifJar. When you say i'll never be able to install Bootmii/Boot2, is this because i'm running 4.3E, specifically? You guessed right about my usage - Snes emulator, and ideally i'd like to backup my games and play them direct from USB. Not at all interested in themes, custom channels and patched ios/cios (whatever they are?!). Homebrew channel is installed, so i guess i'm good to go, just wanted to check i hadn't missed anything fundamental.

It's not because you're on 4.3 but rather that your Wii is too new and has a newer boot1. SNES emulator does not need more than the Homebrew Channel but if you mess with backups you'll have to install a cIOS. It is completely safe to install a cIOS to an unused slot and use some backup loader, but you should figure it out yourself. We don't support backups on these forums though so that's all the info I will give on that.

No it has absolutely nothing to do with System Menu version, it's (practically) a hardware thing - a piece of code called boot1 is loaded before boot2; old versions of boot1 had a bug that allowed BootMii/boot2, new versions have the bug fixed. The hash of boot1 is hardcoded into the Wii, and therefore, boot1 cannot be changed. Unless another bug is found in boot1, BootMii/boot2 can NEVER be installed on Wii's with the updated boot1 (i.e. newly made Wiis).

As for your uses: SNES emu = fine. As for backups, those are against the rules of the forum ("backups" is often a synonym for "pirated copies" and we are very much against piracy here - if genuinely desire to backup your own legally owned games, you're on your own as far as this forum is concerned; by which I mean, you'll have to work things out yourself). They also require cIOS, which clearly you don't know about. I advise you research very carefully before installing anything like this.

EDIT: bg4545 beat me to it :(



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2011 10:21PM by SifJar.

Ok, thankyou for your time Gents! I'm off to find UN Squadron :D

Im not sure if i understand why i cant load bootmii as boot2 on my wii. i have an older rvl-001 white wii
with gamecube ports, but the boot2 option isn't available....

Just because your wii is white with gamecube ports, doesn't mean it's old enough to install bootmii as boot2. It would have to have been made before mid 2008, if the installer says it can't do it then it is too new.