Skip to content

cIOS

Technical Details (optional)

cIOS (Custom IOS) are IOS that are patched to allow custom functionality. While cIOS has largely been supplanted by AHBPROT, which gives complete hardware access, it still has useful applications. For example, this enables the functionality of USB loaders like USB Loader GX and WiiFlow, alongside other pieces of homebrew like SaveGame Manager GX. You can skip this process if you want, but generally it extends your Wii with little to no downsides.

WARNING

Do not attempt to install a vWii/Wii mini IOS or System Menu on the Wii. Doing so will likely brick your console.

Requirements

WARNING

Ensure that if you are using an SD card, the lock switch is in the unlocked position, otherwise you will not be able to select the correct options in the installer.

Instructions

Section I - Downloading

INFO

If you are on macOS or Linux, you may download & run this script, and it will download the WAD files for you.

INFO

If you are able to connect your Wii to the internet, you may skip to Section II

  1. Power off your console.
  2. Insert your SD card or USB drive into your computer.
  3. On your computer, download NUS Downloader.
  4. Copy all files from the NUS Downloader .zip to a folder on your computer.
  5. Run NUS Downloader.exe.
  6. Navigate to Database > IOS > IOS38, then select v4123.
    • Ensure that "Pack WAD" is checked.
    • Don't check "Patch IOS". That is the cIOS Installer's job.
  7. Click Start NUS Download!.
  8. Repeat the above steps for IOS56 v5661, IOS57 v5918 and IOS58 v6175.
  9. When the process is complete, there will be a folder named titles in the same folder as the NUS Downloader.
  10. Open the titles folder and navigate through them until you locate the four WAD files you downloaded.
  11. Place each WAD file on the root of your SD card or USB drive.
    • This must be the same device containing the d2x cIOS Installer.

INFO

The WAD files should be on your SD card like this:

Section II - Installing

  1. Copy the apps folder in the d2x-cios-installer .zip to the root of your SD card or USB drive.

  2. Reinsert your SD card or USB drive into your console.

  3. Power on your console.

  4. Launch the Homebrew Channel.

  5. Launch d2x cIOS Installer from the list of homebrew.

  6. Set everything to match the following:

    Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2>
    Select cIOS base <38>
    Select cIOS slot <248>
    Select cIOS revision <65535>

    INFO

    If you do not see d2x-v11-beta2, exit the installer with B, and make sure your SD card is unlocked.

    INFO

    The warning "(c)IOS detected in slot ### will be overwritten" can be safely ignored.

    INFO

    If you are seeing "Slot ### already used in batch settings" or "cIOS already added in batch with revision ##### and slot ###", press - to disable batch mode.

    (If you are trying to exit the installer, the button is B, not Home.)

  7. Press A. This will bring you to the slot map:

  8. Press A again.

  9. After the installation has finished, you will be brought back to the slot map. Ensure that the slot that was just installed is highlighted green.

    INFO

    If the slot is highlighted red, try to install the cIOS again.

    If you are getting an error before/during the downloading stages (eg. tcp_connect timeout, net_gethostbyname failed: ...), press B to exit and continue from Section I.

  10. Press A. This will return you to the configuration screen.

  11. Repeat the previous 5 steps with the following configurations:

    • cIOS 249 Installation

      Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2>
      Select cIOS base <56>
      Select cIOS slot <249>
      Select cIOS revision <65535>

    • cIOS 250 Installation

      Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2>
      Select cIOS base <57>
      Select cIOS slot <250>
      Select cIOS revision <65535>

    • cIOS 251 Installation

      Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2>
      Select cIOS base <58>
      Select cIOS slot <251>
      Select cIOS revision <65535>

  12. Once you have finished with all 4 cIOSes, press B to return to the Homebrew Channel.

INFO

If you downloaded the 4 WAD files in Section I, you may now delete them from your SD card/USB drive.

TIP

Continue to Open Shop Channel installation

Now that your Wii has adequate brick protection, you can install the Open Shop Channel, a trusted repository for homebrew that can be accessed both on and off the Wii.

Technical Details (optional)

cIOS (Custom IOS) are IOS that are patched to allow custom functionality. While cIOS has largely been supplanted by AHBPROT, which gives complete hardware access, it still has useful applications. For example, this enables the functionality of USB loaders like USB Loader GX and WiiFlow, alongside other pieces of homebrew like SaveGame Manager GX. You can skip this process if you want, but generally it extends your Wii with little to no downsides.

WARNING

Do not attempt to install a Wii/Wii mini IOS or System Menu on the vWii. Doing so will likely brick your console.

Requirements

WARNING

Ensure that if you are using an SD card, the lock switch is in the unlocked position, otherwise you will not be able to select the correct options in the installer.

Instructions

Section I - Installing

  1. Copy the apps folder in the d2x-cios-installer-vwii .zip to the root of your SD card or USB drive.

  2. Reinsert your SD card or USB drive into your console.

  3. Power on your console.

  4. Launch the Homebrew Channel.

  5. Launch d2x cIOS Installer from the list of homebrew.

  6. Set everything to match the following:

    Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2-vWii>
    Select cIOS base <38>
    Select cIOS slot <248>

    INFO

    If you do not see d2x-v11-beta2-vWii, exit the installer with B, and make sure your SD card is unlocked.

  7. Press A to install.

  8. Repeat the previous 2 steps with the following configurations:

    • cIOS 249 Installation

      Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2-vWii>
      Select cIOS base <56>
      Select cIOS slot <249>

    • cIOS 250 Installation

      Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2-vWii>
      Select cIOS base <57>
      Select cIOS slot <250>

    • cIOS 251 Installation

      Select cIOS <d2x-v11-beta2-vWii>
      Select cIOS base <58>
      Select cIOS slot <251>

  9. Once you have finished with all 4 cIOSes, press B to return to the Homebrew Channel.

INFO

If you need help with anything regarding this tutorial, please join the Wii mini Hacking Discord server (recommended)

Technical Details (optional)

cIOS (Custom IOS) are IOS that are patched to allow custom functionality. While cIOS has largely been supplanted by AHBPROT, which gives complete hardware access, it still has useful applications. For example, this enables the functionality of USB loaders like USB Loader GX and WiiFlow, alongside other pieces of homebrew like SaveGame Manager GX. You can skip this process if you want, but generally it extends your Wii with little to no downsides.

This d2x cIOS installer was originally developed for the Wii U's vWii by DaveBaol and custom cIOS was created by Leseratte for the Wii mini. The original download page can be found here. Leseratte's GitHub page can be found here. Please note that this cIOS is still experimental, though no problem with functionality has been reported.

WARNING

Do not attempt to install a Wii/vWii IOS or System Menu on the Wii mini. Doing so will likely brick your console.

Requirements

Instructions

Section I - Downloading

  1. Power off your console.
  2. Insert your USB drive into your computer.
  3. Copy the apps folder from the d2xl-cios-installer-mini .zip to the root of your USB drive.
  4. Reinsert your USB drive into your console.
  5. Power on your console.
  6. Launch the Homebrew Channel.
  7. Launch d2xl cIOS Installer from the list of homebrew.

Section II - Installing

  1. Select Continue.

  2. Set the options to the following:

    Select cIOS <d2xl-v1-beta2>
    Select cIOS base <57>
    Select cIOS slot <249>

    • Under notes, you will see an IOS version number ending in either v31775 or v31776. IOS57-64-v31775 is for NTSC (North American) consoles, while IOS57-64-v31776 is for PAL (European) consoles. Make sure you are selecting the correct version number for your console.
  3. Press A to install.

    • If the install fails with a TMD version mismatch error, press left or right on the +Control Pad over the Select cIOS base option until the version number is different than the one you tried before. The number 57 will not change.
  4. When the process is complete, exit the installer.

Enabling Ethernet

If you wish to use Wiimmfi with Ethernet on a Wii mini, you have to run the Ethernet Enabler Homebrew app made by Fullmetal5. To run it, just unzip it in the apps folder of your USB drive and run it from the Homebrew Channel.

INFO

The Wii and Wii mini consoles are only known to work with Ethernet adapters using the AX88772 chip. Please check that the product is compatible before you buy. This one from UGREEN is known to be compatible: Amazon Europe, Amazon US