Homebrew setup

The easiest way to setup and use Homebrew on your Wii is by using the Bannerbomb exploit to install the Homebrew Channel via the HackMii installer. Alternatively, you can use the Twilight Hack if you have The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

General information

Bannerbomb

The Bannerbomb hack is a newly released method of loading a .dol file without previous hacking. This hack made by Comex is in its alpha stages and is currently the only way to load .dols in System Menu 4.0 and above.

Homebrew Channel

The Homebrew Channel is a self-updating homebrew application loader by Team Twiizers which allows users to load homebrew applications without having to run the Twilight Hack every time. Once installed, users can access the channel from the Wii System Menu just like any other Wii channel. This channel can be deleted at any time, and while it does show up in play logs that does not affect the Wii in any way.

Homebrew setup

What you need

• A Wii (Does not matter what system menu with this method)
• An SD card formatted in Fat16 or Fat32 (Don't worry this will be explained in further detail)
• Hackmii installer v0.2
• Bannerbomb Exploit Download the first one in the list *See Notes
• Please download these files and place/extract then in a folder you can easily get to. (e.g. your desktop)

SD card setup 1 (Windows)

First off, if you have used your card before please make sure you have backed up the data that's on it. Because this process

WILL ERASE THE DATA ON THE CARD!!!

1. Place your SD card into your preferred reader
2. Open up "My Computer"
3. Right click on the drive that contains the SD card and select "Format"
4. Make sure that you selected your drive that contains your SD card and then click "Start". (In the picture to the right, I have selected my 2 gig card)
5. Once it's done open it in explorer, we're ready for the next step.

SD card setup 1 (Mac)

This will erase all data on the SD card, so back up that data onto your computer.

1. Open up Disk Utility
2. Find your SD card in the navigation
3. Go to the "Erase" tab
4. Change the Volume Format to MS-DOS (FAT)
5. Press Erase
6. When it is done, proceed to the next step.

SD card setup 2

On the bottom of this section you will see pictures of the process as I'm describing to you. Please click them if you do not understand.

1. Extract both the Bannerbomb and Hackmii installer files to an easy to access folder. (In the example mine is on my Desktop\Wiistuff\HBCinstall folder. See first Picture "extracted.jpg")
2. Navigate to the hackmii folder (in this case the folder name is hackmii_installer_beta2 See Picture 2 "insidehackmii.jpg")
3. Copy only the "installer.elf" file to the root of your SD card **see notes (See Picture 3 "copyinstaller.jpg")
4. Go to your SD card window and rename "installer.elf" to "boot.elf" (See Picture 4 "renameinstaller.jpg")
5. Go back to where you extracted your files at (should still be open) and copy over the "private" folder to the root of your SD card.

Congratulations! You now have your SD card ready to insert into your Wii!

• Extracted.jpg

  Step 1

• Insidehackmii.jpg

  Step 2

• Copyinstaller.jpg

  Step 3

• Renameinstaller.jpg

  step 4

• Copybannerbomb.jpg

  step 5

Setting up your Wii

1. We start out by placing the SD card into the Wii but not clicking it in.
2. Power on your Wii and enter the Wii settings
3. Click on "Data Management"
4. Click on "Channels"
5. Click on "SD Card"
6. Click in your SD card
7. A window should appear "Load Boot.dol/elf?" Click "Yes"
8. Your Screen will go black and a window will show up, read the screen and press 1 when prompted.

• 

  Open the settings menu

• 

  Go into Data Management and then Channels

• 

  Press SD Card

• 

  A pop-up box will appear. Click yes.

If all of this has happened as described. Congrats! You made it to the next section.

Installing The Homebrew Channel

In this section you won't see any GUI, just a blue bordered screen with words in the middle. On the first screen what sticks out is the Green/Red print. If you have a new Wii it will say something like this:

The Homebrew Channel: Can be installed
DVDx: Can be installed
BootMii: Can only be installed as IOS
The installed boot1 version prevents a boot2 install (-2)

If you have an older Wii then all three will be in green and say Can be installed

1. Press the A button on your Wiimote
2. Here you will be presented with a menu of options for now select "Homebrew Channel"
3. Select "Install the Homebrew Channel"
4. A new selection will come up asking to "Install the Homebrew Channel now?" Select "yes, continue"
5. After installation it should say "finished" and return you to the main menu
6. Select "Install DVDx" "install DVDx now?" will show up. Select "Yes, Continue"
7. Select "BootMii" select the option that suits your Wii (If you can install as boot2 DO SO. If not install as IOS)

Running Bootmii Through HBC

If you're one of the late-comers to the Wii party you may have had to install BootMii via IOS. In that case you have to run BootMii by going into The HBC and hit the "Home" button on your Wiimote. Place your cursor onto the "Launch BootMii" selection and press A ***See Notes

• 

Notes

• If aad20_v108.zip does not work when you try the Bannerbomb, try the next one in line from here.
• The other 3 files contain information that made the creation of this tutorial possible but are not needed in the actual installation and use of the hackmii installer.
• Once you press A on your Wiimote it will power off and be unusable. You have to use a Gamecube controller plugged into slot 1 or the 3 buttons on the front of the console.

Troubleshooting

When I insert my SD card to start the process nothing happens!

• One of 3 things has happened:

1. You didn't place the data on the SD card right
2. You went into the savegame data menu
3. You need the next bannerbomb zip. Download the next one and start over.

OMG!! One of the selections is purple and says I can't install BootMii!!

• You havn't read this page in detail, this is explained further up with a picture of the screen.

My Wiimote quit working when i loaded up BootMii! Why? and Can this be fixed?

• You didn't read BootMii's FAQ or the README file located in the Hackmii installer archive.

Both State that you have to use a Gamecube controller or the Power/Reset/Eject buttons on the console. In order for this to be fixed a lot of coding will have to be done to make a custom Bluetooth stack and drivers for BootMii. This isn't on the top of the priority list.

Will my Wavebird wireless controller work?

• Yes, but you must hold any (unused) button when you start up your Wii.

Any other questions whould be directed to the WiiBrew:FAQ. I'm human after all and can't remember every question that is asked but will update as necessary

• 

  Can Install BootMii as boot2

• 

  Can not install BootMii as boot2

If everything went as planned you should have everything installed and should select "exit" and your Wii will load into The Homebrew Channel, Or into the system menu with The Homebrew Channel on the menu.

See also

• Twilight Hack
• Bannerbomb
• Homebrew Channel
• Homebrew applications
• Step-By-Step Homebrew Guide

External links

• Homebrew showcase (May 2009)
• BootMii
• Hackmii blog
• Bannerbomb Site