Latest revision as of 03:50, 31 August 2025

This page is a guide on how to salvage save data from SD cards that didn't go through Finalizing Setup and have no homebrew applications installed, or to those that have found their SD card to be corrupted. Two common signs of corruption are HOME Menu applications disappearing after the SD card was interacted with, and issues with applications (such as broken banners or icons in the HOME Menu, Luma ErrDisps stating the SD card was removed, as well as unknown applications displaying in Data Management).

Section I - Recovering save data

What You Need

The latest release of Checkpoint (the .3dsx file)
The latest release of Luma3DS

Prep Work

Power off your console
Insert your SD card into your computer
Copy Checkpoint.3dsx to the 3ds folder on your SD card (not to the Nintendo 3DS folder)
- Create a 3ds folder if it does not already exist
Copy boot.firm, boot.3dsx and the config folder from the Luma3DS .zip to the root of your sd card
Reinsert your SD card into your console

Recovering

Power on your console
Follow the instructions to manually enter Homebrew Launcher
Launch Checkpoint
Hold B to refresh games list
Hold Y to select all game saves
Press Left Shoulder to backup all game saves
Press X to switch to extdata
Hold B to refresh games list
Hold Y to select all game extdata
Press Left Shoulder to backup all game extdata
Power off your console
Reinsert your SD card into your computer
Open the 3ds folder on your SD card and copy the Checkpoint folder to a safe place on your computer

If your SD card was showing corruption signs, it is extremely advised to format your SD card, test it for errors and restore Luma on an empty SD card before proceeding to restore your save data. Do NOT reuse a card that was showing corruption signs if it failed the integrity checks.

Do NOT restore your corrupted Nintendo 3DS folder to the new setup, or errors and further corruption are likely to keep happening.

Section II - Restoring save data

If you're restoring your save data from a corrupted setup to an empty SD card, or if you do not have Checkpoint already installed, continue to Finalizing Setup before following the instructions below.

What You Need

A Checkpoint folder with save backups (such as the one created in Section I)
Checkpoint installed on your console

Prep Work

Power off your console
Insert your SD card into your computer
Copy the Checkpoint folder from your computer to the 3ds folder on your SD card (not to the Nintendo 3DS folder)
- Create a 3ds folder if it does not already exist
Reinsert your SD card into your console

Restoring

Power on your console
Install each game you would like to restore save data for
Open each game individually to initialize save data
Close any running applications and return to HOME Menu
Launch Checkpoint from your HOME Menu
Hold B to refresh games list
Press A on the game you want to restore save data for
Select the backup created on Section I
Press Right Shoulder to restore
Repeat steps 7-9 for all game saves
Press X to switch to extdata
Hold B to refresh games list
Press A on the game you want to restore extdata for
Select the backup created on Section I
Press Right Shoulder to restore
Repeat steps 13-15 for all game extdata

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-This page is a guide on how to salvage save data from SD cards that didn't go through [[3ds-guide:finalizing-setup.html|Finalizing Setup]] and have no homebrew applications installed, or to those that have found their SD card to be corrupted. Two common signs of corruption are HOME Menu applications disappearing after the SD card was interacted with, and issues with applications, such as broken banners or icons in the HOME Menu, [[3DS:Error screens/Luma3DS ErrDisp|Luma ErrDisps]] stating the SD card was removed, as well as unknown applications displaying in Data Management.
+This page is a guide on how to salvage save data from SD cards that didn't go through [[3ds-guide:finalizing-setup.html|Finalizing Setup]] and have no homebrew applications installed, or to those that have found their SD card to be corrupted. Two common signs of corruption are HOME Menu applications disappearing after the SD card was interacted with, and issues with applications (such as broken banners or icons in the HOME Menu, [[3DS:Error screens/Luma3DS ErrDisp|Luma ErrDisps]] stating the SD card was removed, as well as unknown applications displaying in Data Management).
-== What You Need ==
+=Section I - Recovering save data=
+===What You Need===
-* The v3.10.0 release of [https://github.com/BernardoGiordano/Checkpoint/releases/tag/v3.10.0 Checkpoint] (the <code>.3dsx</code> file)
+*The latest release of [https://github.com/BernardoGiordano/Checkpoint/releases/latest Checkpoint] (the <code>.3dsx</code> file)
-* The latest release of [https://github.com/LumaTeam/Luma3DS/releases/tag/v13.2.1 Luma3DS]
+*The latest release of [https://github.com/LumaTeam/Luma3DS/releases/latest Luma3DS]
-== Prep Work ==
+===Prep Work===
-# Power off your console
+#Power off your console
-# Insert your SD card into your computer
+#Insert your SD card into your computer
-# Copy <code>Checkpoint.3dsx</code> to the <code>/3ds</code>  folder of your SD card (not <code>Nintendo 3DS</code>). If you do not have a <code>3ds</code> folder, create it
+#Copy <code>Checkpoint.3dsx</code> to the <code>3ds</code> folder on your SD card (not to the <code>Nintendo 3DS</code> folder)
-# Copy <code>boot.firm</code>, <code>boot.3dsx</code> and the <code>config</code> folder from the Luma3DS <code>.zip</code> to the root of your sd card
+#*Create a <code>3ds</code> folder if it does not already exist
-# Reinsert your SD card into your console
+#Copy <code>boot.firm</code>, <code>boot.3dsx</code> and the <code>config</code> folder from the Luma3DS <code>.zip</code> to the root of your sd card
+#Reinsert your SD card into your console
-== Section I - Recovering ==
+===Recovering===
-# Power on your console
+#Power on your console
-# Follow the instructions to [[3DS:Troubleshooting/manually entering homebrew launcher|manually enter Homebrew Launcher]]
+#Follow the instructions to [[3DS:Troubleshooting/manually entering homebrew launcher|manually enter Homebrew Launcher]]
-# Launch '''Checkpoint'''
+#Launch '''Checkpoint'''
-# Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
+#Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
-# Hold {{Key press|Y}} to select all game saves
+#Hold {{Key press|Y}} to select all game saves
-# Press {{Key press|Left Shoulder}} to backup all game saves
+#Press {{Key press|Left Shoulder}} to backup all game saves
-# Press {{Key press|X}} to switch to extdata
+#Press {{Key press|X}} to switch to extdata
-# Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
+#Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
-# Hold {{Key press|Y}} to select all game extdata
+#Hold {{Key press|Y}} to select all game extdata
-# Press {{Key press|Left Shoulder}} to backup all game extdata
+#Press {{Key press|Left Shoulder}} to backup all game extdata
-# Power off your console
+#Power off your console
-# Copy the <code>/3ds/Checkpoint</code> folder of your SD card to a safe place in your computer
+#Reinsert your SD card into your computer
+#Open the <code>3ds</code> folder on your SD card and copy the <code>Checkpoint</code> folder to a safe place on your computer
 {{Warning|text=If your SD card was showing corruption signs, it is extremely advised to [[Formatting an SD card|format your SD card]], [[Checking SD card integrity|test it for errors]] and [[3dsguide:Restoring/Updating CFW|restore Luma]] on an empty SD card before proceeding to restore your save data. Do '''NOT''' reuse a card that was showing corruption signs if it failed the integrity checks.}}
 {{Critical|text=Do '''NOT''' restore your corrupted <code>Nintendo 3DS</code> folder to the new setup, or errors and further corruption are likely to keep happening.}}
-== Section II - Restoring ==
+=Section II - Restoring save data=
 {{Info|If you're restoring your save data from a corrupted setup to an empty SD card, or if you do not have Checkpoint already installed, continue to [[3dsguide:Finalizing Setup|Finalizing Setup]] before following the instructions below.}}
-# Power off your console
+===What You Need===
-# Insert your SD card into your computer
+*A <code>Checkpoint</code> folder with save backups (such as the one created in Section I)
-# Copy the <code>/3ds/Checkpoint</code> folder from your computer to your SD card
+*[[Checkpoint]] installed on your console
-# Reinsert your SD card into your console
-# Power on your console
+===Prep Work===
-# Open each game individually and create a dummy save file in them
+#Power off your console
-# Close any running applications and return to HOME Menu
+#Insert your SD card into your computer
-# Launch '''Checkpoint''' from your HOME Menu
+#Copy the <code>Checkpoint</code> folder from your computer to the <code>3ds</code> folder on your SD card (not to the <code>Nintendo 3DS</code> folder)
-# Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
+#*Create a <code>3ds</code> folder if it does not already exist
-# Press {{Key press|A}} on the game you want to restore save data for
+#Reinsert your SD card into your console
-# Select the backup created on Section I
-# Press {{Key press|Right Shoulder}} to restore
+===Restoring===
-# Repeat steps 10-12 for all game saves
+#Power on your console
-# Press {{Key press|X}} to switch to extdata
+#[[3DS:Installing software|Install]] each game you would like to restore save data for
-# Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
+#Open each game individually to initialize save data
-# Press {{Key press|A}} on the game you want to restore extdata for
+#Close any running applications and return to HOME Menu
-# Select the backup created on Section I
+#Launch '''Checkpoint''' from your HOME Menu
-# Press {{Key press|Right Shoulder}} to restore
+#Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
-# Repeat steps 16-18 for all game extdata
+#Press {{Key press|A}} on the game you want to restore save data for
+#Select the backup created on Section I
+#Press {{Key press|Right Shoulder}} to restore
+#Repeat steps 7-9 for all game saves
+#Press {{Key press|X}} to switch to extdata
+#Hold {{Key press|B}} to refresh games list
+#Press {{Key press|A}} on the game you want to restore extdata for
+#Select the backup created on Section I
+#Press {{Key press|Right Shoulder}} to restore
+#Repeat steps 13-15 for all game extdata
+[[Category:Nintendo 3DS guides]][[Category:Nintendo 3DS troubleshooting]]