3DS:Keyboard Unbrick

If a custom keyboard is installed and custom firmware is removed from the console, System Settings will be inaccessible and you will not be able to launch the keyboard. This is obviously detrimental to the overall functioning of your 3DS and should be fixed as soon as possible.

There are other ways to reinstall custom firmware on such a console, but they may require additional hardware. This guide aims to reinstall custom firmware without any additional hardware, but if you have the means, ntrboot will probably be less of a pain.

Unbricking a 3DS with a custom keyboard installed

If you have a copy of any of the following: Your NAND backup (e.g. 220101_AA000000000_sysnand_000.bin) essentials.exefs movable.sed Then do not follow Section II, as those files should already have your encryption key embedded and you don't need to mine it again. For instructions on extracting your movable.sed from your NAND backup or from essentials.exefs, see this page.

Section I: Installing Required Software

If you can't install Pokémon Picross or Steel Diver: Sub Wars there's no point following the rest of this guide. If Internet access isn't currently set up, you can set up an Internet connection from Safe Mode as the keyboard will still work there (hold Left Shoulder + Right Shoulder + D-Pad Up + A on boot, then follow its prompts). Here is how to reinstall it if you have deleted it.

1. Power on your device
2. Open home menu settings
3. Scroll down, and select redownload software
4. Find Pokémon Picross or Steel Diver: Sub Wars the redownload list
5. Follow the prompts to download and install Pokémon Picross or Steel Diver: Sub Wars.

If you dont own Pokèmon Picross or Steel Diver: Sub Wars, sorry. theres nothing we can do.

Section II: Mii mining

Because you can't enter a friend code due to the broken keyboard, you'll need to get your console's encryption key a different way. We can accomplish this by Mii mining.

Follow Mii mining to extract the movable.sed from your console, but do not continue onto the main guide as it suggests. Come back to this page once you have the movable.

Section III: Choose an exploit

Now that you have your movable.sed, continue to Homebrew Launcher (PicHaxx) or Homebrew Launcher (Steelhax) If everything went well, you should end up with boot9strap installed and the keyboard / System Settings should work again.

Do not uninstall custom firmware again without guidance. You've now seen first-hand how it can go wrong.