3DS:Dump titles and game cartridges

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For support (in English) with GodMode9, as well as help with scripting and to get updates and info, join GodMode9 on Discord. {: .notice–primary}

Required Reading

Aside from creating and restoring NAND backups, GodMode9 has the functionality to dump installed titles to an installable .cia file, to dump game cartridge data to a .3ds ROM file, and to directly install a game cartridge to the system.

Updating GodMode9

These instructions are written for use with GodMode9 v2.0.0 or later. If you have an older version of GodMode9, follow these instructions to update it. {: .notice–info}

What You Need

The latest release of GodMode9

Instructions

Power off your device
Insert your SD card into your computer
Copy GodMode9.firm from the GodMode9 .zip to the /luma/payloads/ folder on your SD card
Copy the gm9 folder from the GodMode9 .zip to the root of your SD card
Reinsert your SD card into your device

Dumping a Game Cartridge

{% capture notice %} Insert the game cartridge you intend to dump into your device + 3DS game cartridges will be dumped to a .3ds format + NDS game cartridges will be dumped to a .nds format {% endcapture %}

Template:Notice

Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
Follow the steps applicable to your game cartridge:
- 3DS Game Cartridge: Press (A) on [TitleID].trim.3ds to select it
- NDS Game Cartridge: Press (A) on [TitleID].nds to select it
  - Trimmed dumps are not recommended for NDS games in general, as they can cause various playback issues
Select “Copy to 0:/gm9/out”
Your non-installable .3ds or .nds formatted file will be outputted to the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card

Installing a Game Cartridge Directly to the System

This will only work for 3DS games; it is not possible to install an NDS game cartridge to the system as a title. {: .notice–info}

Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
Press (A) on [TitleID].trim.3ds to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Install game image”
Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
Once the process is complete, your game will show up in the HOME Menu as an installed title.

Dumping a 3DS Game Cartridge to .CIA

This should only be used if Installing a Game Cartridge Directly to the System does not work. {: .notice–info}

Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
Press (A) on [TitleID].trim.3ds to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Build CIA from file”
Your installable .cia formatted file will be outputted to the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card

Dumping an Installed Title

This allows dumping of both System- and User-installed digital titles, such as ones downloaded from the eShop. {: .notice–info}

Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
Select “Title manager”
Select one of the following depending on the type of title you wish to dump

User Installed Title: [A:] SD CARD
System Title / DSiWare: [1:] NAND / TWL

Select the title you wish to dump
Select “Manage Title…”
Select “Build CIA (standard)”
Your installable .cia formatted file will be outputted to the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card

Backup GBA VC Saves

The game will be outputted to the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card with the name <TitleID>.gbavc.sav. {: .notice–info}

To identify a <TitleID>.gbavc.sav file’s Title ID, you can get a listing of all games on the system and their corresponding Title IDs by pressing (Home) to bring up the action menu, selecting Title manager, and selecting [A:] SD CARD. {: .notice–info}

Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to back up the save for:

Launch the GBA VC game
Exit the GBA VC game
Power off your device
Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
Navigate to [S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
Press (A) on agbsave.bin to select it
Select “AGBSAVE options…”
Select “Dump GBA VC save”
Press (A) to continue
Press (Start) to reboot your device

Restore GBA VC Saves

To identify a <TitleID>.gbavc.sav file’s Title ID, you can get a listing of all games on the system and their corresponding Title IDs by pressing (Home) to bring up the action menu, selecting Title manager, and selecting [A:] SD CARD. {: .notice–info}

Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to restore the save for:

Launch the GBA VC game
Exit the GBA VC game
Power off your device
Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> gm9
Press (Y) on the <TitleID>.gbavc.sav file you wish to restore to copy it
Press (B) to return to the main menu
Navigate to [S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
Press (A) on agbsave.bin to select it
Select “AGBSAVE options…”
Select “Inject GBA VC save”
Press (A) to continue
Press (Start) to reboot your device
Launch the GBA VC game
Exit the GBA VC game

Encrypting / Decrypting a .CIA file

For organizational purposes, copy each .cia file you wish to encrypt / decrypt to the /cias/ folder on your SD card {: .notice–info}

Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> cias
Press (A) on the .cia file to select it, then select “CIA image options…”
Select the option to perform the desired function:
- Encrypt to 0:/gm9/out: Create an encrypted copy of the selected .cia file in the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card
- Decrypt to 0:/gm9/out: Create a decrypted copy of the selected .cia file in the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card
- Encrypt inplace: Replace the selected .cia file with an encrypted version
- Decrypt inplace: Replace the selected .cia file with a decrypted version
Your encrypted / decrypted .cia will be outputted to the desired location