3DS:fastboot3DS

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This is the approved revision of this page, as well as being the most recent.


fastboot3DS is a firmware loader for the Nintendo 3DS. It works like boot9strap, but offers additional features such as:

  • A menu that can be accessed by holding HOME on boot to perform certain actions
  • The ability to chainload payloads directly from fastboot3DS (instead of through Luma3DS)
    • Additionally, fastboot3DS's chainloader can make a payload boot only when holding multiple buttons
    • Also note that fastboot3DS's chainloader acts before Luma3DS, so L, R, and START can be used by themselves without consequence. SELECT should only be used with other buttons to avoid making the Luma3DS configuration menu inaccessible, however, and ZL, ZR and HOME are still unusable
  • The ability to display a splash screen on startup, before Luma3DS has booted
  • The ability to backup / restore your NAND, as well as backup your bootroms and otp.bin
    • The latter can no longer be done with boot9strap as of boot9strap v1.4, but can still be done through GodMode9
  • Compatibility with HOME Menu FIRM payload shortcuts, such as Open AGB Launcher for open_agb_firm and its base program, That-Shortcut-Thingy

Our guide installs boot9strap since it's what most end users will be fine with, but if you're a power user, then you may be interested in installing fastboot3DS.

OOjs UI icon information-warning.svg While the installation of fastboot3DS is a generally safe process (equally safe as installing boot9strap), there is still a chance that something goes catastrophically wrong. Installing fastboot3DS (just like boot9strap) involves writing to the 3DS's FIRM partitions, so if something goes wrong, you may need ntrboot to fix it.
OOjs UI icon information-progressive.svg Two things you should know:
  • Troubleshooting may differ for some situations (generally for things relating to FIRM-based payloads) when fastboot3DS is installed, so you should disclose that when getting help with such a situation.
  • The vast majority of pages on this wiki, and in fact most guides on the internet, will assume that you're using a boot9strap-based installation. If you choose to install fastboot3DS, you'll need to adapt the wiki's instructions to your personal setup (and/or figure it out on your own). This usually will not cause noticeable changes unless .firm payloads are involved.

Installation

What you need

Section I - Prep Work

  1. Insert your SD card into your computer
  2. Create a folder named ofi on the root of your SD card
  3. Copy fastboot3DS.firm from the fastboot3DS .7z file to the ofi folder
  4. Copy OpenFirmInstaller.firm from the OpenFirmInstaller .zip file to the /luma/payloads/ folder
  5. Remove your SD card and put it back into your 3DS

Section II - OpenFirmInstaller

  1. Hold Start, then power on your device while still holding Start to enter the Luma3DS chainloader
  2. Navigate to "OpenFirmInstaller" in the list, then press A
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install fastboot3DS
OOjs UI icon information-constructive.svg fastboot3DS has been successfully installed!

Usage

The most common guides are listed at fastboot3DS usage.

Configuration

All of fastboot3DS' config is in the on-boot menu, in the Boot setup... section. The options are as follows:

  • Setup [slot X]: For any slot X, allows you to configure what and where the boot slot boots. There are six slots, and they will be tried in ascending order - keycombo slots will always be tried before autoboot slots if any keys are held during boot.
    • Select [slot X] firm: When chosen, lets you pick a .firm file from anywhere on SD or NAND to boot in this slot.
    • Set [slot X] keycombo: When enabled, this FIRM will boot when the configured keycombo is held. To configure it, hold the keys you want to use for 3 seconds.
    • Set [slot X] autoboot: When enabled, this FIRM will boot automatically once all previous autoboot slots fail.
    • Disable [slot X]: When enabled, this slot will not boot anything even if all other slots fail.
  • Change boot mode: Alters how the fastboot3DS on-boot menu is handled.
    • Set normal boot: When enabled, always plays the selected splash and opens to the fastboot3DS menu when booting.
    • Set quick boot: When enabled, always plays the selected splash and continues to the first slot available. Holding HOME opens the fastboot3DS menu instead.
    • Set quiet boot: When enabled, ignores the splash and continues to the first slot available. Holding HOME plays the selected splash and opens the fastboot3DS menu instead.
  • Change splash: Lets you choose what and when the on-boot splash is.
    • Use custom splash...: When enabled, lets you pick a .bin image file from anywhere on SD or NAND to use as a splash.
    • Use default splash: When enabled, uses the default splash without any file option.
    • Set splash duration...: When chosen, lets you modify the splash duration using D-Pad Left and D-Pad Right in 250ms increments.
  • Enable FCRAM Boot: When enabled, allows for HOME Menu payload shortcuts through That-Shortcut-Thingy