3DS:Recover movable.sed

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

If you require a console's movable.sed for some purpose but cannot obtain it directly from the NAND for some reason, there are still multiple potential ways to reobtain its movable.sed.

OOjs UI icon information-warning.svg Ensure the Yes/No prompts are answered correctly before you read the solution the page returns. The solution changes drastically based on what you have available.

Instructions

Do you have a backup of the console, either essentials.exefs or a NAND backup (a .bin file between 0.9GB and 1.3GB that has nand in its name)?
These files may be found in sd:gm9/out on the console's SD card, or on your PC in a place you keep backups.


Solution:

You will need to use ninfs to mount the backup on a PC and then pull the movable.sed out of the mount.

Ensure you have a copy of the file boot9.bin, as ninfs requires it to work. This file can be obtained through fastboot3DS or GodMode9 on any working 3DS that has CFW installed, or from the folder sd:/luma/backups on the SD card of a console that has previously been modded.

This may not work depending on how and when the backup was created, in which case you will need an alternate method.

Do you have the console's otp.bin and know its eShop region?

OTP: otp.bin file may be found on the console's SD card in sd:/luma/backups or sd:/gm9/out, and you may be able to dump it through either GodMode9 or fastboot3DS even if most of the console is unusuable.
eShop Region: If your console has never had a SOAP transfer or a motherboard swap before, there are several potential ways to find the serial number to determine it.

  • Serial Label: The serial label can be found on/under the backplate of the 3DS or under the battery, except on a 2DS XL where it will be under the game card/SD card slot cover. Once found, check its serial number against [this page] to determine your region.
  • SecureInfo: This file may be found on the console's SD card in sd:/luma/backups, or on its NAND in the folder [1:]/rw/sys if it can boot into GodMode9. When opened in the hexeditor, the end of this file contains the serial number. Check it against 3dbrew, as above.
  • inspect.log: This file can normally only be found through GodMode9, and is on the NAND in the folder [2:]/sys/log. When opened in either the hexeditor or textviewer, this file contains the serial number. Check it against 3dbrew, as above.


Solution:

You will need to install cleaninty. Once all constants are set up, attempt to run RecoverIVS and/or GetIVS. If the commands work as intended but cleaninty cannot obtain the correct movable.sed for your console, you will need another method.

Solution:

If you have the console on hand and its power LED lights up when you attempt to boot it, join the Nintendo Homebrew Discord and ask for help - there may be an alternate solution available.

If this is not the case, unfortunately, you cannot recover your movable.sed at this time. If you obtain more of the console's data, revisit this guide.