Upgrading to 4.2 or 4.3 easily without the issues of the official update.
This page gives you instructions on how to update your firmware to 4.2 or 4.3. This lets you get the features of those updates without the chance of bricking that the newer update might cause (as long as you haven't previously done nasty stuff to your Wii). Either of these firmwares is safe, so feel free to choose either one. 4.3 is easier to upgrade to and means that newer discs won't ask you to update any more, so it might be the best choice. Note that a power outage might brick your Wii, so do not perform these steps in a storm or other situation where power outages are likely to occur.
There are three parts to the update procedure. PART 1 upgrades your boot2 to boot2v4. This will delete BootMii if you have it installed in boot2 and it will need to be reinstalled later. There are then several methods you can use to upgrade to firmware version 4.2 or 4.3 (in PART 2). The first is probably the best 4.2 method, but may require you to complete the new d2x steps if you haven't done them before. The second 4.2 method is very quick, but is not a complete upgrade to 4.2 and is not recommended unless you are on 4.0 or 4.1. It will not upgrade the IOSes for your games and they may still ask to upgrade, but those updates should be safe as long as the games are from your region. The third 4.2 method is the most complete without having to reinstall other things, but may require several tries (and a lot of time) to work. The 4.3 method is the easiest method and most recommended. PART 3 is optional and allows you to block future disc and network updates that are not yet released at the time of writing of this tutorial.
For more information about upgrading, see the Upgrade FAQ.
PART 1: Upgrading to boot2v4
What you should install first
- Homebrew Channel
- Ensure this is updated to the most recent version.
What you need
- SD Card
What to download
- DOP-Mii Wiibrew Edition v16 or later via the download link from this page.
- You will need a boot2v4 WAD. On a Windows PC, get it using NUS Downloader using Title ID "0000000100000001" v "4" or select it from the 'System' section of the database.
Upgrading to boot2v4
- If you have not done so recently, make a back up with BootMii before attempting this.
- Use the Wii Data Management screen to check you have at least 100 blocks of free space left. Delete unneeded channels or saves or move them to an SD card until you do.
- If you have previous installed StartPatch for avoiding disc updates or any other system menu hack, disable all patches.
- This step is very important. Do not ignore it.
- Instructions to do this are part of the Avoid Disc Updates tutorial.
- Remove all GameCube memory cards and controllers.
- This step is very important. Do not ignore it.
- Unzip the "DOP-Mii WiiBrew Edition v16.zip" file and copy the contents of the "Dop-Mii/apps" folder to "sd:/apps".
- You should now have an "sd:/apps/DOP-Mii Wiibrew Edition/boot.dol" file on the SD card among other files.
- Copy boot2v4.wad to the root directory of the SD Card
- Start the Homebrew Channel and run Dop-Mii WBE.
- Press A at the intro screen.
- Press A again to continue with AHBPROT.
- A checklist will come up. Push A to continue when prompted.
- Select Boot2 from the menu. Press 'A'.
- If you are asked for the location of a boot2 v4 wad here or in a later step, choose the option to retrieve from the SD card.
- Read the warning information very carefully.
- If you are already using boot2v4, you will not have the option to continue as there is no reason to install it again.
- Press '+' to continue upgrading to boot2v4.
- You will be asked three more times if you are sure that you want to continue. Press 'A' three times.
- You will be asked for one final confirmation to continue. Press and hold 'up on dpad','+', and '-' buttons all at the same time on the Wiimote. Then press the 'A' button while the other three buttons are still being pushed.
- Boot2 will be upgraded to boot2v4. Press any button to return to the boot2 menu when it is done.
- Press 'Home' to exit DOP-Mii and return to the Homebrew Channel.
- Reinstall BootMii into boot2 if you had it before.
PART 2: Upgrading the Wii Firmware
Follow the PART 1 steps before performing one of the following methods. Each of these methods will install 4.2 or 4.3 in a safe manner, but they have different pros and cons. It is most recommended that you use the Nintendo's Official Update methods.
4.3 Method 1: Nintendo's official update
- Disable any StartPatch or other blocking techniques to avoid disc updates or other firmware patches you may have done previously.
- Go to the Wii Menu and select the Wii icon at the bottom left.
- Select Wii Settings, then navigate to page 3 of the settings and select Wii System Update.
- Select Yes, then Accept and follow any further instructions to perform the official update from Nintendo.
- If you never installed d2x, instead installing IOS249, go to the d2x instructions and follow the instructions to install it.
- If you don't need d2x for anything else (e.g., USB Loading) you can skip this reinstallation.
- Go to the Hermes' IOS222/223 instructions and follow the instructions to install it again.
- If you don't need IOS222/223 for anything else (e.g., USB Loading) you can skip this reinstallation.
4.2 Method 1: Nintendo's official update
The replacement method requires a copy of Super Mario Galaxy 2 or another game with a 4.2 update from your region (Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is another choice from reports). Use Methods 2 or 3 below if you don't own one of these games from your own region.
- Disable any blocking techniques to avoid disc updates
- Insert Super Mario Galaxy 2 or other game into your Wii and follow the prompts to update the Wii.
- If the game plays without updating, then you are up to date.
- If you never installed d2x, instead installing IOS249, go to the d2x instructions and follow the instructions to install it.
- If you don't need d2x for anything else (e.g., USB Loading) you can skip this reinstallation.
- Go to the Hermes' IOS222/223 instructions and follow the instructions to install it again.
- If you don't need IOS222/223 for anything else (e.g., USB Loading) you can skip this reinstallation.
4.2/4.3 Method 2: Dop-Mii
- Start the Homebrew Channel and run Dop-Mii WBE.
- Dop-Mii WBE was the tool you installed for PART 1 of this page.
- Press A at the intro screen.
- Press A again to continue with AHBPROT.
- A checklist will come up. Push A to continue when prompted.
- Select System Menu and push A.
- Select System Menu 4.2 or System Menu 4.3.
- Do NOT under any circumstances change the region.
- Push + to install.
- Read the warning then push A to continue.
- If the system tells you an IOS is required, push A to install it then follow this substep.
- Select Download from NUS with left/right and push A.
- If your Wii is not connected to the Internet, you can get the IOS using NUS Downloader instead.
- When prompted to download System Menu 4.2 or 4.3 select Download from NUS with left/right and push A.
- If your Wii is not connectred to the Internet, you can get the Sstem Menu using NUS Downloader instead.
- When prompted to install System Menu 4.2, push A.
- Push B to return to the main menu of Dop-Mii.
4.2 Method 3: Safe 4.2 Updater
- Download v4.2 Safe Firmware Upgrader from the first post in this thread
- Use the Wii Data Management screen to check you have at least 250 blocks of free space left. Delete unneeded channels or saves until you do.
- Unrar V4.2 Safe Firmware Updater.rar and copy the contents of the apps folder to sd:/apps.
- Start the Homebrew Channel and run v4.2 Safe Updater.
- Read the message and push A to accept.
- Check that the installer has detected the correct region for your Wii. Push A to accept.
- If you install an update from the wrong region, it will brick your Wii, so be careful here
- The tool will automatically download and install the needed IOSes.
- When the tool completes you will be on Firmware 4.2. Push A to exit when prompted.
- If the tool does not ask you to push A to exit after the installation, it means one of the downloads crashed. You will need to run it again.
- Unfortunately, if Nintendo's servers are busy, this tool often fails. Do not worry, because failure will not brick your Wii. Just continue running it until it works or use one of the other two methods above
PART 3: Optionally block disc updates
You can choose to block updates so that your system can't be accidentally upgraded in case a new update comes out. This is not needed for any games, provided you used the d2x instructions in this tutorial already, so the only protection is from updates that are not yet released. The procedure to perform this can be found at the Avoid Disc Updates page.
FAQ
- Will my homebrew still work?
- Using this guide, the only thing you may need to reinstall after updating is the Homebrew Channel. If you upgraded the HBC recently, you won't even need to do that. All other homebrew listed in this tutorial should continue to work without any need to reinstall anything.
- I performed an upgrade a while back and New Super Mario Bros. Wii has been asking me to update, why?
- NSMBW includes two updates. The first upgrades you to system menu 4.1. The second performs the boot2 update, which is the potentially slightly dangerous update code. This tutorial changed in April 2010 to add a step to safely update boot2. Follow the upgrading to boot2v4 steps to stop NSMB Wii or other games asking you to update.
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 is asking me to update but I already have boot2v4 and firmware 4.2. What's up?
- SMG 2 is the first game to have a 4.2 update on the disc. That update includes useless stubs of IOS222, IOS223 and IOS249 that will be installed over the existing ones you have. Check PART 3 above to find out how to avoid this update.
What to do next
- Possibly upgrade your Wii Shop to the latest version. Only method 1 and 4 above will correctly update the shop channel.
