Wii System Menu 4.2 – The Death of Homebrew

deadbrew4-2

Nintendo delivers a dish best served cold…

Let’s go straight to the point of update. So what exactly does 4.2 do to your softmodded Wii? According to wiibrew.org, the following changes are foreordained:

Deletes most homebrew.
Now uses IOS70. (No Preloader due to that)
Wii Shop Channel updated. Use WiiSCU to update the shop channel.
Most of the IOS’s have been updated or stubbed.
Updates your boot2 to boot2v4 (what LU64+’s have). (That means no downgrading of any IOS, and due to that, you can’t revert back to your old System Menu. So BootMii as boot2 installed is removed.)

However, apart from BootMii getting uninstalled, what is quite shocking is that Nintendo decided to put all chips on the table, and go for a complete un-installation of the Homebrew Channel. That’s right folks, if you update your system version to 4.2, pretty much all traces of custom brew are gone, including your beloved Homebrew Channel. And the drama doesn’t end there. Here is the 4.2 highlights of the day:

Banner Bomb Exploit Doesn’t Work anymore (possible solution to re-install Homebrew Channel is to use the Indiana PWNS or Comex’s SmashStack beta
Boot Mii will cease to exist
Pre-loader is killed (not sure if its completely removed, but will not load because System Menu now boots on IOS70)
cIOS gets stubbed – AntiPiracy (USB LOADERS/BACKUPS)
HOMEBREW CHANNEL IS DELETED FROM YOUR Wii , NO QUESTIONS ASKED

So yep, if you would like to contribute to the ANTI-HOMEBREW scene, then this update is for you. Otherwise, for people like us who enjoy [not online] hacking, homebrew games, custom software production and whatnot, 4.2 is but a new enemy, and a very formidable one to say the least. I understand the whole piracy issue, but deleting the Homebrew Channel? That is when things get a little too personal…

Also, I got a personalized message asking me if I wanted to update, I think. This is what I got:

brewtous

hacking, News, Wii

2, 4, 4.2, brew, channel, gecko, hack, home, homebrew, kills, nintendo, ocarina, os, software, system, update, Wii

30 responses to “Wii System Menu 4.2 – The Death of Homebrew”

AJ12AY

September 29, 2009 at 12:50 pm

woop. is there anything good in the 4.2 update?
Piggyjelly

September 29, 2009 at 12:58 pm

Hehe, all your brew is belong to us. Updating is evil! >:0
Marioeze

September 29, 2009 at 3:53 pm

wow.nintendo now is serious serious
FlapFlash

September 29, 2009 at 5:11 pm

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FlapFlash

September 29, 2009 at 5:11 pm

Sorry, but your homebrew is in another console!
DMN

September 29, 2009 at 5:33 pm

I havnt even update mines in ages.
Jose Gallardo

September 29, 2009 at 5:54 pm

NOTE: There is word that Homebrew Channel can be installed on 4.2 Wii’s. It was thought not possible, due to the fact that even if you installed the Homebrew Channel via INDIANA PWNS exploit, everytime you reset your wii, the new System Menu checks for HAXX [homebrew channel],DVDX [dvd-playback],RZDx [twilight hack] IDs, and automatically kills them. However, when you install the Homebrew Channel, immediately install Preloader .30, turn on the new Hacks.ini file, which disables HAXX,DVDX,RZDx checks, and you got yourself a 4.2 wii with Homebrew and DVDx. However, custom Wii themes and channels are still at risk, and there isn’t a fix for cIOS, so pirates beware. And even if you don’t pirate, 4.2 renders USB LOADERS useless.
Titanoverlord

September 29, 2009 at 8:09 pm

I AM NEVER UPDATING AGIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jose Gallardo

September 29, 2009 at 8:13 pm

@Titanoverlord

Let me guess, you updated to 4.2?
Val Halen

September 29, 2009 at 8:28 pm

Well, if the solution is not installing the 4.2… So be it! =/
hikuson

September 30, 2009 at 12:03 pm

time to get a wii strictly for online xD
Master Hax

September 30, 2009 at 3:56 pm

I say to my friend… do not update your wii without me… because he updated to 4.0 original and for luck he doesn´t lost the homebrew channel, then 4.1 system menu apear and he received the system menu update message and i he remember that what i say and i go to his house that same day and i installed the 4.1 system menu from waninkoko, and now he update to 4.2 without me now he can´t use bootmii, the update deleted all his saved games from virtual console,he cant use wad manager, dvdx , and many of the emulators, but for luck he still having the homebrew channel
WolfPack

September 30, 2009 at 4:23 pm

HAHA. “All your brew blongs to us…” I lol’d
pinutk

October 6, 2009 at 5:53 pm

OMG!!! And is that a Flipnote picture on the top?
Jose Gallardo

October 6, 2009 at 11:21 pm

Flipnote? Isn’t that the DSi downloadable thing? If so, I don’t have it. I use a Homebrew version instead. I rendered that image through Photoshop.
Nip

October 7, 2009 at 6:34 am

WTF OMG. I almost updated last night!!!
I have more homebrew installed Channels that anything else. OMG
kl

November 13, 2009 at 10:43 pm

I have version 4.2U and I have homebrew and bootMii…the only thing is that ocarina doesn’t work…if i go onto a game and use the cheat it freezes. Example: Infinite Items code for Mario Kart
Wii: It goes into the game and the second i try and use a weapon–it freezes.

DARN
Nikki

December 4, 2009 at 6:46 am

I have the 4.2Version only prob I have is sometimes get a error 2 but if you go in and change the error fix code it’s ok then the only other prob I have is sometimes system freezes when installing games onto my hdd…other than that no probs have wii channels etc all working fine…..what I want to know is how do I move my usb / hdd installer icon to my wii channels page? would make like easier than scrolling through to find it….can it be done?
Cyclone

December 6, 2009 at 6:31 am

Ahem.

Bannerbomb v2 anyone?
mlwn

December 8, 2009 at 6:24 am

Limited Black Wii: [x]
Update to 4.2E: [x]
Installed HBC, DVDx [x]
Bootmii in boot2: [ ]
USB Loader (WiiFlow): [x]

Everything works like a charm!
Had some system dumps when i used an other USB Loader. WiiFlow have never crashed on me.
Maybe stooopid of me going 4.2 when Black Wii’s ships with 4.1. 🙂 But i like a challange, my only loss is Bootmii in boot2, when i read up on it now i realized i got some negatives too.
But Wii runs fine, no death for my Homebrews.
Sandstorm

December 14, 2009 at 7:15 pm

Why will nintendo not leave us alone we payeed for the system….do you see Windows or Apple f—ing up peoples computers when they make changes NO BECASUE IT IS THERES>>

Class Action lawsuit anyone with a brick out there?
WisconsinNite

January 4, 2010 at 7:09 am

A family member updated our wii to 4.2v & the homebrew has been removed. One out of 3 original games are working, otherwise a black screen appears and the system is hung up. How can I repair/recover? Help, please!
WisconsinNite

January 4, 2010 at 12:33 pm

mlwn: Do you have any advice for me? I need it in plain english, many thx.
tony

January 16, 2010 at 6:31 pm

i have home brew on my wii 4,2E works ok and updates work too, i managed to do this by not useing free hacks, none of them worked i was having all the same problems as everybody here was even told because i updated my wii wouldnt run homebrew anymore. my advice do what i done visit here http://www.brewii.com/ its worth it!!! just remember to save the files to a pc when downloading.
guad411

March 4, 2010 at 10:18 pm

home brew channel got erased on 4.2 update but cover floader still works as a usb loader??? How is that?
:D

April 16, 2010 at 3:53 pm

😀 lol i have homebrew on 4.2u 😀 😀 😀 😀
somebody

May 13, 2010 at 6:30 pm

the funny thing is that when I updated I never lost my homebrew channel. Way to go dipshits.
ZeroBlade77

May 16, 2010 at 12:32 pm

@somebody

That aint even nice, back then it was a big thing, not to lose your Wii, because, it costs like over 200 dollars. Plus, it wasn’t really known if it was working or not. The new versions work, yes, but the old one would brick your Wii.
mmmk

June 23, 2010 at 3:25 pm

they just released menu 4.3u now which also deletes that stuff
Toupe454

June 23, 2010 at 8:50 pm

@mmmk Have you tried updating with Homebrew on your Wii? I’m nervous because I don’t want bricking.