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Uploading files

Contents of this page

CIA FILES

NDS FILES

ROM FILES

CIA files

Now, there is a built in way to upload a CIA file to your console manually, but there is also my preffered method. This part of the page will only apply to consoles running twilight menu++ as it requires some homebrew applications that come pre installed with it.

The built in way (FBI)

When you initially mod your DS, you'll probably end up with Twilight Menu++ being the base 'OS' (more commonly reffered to as Custom Firmware) for the console. This includes a myriad of cool and interesting Homebrew softwares, which are covered in this page. One of these softwares (or apps) is just called FBI and is basically a file manager. You can use this app to install CIA files!

Here is a step by step instruction of how you would go about using FBI to install CIAs:

  1. Firstly, you're going to need your CIA file. If you don't have one for whatever reason, use this page to find one you want.
  2. Take your SD out of your console and stick it in either a computer with an SD reader built in or with an external reader plugged in.
  3. Go to the root of your SD card, which is what opens when you click on the SD in file explorer. Do not go into any inner folders.
  4. If there is a folder named 'cias', great, if not then create one in the root of your SD.
  5. Once you've done that, put your CIA file into the folder and put the SD card back into your console.
  6. Turn on the console and navigate to the FBI application and open it. Navigate to the SD option, then to the cias folder, and finally to your desired CIA.
  7. Press A on the CIA and choose the 'install and delete' option from the menu. The game should begin installing.

Using custom install

Using FBI has it's downsides. Firstly, it can only do one game at a time, secondly it's slow as hell, and thirdly you have to put the files onto your console before installing. I like to use a little software called custom install to install CIA files as it can install more than one game at a time, is as fast as it relatively can be, and 98% of the installing happens on your computer which is ideal.

This youtube video will show you how to download and use it a lot better than I could. For unstructions on how to use the software in case you forget or just want to double check how to do it, skip to the timestamp 5:36.

NDS files

NDS files are nintendo DS titles whereas CIAs can be a game from a myriad of different handhelds just in a more centralised format. This means uploading an NDS will be a different process to that of a CIA. This Part of the page will require the homebrew launcher and universal updater (which come pre installed with twilight menu++).

The method

There's only really one way to upload an NDS file to your console, which is detailed below. Unfortunately NDS files cannot be converted into CIA files because CIAs are like an 'installation package' for the game, whereas an NDS is a preinstalled game you're just putting on the main homescreen.

Here is a step by step instruction of how you would go about uploading an NDS to your console:

  1. Take your SD out of your console and stick it in either a computer with an SD reader built in or with an external reader plugged in.
  2. Make a folder somewhere in the SD, it doesn't really matter where so long as you remember where it was, and put the NDS file(s) you want to upload into it.
  3. Put the SD back into your console and navigate to universal updater (if it's not already on your console, use this page to download it)
  4. Inside universal updater, search for and download 'nds-bootstrap' and 'ndsForwarder'
  5. Once those are downloaded, close universal updater and open homebrew launcher (again, if it's not downloaded, have a look at this site)
  6. Within homebrew launcher, find NDS Forwarder Generator and open it.
  7. Navigate to your NDS folder (this is why you should remember where you put it!!)
  8. Press A on each NDS file within the folder that you want on your homescreen, then again to confirm
  9. When you're done, back out of homebrew launcher and return to your homescreen. The games should now be accessable!

EVERY OTHER ROM

The process for any other file type is quite different, as you will first have to convert the file into a CIA, then upload the CIA file to your console using the instructions above. For instructions on how to convert any non NDS file to a CIA, have a look at this page.