Warning: New Wii Update May Brick Consoles
The latest Wii firmware update addresses hackers but also bricks legit consoles. Go Nintendo go!
Nintendo Wii owners who received notification that a new firmware update (4.2) is available need to hold off on upgrading. The company recently released the update to address those who were running the Homebrew Channel, a modification that enables users to load applications not sold by Nintendo. The special channel appears as a standard icon on the Wii interface, and once loaded, will display a list of applications loaded on the SD card.
But the drawback to the new firmware update is twofold: it disables the Homebrew Channel, locking hackers out of their naughty, unofficial applications. The update also "bricks" legitimate Wii consoles, leaving them utterly dead in the water, a brick of metal and plastic so to speak. Nintendo's technical support forum is currently lit up with reports that consoles are locking up while downloading the update, and will not reboot when unplugged and restarted; NeoGAF is also listing similar reports, with "non-HBC" Wii owners claiming "bricking" as well.
"The problem appears to lie with an incredibly shoddily programmed update to boot2 of the Wii," reads this forum announcement on NeoGAF. "boot2 is basically the area that "starts up" the Wii. According to the people who have developed HBC, the code for Nintendo's updated boot2 is prone to making write errors, therefore making the possibility of bricking your Wii extremely high, whether or not you have ever hacked or modified your Wii."
Nintendo tech support is telling consumers with out-of-warranty consoles that the cost of repairs will have to come out of their pocket, however Nintendo officials have remained quiet in regards to the overall infliction caused by the update. However, if this becomes another "red ring of death" situation, Nintendo may change its mind and fix "bricked" consoles on the company dime instead.
In the meantime, don't install the update, and stay tuned for more info.
- Altered Google Earth Tracks Cars, People
- Dead Space 2 in Pre-Production
- $350 Billion May Be Needed to Extend Broadband
- Verizon CTO: Broadband Throttling is Inevitable
- DoS Attack Rains on Texas Gov Internet Parade
- AT&T to Launch Garmin Nuvifone October 4
- Political: Apple Rejects Healthcare App
- Chicago Museum T-Rex Killed by Throat Infection
- Man Uses New iPod Nano to Shoot Up-Skirt Video
- Convicted Hacker Takes Over Prison Network
- Watch the Final Fantasy XIII Trailer From TGS
- Steve Ballmer Trashes Chrome OS, Safari
- Play Uncharted 2 on Theater Screens
- Al Qaeda Wars Social Game Uses Google Maps
- Motorola's Social Networking Phone Gets Priced
- Report: Blackberry Storm 2 Coming October 25
- Silent Hill Writer Jailed for Vehicular Manslaughter
- Jack Thompson Sues Facebook for $120 Million
- Power Loader Exoskeleton Inspired by Aliens
I cannot beleive in this day and age that companies can screw up your equipment like this and expect you to pay for repairs. Even if your equipment is out of warranty.
It was caused solely by there action and nothing else.
I am sure in a court of law that this is unacceptable and borders on malicious!!!!!
Just my 2 quids worth
Im thinking of getting a Wii for me and my girlfriend, ill definatly keep an eye on this.
It was caused solely by there action and nothing else.
I don't think the company is acting maliciously at the moment. Nintendo probably needs to do an internal investigation to find out if they're at fault or not. It seems that's the case and I believe that Nintendo, like Microsoft, will end up covering this issue on their dime.
Please tell me they are taking the "update" off line until this is fixed. I can see a class action suit beginning to boil, unless they start to handle it better.
Nothing new. Sony "bricked" my PS3, then wanted $150 to fix it. I spent the $150 on a Blue Ray player, and the PS3 is in the closet, where it will stay until I probably decide to take it to the electronics recycle center. Don't like the classic "game" controllers, so I'm just going to be a PC gamer.
So Nintendo pushes out an update, breaks it's own product (the Wii) and the consumer has to pay to get it fixed? I sense the beginning of a lawsuit.
Because if they can do this any company can. Your precious cell phones would become useless paper-weights and your computers becomes garbage.
Hmm two howevers in the last paragraph. I think I wouldn't write an article that way.
Anyways this update also blocks people out of the USB iso loader but I think people were launching that through homebrew channel.
Silly Nintendo will never learn though. Just let people do what they want with hardware they bought. My wii just sits because the updates make the piece of junk work worse every time there's an update coming out. There's much, much better consoles to buy than a wii.
I downloaded the software with no issue. I must have been lucky.
We're so upset that anyone out there would actually do something COOL with a Wii that we're going to poop out a shoddy patch to end any and all coolness... and if we brick a few Wii's in the process - well it's WORTH it!
They better pay for bricked legit customers for their stupid update, no matter their warranty status.
Bricked my Wii. Thought nothing of updating the Wii why in the world would I go online to make sure it wouldn't brick it before downloading a simple freaking update? I guaran-damn-tee you that I will not be paying a penny to fix this machine and if I don't have a working console back in my apartment within 30 days, free of charge, there will be a lawsuit.
Right now my call is being "escalated" to someone higher up because I put up a humongous stink when I was to pay to fix what Nintendo did to my console.
No they are not.
Hello,
Some of you have reported problems with your Wii console after updating to the Wii System Menu 4.2. The symptoms most people are describing usually occur when the Wii has been modified. However, some of you also mention your system has never been modified.
We'd like to help get your system working properly again. If you're experiencing problems with your Wii console after downloading Wii System Menu 4.2, and you believe your system has not been modified, please give us a call. If we find that you have a normal system and the update caused your system to not work, we'll repair it at no charge.
Please call our Customer Service Department at your earliest convenience, 1-800-255-3700. We are open 6 AM to 7 PM, Pacific Time, 7 days a week.
Thank you,
NOA_Tech_Jane
Come on Tom's. First the snide "Go Nintendo Go" remark and then flat out lying about the repair fee.
Hope it does brick em, garbage console. Most popular my ass.
No they are not. Come on Tom's. First the snide "Go Nintendo Go" remark and then flat out lying about the repair fee.
Well that right there is pretty f-ing ridiculous considering I was just told there would be a charge to have my console repaired. Maybe they need to send out that email to all of their customer service reps. Good to know at least but that would have saved me ten minutes of yelling on the phone.
Translation: if we feel like repairing your console, we will. Otherwise, we will blame it on you.
Since they are making the determination of whether it was modded or not, and they are the ones that will have to pay to fix it, what motivation do they have to admit it wasn't modded?
-Dan
Im thinking of getting a Wii for me and my girlfriend, ill definatly keep an eye on this.
Your girlfriend should dump you for your stupidity
Nothing new. Sony "bricked" my PS3, then wanted $150 to fix it. I spent the $150 on a Blue Ray player, and the PS3 is in the closet, where it will stay until I probably decide to take it to the electronics recycle center. Don't like the classic "game" controllers, so I'm just going to be a PC gamer.
You know there is a service mode right? smartass.
suckers cant handle console rofl.
I have not updated mine, have not even used it for over a year, been sitting on the shelf in favor of my xbox 360. If I had updated it though and it became bricked I would be suing nintendo. There is a reasonable expectation from consumers that updates released by nintendo directly will improve their devices and no break them. They cannot expect us to pay for their mistakes.
Well luckily i not having this problem. Although next time I'll be more careful before uploading the update right away.
Never had a wii. It's a gamecube with new toy and face but hefty price albeit recent $50 price cut. I'll stick with my PC and X360.
Say what? Nintendo doesn't allow people to install apps not sold by Nintendo? I can install whatever apps I want on my PS3 even if they're not sold by Sony. This is not a hack of any kind and is fully supported by Sony.
[citation][nom]rooket[/nom]Hmm two howevers in the last paragraph. I think I wouldn't write an article that way.citation]
I don't think I'd write a sentence that way.
I do own a console repair shop and I've seen 6 of those bricks. We see ERROR #003, as if the consoles were modded in some way and "banned", but the real issue is that those were legitimate users that bought the consoles no less than a month ago. BTW, all the bricked wiis were KOREAN Wii's. So, it seems that the brick IS caused by nintendo, not because the user (no, the wii's weren't modded/softmodded)..
Nothing new. Sony "bricked" my PS3, then wanted $150 to fix it. I spent the $150 on a Blue Ray player, and the PS3 is in the closet, where it will stay until I probably decide to take it to the electronics recycle center. Don't like the classic "game" controllers, so I'm just going to be a PC gamer.
Hey ummm, Can I have it??
No they are not. Come on Tom's. First the snide "Go Nintendo Go" remark and then flat out lying about the repair fee.
Viper the "repair" is free. They didn't say shipping to them is free.
Say what? Nintendo doesn't allow people to install apps not sold by Nintendo? I can install whatever apps I want on my PS3 even if they're not sold by Sony. This is not a hack of any kind and is fully supported by Sony.
Then again, look at the PSP. Homebrewers have been the target of constant firmware updates locking them out.
My idealistic side asks: Why can't console makers let homebrew be?
My realistic side responds: Probably because publishers have a fear of piracy running rampant on consoles like they say they do on the PC side of gaming.
I was going to buy one for a friend when it went under 200. Given Nintendo's response, I think I'll not buy one at all.
LOL I think that is the funniest Thing to do I have read on Tom's I love it if you buy an Xbox 360 or Wii your looking at getting a brick instead of a gaming machine.
That's why I never update anything immediately.
It saved me the horrors of Catalyst 9.9. If I had a Wii, it would have saved me too.
I always wait for someone else to do it, since if it goes bad I will know what NOT to update.
it is completely unacceptable when implementing an update system, not to have a failsafe, some switch on the back of the console for instance that resets it to factory defaults. if Nintendo haven't been bothered to implement this, it should be their responsibility to fix any bricked consoles, warranty or not.
Downloaded/Installed without issue.