Navigate into '0: SDCARD' and locate the.3ds file you want to convert. Press A, enter 'NCSD image options.' And 'Build CIA from file'. Once it is done, you should have a working cia located under /gm9out. Convert 3DS ROMs for Installation. Use GodMode9 to convert your.3ds ROM’s to.cia files that can be installed on your 3DS; Dump Cartridges to SD. Play your games without the cartridge inserted by dumping them directly to your SD card with GodMode9; Cartridges can be dumped as multiple formats:.cia for 3DS consoles,.3ds for emulators.
- Nintendo 3DS games can usually be found in.3DS format, which is intended for emulators like Citra. Nintendo 3DS consoles cannot load.3DS ROM files, However they can be converted to.CIA file.
- Converting a.3DS to.CIA. For organizational purposes, copy each.3ds file you wish to convert to the /cias/ folder on your SD card Note that if you wish to convert a.3ds file that is already on a flashcart, you should follow Dumping a Game Cartridge; Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot.
Godmode9 Cia Build Failed
For support (in English) with GodMode9, as well as help with scripting and to get updates and info, join GodMode9 on Discord.
Required Reading
GodMode9 is a full access file browser for the Nintendo 3DS console, giving you access to your SD card, the FAT partitions inside your SysNAND and EmuNAND, and basically anything else. Among other functionality, you can copy, delete, rename files, and create folders.
Note that if you have any payload files other than GodMode9.firm
in the /luma/payloads/
folder on your SD card, holding (Start) on boot will display a “chainloader menu” where you will have to use the D-Pad and the (A) button to select “GodMode9” for these instructions.
GodMode9 is powerful software that has the capability to modify essentially anything on your console. Though many of these modifications are locked behind a permissions system, and it is impossible to accidentally perform dangerous actions without deliberately unlocking permissions, you should still follow instructions carefully and keep backups just in case.
Updating GodMode9
Some of the instructions below are only applicable to the latest version of GodMode9, and as such you should follow this section to update your copy before continuing. Overwrite any existing files.
What You Need
- The v1.9.2pre1 release of GodMode9
Instructions
- Power off your device
- Insert your SD card into your computer
- Copy
GodMode9.firm
from the GodMode9.zip
to the/luma/payloads/
folder on your SD card - Copy the
gm9
folder from the GodMode9.zip
to the root of your SD card - Reinsert your SD card into your device
Creating a NAND Backup
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
- Select “Scripts…”
- Select “GM9Megascript”
- Select “Backup Options”
- Select “SysNAND Backup”
- Press (A) to confirm
- This process will take some time
- If you get an error, make sure that you have at least 1.3GB of free space on your SD card
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (B) to return to the main menu
- Select “Exit”
- Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
- Hold (R) and press (B) at the same time to eject your SD card
- Insert your SD card into your computer
- Copy
<date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_###.bin
andessential.exefs
from the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card to a safe location on your computer- Make backups in multiple locations (such as online file storage)
- These backups will save you from a brick and/or help you recover files from the NAND image if anything goes wrong in the future
- Delete
<date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_###.bin
and<date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_###.bin.sha
from the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card after copying it - Reinsert your SD card into your device
- If your SD card was not detected, hold (R) and press (B) at the same time to remount it
Restoring a NAND Backup
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Hold (R) and press (B) at the same time to eject your SD card
- Insert your SD card into your computer
- Copy
<date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_###.bin
from your computer to the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card - Reinsert your SD card into your device
- Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
- Select “Scripts…”
- Select “GM9Megascript”
- Select “Restore Options”
- Select “SysNAND Restore (safe)”
- Select your NAND backup
- Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl3) writing, then input the key combo given
- This will not overwrite your boot9strap installation
- This process will take some time
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (B) to return to the main menu
- Select “Exit”
- Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
Injecting any .CIA app into Health & Safety
For organizational purposes, copy the .cia
file you wish to inject to the /cias/
folder on your SD card
Note that it is not possible to inject files into Health & Safety that are larger than it (including games and other large applications)
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Navigate to
[0:] SDCARD
->cias
- Press (A) on your
.cia
to select it, then select “CIA image options…”, then select “Mount image to drive” - Press (A) on the
.app
file, then select “NCCH image options”, then select “Inject to H&S” - Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
Restoring Health & Safety after injecting a .CIA app
This will only work if the Health & Safety injection was performed by GodMode9 (not Decrypt9 or Hourglass9).
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
- Select “More…”
- Select “Restore H&S”
- Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
- Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
Dumping a Game Cartridge
Insert the game cartridge you intend to dump into your device
- 3DS game cartridges will be dumped to an installable
.cia
format - NDS game cartridges will be dumped to a non-installable
.nds
format compatible with flashcarts and emulators
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Navigate to
[C:] GAMECART
- Follow the steps applicable to your game cartridge:
- 3DS Game Cartridge: Press (A) on
[TitleID].trim.3ds
to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Build CIA from file” - NDS Game Cartridge: Press (A) on
[TitleID].trim.nds
to select it, then select “Copy to 0:/gm9/out”
- 3DS Game Cartridge: Press (A) on
- Your installable
.cia
or non-installable.nds
formatted file will be outputted to the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card
Dumping a Title
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Hover over the drive applicable to the type of title you wish to dump:
- User Installed Title:
[A:] SYSNAND SD
- System Title:
[1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND
- User Installed Title:
- Hold (R) and press (A) at the same time to open the drive options
- Select “Search for titles”
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (A) on the
.tmd
file to select it, then select “TMD file options…”, then select “Build CIA (standard)” - Your installable
.cia
formatted file will be outputted to the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card
Converting a .3DS to .CIA
- For organizational purposes, copy each
.3ds
file you wish to convert to the/cias/
folder on your SD card- Note that if you wish to convert a
.3ds
file that is already on a flashcart, you should follow Dumping a Game Cartridge
- Note that if you wish to convert a
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Navigate to
[0:] SDCARD
->cias
- Press (A) on your
.3ds
file to select it, then select “NCSD image options…”, then select “Build CIA from file” - Your installable
.cia
formatted file will be outputted to the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card
Backup GBA VC Saves
The game will be outputted to the /gm9/out/
folder on your SD card with the name <TitleID>.gbavc.sav
.
To identify a <TitleID>.gbavc.sav
file’s Title ID, you can get a listing of all games on the system and their corresponding Title IDs by hovering over [A:] SYSNAND SD
, holding (R) and pressing (A) at the same time, then selecting “Search for titles”.
Godmode9 3ds
- Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to backup the save for:
- Launch the GBA VC game
- Exit the GBA VC game
- Boot your device while holding (Start) to launch the Luma3DS chainloader menu
- Launch GodMode9 by pressing (A)
- Navigate to
[S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
- Press (A) on
agbsave.bin
to select it - Select “AGBSAVE options…”
- Select “Dump GBA VC save”
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (Start) to reboot your device
Restore GBA VC Saves
To identify a <TitleID>.gbavc.sav
file’s Title ID, you can get a listing of all games on the system and their corresponding Title IDs by hovering over [A:] SYSNAND SD
, holding (R) and pressing (A) at the same time, then selecting “Search for titles”.
- Do the following process for each GBA VC game that you want to restore the save for:
- Launch the GBA VC game
- Exit the GBA VC game
- Boot your device while holding (Start) to launch the Luma3DS chainloader menu
- Launch GodMode9 by pressing (A)
- Navigate to
[0:] SDCARD
->gm9
- Press (Y) on the
<TitleID>.gbavc.sav
file you wish to restore to copy it - Press (B) to return to the main menu
- Navigate to
[S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
- Press (A) on
agbsave.bin
to select it - Select “AGBSAVE options…”
- Select “Inject GBA VC save”
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (Start) to reboot your device
- Launch the GBA VC game
- Exit the GBA VC game
Format an SD card
Note that this will erase the contents of your SD card!
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
- Select “More…”
- Select “SD format menu”
- Select any EmuNAND options you wish to use
- Most users will want to select “No EmuNAND”
- Select “Auto”
- Press (A) to accept the label
GM9SD
- Optionally, you may input a custom name for the SD card
- When prompted, input the key combo given to confirm
Encrypting / Decrypting a .CIA file
Godmode9 Install
For organizational purposes, copy each .cia
file you wish to encrypt / decrypt to the /cias/
folder on your SD card
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Navigate to
[0:] SDCARD
->cias
- Press (A) on the
.cia
file to select it, then select “CIA image options…” - Select the option to perform the desired function:
- Encrypt to 0:/gm9/out: Create an encrypted copy of the selected
.cia
file in the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card - Decrypt to 0:/gm9/out: Create a decrypted copy of the selected
.cia
file in the/gm9/out/
folder on your SD card - Encrypt inplace: Replace the selected
.cia
file with an encrypted version - Decrypt inplace: Replace the selected
.cia
file with a decrypted version
- Encrypt to 0:/gm9/out: Create an encrypted copy of the selected
- Your encrypted / decrypted
.cia
will be outputted to the desired location
Removing an NNID without formatting your device
- Launch GodMode9 by holding (Start) during boot
- Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
- Select “Scripts…”
- Select “GM9Megascript”
- Select “Scripts from Plailect’s Guide”
- Select “Remove NNID”
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
- Press (A) to continue
- Press (B) to return to the main menu
- Select “Exit”
- Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
- Press (Start) to reboot your device