Wii update 4.2 reportedly bricking consoles

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/95118-Wii-4-2-Update-Reportedly-Trashing-Consoles

Nasty reports are beginning to surface that the latest Wii update, which was intended primarily to remove "homebrew" content, is actually destroying some consoles.

Both NeoGAF and and Nintendo's technical support forum are being hit with reports from people whose Wii consoles have frozen during the download of the 4.2 update and will not reboot when they're unplugged and restarted. It was originally suspected that only consoles with the Homebrew Channel installed were being damaged but it now appears to be a random issue, as some "non-HBC" Wii owners are claiming that their systems have been "bricked" as well.

The problem appears to lie with the "boot2" program, which the Wii requires to start up properly. Changes to that program as a result of the update leave it prone to write errors which can cause the console to refuse to boot, regardless of whether or not it has ever been modified. The risk is only present during the update process, however; once the update is complete, there is no risk of your system coming to harm.

Nintendo has remained silent on the matter thus far and some users with out-of-warranty systems have reportedly been told they'll have to cover the cost of repairs themselves, although that stance could presumably change if this grows into a "Red Ring of Death" style problem. In the meantime, until the matter is settled once and for all, it's probably best to just avoid this update altogether

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So why am I bothering to post this when I clearly have an aversion to the console? Well, I can't help but be amazed by Nintendo these days. Let's look at what's wrong with this whole picture.

A) Homebrewers will have a work-around within a week, despite the fact that generally none of them update their consoles, anyway.
B) Non-Homebrew users, the ones who don't tend to worry about problems with patching but are afflicted with this one, are being -charged for repairs- ((Now free; but still a time constraint and possibly losing WiiWare which cost them money previously)) that Nintendo has actually invoked on their consoles.
C) The Wii isn't even the root of the Homebrew community - if anything the DS holds the absolute largest population. In fact, Nintendo's own business plan with the console has changed their audience to a crowd that largely WON'T Homebrew. The adults, "little sisters", and elderly crowd. In addition to not Homebrewing, they're being expected to remedy the problem with their time and money - and unlike the avid gamers, probably aren't in such a rush to have it back up and running. In fact most will probably turn it into a dust shelf for lack of functionality.

It's glorious really, it's like they're jumping into a hole and asking to be buried. Good going guys, another Mario game isn't going to fix this one - especially since The New Super Mario Brothers; Wii is projected to include and require the very same update. Arh ha ha ha ha.

As to anyone using the Wii of course, it goes without saying; don't update it.

So when I see that blue light turn on, don't update...got it. SOOOO glad I read this before I did update. I used to have th HBC on my Wii; not anymore, but I'm still worried.

And bravo, Nintendo.

We updated this morning, and it didn't die mid-update or anything. *shrugs*

I updated yesterday. Not sure if it was 4.2....but mine's okay.

Whoops, too late for me, I already updated it!
On a side note, I've never been charged for repairs for my Wii crashing in the past...

I don't update mine because I can't figure out how to get it to connect to the internet. :| [/probably really stupid]
But oh well. If I ever figure that out I won't update it with this update. >>

Yeah, I saw the update, and noticed it mentioned something about removing stuff that shouldn't be there, so I said to myself "Homebrew Channel, and my Scumm & GBA emulators might get pulled off, so I'll wait", and didn't update. I'll wait a while to see if they actually fix it, so...

But on the topic of NSMBWii, gotta love the Brick Blocker to prevent the update but still allow you to play xD It's why I was able to play Tatsunoko vs. Capcom on a system that hadn't been updated at ALL.

some users with out-of-warranty systems have reportedly been told they'll have to cover the cost of repairs themselves

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Non-Homebrew users, AKA the ones who would actually update the big white brick, are being -charged for repairs- the Nintendo has actually invoked on their consoles.

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way to misrepresent statements!

I don't update mine because I can't figure out how to get it to connect to the internet.

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Exactly the same reason I never update mine. Well, that and the fact that I have nothing but dial-up, so it's actually not even possible for my Wii to connect to the Internet...

I think the only updates I've ever had were installed from game discs (I think it was Super Paper Mario and Smash Bros. Brawl that did it.) Hopefuly NSMBWii won't force this update, because I was planning on getting that one and really won't want to risk having my system screwed up.

opaltiger said:

way to misrepresent statements!

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Explain how? Nintendo is required by law to be responsible for all firmware updates on the grounds that -they function-. Corporate realised they couldn't pull that kind of sham of course (Oh they tried), but previously people calling in were being told to pay off up to 80 (US) dollars to unbrick the thing.

Eheh.. I have to keep Brick Blocker in mind if I ever play an actual Wii game on the thing again. I'm rather happy with my 1.3v console thanks 'Tendo. <3

I don't care what Nintendo is required by law to do. The article said "some users with out-of-warranty systems [would have to pay]". You said "Non-Homebrew users [would have to pay]". Unless you are claiming that these two groups overlap exactly, you misrepresented the original statement.

Didn't brick my system, so already my interest has rapidly declined.

However, I did find it amusing how hip and edgy it is to "dodge" an update when it warns you in very clear language that it will remove unauthorized content and then allows you to not update. Really tough dodging that, yep. I imagine the people who need a program to do this for them are the same people that have someone else pick out their clothes every morning.

opaltiger said:

I don't care what Nintendo is required by law to do. The article said "some users with out-of-warranty systems [would have to pay]". You said "Non-Homebrew users [would have to pay]". Unless you are claiming that these two groups overlap exactly, you misrepresented the original statement.

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And so you feel the need to take it -so- literally? That's not what I said - I said the Homebrew users in general know not to update their consoles. The people who do update, as such, are generally those who don't use these programs at all - and should have nothing to worry about an official firmware release - but yesterday were being told they had to pay to have it repaired. And nevermind the money, these people are still having to send their systems in which tends to take a good month plus for it to be returned. Not only that, but the send-in repairs are notorious for deleting system information, including purchased Wii Shop titles. Of course that's hear-say to me, but there are more than a few reports, and I think one would be miffed yes? Nintendo is, in effect, punishing it's legitimate customers in an attempt to stop the illegit ones.

Geight said:

Didn't brick my system, so already my interest has rapidly declined.

However, I did find it amusing how hip and edgy it is to "dodge" an update when it warns you in very clear language that it will remove unauthorized content and then allows you to not update. Really tough dodging that, yep. I imagine the people who need a program to do this for them are the same people that have someone else pick out their clothes every morning.

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Who claimed it was about being hip and edgy? It's about maintaining system functionality. Mind you most Homebrew applications are legal independent freeware applications. What Nintendo dislikes it that they don't get to charge for it, let's be honest with ourselves there.
And if you buy a Wii title that forces an update on you to play you do need a program, actually.

And so you feel the need to take it -so- literally? That's not what I said - I said the Homebrew users in general know not to update their consoles.

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That's exactly what you said. You said that non-homebrew users would have to pay for repairs to their consoles. This is not true. As the article clearly states, it is only those users whose warranty has run out who will have to pay (whether or not they should pay is irrelevant).

I feel the need to take it literally because you are presenting information in a very misleading way. This is exactly how rumours get started about, say, the infamous health-care death panels: people can't be bothered to read the source material, and so rely on interpretations by others which are not always accurate.

Without the article, what you stated was this:

1. Homebrew users would not be affected, because they would get a workaround.
2. Non-homebrew users would have to pay for repairs to their consoles.

This is simply not true, and it is conceivable that someone sees this thread, doesn't have time to read the whole article and thus just reads your summary of points, which is incorrect and misleading - and then, finding the information objectionable, spreads it further. Misinformation is an extremely annoying thing, and it starts with misrepresentation.

So wait... having a hack on a console can ruin it in conjunction with official stuff? How is this surprising?

Correct me if I'm wrong about it being a hack, of course. I've never even heard of Homebrew before this.

Homebrew is unofficial software, so yeah, you could call it a hack, I guess. ETA: As long as we realise that it is not an illegal hack, of course. Although it might void the warranty - you'd have to check the contract.

...Did you just compare an issue of a console firmware with death panels?...
What?
I don't even understand where you're going with this, any more. You seem to be stuck on absolutes that aren't there.

B) Non-Homebrew users, AKA the ones who would actually update the big white brick, are being -charged for repairs- that Nintendo has actually invoked on their consoles.

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Firstly, this thread is obviously informing others of this problem at it's base. But note the "Would" - most people don't give a second thought to the updates, like many who have already posted, although it doesn't affect _everyone_ - many others were affected.
As a result they've contacted Nintendo, and were told they needed to send their console in for repairs - previously at a cost, now only the time it takes, but nonetheless.
This is where the legal issue comes in - Nintendo IS obliged, warranty or not, and just like any company, to ensure firmware updates _function_. It was ridiculous for such an update to be released in the first place.

Cirrus said:

So wait... having a hack on a console can ruin it in conjunction with official stuff? How is this surprising?

Correct me if I'm wrong about it being a hack, of course. I've never even heard of Homebrew before this.

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Actually, the problem is those without any form of hacked functions having their systems bricked. It goes without saying someone who hacked it will encounter problems.

Lulzs, the hackers already have a workaround.

Anyways, the Homebrew Channel is not illegal, though the methods to get it on there can be considered a little questionable. Plus, it can be used for piracy. Either way, it violates Ninty's terms of service and ends your warranty on it.

The root of the problem is boot 2v4. Normally, it loads like boot 0, boot 1, and boot 2. They're updating boot 2 to 2v4 to prevent Homebrew from getting on there, but the code used to update it is somewhat faulty and - if the update fails - will cause your Wii to brick, not allowing any software(including Nintendo's repair stuff) to get on there. Your data is now pretty much permanently lost, and Nintendo most likely won't reimburse you for your VC/Wii Ware downloads. (This happened with TB of Brawl in the Family. His Wii bricked through an unrelated event recently and lost his VC downloads.)

I'm not updating till we get some official word from Nintendo on this and we have a newer version of the update with a failsafe and some NOT faulty coding.

L'il Dwagie said:

...Did you just compare an issue of a console firmware with death panels?...
What?

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I hoped you'd pull this.

No. I compared an issue of you misinterpreting data to an issue of certain politicians misinterpreting data. At no point did I directly compare the content of the data.

I don't even understand where you're going with this, any more. You seem to be stuck on absolutes that aren't there.

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You seem to be missing the point. My point is that your summary of an article contained information that was not in the source material. That is all. You cannot possibly deny this.

Firstly, this thread is obviously informing others of this problem at it's base. But note the "Would" - most people don't give a second thought to the updates, like many who have already posted, although it doesn't affect _everyone_ - many others were affected.

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At no point did you make this clear. You said that homebrew users wouldn't update the console, so the people who would would be affected. The implication was definitely that non-homebrew users update their consoles and homebrew users don't.

The second half of your sentence is a bit unclear, but I get the general point, and there's another thing: never once do you mention that this issue only affects some users. What you said was that non-homebrew users would have to pay for repairs because of the update. What the article said is that affected people whose warranties have run out would have to pay for repairs because of the update. How can you possibly say these two statements are equal?

As a result they've contacted Nintendo, and were told they needed to send their console in for repairs - previously at a cost, now only the time it takes, but nonetheless.
This is where the legal issue comes in - Nintendo IS obliged, warranty or not, and just like any company, to ensure firmware updates _function_. It was ridiculous for such an update to be released in the first place.

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You are completely confusing my argument. I am saying that a statement you made is at odds with a statement in the article. Nothing else. The qualifications you make, the things you add later, they do not matter. Your initial statement was wrong. I am not trying to determine whether Nintendo is obliged to do anything, whether users should have to pay for repairs themselves - I am trying to determine whether you presented the article in a suitable way, and you didn't.

Now, I don't mean to be so antagonistic, but is it that hard to realise that the way you phrased your statement makes it mean something other than what the article said? Is it that hard to edit the sentence slightly in order to clarify the error? Did you have to engage in this extended discussion, when you could have just admitted you were wrong and changed your original post?

ETA: to clarify, I do not exactly regard this issue as vitally important. My comments are aimed at misinformation in general, and it just so happened that your statements made a good example. And dare I add that, since you apparently do not like Nintendo very much, you are trying to make the situation seem worse than it is?

opaltiger said:

Now, I don't mean to be so antagonistic, but is it that hard to realise that the way you phrased your statement makes it mean something other than what the article said? Is it that hard to edit the sentence slightly in order to clarify the error? Did you have to engage in this extended discussion, when you could have just admitted you were wrong and changed your original post?

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- Excuse me, what? At no point did you state that your intent was for me to correct my original post. It looks more to me like you yourself were trying to invoke an argument like this. You're the one who came into this hostile, not me; and did you expect me to say "Oh" and roll over on my back for you now that we're here?

opaltiger said:

I hoped you'd pull this.

No. I compared an issue of you misinterpreting data to an issue of certain politicians misinterpreting data. At no point did I directly compare the content of the data.

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Case and point, you're trying to dangle the proverbial carrot.

I didn't quote the content of either, I'm referring to the fact that "Death panels" were a blatant fabrication by a desperate party. Are you -actually- keeping track of what's going on in US politics? There's a reason the place is so fucked. Comparing that is like comparing Hitler to "You Must Be This Tall To Ride" signs at amusement parks.

opaltiger said:

You seem to be missing the point. My point is that your summary of an article contained information that was not in the source material. That is all. You cannot possibly deny this.

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When I preface my comments with an article of base material do you not think it would make sense to expect one to look it over?
I had never claimed that my summary -didn't-. I'm an independent representation and I thought for that matter that the first thing I said would indicate that. And I've already explained how they relate to you, too.

opaltiger said:

At no point did you make this clear. You said that homebrew users wouldn't update the console, so the people who would would be affected. The implication was definitely that non-homebrew users update their consoles and homebrew users don't.

The second half of your sentence is a bit unclear, but I get the general point, and there's another thing: never once do you mention that this issue only affects some users. What you said was that non-homebrew users would have to pay for repairs because of the update. What the article said is that affected people whose warranties have run out would have to pay for repairs because of the update. How can you possibly say these two statements are equal?

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The last line of text.
And this is because homebrew users wouldn't. It's common practice; don't update. The ones affected ARE those who are updating, whom feel they have nothing to worry about - and rightfully so they shouldn't.

And perhaps this is because I prefaced with the article. Your entire argument is coming from me acting like an official source. No, I cited one, and I thought that would be clear as day but apparently not.

Non homebrew-users are the minority here most likely to be affected, and since a majority of Wii owners ARE out of warranty from the major rush of them this can account for a very large number of people of this group. I didn't claim that they're equal at any time.

opaltiger said:

You are completely confusing my argument. I am saying that a statement you made is at odds with a statement in the article. Nothing else. The qualifications you make, the things you add later, they do not matter. Your initial statement was wrong. I am not trying to determine whether Nintendo is obliged to do anything, whether users should have to pay for repairs themselves - I am trying to determine whether you presented the article in a suitable way, and you didn't.

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I gave the source article, I gave my commentary, and you felt it appropriate to pick it apart. Once again you didn't state your intentions. And you're trying to make a case out of "If the article weren't there" which is simply irrelevant.