by Jade Stephen

Created on: March 28, 2010

When it comes to the WII, there are few things as exciting and flexible as the Homebrew channel. You can play or make homemade games, install cheat codes, play backup copies of games, or even install Linux operating system. Regardless of your intentions however, the first step to seeing your WII dreams become a reality is the sometimes confusing installation of the Homebrew channel. To successfully accomplish this goal you will need a few things: your Wii console, an SD memory card, and a card reader for your PC.

1)      Format your SD Card

The first step is one of preparation. We will be formatting your card to a format which is readable by your Wii, FAT 16 or FAT. First take your memory card and place it into your computer’s card reader. Press the start button and open the computer symbol located on the right hand side. Next, locate the memory card’s icon and right click on it. On the drop down menu click format. Under File System, make sure that FAT or FAT 16 are selected, as well as the quick format box, and click start. Once this is complete we can move to step 2.

2)      Loading your Card

At this point we need to download the software that you will be using to install the Homebrew channel to your SD card for the installation. To do this we will visit a website called BannerBomb, located at http://bannerbomb.qoid.us/ . Open the website and choose your Wii version. If you are not sure of the current version of your Wii, open your console’s system menu and it will have it at the top right corner. Once selecting your version you will be directed to a set of instructions for download and extraction onto your SD card. Follow them well, as a mistake here could postpone your installation for an undetermined amount of time.

3)      Install the software

 At this point turn your Wii on. Open the Wii System menu by clicking the Wii symbol at the lower left corner, and then click data management. Next, click the SD card tab in the upper right hand corner of the screen. At this point you will need to insert your SD card into your Wii. There is a little door on the front of your Wii. Open it and insert your chip into the SD card slot.  A box will then pop up asking if you would like to load boot.dol/elf. Click yes and this will begin the installation process.  When prompted press the 1 button on your Wii-mote.  Next use your directional pad to select install The Homebrew Channel, and then confirm the installation by pressing the “a” button again.  After the installation has completed it will inform you, press the “a” button to finish, and you will be brought to the Homebrew channel for the first time!

Congratulations on successfully installing the Homebrew Channel, from now on, it will be a visible channel on your Wii menu. Enjoy!

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