Unlocking Wii U Aroma: Homebrew Launcher Essentials

The Homebrew Launcher is a dedicated launcher application for launching Wii U homebrew apps. It is possible to use both Tiramisu and Aroma, as they were made by the same developer. Aroma is a collection of tools for using homebrew on the Wii U, and it is installed onto an SD card. Aroma Modules can be compared to .rpl files, and they stay loaded in memory. Aroma has a built-in update-blocking feature.

Installing Aroma on an SD card

Aroma is installed on an SD card. First, download Aroma here. Extract the contents of the newly downloaded aroma zips and copy them to the SD Card. Select 'merge' to merge the files of the zip files, then copy the PayloadLoaderInstaller.wuhb file (inside a different ZIP file) into /wiiu/apps.

After putting the SD card in the Wii U, ensure you are connected to the internet. Open the internet browser and go to wiiuexploit.xyz. Click the 'Run Exploit!' button and hold the B button until a menu appears. If your Wii U freezes, wait a few seconds. If nothing happens, reboot the console and reset the browser's saved data, then retry this step.

Creating a NAND Backup

In case something goes wrong in later steps and the Wii U gets 'bricked', restoring a previous NAND backup could fix the Wii U. Navigate to the 'nanddumper' using the gamepad and press A to launch it. Using the D-pad, select 'Yes' to the following options: SLC, SLCCMPT, OTP, SEEPROM. Only select 'Yes' to MLC if your SD card is larger than 32 GB, as MLC is where game data is stored. Press A to start dumping the NAND. Once you have dumped the NAND, turn the Wii U off and take out the SD card. Copy slc.bin, slccmpt.bin, seeprom.bin, otp.bin, and mlc.bin.part file to your computer. Delete the file from the SD card after copying them.

Installing the PayloadLoader

Installing the PayloadLoader allows you to access Aroma by running the 'Health and Safety Information' app. After putting the SD card back in the Wii U, repeat Step 2 (above) except hold X instead of B. Press A to launch the Aroma environment, then press A again to launch the Wii U Menu from the Aroma boot selector. Once you are back on the Wii U Menu, launch the PayloadLoader Installer (the one with the big blue 'A' on it) from the Wii U Menu. Press A to check for installation, then press A again to select 'Install/Update'. Afterward, you'll be asked if you are sure you want to install the PayloadLoader. Use the D-Pad to select 'Install' and press A.

Autoboot Aroma (Optional)

At present, you have to launch the 'Health and Safety Info.' app to launch Aroma. If you wish to have Aroma automatically launch, you can autoboot Health and Safety info. Launch Health and Safety and hold the X button. Press A to launch Aroma, then press A again to launch the Wii U Menu from the Aroma boot selector. Once you are back on the Wii U Menu, launch the PayloadLoader Installer (the one with the big blue 'A' on it) from the Wii U Menu. Press A to check for installation, select 'Boot options', then press A to select 'Switch to PayloadLoader'. After this is finished, press A to shut down the console. If you want to change the default boot title, hold Start (+) on the Gamepad while booting the console.

Finalize setup/Enjoy Homebrew!

Open the Environment Loader and press Y to set Aroma as your default environment, then press A to continue. You might get a red warning telling you updates aren't blocked properly. Ignore the warning for now and press A to continue. On the Aroma Boot Selector, select 'Wii U Menu'. Press Y to make this the default booting option, then press A to continue. Install the Homebrew App Store here to download homebrew apps. Download appstore.wuhb and extract/copy the zip to your SD card, and you can launch it from the Wii U Menu.

Running the browser exploit

After putting the SD card in the Wii U, make sure you are connected to the Internet. Confirm that you are connected, then open the Internet Browser and go to wiiuexploit.xyz. Click the "Run Exploit!" button and hold the B button until a menu appears. If your Wii U freezes, wait a few seconds, and if nothing happens, reboot the console and reset the Browser's save data and retry this step.

You can also try other sites that host the Wii U exploit loader, such as:

• Http://googiehax.xyz
• Http://loadiine.ovh/kafluke/
• Http://sirbeethoven.github.io/Popcorn/
• Http://nwplayer123.github.io/WiiU
• Http://git.io/wiiuhax
• Http://www.wiiubru.com/
• Http://anus.trade/wiiu/index.html
• Http://wiiu.insanenutter.com
• Http://www.hackergen.com/wiiu
• Http://wiiu.pumplex.com/menu
• Http://www.ouahouah.eu/wiiu
• Https://5on1c.github.io/LatteHax/

If your Wii U freezes, you'll have to hold the power button to turn off the console and try again. Freezes are completely random, and much more common on the latest system firmware. Don't be surprised if this takes quite a while, and make sure your SD card is properly formatted if it takes more than ten tries.

Resetting browser save data

Resetting your browser's save data will prevent your web browser from freezing when you run the exploit:

• Tap the Settings button in the upper-right corner of the start page.
• Tap Reset your data.

Running the exploit

Navigate to wiiuexploit.xyz in the Wii U web browser. Click or tap Run Exploit or hold the "B" button until you see a menu.

Creating a NAND backup

Step 1: Prepare your SD Card

Before you begin, ensure that you have a compatible SD card for your Wii U console. The size of the SD card will depend on the model of your Wii U. If you have a 32GB Wii U, you will need a 64GB or larger SD card. Insert the SD card into your computer and format it as FAT32. This will delete all the contents on the SD card, so make sure you have a backup if necessary.

Step 2: Download and Install Aroma

Download the Aroma files from the official website (https://aroma.foryour.cafe/). Extract the contents of the downloaded zip files and copy them to the root of your SD card. Make sure you do not place the files inside any other folders on the SD card.

Step 3: Reset your Wii U's Internet Browser

On your Wii U console, open the Internet Browser and reset the browser's save data. This can be done by accessing the settings and selecting "Reset your data."

Step 4: Run the Browser Exploit

With your SD card inserted into the Wii U, navigate to wiiuexploit.xyz in the Wii U web browser. Click on "Run Exploit" or hold the "B" button until a menu appears. If your Wii U freezes or gets stuck on a white screen, wait a few seconds, reboot the console, and try again.

Step 5: Launch Nanddumper

After successfully running the exploit, you will be able to launch Nanddumper. Navigate to Nanddumper in the menu and press the "A" button to launch it.

Step 6: Configure and Start the NAND Backup

In the Nanddumper menu, select the following options: SLC, SLCCMPT, OTP, and SEEPROM. If your SD card is larger than 32GB, you can also select "Yes" for MLC, as this contains game data. Once you have made your selections, press the "A" button to start the NAND dumping process.

Step 7: Copy NAND Files to your Computer

Once the NAND dumping process is complete, turn off your Wii U and remove the SD card. Insert the SD card into your computer and copy the following files to a safe location on your computer: slc.bin, slccmpt.bin, seeprom.bin, otp.bin, and if you selected MLC, every mlc.bin.part file. After copying the files, delete them from your SD card to free up space.

By following these steps, you will have successfully created a NAND backup of your Wii U console. This backup can be used to restore your console to its previous state if any issues occur during the installation of Aroma or any other modifications.

Installing the PayloadLoader

Once you are back on the Wii U Menu, launch the PayloadLoader Installer (the one with the big, blue A on it) from the Wii U Menu. Press A to check if there is an installation. Then, press A to select Install / Update. Afterward, you'll be asked if you are sure you want to install the PayloadLoader. Use the D-Pad to select Install and press A.

The PayloadLoaderInstaller is a (hopefully) user-friendly and safe installer to inject a "payload.elf-loader" into the Health and Safety application via FailST.

To be able to do a cold boot setup, you need to launch this installer via the Health & Safety injection itself. Use the installer to uninstall the Payload-Loader, as even a factory reset won't remove it.

There is always the risk of bricking the console, so only proceed with installing if you understand and accept this risk.

Finalizing setup

Now that you have installed Aroma on your Wii U, you are almost done.

Open the Environment Loader and press Y to set Aroma as your default environment, then press A to continue. You might get a red warning telling you updates aren't blocked properly. Ignore the warning for now and press A to continue. On the Aroma Boot Selector, select "Wii U Menu", press Y to make this the default booting option, then press A to continue.

You can install the Homebrew App Store to download homebrew apps. Download appstore.wuhb and extract/copy the zip to your SD card, and you can launch it from the Wii U Menu.

Aroma's PayloadLoader has a built-in update-blocking feature. When it gives you the update warning screen, press X to block updates. If the screen does not show up, hold + and - on the Boot Selector until it says: Updates blocked!

Booting into Tiramisu

If you ever need to boot into Tiramisu, for example, to use a Legacy homebrew app, follow these instructions:

Download Tiramisu and extract the contents to the root of your SD Card, merging/replacing any files if needed. Insert the SD Card into your Wii U, turn it on, boot into the Environment Loader, and use the d-pad to navigate to "tiramisu".

Frequently asked questions