Backing Up Essential Files
Please follow these steps to backup the essential files for your Switch. If the Switch is ever bricked, you will need these files to restore it.
Making a NAND Backup
A NAND backup is crucial. They can be used to restore the device to a working state in case of emergencies.
Instructions
- Restart the Switch to enter Hekate
- Use the touch screen to navigate to
Tools
and thenBackup eMMC
- Tap on
eMMC BOOT0 & BOOT1
- This should only take a few seconds, but if your SD card is very slow, it may take around a minute.
- Tap on
Close
to continue, then tap oneMMC RAW GPP
- This will take a long time. Expect it to take between 10 minutes to an hour (or more, if your SD card is very slow).
- On FAT32 SD cards or cards that have less than 32 gigabytes of space available, the NAND will be split into 1 or 2 gigabyte parts.
- Hekate will stop producing these parts when it runs out of space. When this happens, do the following:
- Power off your system
- Insert your SD card into your PC
- Move all files from the
backup
folder on your SD card to a safe location on your PC - Insert your SD card into your Switch
- Power on the Switch again to enter Hekate, and continue the backup by tapping on
Tools
>Backup eMMC
>eMMC RAW GPP
- Repeat the process until the NAND is completely dumped
- Press
Close
>Home
>Power Off
- Insert your SD card into your PC
- Copy the
backup
folder on your SD card to a safe location on your PC
Making a Console Unique Key Backup
These keys are critical to have. In an extreme emergency, they can be used in conjunction with your NAND backup and other tools to restore your console to a working state.
Instructions
- Restart the Switch to enter Hekate.
- Tap the
Payloads
option, then press Lockpick_RCM.bin. - If Lockpick_RCM asks you to select between SysNAND and EmuNAND, choose SysNAND by navigating with the volume buttons and pressing the power button. If not, continue with step 4.
- Lockpick_RCM should now inform you that your keys have been saved to
/switch/prod.keys
on the SD card. - Press any button to return to the main menu.
- Navigate to
Power off
with the volume buttons and select it with the power button. - Insert your SD card into your PC.
- Copy
prod.keys
from theswitch
folder on your SD card to a safe location on your PC (it is suggested to copy it to the same place that you copied your NAND backup to).