Wii Backup Software

Yes, while hard to believe it is possible to backup Wii games in less than a minute and in reality it is not that hard to do. It is a breeze to copy and play burned Wii games if you have the right software and have your system configured properly. keep in mind that it will take some preparation to be ready to do this.

Here are some tips to teach you how you can backup Wii games in less than a minute

Your Wii console will require that you manually install some special software in order for it to recognize and play the backed up games.   Fortunately, you can find this software on the web and it is easy to download and easy to install.  You can be backing up your Wii games and burning discs in no time.

• The easiest way to prep your machine to play burned games is to install something called a “soft-mod” . I recommend you try EazyBackupWizard – You can read my review of it and download it here.

 

• One quirk of this approach is that you will need a copy of the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in order for this mod to work properly. I know this seems odd but its how the software has been implemented. This game has been around a while and has been marked down considerably so it should not be hard to get your hands on a copy.  You can probably find it even cheaper used at a game store or on eBay.

 

• You will need a PC with an SD card reader, this computer must be able to read FAT 16 memory cards. If your computer does not have this built in, you can get an external device cheap.

 

• The EasyBackupWizard SD Card Installer is also required, this can be downloaded online.  It can be easily found with a quick web search.

 

• Use the EasyBackupWizard SD Card Installer to load up and  install the software directly on your FAT16 card.

• Next, insert both the Zelda game into the Wii CD drive and insert the SD memory card into your Wii’s SD memory card slot.

 

• You will need to erase the Zelda game data. You can do this in the Wii memory management menu.

• After you have deleted the game data you will need to switch over to the SD card with the tab key and then copy the Twilight Hack chainloader onto the Wii console.

 

• Now run the Zelda game and open the main savefile, this will load the on-board mod software to be installed.

 

• Now you can use most any DVD buring software to copy the Wii games by putting them into your computer DVD player and making a copy to a blank disc. This can now be done in about a minute per game

 

• Now insert the backup disk and play the game as if it was an original copy.

Don’t let this intimidate you, if you use the right software it is really very straight forward.  That is why I recommend you check out EazyBackupWizard to do it all for you.

I don’t know about you but i have small children and their is nothing more frustrating than for them to put in their Wii game and have it not work only to discover it has been scratched and abused and now I am ought another $40.  Even if you don’t have small kids these discs are not as durable as advertised and they can get ruined. With that in mind you need to protect your investment by making backup copies.  In fact I would keep the originals safe in their jewel case and just play the backups.  If it get ruined then just make another copy. There are really only a couple approaches to backing up Wii games that actually works. There is a hardware approach and a software approach and while either will work there are some significant differences and levels of risk involved.

The Hardware Approach (Wii Modchip)

The modchip will allow a choice of free software packages for ripping Wii games and most work quite well and the chips really are not very expensive.  They start at around $25.  The problem really is the Wii itself and you need to clearly understand the risks involved before you start down this path.

To install the chip you will obviously have to open up the console and that in itself will void your warranty permanently. Incorrectly installed modchips have been known to damage the Wii beyond repair. This will also likely prevent you from installing future firmware updates to the console because it will detect the foreign chip and disable the console.

The Software Approach (Wii Softmod)

The currently recommended way to copy or backup Wii games is called “softmod.” This approach requires no hardware, no need to open your Wii console, and no need to void your warranty, and you can still continue to update your firmware and maintain your warranty.

The real key is in buying the right software which starts at around $40. There are several proven options but I there are three that are worth further discussion:

• Easy Backup Wizard <- the cheapest with the most features (read my review here)
• Game Copy Pro
• Wii HomeBrew

All of these were easy to use and the copies worked great.
While it may cost a few dollars more to take the software approach it definitely the better option in my opinion. You can continue to play online with the softmod game copies. Your Wii remains in factory condition so it is still covered by the warranty. Another advantage is that once burned these games will play on any Wii, not just one with the software installed so this can be a real bonus if you like to play at a friends house.

If you are interested in purchasing softmod software, check out my review of Eazy Backup Wizard here.

Nintendo doesn’t want you playing copies of games on your Wii console.  Obviously they want people to buy the games and not use illegal copies and so they did not build any ability for the Wii to make backup copies.  Trying to prevent piracy viagra certainly their prerogative but there are very legitimate reasons why you may want make a backup copy of a game . I have small children and they have a habit of scratching and otherwise abusing discs they get their hands on and these discs are just not as durable as advertised. It does not take much to render them unusable. Then you are out $30, $40, $50 or more dollars. That just isn’t right.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep to protect your gaming investment in the event they become damaged. Now this isn’t free but it isn’t really that expensive either.  For about the cost of one game, you can protect your entire gaming library.

One way to back up your Wii games is a hardware approach called a modchip.  The chip authenticates the DVD as a legitimate Wii disk even though it is not. The problem with this approach is that you actually have to open the Wii and install a chip.  Just touching a computer chip is intimidating to me and it will void your warranty. Also the quality of the chips are not consistent so you likely need to pay for and install another one sooner or later. Once installed you cannot install routine software updates so this is not an approach I would recommend.

The much better approach is called softmodding. You use a special software application to copy the game leaving no chip to buy and install so your Wii and warranty are left intact. A disadvantage is that you wan’t be able to take advantage of the free burning and backup software available online.  If you take this approach you will need to buy software with the ability to bypass the authentication coding in the game during the copying process. However, keep in mind that even a cheap chip will run you about $25. For just a few dollars more you can purchase a safe software solution to your Wii backup needs.

There are a several reputable software packages that can make softmodded backups safely. The software that I would recommend is called Eazy Backup Wizard – see a review of it here.

In order to backup your Wii games, you have to verify that your PC can read the Wii programming. Most computers can not do this natively and will need a special type of program to allow you computer to see the Wii files.  One source of Wii recognition software is Wii video game websites and here is a review of my favorite).

Once the software has been downloaded and installed you will need to insert a Wii disc into DVD drive which will activate the program. Most likely a window may pop up on your computer screen requiring you to download a program before you can continue.  You will need to follow these instructions and once complete you will then be able to save Wii game info onto your PC’s hard drive. You can backup this information by saving it to your computer hard drive, buring it to another disc, or saving to an SD card

After completing this process remove the Wii disc.  One way to play this backup is to open your Wii console and modify it with a mod chip but this will void your warranty. The better way to do this is to use an all software solution that keeps your Wii and warranty intact.

You can download a software program called EasyBackupWizard (Check out my review of it here).

This will allow you to copy your Wii games quickly and reliably without touching your hardware.  Once you copy the game, insert it into the Wii and restart. After you have restarted the Wii, you should be able to select the disc channel and load your backup game.