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With the New 3DS XL announced for the US, let's talk transfers

I

Impala26

Member
MicH said:
Im not sure I understand what you're trying to do. Are you just wanting to upgrade your memory card or have you bought a new 3DS that you want to transfer your stuff to?
Click to expand...

The former: I'm running out of space on the packaged 4GB card.

I'll likely be upgrading my SD card regardless of whether or not I get a N3DS XL. But I was probably going to get a microSD card with adapter just to have all bases covered in cased I still want to upgrade down the road
 
M

MicH

Member
Impala26 said:
The former: I'm running out of space on the packaged 4GB card.

I'll likely be upgrading my SD card regardless of whether or not I get a N3DS XL. But I was probably going to get a microSD card with adapter just to have all bases covered in cased I still want to upgrade down the road
Click to expand...
Ah, okay. Here's what you do:

1. Take the SD card out of your 3DS and put it into an SD card reader on your computer
2. Copy the contents of the SD card to the computer
3. Put the microSD in an adapter and put it into computer
4. Copy the contents of the old SD card to the new microSD
5. When done put the microSD (in its adapter) into your 3DS and you're good to go :)
 
I

Impala26

Member
MicH said:
Ah, okay. Here's what you do:

1. Take the SD card out of your 3DS and put it into an SD card reader on your computer
2. Copy the contents of the SD card to the computer
3. Put the microSD in an adapter and put it into computer
4. Copy the contents of the old SD card to the new microSD
5. When done put the microSD (in its adapter) into your 3DS and you're good to go :)
Click to expand...

See I was confused about transferring to the N3DS and why you couldn't simply do this. This covers the game licensing issues? If so, how come transferring to the N3DS isn't this simple?
 
M

MicH

Member
Impala26 said:
See I was confused about transferring to the N3DS and why you couldn't simply do this. This covers the game licensing issues? If so, how come transferring to the N3DS isn't this simple?
Click to expand...
You need to do a system transfer when switching to a new 3DS. the system transfer transfers the game licenses and so on, while the SD card holds the downloaded content (such as games) and save files
 
F

FallingEdge

Member
MicH said:
Ah, okay. Here's what you do:

1. Take the SD card out of your 3DS and put it into an SD card reader on your computer
2. Copy the contents of the SD card to the computer
3. Put the microSD in an adapter and put it into computer
4. Copy the contents of the old SD card to the new microSD
5. When done put the microSD (in its adapter) into your 3DS and you're good to go :)
Click to expand...

So I plan to do this up to step 4. Can I just put the new microSD in the N3DS at this point and then start it up? I plan to not even turn on the N3DS with the default microSD.
 
I

Impala26

Member
MicH said:
You need to do a system transfer when switching to a new 3DS. the system transfer transfers the game licenses and so on, while the SD card holds the downloaded content (such as games) and save files
Click to expand...

Oh, are those game licenses rooted to the system memory then perhaps? If that's the case that would explain things.
 
M

MicH

Member
Impala26 said:
Oh, are those game licenses rooted to the system memory then perhaps? If that's the case that would explain things.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's correct. That's why you need to do the system transfer to move them (and the connected NNID) to a different system

FallingEdge said:
So I plan to do this up to step 4. Can I just put the new microSD in the N3DS at this point and then start it up? I plan to not even turn on the N3DS with the default microSD.
Click to expand...
You will have to do the system reansfer too. I would suggest you do step 5 too, then do the system transfer. When the transfer is done you can simply take the microSD out and put it in the new3DS and you're good to go :)
 
F

FallingEdge

Member
MicH said:
Yes, that's correct. That's why you need to do the system transfer to move them (and the connected NNID) to a different system


You will have to do the system reansfer too. I would suggest you do step 5 too, then do the system transfer. When the transfer is done you can simply take the microSD out and put it in the new3DS and you're good to go :)
Click to expand...

Gotcha. So then I am assuming when I first set up the N3DS, it will ask if I want to do a system transfer or something along the lines of that.
 
I

Insaniac

Member
Okay so before i start this:

doing a system transfer to the new 3DS with MH4U preinstalled on the new 3DS will be fine as long as I have not created an NNID on my new 3DS. I can simply re-download MH4U once the transfer is complete?
 
M

MicH

Member
Insaniac said:
Okay so before i start this:

doing a system transfer to the new 3DS with MH4U preinstalled on the new 3DS will be fine as long as I have not created an NNID on my new 3DS. I can simply re-download MH4U once the transfer is complete?
Click to expand...
Correct
 
I

inner-G

Banned
I sold my previous 3DSs, I'm sad I can't just play the games I've previously bought.

Before the defense force chimes in, I knew what I was doing and I don't expect to get all my games back. I've had like 5 NNIDs that I don't remember, etc. It's jusT bogus as a consumer that in 2015 on a brand new system that I can't do what is basic and easy on any other companies' device - log into an account and download my shit.
 
M

MicH

Member
inner-G said:
I sold my previous 3DSs, I'm sad I can't just play the games I've previously bought.

Before the defense force chimes in, I knew what I was doing and I don't expect to get all my games back. I've had like 5 NNIDs that I don't remember, etc. It's jusT bogus as a consumer that in 2015 on a brand new system that I can't do what is basic and easy on any other companies' device - log into an account and download my shit.
Click to expand...
Call Nintendo and have the serial number from your old system at hand. They may be able to get you your old NNID back to your current 3DS

Insaniac said:
okay and once i finish the system transfer, can I simply copy the data from my old SD to a new 32gb micro SD instead of the 4gb that the system comes with?
Click to expand...
Yep :) Be sure to Cooy everything from your old SD card so the microSD is an exact copy in terms of files
 
I

Insaniac

Member
MicH said:
Call Nintendo and have the serial number from your old system at hand. They may be able to get you your old NNID back to your current 3DS


Yep :) Be sure to Cooy everything from your old SD card so the microSD is an exact copy in terms of files
Click to expand...

okay thanks. one last question. The 32gb micro sd card I am using I previously used in a camera. Do i need to reformat it, or have the n3DS reformat it or something or can i simply delete all the data on it
 
M

MicH

Member
Insaniac said:
okay thanks. one last question. The 32gb micro sd card I am using I previously used in a camera. Do i need to reformat it, or have the n3DS reformat it or something or can i simply delete all the data on it
Click to expand...
I honestly don't know, but I know probably format it just to be safe
 
T

TheBaldEmperor

Member
Insaniac said:
okay thanks. one last question. The 32gb micro sd card I am using I previously used in a camera. Do i need to reformat it, or have the n3DS reformat it or something or can i simply delete all the data on it
Click to expand...

I would reformat it. There is a format tool on Nintendo's site if you really want to use that. Sorry I don't have the link handy,
 
S

Shaanyboi

Banned
Insaniac said:
okay and once i finish the system transfer, can I simply copy the data from my old SD to a new 32gb micro SD instead of the 4gb that the system comes with?
Click to expand...
Once your old system has reformatted, turn off the system and pop it into your PC, and copy all of its contents into a folder on your desktop.

On your new system, turn it off, remove the microSD card, and replace it with the microSD with all the PC data copied into it.
 
T

tearsintherain

Member
Just received my Majora Mask 3DS XL today from Gamestop and transferred everything from my old Zelda ALBW 3DS XL. Took about 40 minutes from unboxing to finish. It is insanely confusing and a couple of steps made me scratch my head, I couldn't imagine a child or anyone not super techie doing this.

There were at least 4 steps at which I had to sit for 2 minutes trying to figure out what the hell Nintendo was trying to say and hoping I was making the right choices. I had already done as much prep as possible including buying a new 32GB microSD and using an SD adapter and PC to copy everything over to it and using it on my old 3DS XL.

Streetpass relays (over 4k) and puzzle and save games and eShop games (including some DS ones) all copied over fine, I really don't like popping the backplates of the new 3DS XL's it feels you are dismantling a bomb.

For anyone else doing it, at the very last step on the new system when it says "Ok ready to copy back over your DSI games from your microSD card" its talking about the card from the old system, thats the step at which you want to pop out the old card and put it into your new system. Was really not clear what it was talking about since the very next step tells you to put in your card from the old system.
 
I

itzknickknac

Member
Is the NNID the same as the friend code you give to your friends to add?

I don't recall creating one, but I created a 'nickname' or whatever when starting up the 3DS the first time. I'm trying to transfer my file over which only has two games and some money left in my balance in the eshop.
 
L

Levi

Banned
I did the transfer, and it said my street pass save was corrupted and would be deleted. I had a near complete collection of puzzle pieces. Is there any way to get them back?
 
R

Rodney McKay

Member
Ugh, 3DS transfers are such a stressful process!

I had my old 3DS XL and New 3DS XL all ready and connected and ended up reading instructions and watching videos for a good 30 minutes or more just to make sure I did it all perfectly. And even with the prep and doing it step by step along with a video there were STILL things that popped up that confused me or worried me.

I had Zelda 4 Swords which is a DSi ware game, and for some reason that wouldn't transfer and I didn't understand at first if that meant I just needed to redownload it or if it was gone forever. And early on it would say to press the button to begin the tranfer, but there were still a ton of steps I hadn't told it to do yet and I didn't know if I had missed something (turned out it just had those prompts later).

In the end it went perfectly with no issues. Swapped the old 3ds microsd card and put it into the New 3DS and was able to redownload 4 Swords, everything was in it's proper folders, and all my saves were still there (eshop game saves didn't carry over when I did the OG 3DS to XL transfer years ago for some reason, I lost a lot of Pushmo progress that day).
 
S

ShockingAlberto

Member
Okay, about to do my transfer. What do I click in this situation:

1) Have an old 3DS XL with a 32GB microSD inside.

2) I have a Monster Hunter 4 new 3DS with, presumably, MH4 on the SD card.

I want to do a light transfer of my licenses and whatever isn't on the SD card, then simply pop my SD card out, put it inside the new 3DS, redownload MH4, and be good to go.

I'm told I either...definitely should or definitely shouldn't click something about SD cards but don't remember what.
 
M

MicH

Member
ShockingAlberto said:
Okay, about to do my transfer. What do I click in this situation:

1) Have an old 3DS XL with a 32GB microSD inside.

2) I have a Monster Hunter 4 new 3DS with, presumably, MH4 on the SD card.

I want to do a light transfer of my licenses and whatever isn't on the SD card, then simply pop my SD card out, put it inside the new 3DS, redownload MH4, and be good to go.
I'm told I either...definitely should or definitely shouldn't click something about SD cards but don't remember what.
Click to expand...
One of the options should be "I'm using a microSD in my 3DS" or something along the lines of that. Choose that and you can just pop your microSD in the new3DS after the transfer and redownload MH4U
 
S

Subaru

Member
I'm gonna buy my New 3DS next week while I will be traveling in NYC.
I will wait until I comeback to Brazil to do a system transfer. I already use a microSD card.

Is there a way to gather streetpass data in NYC and MERGE with my old 3DS data or I will lose everything that I get while I'm traveling? (because of course, I prefer to keep the old data than the new one).
 
K

Koppai

Member
Okay I copied everything to my computer and then to the new 64GB card after I had formatted it to FAT32 and put it in my old 3DS and it doesn't detect the card.

What's happening <_<;
 
D

dgco86

Member
I was an idiot and opted to do a wireless transfer from my 3DS to my N3DS. The 3DS should have about 50GB worth of data on it (I didn't check, it could be even more). Anyway, I've been stuck at this screen with 2 purple Pikmin holding a big gray picture of an SD card for a long time now (around 2 days). The animation is still playing, the time is still updating and I can see both 3DS' wifi activity lights blinking. Should I just keep waiting?
 
I

Intel_89

Member
I made the transfer last night and it was a complete nightmare. Even though I was really careful the screwdriver managed to remove a tiny bit of paint off of one of the screws, i wasn't even able to remove the back panel from my XL, I just managed to slip the old MicroSD in there.
 
T

Tom_Cody

Member
Did my transfer last night. It went as smooth as it possibly could but it was still unnerving. In preparation, last week I had transferred from my OG XL from a 32gb SD to a 64gb micro SD in an adapter. When I went to do the transfer last night I was simply able to swap cards when I got to that point in the transfer. In total it took me about an hour to do everything from when I first turned on the system. Oddly the presence of DSiware games seemed to add the most time to the process as the needed to be transferred between the system memory and the SD-card/micro-SD at various stages. And let me just repeat what everyone has said about how much unscrewing the system sucks. Now that I've done it I could do it again easily, but I ended up scuffing the plastic with the back of the stylus during that stage of prying it off. Not noticeable at all, but still annoying.

I am happy that I will never have to do this again, or at least not for another few years. 64 GB all the way.
 
M

metsallica

Member
dgco86 said:
I was an idiot and opted to do a wireless transfer from my 3DS to my N3DS. The 3DS should have about 50GB worth of data on it (I didn't check, it could be even more). Anyway, I've been stuck at this screen with 2 purple Pikmin holding a big gray picture of an SD card for a long time now (around 2 days). The animation is still playing, the time is still updating and I can see both 3DS' wifi activity lights blinking. Should I just keep waiting?
Click to expand...
Yes, keep waiting. It can take up to a couple hours PER GIGABYTE if I'm not mistaken, and if you're transferring 50? It's... uh... gonna be a while.
 
B

Bossun

Member
So what am I supposed to do?

I can sell my 3ds XL to my local game shop for a 100€ and get a new3ds for 70€ and they take care of the transfer but it takes them 3 to 4 fucking day!!

Or, what bothering me, is, since I have a A link between world collector edition 3DS XL, I can actually sell it on a website like ebay for almost twice as what my local game shop buy it.
But how am I supposed to transfer my softwares and licences when I don't have my console anymore and I buy the new 3DS after selling my old 3DS XL!!!

I did a backup of my SD card on my mac but I can't save my NNID or my licences.

What can I do?
 
V

vgamer1

Member
For anyone who called to have their stuff transferred:

How do you know when it's good to go?

Am I gonna get an email?

What will happen if I try to link my NNID before I get the email?
 
T

Tom_Cody

Member
paolo11 said:
Do you squeeze it and slowly wiggle the back end of stylus to remove it? I don't wanna chip the paint.
Click to expand...
The diagram in the instruction booklet is pretty helpful.

This is kind of hard to describe, but you hook the end of the new stylus under the plastic and pull it out of its settled place on each side. The bottom cover plastic is very and is slightly flexible. You are trying to hook it out of place more than simply pushing it.

I hope that is helpful.
 
G

GaimeGuy

Volunteer Deputy Campaign Director, Obama for America '16
Hmm, my original 3DSXL has a 32GB SDHC card

I have a 64GB microsd card ready to use in my New 3DSXL (well, the package for the 64GB card is unopened)

However.... it appears the only microSD adapters I have lying aroound are not microSDHC

What do I do? D:
 
V

vgamer1

Member
vgamer1 said:
For anyone who called to have their stuff transferred:

How do you know when it's good to go?

Am I gonna get an email?

What will happen if I try to link my NNID before I get the email?
Click to expand...

Anyone have any idea? They said it'd be 24-48 hours. This was on monday.
 
C

ChuckNyce

Member
vgamer1 said:
Anyone have any idea? They said it'd be 24-48 hours. This was on monday.
Click to expand...

Yup you should get an email. I also called and had them start a transfer on Monday. I called Wednesday to check on it as it had been 48 hours, and the guy pretty much said "yeah we're really backed up, Give it at least 5 days". I ended up getting the email that night, so not sure if my call sped it along or not.
 
J

Jayne

Member
So about the 7 day transfer limit. Does that apply to both consoles involved in the transfer? Or just the one that ends up linked to your NNID?
 
R

Reluctant-Hero

Member
Jayne said:
So about the 7 day transfer limit. Does that apply to both consoles involved in the transfer? Or just the one that ends up linked to your NNID?
Click to expand...

I was just researching the same thing. I think it applies the console that received the transfer. It can't make an outgoing transfer until 168 hours after the previous transfer.
 
J

Jayne

Member
Reluctant-Hero said:
I was just researching the same thing. I think it applies the console that received the transfer. It can't make an outgoing transfer until 168 hours after the previous transfer.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping this is the case. I'm gonna test it out tomorrow and see how it goes.
 
Garou

Garou

Member
GaimeGuy said:
Hmm, my original 3DSXL has a 32GB SDHC card

I have a 64GB microsd card ready to use in my New 3DSXL (well, the package for the 64GB card is unopened)

However.... it appears the only microSD adapters I have lying aroound are not microSDHC

What do I do? D:
Click to expand...

Shouldn't make a difference, as far as I know the adapters only reroute pins anyway, nothing else.
 
G

GaimeGuy

Volunteer Deputy Campaign Director, Obama for America '16
So I had to send my 3DSXL in to Nintendo (along with my SD card) for repairs. (read until post 12354 My New 3DSXL system has been sitting here for 24 hours doing nothing since I've gone digital.

I got my system back about 45 minutes ago. I notice that all my data was saved by the notice included when I opened the box. I turned the 3DS XL on and turn the wifi switch on and wait for 30 seconds. No black screen of death. Excellent. I do a connection test to the internet. It works. EXCELLENT!

I decide to take the SD card out so I can copy the data to my PC and then to my microSD card that I'll be using in the New XL. I open the SD card slot. I press down.


There's no SD card.

I grab all the crap I pulled out of the packaging and sift through it. Nothing. I dump everythinng remaining in the package out on the floor (fuck packing popcorn) and sifit through it. Nothing. I rip a hole in the other side of the box and stick my hand through to the other side, feeling around in the process. nothing.

They fucking took my SD Card.

I call up the nintendo support # and while I'm on hold I read the statement of repair services rendered... At the bottom:

"Part #: 64407
Description: MEMORY CARD ASSY SD RVL
SERVICE PERFORMED: No Problem Found"

I have no idea what the fuck this means, but I guess it stands for something like "Memory Card Assembly SD Revealed," just indicating that there was an SD card included in the system as I sent it to them (as instructed)

What the fuck?

I grab the box one more time, just to check that I'm not going crazy. I begin to feel bad for the poor bastard in support that will have to deal with my anger. I stick my hand in. And I feel some kind of packaging material on the side of the inside of the box.

Could it be?

jkW91VIXapjEH.jpg
Click to expand...

IT IS!!!!


I hang up.

Transferring data to PC now
 
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