How to set up CFW only for an unpatched Switch (Erista)

This page is for setting up CFW for an unpatched Switch console which uses the RCM exploit to inject payloads to start CFW. Without any emuMMC. If you want to use emuMMC, follow this page instead.
⚠️ This setup assumes the console is either banned or avoiding a ban, and blocks Nintendo connections.

Notes

≣ No SD reader needed (click to expand)

Windows: With an unpatched Switch and Windows you can use the a Switch as a card reader. All you need is TegraRCMgui and the Switch in RCM, see instructions here.
Hekate: As soon as you have Hekate working you can use Hekate's USB Tools to make the Switch function like a micro SD card reader. And easily connect the Switch to your PC or phone to transfer files.
These are safer alternatives to taking the micro SD card out and putting it back. (The SD card reader is known to break with little use.)

≣ Disable cloud saves automated backups (click to expand)

If you don't have NSO, or never enabled cloud saves, it's disabled.
How to:
- Open (System Settings) ➔ Data Management ➔ Save Data Cloud ➔ Settings and disable Automatically Back Up Save Data and Automatically Download Save Data

Auto RCM: This guide will have you enable AutoRCM by default. Once you've used Hekate to enable it, the console will always go into RCM when turned on. Making the "jig" not needed unless AutoRCM is removed/disabled.
Never exFAT with Switch: Once you have completed setting up your device, ensure that you never format your SD card to exFAT.
exFAT users are much more likely to experience SD card corruption than FAT32 users. This is a Switch, HOS specific issue.
Mac/Linux users: If using a Mac remember to always use Hekate's "Fix Archive Bit" tool after copying files to your micro SD card. Mac often does a minor bit change to files/folders causing issues for the Switch and those files/folders will not show.
- From Hekate's main menu press:
  Tools ➔ Arch bit • RCM • Touch • Pkg1/2 ➔ Fix Archive Bit

Step 0 - Getting ready

Checklist

Unpatched Switch (Unpatched Erista model)
a PC and a USB-C cable (or an alternative way to inject payloads "launching payloads information page") and getting files onto the micro SD card
A micro SD card reader or TegraRCMgui and your Switch, see notes
4 GB Micro SD card, or larger.
FAT32 micro SD card. (Use Hekate)
Cloud saves disabled, see notes
CFW files

CFW files you need

Everything you need to download. (On GitHub scroll down and find the file under Assets)

TegraRcmGUI (Windows) - Download TegraRcmGUI_v*.*_Installer.msi
- or use a different payload injector (Mac, Android, dedicated device + )
Hekate - Download hekate_ctcaer_*.*.*_Nyx_*.*.*.zip from the latest release.
Atmosphère - Download atmosphere-*.*.*-master-*********+hbl-*.*.*+hbmenu-*.*.*.zip from the latest release
SigPatches - Download patch-*.*.*-**.*.zip (alternative download)
- Updated for Atmosphère 1.11.2 (5388824be) & OFW 22.5.x
- All previous versions' patches are included

Step 1 - Ready SD | SD backup

Please ensure that your SD card is formatted to FAT32. And is at least 4GB in size.
If the card is not FAT32 follow these "4" steps:
1. Backup of all files from your micro SD to a PC (if it was used for the same Switch)
> If you're using Windows you can use the Switch to browse the SD card contents via USB, using TegraRCMgui (recommended)
2. When backup is complete delete everything except the bootloader folder on your micro SD card
3. Go to this guide page for instructions
4. Restore files after making the micro SD card FAT32

Step 2 - CFW files to micro SD

Extract the following to the root of your micro SD card:

bootloader folder from the hekate_ctcaer_*.*.*_Nyx_*.*.*.zip
atmosphere-*.*.*-xxxxxx-*********+hbl-*.*.*+hbmenu-*.*.*.zip
patch-x.x.x-xx.x.zip

Step 3 - Hekate launch options

This configuration gives you 1 launch option. It launches sysMMC with Atmosphère and loads patches and blanks prodinfo.
It also sets a Hekate setting to make Hekate the reboot payload. Meaning you'll restart to Hekate when you use Restart from the power menu. (Hold the power button for 3 seconds, then choose Power Options and select Restart)

Create a file named hekate_ipl.ini inside of your /bootloader/ folder

Copy (You can use the clipboard button top right 📋) and paste this within the file:

[config]
autoboot=0
autoboot_list=0
bootwait=3
backlight=100
autohosoff=0
autonogc=1
updater2p=1
bootprotect=0

[CFW sysMMC - Atmosphere]
pkg3=atmosphere/package3
emummc_force_disable=1
kip1patch=nosigchk
cal0blank=1
icon=bootloader/res/icon_payload.bmp

Step 4 - Blocking Nintendo | Avoiding a console ban

≣ Notes about serial blanking and blocking connections: (click to expand)

📝 Both blanking the console's identifying serial information and blocking connections will be used
Atmosphère can blank serial info. This is enough to avoid a ban but using only this will cause a crash from version 1.7.0 of Atmosphère. We set this setting with both the cal0blank=1 line in the launch option, and also by having this exosphere.ini with the line blank_prodinfo_sysmmc=1.
- Having both is redundant but not harmful, and makes user error less likely.
Atmosphère can block specified connections via it's built in DNS.mitm feature using a hosts file.
- This is the default.txt we'll add in this step.

4.1 Blocking Nintendo connections

Create a file named default.txt in /atmosphere/hosts/ (the hosts folder won't exist, so make sure to create it)

And copy and paste this in your default.txt file: (You can use the clipboard button top right 📋)

# Block Nintendo Servers
127.0.0.1 *nintendo.*
127.0.0.1 *nintendo-europe.com
127.0.0.1 *nintendoswitch.*
157.230.80.146 *conntest.nintendowifi.net
157.230.80.146 *ctest.cdn.nintendo.net

4.2 Blanking serial info

Create the file exosphere.ini in the root of your SD card

Copy and paste this in your exosphere.ini file: (You can use the clipboard button top right 📋 )

[exosphere]
debugmode=1
debugmode_user=0
disable_user_exception_handlers=0
enable_user_pmu_access=0
blank_prodinfo_sysmmc=1
blank_prodinfo_emummc=0
allow_writing_to_cal_sysmmc=0
log_port=0
log_baud_rate=115200
log_inverted=0

Step 5 - Injecting payload

Place your SD card back into your switch if you removed it earlier
Enter RCM: Insert your RCM jig in the right side of your rail, hold volume up () button and press the power button ().
- Once the Switch is in RCM the jig can be removed.
- If you've used Hekate previously and enabled "Auto RCM" you simply press the power button ().
Instead of the Switch turning on normally you get just a black screen, this is RCM. You are ready to inject a payload with one of these methods:

≣ Alternative A: Using a Windows PC: (click to expand)

On your pc run TegraRcmGUI_v*.*_Installer.msi.
Once installed, launch TegraRcmGUI. Once TegraRcmGUI is running, go to the Settings tab and click on Install Driver.
Once the driver is installed, create a folder named Hekate on your desktop and extract hekate_ctcaer_x.x.x_Nyx_x.x.x.zip into it.
Go back to TegraRcmGUI, go to the Payload tab, press the folder icon, go to the folder named Hekate that you made, and pick the file named hekate_ctcaer_x.x.x.bin.
Connect your Switch to your PC, press Inject payload, and you'll launch into Hekate.
- Make sure TegraRcmGUI is running, and injected the payload successfully.
  - (If you get Smashed the stack with a 0x0000 byte in TegraRcmGUI, then your switch is patched)

≣ Alternative B: A payload launcher or other alternative: (click to expand)

If you're not injecting payloads from a Windows PC see "How to launch a payload", for alternatives to TegraRcmGUI.
You will still use Hekate's payload file named hekate_ctcaer_*.*.*.bin.
Once you've injected Hekate successfully continue to Step 6 - Finish