How to Unbrick My Wii
By Marshal M. Rosenthal
Updated September 22, 2017
Items you will need
Nintendo first-party video game
DVD-R recordable disc
DVD computer drive burner
A Nintendo Wii video game console that has been modified so that it can play discs intended for another country (or region) can become corrupted if that disc loads in an update for the system. This causes the "Wii Setting" menu to fail and lock up so that you are unable to change any of the Wii's settings moving forward. But there are solutions for returning the Wii to the state it was in before this happened; one that doesn't require the use of any computer skills, while the other does.
Buy or rent a new Wii video game that is made by Nintendo and intended for use in your region (i.e., country).
Turn on the Wii, insert the video game and let it load.
Wait as the firmware checker in the video game checks that the Wii's firmware needs to be updated. If this does not happen, it means no firmware checker is on the disc and another game will have to be obtained to try it again.
Follow the directions presented onscreen when the firmware checker has finished checking. The firmware will now be updated.
Eject the video game disc when the update is done and restart the Wii.
The Wii will now function normally--provided you do not make the same mistake again with a disc that is not of the region you are in.
Go to a website that offers a bricked disc fix for all regions and download the file stated as being for the USA.
Decompress the file and copy the ISO file to a recordable DVD using a burning program like Nero or Imgburn on a PC.
Turn on the Wii and insert the disc. Let the software do its work.
Eject the disc when it is done, turn off the Wii and turn it back on. The Wii should now function normally again.
Tips
Modifying a Nintendo Wii is not something to be done by the casual user and requires a good deal of research and patient planning before carrying it out.
Warnings
Modifying a Nintendo Wii voids the agreement with the company and eliminates the chance of it being repaired for any reason even if under warranty.
There is always the chance that a file that has been downloaded could be corrupted, so beware of the possibility that a disc created from such a file for a brick fix might not work.
References
Writer Bio
Marshal M. Rosenthal is a technology maven with more than 15 years of editorial experience. A graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography with a Bachelor of Arts in photographic arts, his editorial work has appeared both domestically as well as internationally in publications such as "Home Theater," "Electronic House," "eGear," "Computer and Video Games" and "Digitrends."