Wii Maintenance Mode: 'It's a secret to everybody'

by Eric Caoili { Nov 8th 2007 at 5:00PM }

Besides switching off the Message Board, we're not sure what exactly this newly uncovered Maintenance Mode accomplishes. Several people who've tried it out have reported a number of different effects -- disabled System Settings options and deleted notes on the Message Board -- but nothing of consequence yet. Could hackers eventually manipulate this strange function to run homebrew software and unauthorized code? Who knows!

Provided that your firmware isn't old and busted, like your rhyme style, you can try out this Maintenance Mode yourself! Just follow these simple instructions:

Turn on your Wii.
Hold down the + and - buttons during the Health and Safety screen
While holding down those buttons, hit A
Pour yourself a glass of sweet tea
Load up Rush's "Red Barchetta"
Rock out

Really, you could just skip the first three steps.

[Via DCEmu]

Tags: firmware, maintenance, maintenance-mode, message-board, rush

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Darkzero @ Nov 15th 2007 6:22PM

I think that this is just a parental controls thing.

vidGuy @ Nov 8th 2007 5:29PM

Wow, that's a secret still? I heard about this over the summer. Supposedly in this mode the Wii runs an FTP server and a few other services, so it would be pretty easy to move files back and forth, maybe to change some of the systems checks to allow homebrew and back-up discs.

I'm not messing with it though since I don't want to brick my console.

Mr Khan @ Nov 8th 2007 5:47PM

This is interesting, a technical easter egg which disables WiiConnect 24

The FTP-esque mode listed by vidGuy sounds about right, my guess would be some kind of ability to update/alter firmware via Wireless LAN

My bet is that this is the mystical means that Nintendo customer services uses to restore things that are lost during catastrophic Wii failure, a capability to quickly restore lost files/apps

ramuji @ Nov 8th 2007 6:24PM

Wind in my hair
Shifting and drifting
Mechanical music
Adrenaline surge

Steelwurm @ Nov 8th 2007 7:29PM

I acutually had a Wii returned from service with the legendary Wii System disk still in the drive. I haven't really played with it much since it asks to update my Wii system bios each time I load it (and I'm sure it's an older version that what I'm currently using...)