Reformatting used systems?

[Key-Glyph]

I recently purchased a Wii and a DSi XL, both used, and it made me wonder: how many of you reformat your previously-owned systems? I favor clean installs on computers and was wondering if/why these consoles should be any different.

Unfortunately, I've already downloaded some WiiWare and populated my Wii with Miis, and I'm not sure I want to go through the hassle of recreating and restoring that data. Hopefully this won't bite me in the butt later.

Thanks for the input!

[TSTR]

Eh, if it was clean when you got it, then there shouldn't be any problem. My 2 cents.

[samsonlonghair]

This doesn't directly answer Key's original question; it's just a related anecdote.

I bought a used wii at a pawnshop. The pawnshop had stickers on all the wiis claiming they had been reformatted and updated to current software. I picked my wii simply because it had gamecube controller ports. Little did I know that a surprise awaited me...

When I booted up my wii, I found that reports of reformatting had been greatly exaggerated. My used wii came chock full of virtual console titles. These weren't just any old VC titles, but some of my favorites: Galaga, Super Mario Bros. 3, Donkey Kong Country, Pitfall: the Mayan Adventure, and more.

Score!

[Tanooki]

Personally I always wipe any system that has data on it when I choose to sell it as it's just a good idea all around. When I've gone through the stages of DSi to 3DS to the XL I have now and also purging the Wii's existence from my life I did just that, and the Vita too.

I bought the Vita used from a military contractor and he never purged it and it was annoying. Sony didn't make it easy to remove a PSN account so even when I'd format the space within the system to default it wouldn't go away and took me awhile to find a way to get it off there and get my account to it so it made me even more resolved to wipe my data. Also when you think back to the hacks that Nintendo, Sony, etc have got from dicks trying to steal info/credit cards from their databases it just makes sense from the angle of account or worse identity fraud. When I want to buy something on a Sony system I'll put my info then, then pull the card data right back out and Nintendo is temporary kind of, as they do bind your Club Nintendo registration to that. Nintendo like the PSN setup makes you remove the Club data, THEN format or it is still bound to the system which is awful.

[CRTGAMER]

On the most part, the consoles just need game saves and download games no longer wanted removed. Newer consoles might needed a more in depth hard drive purge, but is it really a format without some sort of way to legitimately install the system again?

Used PCs on the other hand should be formatted to get rid of any Spyware and other junk the previous owner installed.

[Hobie-wan]

They all ended up being unfixable, but I formatted the 360s and HDs that came to me before doing anything with them. I also try to find a way to erase saved data on carts when I get them too.

[Tanooki]

Agreed on that as well, any used game I get the first thing I do is hit google to find out what needs to be done to wipe the data if it's not clear once you go to the load/save or options screen. Nintendo are notorious pricks for hiding the data erase on their games and they'll use an ever slightly changing set of a few buttons on GBA, DS and 3DS games which gets annoying.

[Betagam7]

Agreed on that as well, any used game I get the first thing I do is hit google to find out what needs to be done to wipe the data if it's not clear once you go to the load/save or options screen. Nintendo are notorious pricks for hiding the data erase on their games and they'll use an ever slightly changing set of a few buttons on GBA, DS and 3DS games which gets annoying.

Urgh, tell me about it.

I recently picked up Kirby's Pinball for the Game Boy and the ebayer who sold it to me has literally left all the worst swear words in the English language as his hi-score names!

It's horribly distressing to hear Kirby's chirpy music pipe in then a message telling me to **** off appear!

The worst thing is that he was obviously very good at the game so I've yet to be able to best any of his scores. Good job this wasn't a present for a kid!

[Key-Glyph]

Hey all, thanks for the feedback so far.

I'm fairly certain my Wii doesn't have a Club Nintendo account matched with it, because I immediately get the "Do you want to link an account?!!?" message when I investigate. My store transaction history is clear too, so I think we're good there -- unless the original Wii has a user account system that I'm not aware of. I have a Nintendo Network ID for my 3DS, but that has nothing to do with this previous generation of systems, right?

...and I'd like to point out how old it makes me feel to have to ask that last question.

Nintendo like the PSN setup makes you remove the Club data, THEN format or it is still bound to the system which is awful.

Thanks especially for this tip. My DSi seller didn't format the handheld, and because of your story I went through the unlinking process for everything before reformatting. I'm pretty sure it wasn't necessary, but it couldn't hurt.

[samsonlonghair]

Agreed on that as well, any used game I get the first thing I do is hit google to find out what needs to be done to wipe the data if it's not clear once you go to the load/save or options screen. Nintendo are notorious pricks for hiding the data erase on their games and they'll use an ever slightly changing set of a few buttons on GBA, DS and 3DS games which gets annoying.

I have that problem with Digimon World for DS. The pprevious owner saved her game on the DS cartridge. I can't find any way to delete it. Creating a new game to save over the old one doesn't seem to work. I haven't been able to find a solution online.