Topic: Streetpass Failure - Format System

I have a question that I hope someone might be able to help with. I fear that I already know the answer, but I thought I would try asking just in case.

My Streetpass stopped working just the other day. Now whenever I run in to someone or go to a relay location (best buy, mcdonalds) I don't get any streetpass tags. I called in to Nintendo support and they basically said I could send my unit in for repair, or format my 3DS.

My issue with formatting my 3DS is that it looks like I would lose all of my Mii Plaza progress and also Rusty's Real Deal Baseball.

So my questions are the following:

1. Anyone have any tricks to make Streetpass work?
2. Anyone know if Nintendo warranty repair is any good? Will I lose all of my save data any way?
3. If I format my system anyone know how to transfer Mii Plaza progress or Rusty's Real Deal Baseball progress?

Thanks!

Nintendo repair is good and you might want to make a backup of your saves before sending it in. As for formatting the system yes you will lose everything so I don't suggest that.

@Tasuki - Thank you for the response.

My problem with the backup is that it doesn't look like there is a way to backup Mii Plaza or Rusty's Real Deal Baseball. I was able to back up all of my other games. Weird that I can backup my high score on Mach Rider, but not Rusty!?!?!?

@DarthNocturnal - Thanks for the advice!

My system is still under warranty. Would they still end up giving me a refurb system?

I have a feeling if I sent it in they would just do a system format on it any way and if it works send it back to me. I would probably still lose all of my data and be in the same place I am now if I format it at home. Maybe I'm wrong though.

Just turn "on" again the wireless button in the side of the console and it will work.
A yellow light in the side of the button is "on" when the wirelless is active.

The wireless is turned on. It is a New Nintendo 3DS XL so it doesn't have a physical wireless switch on it.

well...
So, try turn off streetpass in configurations, save go out the menu and enter again on turn .
and do the same with wireless from the HOME Menu, tap the key icon in the upper left corner.
Tap "Off." Tap "OK." and go out. And after, enter and turn on again.

I know looks dumb, but I am trying see the problem like a error configuration wrich the system is not detecting and activating again can solve, like a boot in a pc.
Can work or not. Only doing to know.

@FlashBoomerang

Thanks for the advice. I actually tried this with the same hope you wrote about. I thought if I can just get the system to kind of reboot it will work again. Unfortunately no such luck.

I did just read there is a known issue about the 3DS battery and losing Streetpass connectivity to places/people you have already Streetpassed at. If your battery is replaced, drained, or shows red at anytime on the battery light it can make it where you can never Streetpass places you have in the past. (This sounds CRAZY, but this did just start happening after my battery switched to red light the other day). All I can think is to find someone new to Streetpass with or find a new location relay. Has anyone ever experienced this before? Reading online it is a known issue by quite a few people who have experienced it.

The same thing happened to me; I attempted numerous things, but none of them worked. However, formatting - unfortunately - did work. I should also probably say that my battery died a week later and I HAD to send it in for repairs. I would be in McDonalds (when Nintendo Zone did work there) and nothing would happen; even when there was content being distributed via the surface. Then I stopped using the New 3DS >

I wish not to make your experience worse, but that is what did work for me; I wish you all the best in finding, if there is one, an alternate solution.

@buildz Yeah I was assuming that if no one had any new ideas on this forum I would format it tonight. I don't understand why Nintendo designed their own games to not allow backups. My third party games mostly have backup features. Even Mach Rider has a backup feature. I had read on another forum to try changing an outfit in Mii Plaza and trying to Streetpass again and see what happens. I'm going to try that although it doesn't seem very promising.

So you no longer use the New 3DS at all? That is pretty sad.

@JohnBlackstar: Have you thought about doing a system transfer to another 3DS/2DS, formatting your current system, and then transferring back? You'll still need a blank second system, but It's the safest option IMO.

...oh and Nintendo support is pretty good. I remembering sending my Wii in to them a few years back (a power surge fried its motherboard). I still had to re-download all of my games, but all of my saves were intact. That said, if you do decide to send in your New 3DS XL to Nintendo, I'd recommend backing-up the contents of your SD card, just in case.

One other option. Do a system transfer to an older unit if you have one and then you can wipe the new one and test it.

So I went in to System Data and deleted out the Streetpass Extra Data. Then I opened Mii Plaza and it created new Extra Data when I first opened it. I then went to a McDonalds I had been to before for Streetpass and it worked! I had Mii Plaza open still and it never gave me a notification I had been tagged, but my green notification light was on.

I'll give more details as I see how other Streetpass locations work.

So I lost all of my puzzles and extra game data (Mii Force, etc...). It saved Find Mii.... Whoopee....

Anyone have any thoughts how I can start getting the newer puzzles? All it left me were the original small puzzles.

This happened to me (lost most of my puzzle pieces). Go into your StreetPass "settings" (spanner icon 2nd from far left) and turn EVERYTHING off. Exit Streetpass and turn off the 3DS system and wait a couple of minutes. Turn the 3DS back on and then reload StreetPass. Turn everything back on again and your pieces will hopefully reappear. This worked for me and I've passed this on to others with the same problem. It worked for them too.

@zitpig

Amazing! That trick worked! After I did all the steps it took about 5 minutes in sleep mode for the notification to come that I had new a new puzzle. When I booted back in all of my old pieces were there. I really appreciate your help!!!

I'm so glad I didn't format my system like it says to do all over the internet and what Nintendo told me to do. I would have lost all of my Gold medals and discounts in Rusty's Real Deal Baseball and all of my Mii Plaza data too. As of now it looks like I might have only lost my progress on the extra Mii Plaza games (which I didn't like as much any way).

Glad this worked out (for the most part). Just yesterday my New 3DS XL completely died (thought it was charging, but the outlet wasn't working) and I'm wondering if I'll have the same Streetpassing issues. That would suck as I have every puzzle piece and have 100%ed every game except that fishing one (finding all those mystery fish is never going to happen).

@klimbatize

If you are not worried about Streetpassing people you have in the past then I have heard it will still Streetpass with systems you have never met before. The strange thing is that one of Nintendo's system updates was meant to fix this issue, but I'm almost certain that is what happened to me. Perhaps it won't do anything to yours hopefully! If I figure out a way to retrieve the data I lost in the extra games I will let you know. I definitely have all the Find Mii and Puzzle Piece data restored now.

@JohnBlackstar

Job's a good'un

@zitpig Unfortunetly, this didn't work for me... RIP my puzzles.. I was 1632/1682, and I still can't get the Nintendo Zones (like attwifi) to work...

Edit: I guess I was just impatient. I had to wait for (probably) SpotPass to tell me that there were more puzzles. Once I was notified, I relaunched MiiPlaza and Opened Puzzle Swap. I can confirm this fixed my issue as well.