How to Tell If a Wii Can Boot Off a DVD-R

Most Nintendo Wii boot disks, such as Free Loader, require a Wii firmware of 3.2 or older. If your Wii has been updated since June 2008, it unlikely will be able to use a DVD-R boot disk without a hard mod, which requires taking the Wii apart and voiding its warranty. Checking your Wii's firmware version should determine whether it can use a boot disk.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Turn on the Wii.

   • 2

     Click the Wii Options menu on the bottom left of the main menu.

   • 3

     Click "Wii Settings." In the top right-hand corner of the screen should be the letters "Ver" followed by a number. The number is your firmware version. Versions newer than 3.2 will not load a DVD-R boot disk; Version 4.2 will not load a boot disk like Homebrew.