No "Launch" menu. No "Atmosphere" icon. No "Stock" option. Just a blank payload menu or a direct reboot to Horizon. This is the silent failure of a missing configuration. This is what happens when you forget to check that bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini has boot entries. In the world of Switch custom firmware (CFW), hekate is the gatekeeper. It doesn’t boot your operating system directly; instead, it reads a simple text file called hekate_ipl.ini to know what to boot.
Think of it as a restaurant menu. Hekate is the waiter. Your SD card is the kitchen. Without the menu (the .ini file), the waiter has no idea what dishes (operating systems or payloads) to serve you.
Use a plain text editor (Notepad++, VS Code, or even Windows Notepad). Do not use Word or rich text editors. check that bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini has boot entries
You’ve just soldered a modchip, pushed a payload, or watched the blue screen of your RCM jig flash. The Nintendo Switch vibrates, and the familiar hekate logo—the custom bootloader’s icy blue interface—splashes across the screen.
Scan the file for any line that starts with [ and ends with ] . Each one is a boot entry. No "Launch" menu
(three entries):
Open bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini . Count the brackets. If you see zero, you’ve found your problem. Just a blank payload menu or a direct reboot to Horizon
One line of text. Infinite boots.
No "Launch" menu. No "Atmosphere" icon. No "Stock" option. Just a blank payload menu or a direct reboot to Horizon. This is the silent failure of a missing configuration. This is what happens when you forget to check that bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini has boot entries. In the world of Switch custom firmware (CFW), hekate is the gatekeeper. It doesn’t boot your operating system directly; instead, it reads a simple text file called hekate_ipl.ini to know what to boot.
Think of it as a restaurant menu. Hekate is the waiter. Your SD card is the kitchen. Without the menu (the .ini file), the waiter has no idea what dishes (operating systems or payloads) to serve you.
Use a plain text editor (Notepad++, VS Code, or even Windows Notepad). Do not use Word or rich text editors.
You’ve just soldered a modchip, pushed a payload, or watched the blue screen of your RCM jig flash. The Nintendo Switch vibrates, and the familiar hekate logo—the custom bootloader’s icy blue interface—splashes across the screen.
Scan the file for any line that starts with [ and ends with ] . Each one is a boot entry.
(three entries):
Open bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini . Count the brackets. If you see zero, you’ve found your problem.
One line of text. Infinite boots.