Having just spent a couple of hours setting up my new Wii U, I thought it might be useful to create a tutorial, as the official instructions missed a couple of simple explanations that caused me to make some mistakes. For this transfer to work you’ll need both consoles to be able to connect to the internet and for both to be able to be seen on your TV. For the sensor bar I just kept swapping the plug between the two consoles as I needed to, using separate power and AV connections for the two consoles.
The transfer process:
1. Have an SD card with at least 512 MB free
2. On the NEW (Wii U) Console: go to the shopping channel and download the Wii Transfer Tool to your system memory
3. On the NEW Console: after downloading successfully, go to the main Wii Menu and select the transfer tool. Follow the instructions and the required data will be downloaded to the SD card you will have inserted (the slot is just under the CD slot on the front of the console – just flip down the black lid and you’ll see it)
4. On the NEW Console: Go back to the main Wii Menu and remove the SD card ready to put in the old Wii console. No need to turn the console off.
5. On the OLD (Wii) Console: If like me you’d already paired your Wii remotes with the new console, you’ll need to re-pair one with the old console. Just remove the battery case at the back of the remote, press the red sync button until the lights on the front of the remote start flashing, then press the sync button on the Wii console (it’s the red button inside the little white section just below where you insert the game CDs). The remote will stop flashing and you’re paired up.
6. On the OLD Console: go to the Nintendo Shopping Channel and download the Wii Transfer Tool to your system memory. The tool is located under the Channels box in the main menu of the Shopping Channel.
7. On the OLD Console: Insert the SD card you set up on the Wii U into this console. Go to the main Wii menu and select the Transfer Tool and start it up. Follow the instructions on the screen. Your Wii’s info will be downloaded to the SD card. Remember – once this occurs all the info is removed from your old console. A cool animated transfer sequence shows on the screen while it is transferring. You’ll be told once it’s complete and when you can remove the SD card.
8. On the NEW Console: Insert the SD card. Open the transfer tool from the main Wii menu. It will say a transfer is already in progress and do you want to continue – do that. Follow the on-screen instructions. The second half of the animation sequence will play. You’ll be told when the process is complete.
That’s it!
If the tutorial has helped you or you think something is missing, please post in comments!
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I have done the transfer but when I try to play the old wii game on the wii u it won’t play. I can’t figure out what I did wrong. Any ideas? Thanks.
I think some of the WiiWare games etc may not work but not sure otherwise sorry..
Thank you so much!!! The directions that come with it are not clear as you said!! I gave it one good try before searching the internet and found this!! VERY helpful.
Great stuff Mary, glad it helped!
Q: Can I do this with a separate Wii U console? As in, can I go to a friend’s Wii U, create the SD Card, back up my Wii’s data onto the Card, then use that card on a Wii U I purchase, or am I locked to the console that created the SD card?
Hmm don’t know – it MIGHT work I reckon – the risk being though that if it doesn’t you’ve wiped the data off your Wii.
Thanks for the instructions they worked great, just remember though that you need not unplug and reconnect the sensor bar as long as both old and new Wii’s are on. The wii remote does not care which wii it’s plugged into only that it has power and is on.
The SD cards I use don’t work. I thought SDHC cards were compatible with the Wii/Wii U. Am I mistaken?
Thank you so much for posting this. It helped a great deal!
Excellent – glad to help!