How Do I Update Wii Channels if I Have Homebrew Installed?

If you've installed the Homebrew Channel then a Wii System Update could brick your Wii—one update was specifically designed to do so, with the side effect of bricking non-homebrewed Wiis as well. But sometimes system updates contain updates for individual channels, and in some cases, as with the Shopping Channel, you cannot use that channel without the update. 

Nintendo isn't updating the Wii anymore. If you are running the final Wii OS version 4.3, then you probably shouldn't have to worry about system updates adversely affecting your Wii. If you're running something earlier, though, you'll need to update your platform. 

To install channel updates without installing a system update you will need a homebrew application designed to update specific Wii Channels while avoiding a system update. Two options include WiiSCU and Pimp My Wii (site is in French), either of which can be used to update channels. To install either one, just extract the application files to your Wii SD card's "apps" folder (you can find more information on installing homebrew apps on the last page of our step-by-step Wii homebrew installation guide).

With WiiSCU you will be shown a list of individual updates for your channels, plus some other updates. WiiSCU has a simple interface but doesn't tell you what non-channel-specific updates need to be installed for specific channels to work. However, if you just go ahead and install all available updates there's a reasonable chance your channels will update properly. 

Pimp My Wii is designed to simply go through your Wii and update everything that can be updated, including support for the Wii U's Wii mode. Although it may be a little unnerving to simply let an application do so much at once, most users report no difficulty with the massive updating effort, although the tool will also permit individual updates instead of a larger mass-update operation. You need to page through each possible update, choosing the ones you want, and then eventually you'll reach a point where it will update them all.