You open the Homebrew Menu and JKSV is simply not there. In most reported cases the cause is the file path, name, or folder depth on the SD card, and this guide gives you four checks to find and fix it.
Check 1: Confirm the exact path
The file must be at /switch/JKSV/JKSV.nro — a JKSV folder inside the switch folder at the SD card root, with JKSV.nro directly inside it. The two classic mistakes are placing the file at /switch/JKSV.nro with no subfolder, and nesting it one level too deep, such as /switch/JKSV/JKSV/JKSV.nro after unzipping carelessly. Both hide the app from the menu.
Connect the SD card to a PC and navigate the folders visually rather than trusting memory. Rename or move files until the path matches exactly. File and folder names are case-sensitive in effect here — JKSV.nro with that capitalisation is the name to use.
Check 2: Confirm you downloaded the right file
The current file is JKSV.nro, 10,130,471 bytes, from the 12/02/2025 release. Get it from the download page via the GitHub channel if your copy is in doubt, and verify SHA-256 a2b7f6372a4b81f3c3194aa6f96f2824bdea853b9a8ebf8c4a008d0d865a0cbf. A file still inside a ZIP archive, or a file renamed by a browser, will not be recognised as homebrew.
Check 3: Confirm you booted into CFW
Homebrew only appears when you are running Atmosphère. If you booted into the stock system by accident — for example after a full power-off without your usual payload step — the Homebrew Menu will show none of your homebrew, not just JKSV. Reboot into Atmosphère the way you normally do and check again before changing any files.
Check 4: Rule out SD card problems
If several homebrew apps vanished at once, suspect the SD card rather than JKSV. A card that was removed without safe ejection, or a card developing faults, can lose or corrupt folders. Copy the card’s contents to a PC as a precaution, check the /switch/ folder contents there, and consider the archive bit fix if the card was recently written by a Mac.
Once the path is correct and you are in CFW, JKSV should list alongside your other homebrew. Launch it with Title Override — hold R while starting a game — for full memory access, as applet mode carries a developer warning about abnormal behaviour.
Next steps and related guides
This guide is part of our troubleshooting hub collection. Before you start, get the current build from the download page. You may also find these guides useful: fix JKSV crashing or freezing and full JKSV install guide.
JKSV is JK’s Save Manager by developer J-D-K, released under GPL-3.0 for Nintendo Switch 1 with Atmosphère. The current release is the date-based tag 12/02/2025. Always keep a second copy of important backups on your PC or in cloud storage, and test a restore on a non-critical save before you rely on a backup for a game you care about.