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PSP Custom Firmware Thread

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
I just checked out the 5.00 M33-3 readme, and it mentioned nothing about including 5.01 Official's fixed memory stick driver. So most likely, after I update to 5.00 M33-3 tonight, I'll have to reflash the 5.01 prx. I knew there was a reason why I didn't delete it last night. :)

Also, regarding the 5.00 memory stick driver and 8GB/16GB memory sticks, not EVERYONE was experiencing the performance issues.

There probably won't be any games that require 5.01 until well into next year. Demos, perhaps, but retail games? Not likely. There's always a significant lag between firmware releases and what you need to be running in order to load a game. Also, there are not substantial core changes between 5.00 and 5.01 that would really prevent you from running 5.01-mandating games... whenever they hit. At least, nothing a quick hex edit of the game's ISO wouldn't fix.

Edit - Also, I think that the new plugin that works around Sony's 5.01 firmware requirement for the PSN Store might also work for games and demos... assuming, of course, that the requirement is little more than a variable string check, and not due to the game actually needing some new functionality introduced with the required firmware.

Edit 2 - Also, for my part, 4.01 M33 completely replaced 3.90 M33. I can't think of one reason to stick with 3.90 over 4.01. Jury's still out for me regarding 5.00 M33, but SO FAR, I haven't experienced any of the major drags that sometimes come with quickly adopting brand new firmwares.
 
Mejilan said:
I just checked out the 5.00 M33-3 readme, and it mentioned nothing about including 5.01 Official's fixed memory stick driver. So most likely, after I update to 5.00 M33-3 tonight, I'll have to reflash the 5.01 prx. I knew there was a reason why I didn't delete it last night. :)

Also, regarding the 5.00 memory stick driver and 8GB/16GB memory sticks, not EVERYONE was experiencing the performance issues.

There probably won't be any games that require 5.01 until well into next year. Demos, perhaps, but retail games? Not likely. There's always a significant lag between firmware releases and what you need to be running in order to load a game. Also, there are not substantial core changes between 5.00 and 5.01 that would really prevent you from running 5.01-mandating games... whenever they hit. At least, nothing a quick hex edit of the game's ISO wouldn't fix.



Edit - Also, I think that the new plugin that works around Sony's 5.01 firmware requirement for the PSN Store might also work for games and demos... assuming, of course, that the requirement is little more than a variable string check, and not due to the game actually needing some new functionality introduced with the required firmware.

Ooh there's an offical Sony MS fix now? Niiice. I really need to keep up on these things more....
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
5.01 hit so quickly because it fixed a flaw in the 5.00's memory stick driver and how it handled 8GB/16GB memory sticks. So far Dark-Alex hasn't formally adopted the new 5.01 memory stick driver, but he did mention in his 5.00 M33 release thread that manually flashing the 5.01 memory stick driver to your 5.00 M33-x equipped PSP would work.

I verified it last night by doing just that.
 
Mejilan said:
I just checked out the 5.00 M33-3 readme, and it mentioned nothing about including 5.01 Official's fixed memory stick driver. So most likely, after I update to 5.00 M33-3 tonight, I'll have to reflash the 5.01 prx. I knew there was a reason why I didn't delete it last night. :)

Also, regarding the 5.00 memory stick driver and 8GB/16GB memory sticks, not EVERYONE was experiencing the performance issues.

So to dump 5.01.prx, I would dump it using PSARDumper then flash it to the PSP?

Can you describe the performance issues?
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Yeah, you'd have to use the Square option (dump and decrypt all) of Dark-Alex's new 5.00 PSARDumper (works just fine with 5.01). Then you'd have to find the .prx file (I don't remember the name, but can check tonight), grab it, and flash it to the same exact location of your PSP's flash0. It'll overwrite the 5.00 version of the .prx, which has the same name and location.

It's very simple.

And no, I don't actually know what specifically the performance issues were with the 5.00 driver. Only that there were issues. I didn't actually game with 5.00 M33 until after I had patched it.
 
Edit: Thanks, Faceless. No need to worry then.

Is there a way for me to downgrade back to my last update? Just download the 4.xx firmware and install that?

^^^This question still stands just for curiosity, though.
 
Mejilan said:
Yeah, you'd have to use the Square option (dump and decrypt all) of Dark-Alex's new 5.00 PSARDumper (works just fine with 5.01). Then you'd have to find the .prx file (I don't remember the name, but can check tonight), grab it, and flash it to the same exact location of your PSP's flash0. It'll overwrite the 5.00 version of the .prx, which has the same name and location.

It's very simple.

And no, I don't actually know what specifically the performance issues were with the 5.00 driver. Only that there were issues. I didn't actually game with 5.00 M33 until after I had patched it.
this.

Eric Lempel // Director said:
PSP firmware update 5.00 added direct access to the PlayStation Store, and we’ve since found an issue related to larger-capacity Memory Stick PRO Duos, which we’ll be addressing with a new update (5.01). When downloading content from the Store to a PSP with an 8 GB or 16 GB Memory Stick Duo media inserted, you may see a message indicating that the media does not have enough free space, even when sufficient space exists. Update 5.01 resolves this issue and will be coming soon.
 

B.K.

Member
I guess I'm going to have to update to 5.00 m33 so I can play Star Ocean. I'm still on 3.71. What all do I need to install? I know I need the 1.50 kernel add-on. Is that all? There wasn't so much stuff to do the last time I updated.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Mejilan said:
Yeah, you'd have to use the Square option (dump and decrypt all) of Dark-Alex's new 5.00 PSARDumper (works just fine with 5.01). Then you'd have to find the .prx file (I don't remember the name, but can check tonight), grab it, and flash it to the same exact location of your PSP's flash0. It'll overwrite the 5.00 version of the .prx, which has the same name and location.

It's very simple.

And no, I don't actually know what specifically the performance issues were with the 5.00 driver. Only that there were issues. I didn't actually game with 5.00 M33 until after I had patched it.

Alright, when you dump 5.01 OFW using Dark-Alex's 5.00 PSARDumper, you'll want to locate the dumped memory stick driver.
It should be stored as follows: x:\f0\vsh\module\npinstaller_plugin.prx

Grab that, open up your PSP's flash0 via USB, browse to that same folder in your flash0 and overwrite your janky 5.00 version of npinstaller_plugin.prx with the fixed 5.01 version.
 
So I just went from 3.90 m33 to 5.00 m33-3 onto my fat. I read the release for the 5.00 popsloader but it's confusing... "dumping" all the previous popsloader version stuff...? Is there anywhere I can grab a seplugins folder that already has all the "dumped prxs" for the newest popsloader? edit: I am guessing I have the popsloaders all the way to 3.9 already, so I need 4.01's?
Also, what does the 5.01 prx thing you guys are talking about do?
 

hirokazu

Member
playstencil said:
So I just went from 3.90 m33 to 5.00 m33-3 onto my fat. I read the release for the 5.00 popsloader but it's confusing... "dumping" all the previous popsloader version stuff...? Is there anywhere I can grab a seplugins folder that already has all the "dumped prxs" for the newest popsloader? edit: I am guessing I have the popsloaders all the way to 3.9 already, so I need 4.01's?
Also, what does the 5.01 prx thing you guys are talking about do?
The 5.01 thing is to extract the prx that was modified in firmware 5.01 so you can patch it into 5.00 M33, so you can have the Memory Stick bug fix without waiting for a 5.01 M33 if there ever will be. Not related to popsloader.
 
Ah sorry. I guess it wasn't something I needed to worry about since I have a 4gb MS...

For the 5.00 popsloader thing, I downloaded the files in the link and on the release it says
"- Upgrade from older version of popsloader:
* Copy seplugins to memstick root folder replacing files.
* Dump 4.01 (choose decrypt all option in psardumper) and copy the file impose.prx in /seplugins/popsloader/ with that name (impose.prx, without numbers)"

Do I need use this psardumper and 4.01 firmware?

(Sorry I couldnt' find anything in the OP to explain this part)
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Anyone want to help me redesign the OP?

I don't expect the content to change too much, but I'd like to redo and clean up the layout.
Specifically, I'd like to refocus the current (and future) content into three distinct sections:
1) Discussing current M33 CFW updates and innovations;
2) Discussing all things POPS/PSOne;
3) Discussing the initial crack/CFW flash process.

Ideally, I'd have one unique and aesthetically pleasing (but not huge) banner to kick off and divide each of the three sections.

Would anyone like to design these banners? I have no skills towards that end.
If so, please feel free to contact me via PM.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Everything you need to know about using Dark-Alex's POPSLoader plugin to gain access to most earlier versions of POPS (the Sony-developed PSOne emulator) from your 5.00 M33-2 (or higher)-equipped PSP! ~ 10-24-2008

One of the most significant benefits to installing M33 custom firmware on your Playstation Portable is the ability to play homemade PSP conversions of your classic Playstation One games.

An earlier tutorial of mine deals with the PSOne to PSP conversion process. This tutorial will increase your PSOne playback compatibility many, many times over again. You see, normally you'd be stuck with whatever version of the PSOne emulator is included in your current firmware. With this plugin properly configured and resident on your memory stick, you'll have access to just about all of them. Read on!

Definitions:
CFW - Custom firmware, not to be confused with OFW (Sony's official firmware). A more robust definition of custom firmware can be found elsewhere, but for the purposes of playing PSOne games on your PSP, know that you'll need CFW to play your own PSOne conversions. CFW can also play the official PSN releases of PSOne games, just like OFW can.
If you're unwilling to break free from the shackles of Sony's official firmwares, then you'll be limited to the paltry selection offered for download on the Playstation Network (PSN). The upside to this, however, is that the PSN conversions of PSOne classics will also work on your PS3. Your conversions will not.
See the tutorials elsewhere in this thread for details on flashing CFW on your PSP. The better tutorials (created by our very own navanman) are mirrored in my OP, for easy reference.

POPS - The Sony-developed PSOne emulator for the PSP. It's what we all use to play our PSOne games on Sony's handheld, whether we download official conversions from PSN or play our own conversions. By default, the version of POPS that you're currently using is equivalent to the version of your current firmware. For example, if you're running CFW 5.00 M33-3 or OFW 5.00, then your PSP has POPS 5.00.
NOT ALL VERIONS OF POPS WERE CREATED EQUAL. Most games do NOT work equally well across the board on all versions of POPS. So many small changes are made to POPS from version to version (which is customized to specifically work ONLY with the currently available official PSN conversions) that inevitably, you'll encounter performance issues with your non-official PSOne conversions. See the POPSLoader plugin entry for more information.

POPSLoader - An M33 CFW plugin (optional extension) created by Dark-Alex to overcome the firmware limitation of only being able to retain one version of POPS (the one built into your OFW or CFW) on your PSP. POPSLoader, when properly configured, allows you to set up just about every major revision of POPS side-by-side on your PSP. Basically, it allows you to select the version of POPS you'd like to run with the specific PSOne EBOOT you're trying to load.
Additionally, POPSLoader recalls your preference, per game, and auto-loads it when next you try to run the PSOne EBOOT. You may override this selection by holding the R shoulder trigger as you next load your PSOne EBOOT. This will take you back to the POPS version prompt and allow you to select another POPS version.
Fully setting up POPSLoader isn't difficult (just tedious), please continue reading below for more information.

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Resources and Downloads:
Dark-Alex's website - From here you'll be able to download the POPSLoader plugin (current version at the time of this tutorial revision is 5.00 M33 POPSLoader, which requires CFW 5.00 M33-2 or higher.) Here you'll also be able to find mirrors of Sony's OFWs (official firmwares), which you'll be needing shortly.

RSPSARDumper 3.5 - A PSARDumper is a PSP homebrew application that can decrypt and extract all of the files that together form a Sony official firmware installer. There are a variety of different PSARDumper "builds" out there. This is not the newest one, but it does feature the easiest and most user-friendly interface. Additionally, it supports up to OFW 4.05, which more than suits the needs of this tutorial.

New PSARDumper for 5.00 Decryption - It's been a while since Dark-Alex released his own version of a PSARDumper. This one adds support for OFW 5.00 and 5.01. For the purposes of setting up POPSLoader, it is not needed. But I've included it here anyway.

5.00 M33 POPSLoader is compatible with the versions of POPS contained in the following OFWs:
3.00 [Initial versions of POPS]
3.01
3.02
3.03
3.10
3.11
3.30
3.40
3.51
3.52
3.71
3.72
3.80
3.90
4.01
5.00 ('Original from flash' option)

In general, the POPS versions included in the OFWs excluded from this list were not significantly different from those versions of POPS included in the above listing.

Primary PSOne on PSP Compatibility List - Contains links to software manuals, if available.
Secondary PSOne on PSP Compatibility List - No longer updated, seemingly. Good resource for older POPS versions, however.

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Basic Theory Behind the POPSLoader Plugin:
The POPSLoader plugin you (should have) downloaded earlier is rather useless by itself. Due to copyright concerns, Dark-Alex does NOT provide the POPS files that POPSLoader requires to function. It is up to us to procure the official Sony firmware installers and extract the necessary POPS files.

As I touched upon above, the version of POPS that comes built-in with your CFW/OFW is stored in your PSP's flash. The purpose of this tutorial is to aid you in:
a) Extracting the POPS files from OFWs other than what you're currently running (typically older, obsolete OFWs);
b) Placing these POPS files in a pre-determined folder on your memory stick that the POPSLoader plugin accesses; and
c) Enabling the plugin via the M33 Recovery Console, and using it.

Once you've accomplished those three goals, you will be able to use the plugin to (practically) seamlessly select between the POPS stored on your PSP's flash memory (5.00 in this tutorial) and any of the POPS versions stored on your memory stick.

For the purposes of this tutorial, I am assuming that you want to setup your plugin to work with all of the POPS versions listed above. If there are versions that you do not need, simply skip those steps and move on.

Additionally, if you are upgrading to 5.00 M33 POPSLoader from an older version of POPSLoader, you do NOT need to extract the older files anew. Simply copy over the new plugin files and extract just those POPS files that you're missing.

The basic premise behind the extraction of the required POPS files from its corresponding OFW installer is identical across the board. However, depending on which "generation" of POPS you're looking to extract and configure, certain details vary. In a general sense, the variances can be grouped into three "generations," as follows:
Generation 1 = 3.00 to 3.03
Generation 2 = 3.10 to 3.30
Generation 3 = 3.40 to 4.01

The specific POPS files that you need to extract are what vary from generation to generation. Keep this in mind as you proceed with the tutorial below. Before we begin, please verify that you have sufficient space free on your memory stick. I would recommend 80 MBs. A fully configured POPSLoader takes up around half that, and we'll be needing some working space beyond that figure.

----------------------------------------------------------------

PART I - Initial Configuration:
Note 1: Your operating system needs to be set up to show hidden files and folders. In Windows XP, open up Windows Explorer and click on Tools\Folder Options. Under Advanced Settings, and Hidden Files and Folders, make sure that the radio button near 'Show hidden files and folders' is filled. Click Apply to All Folders (above), then OK (below).

Note 2: When I specify a folder location or path on your memory stick, I will represent it in the following fashion:
x:\PSP\GAME
x:\SEPLUGINS

'x:\' is a placeholder. On your computer, your memory stick probably has a different drive letter assigned. Swap the 'x' in 'x:\' with whatever drive letter your operating system assigned to your memory stick. Additionally, the 'root' of your memory stick pertains to the top-most folder level. Specifically, the root is:
x:\

I.1) Download and extract the contents of the RSPSARDumper 3.5 archive.
I.2) Access your PSP's memory stick pro duo via USB.
I.3) Copy the PSP and RS folders from the archive to the root of your PSP. Your memory stick should now include the following folders and files (among many others):
x:\PSP\GAME\RSPSARDUMPER\EBOOT.PBP (core RSPSARDumper executable)
x:\RS\ (containing 4 .PRX files that RSPSARDumper utilizes: english.prx, lib.prx, pspdecrypt.prx, and usbhostfs.prx)

I.4) Download and extract the contents of the 5.00 M33 POPSLoader plugin archive.
I.5) Access your PSP's memory stick pro duo via USB.
I.6) Create a folder called SEPLUGINS in the root of your memory stick if one doesn't already exist (x:\SEPLUGINS).
I.7) Copy the contents of the extracted folder (not the folder itself) to x:\SEPLUGINS, such that you should have:
x:\SEPLUGINS\pops.txt
x:\SEPLUGINS\popsloader.prx
x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\daxheaparea.prx
x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\idcanager_old.prx


Note: If you already have other plugins installed (SEPLUGINS already exists), do not overwrite pops.txt. Instead, open the pops.txt included with the POPSLoader plugin archive with your favorite text editor (typically Notepad) and copy the line contained therein to your pops.txt file. Don't forget to save it before closing out.

I.8) Proceed to PART II of the tutorial.

----------------------------------------------------------------

PART II - Decrypting and Dumping the Necessary POPS Files:
II.1) Engage USB mode and copy the OFW installer that you'd like to decrypt and dump to the root of your memory stick, and rename it to EBOOT.PBP. Example: Copy the 3.00 Official Sony Installer (300.PBP) to the root of your memory stick and rename it as follows:
x:\300.PBP -> x:\EBOOT.PBP

II.2) Once memory stick access ceases, disengage USB mode, browse the XMB to Game/Memory Stick and hit Cross (or Circle on Japanese PSPs).
II.3) Find the RSPSARDumper program and launch it with Cross/Circle.
II.4) At the RSPSARDumper menu, hit Square to dump and decrypt all. Do not use the other dumping options.
II.5) RSPSARDumper will take a few seconds to analyze and identify the OFW Installer, and then begin to dump and decrypt all of its files. You will see streams of text fly across the screen, and this process could take a number of minutes.
II.6) When RSPSARDumper finishes, it will exit back to the XMB. That's your cue to...

II.7) Engage USB mode. You should see a new folder on your memory stick (x:\DUMP). Access it and proceed to PART III-a, PART III-b, or PART III-c of the tutorial.

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PART III - Isolating the Necessary Dumped POPS Files:
Now we must find the dumped POPS files we need, copy them to the location on your memory stick where POPSLoader expects to find them, and rename them according to the OFW they were extracted from.

III-a Generation 1 POPS (3.00 to 3.03):
The following set of instructions pertains only to files extracted from Sony's official 3.00, 3.01, 3.02, or 3.03 firmwares.

Locate these files, and rename/move them, as follows:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\pops.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\popsman.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsmanXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\meaudio.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\meaudioXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\pafmini.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\pafminiXYZ.prx


'XYZ' is a suffix that's based off the firmware these files were ripped from.
For example, the pops.prx extracted from Sony's official 3.00 firmware would be renamed to pops300.prx. Similarly, pafmini.prx would become pafmini300.prx... etc.

Proceed to PART III-d of the tutorial.

III-b Generation 2 POPS (3.10 to 3.30):
The following set of instructions pertains only to files extracted from Sony's official 3.10, 3.11, or 3.30 firmwares.

Locate these files, and rename/move them, as follows:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\pops.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\popsman.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsmanXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\pafmini.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\pafminiXYZ.prx


'XYZ' is a suffix that's based off the firmware these files were ripped from.
For example, the pops.prx extracted from Sony's official 3.10 firmware would be renamed to pops310.prx. Similarly, pafmini.prx would become pafmini310.prx... etc.

These instructions are basically identical to those of Generation 1 POPS files, save for the removal of the meaudio.prx files, which are no longer needed.

Proceed to PART III-d of the tutorial.

III-c Generation 3 POPS (3.40 to 4.01):
The following set of instructions pertains only to files extracted from Sony's official 3.40, 3.51, 3.52, 3.71, 3.72, 3.80, 3.90, or 4.01 firmwares.

Locate these files, and rename/move them, as follows:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\pops.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\popsman.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsmanXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\pafmini.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\pafminiXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\libpspvmc.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\libpspvmcXYZ.prx


'XYZ' is a suffix that's based off the firmware these files were ripped from.
For example, the pops.prx extracted from Sony's official 4.01 firmware would be renamed to pops401.prx. Similarly, pafmini.prx would become pafmini401.prx... etc.

Note: Whether or not you intend to incorporate the 4.01 POPS files into your POPSLoader setup, you must decrypt and dump 4.01. Locate and copy the following file:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\impose.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\impose.prx

This file is absolutely required for POPSLoader to run. You'll note that you're not supposed to rename it by adding the 401 suffix.

These instructions are basically identical to those of Generation 2 POPS files, save for the addition of the libpspvmc.prx files.

Proceed to PART III-d of the tutorial.

III-d Cleanup of Dumped Files and Next Steps:
III-1) Delete x:\DUMP and all of its contents and subfolders.
III-2) If you'd like to dump another set of POPS files, proceed to PART II of the tutorial.
III-A) Otherwise proceed to PART IV of the tutorial.

----------------------------------------------------------------

PART IV - Enabling and Using the POPSLoader Plugin:
You didn't forget to extract and copy over impose.prx from 4.01, did you? If so, please go back to PART III-c of the tutorial. If you dumped all of the necessary POPS files from all of the applicable Sony OFWs, then you should have about 60 files in the x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER folder.

For the purposes of this tutorial, I've assumed that you already have a working PSOne game on your memory stick.

IV-1) Fully shut down your PSP.
IV-2) Reboot the PSP while holding the R shoulder trigger in order to access the M33 Recovery Console.
IV-3) Navigate to Plugins, locate the popsloader.prx [POPS] entry and verify that it is enabled. If it isn't, select it and hit Cross/Circle.
IV-4) Hit Back and Exit to resume booting up your PSP.
IV-5) Access your PSOne game (Game\Memory Stick), and launch it by hitting Cross/Circle.
IV-6) If this is your first time launching this particular game with the POPSLoader plugin enabled, you will be prompted to select a POPS version number. If you've properly setup the POPS files per this tutorial, then all of the POPS versions that you previously extracted from Sony's OFWs should show up here.
IV-7) Select 'Original from Flash' to launch the PSOne game using the POPS built into your current firmware (5.00 in this guide). Otherwise, select the POPS version number that best runs your game. See the compatibility lists linked to in the Resources and Downloads section of this tutorial for extra guidance along these lines. Enjoy!
IV-A) For your convenience, POPSLoader will remember the version of POPS you selected for each individual game. If, however, you need to load up a game with another version of POPS, merely launch it with Cross/Circle while holding down the R shoulder trigger. You will once again be prompted to select your version of POPS.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Closing:
Thanks for stopping by. I hope that this tutorial was of use to you; that you found it helpful. If you have any questions or concerns about the tutorial or recommendations as to how it could be improved, please reply here or send me a PM. I will try to address them as quickly as possible. DO NOT PM me for ISOs or EBOOTs of commercial games. Those will be deleted without a response.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:
Neither NeoGAF nor I condone the illegal downloading or sharing of commercial video games, programs, or applications. We have a zero-tolerance policy as to piracy in general, and I am providing these tutorials and references as a resource to help you, the community, facilitate the playback of your favorite Playstation One console classics on your Playstation Portable, in light of the fact that Sony's own PSN releases are extremely sparse and limited.

The tools, applications, resources, and processes discussed in this post are provided as-is, with no guarantees. Though it bears mentioning that no tool, application, resource, or process listed in this post should cause damage to your PC, PSP, or PSOne discs, neither NeoGAF nor I are responsible should anything go wrong. You are responsible for your own actions, and if you feel in any way uncomfortable utilizing the tools, applications, resources, and processes in this post, then simply refrain from doing so. If the game you are trying to play is currently available for purchase and download on PSN, then you are encouraged to procure the game from that source.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
OP overhauled. It includes a limited version of the new POPSLoader plugin tutorial I just put up on this page. I've hit post size limits and thus decided to stop hosting navanman's two CFW-flashing tutorials. They're quite a bit older and one of them is basically obsolete. I still link to both of his tutorials, though.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Mejilan said:
OP overhauled. It includes a limited version of the new POPSLoader plugin tutorial I just put up on this page. I've hit post size limits and thus decided to stop hosting navanman's two CFW-flashing tutorials. They're quite a bit older and one of them is basically obsolete. I still link to both of his tutorials, though.

Oof. Mighty post there. Very helpful. However, I will be waiting until it is all worked out in the next release which I am guessing should be very soon.

III-d Cleanup of Dumped Files and Next Steps:

III-1) Delete x:\DUMP and all of its contents and subfolders.

You think you could add an extra line there? Took my eyes a bit to find III-d.
 

Anony

Member
too much work for the popsloader, honestly, you're better off googling it and download it
can some explain why uploading the pops___.prx is illegal but a custom firmware is not (as in it's legal to host the cfw but not the pops prxes) i honestly dont see the logic in that
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Because it's one thing to host a mirror of an intact updater which you can always download straight from Sony's Playstation website, in the first place. It's entirely another to delve into that updater, shatter its encryption, and rip and host bits and pieces out of it.

As to hosting CFWs, there's a reason why Dark-Alex doesn't include those ripped bits and pieces his CFW installer needs. Consequently, that's the reason why others can host it and Sony can do nothing about it, legally. He doesn't include those decrypted bits and pieces that Sony owns.

Hazaro said:
However, I will be waiting until it is all worked out in the next release which I am guessing should be very soon.

Until what is all worked out? Next release of what?

You think you could add an extra line there? Took my eyes a bit to find III-d.

I tweaked the look of it. Better?
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
hey guys im sorry if this has already been asked, but is there anything like an auto installer updater for custom firmware ?

not involving the w-lan or internet in anyway, like an application based installer.
 
I just figured out why FF9 couldn't see my save anymore. All of my save games (for psx or for psp) got deleted for some reason when I upgraded to 5.00 M33. FUCK. :(
 

navanman

Crown Prince of Custom Firmware
Superb tutorial Mejilan. This one & the PSX EBOOT one are a fantastic set of tutorials.
No excuses for anyone asking questions about POPSloader or converting PSX games to PSP format.
 

fatty

Member
Mejilan said:
Edit 2 - Also, for my part, 4.01 M33 completely replaced 3.90 M33. I can't think of one reason to stick with 3.90 over 4.01. Jury's still out for me regarding 5.00 M33, but SO FAR, I haven't experienced any of the major drags that sometimes come with quickly adopting brand new firmwares.

Just out of curiosity, what was the big advantage with 4.01? I'm currently in the same boat with 3.90 M33 and even without POPSLoader installed, my PSOne games have been working great so I always get nervous about updating. The only big thing I remember being added is Skype but my phatty doesn't support it anyway.

Thanks for the great tutorial, I think this was the thing I needed in making my decision to go to 5.00 M33 and install POPSLoader.
 

Aske

Member
Mejilan said:
Edit - Also, I think that the new plugin that works around Sony's 5.01 firmware requirement for the PSN Store might also work for games and demos... assuming, of course, that the requirement is little more than a variable string check, and not due to the game actually needing some new functionality introduced with the required firmware.

Edit 2 - Also, for my part, 4.01 M33 completely replaced 3.90 M33. I can't think of one reason to stick with 3.90 over 4.01. Jury's still out for me regarding 5.00 M33, but SO FAR, I haven't experienced any of the major drags that sometimes come with quickly adopting brand new firmwares.

Fingers crossed on the first point - but 4.01 didn't bring much to the table, did it? I didn't upgrade because there didn't seem to be much benefit to me, and wasn't there a bug in 4.01 that screwed with the brightness setting of the PSP under certain circumstances? 3.90 has thrown up a bit of unprovoked dimming on a couple of rare occasions, and it would bug the heck out of me if it happened with any frequency.

Not that he doesn't contribute enough already, but I can't help but wish DA would dedicate a bit more time to ironing out wrinkles in these firmware updates rather than pointing out ways in which users can muddle through themselves. I can handle emulators and dumping ISOs from UMD, but anything more than that starts to become confusing and terrifying.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Thanks for the feedback, folks. It actually took a lot longer than I thought it would, and now that's TWO nights in a row I didn't get a chance to play much Castlevania! ;p

Apologies it turned out so big. If you're familiar with the basic concepts and definitions (some of which I adapted from my earlier PSOne -> PSP tutorial), then please feel free to refer to the slimmed down version of it mirrored in the OP. But for everyone else, I'd highly suggest slogging through the read.

It looks huge and complicated, but you'll quickly see that the entire process actually follows a very redundant and formulaic formula. It's tedious, but really very simple. The PSOne -> PSP tutorial turned out significantly shorter, but is quite a bit more complicated and involved.

If anyone does follow the tutorial while performing a "fresh" POPSLoader install, please report back on how it went. I did most of my PRX dumping well over a year ago, so it's very possible that my tutorial has a couple of speed bumps (and perhaps even a show-stopper) that I didn't account for. I'd appreciate reports of any such problems with it.

-----------

Regarding 4.01 M33 vs 3.90 M33, yeah, Skype was basically the biggest addition. That, and improved support for newer PSP games, of course. My upgrade from 3.90 M33 to 4.01 M33 was basically smooth and seamless. For that reason I mentioned that I felt there was no reason to stick with 3.90 M33. Of course, I've had POPSLoader going, so I wasn't really worried about breaking PSOne compatibility. I've had absolutely no screen brightness issues with either 3.90 M33 or 4.01 M33. I've actually never heard of that problem. Does anyone have any more info on that?

So far, the upgrade to 5.00 M33 was almost as smooth. I waited for the new POPSLoader, of course. Beyond that, the only two issues were with the borked memory stick driver (Sony's fault, not Dark-Alex's) and the annoying 5.01 requirement for PSN access. I've explained how to rectify the former a page ago, and the latter was dealt with by Dark-Alex with 5.00 M33-3. I am pretty surprised that he didn't patch in the 5.01 memory stick driver with 5.00 M33-3. I imagine it's because he can't include the PRX himself, and didn't want to push out a full 5.01 M33 update requiring 5.01 official so soon after 5.00 M33 hitting.

He did accidentally break 5.00 M33's Network Update, however. So if you're trying to use Network update to upgrade from 5.00 M33 to 5.00 M33-2 or M33-3, you'll need to do it the old fashioned way. He fixed that bug in 5.00 M33-2, and I was able to use Network Update to upgrade from 5.00 M33-2 to M33-3 last night.
 

No45

Member
I've just run through the whole thing from start to finish and it's perfect. Watching the intro to Alundra (Using 3.71) right now. :D

By far the biggest ball ache is getting all the OFW files from Rapidshare. :lol

Thanks once again Mejilan.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Oh brilliant. Thanks for confirming it. I'm going away for the weekend in a few, so I wouldn't really have a chance to make any major overhauls until Sunday night, at the earliest.

Good to know that those hours last night weren't wasted!

Perhaps for the next revision, I'll link to some OFW mirrors. :)
 

Ryu1999

Member
No45 said:
I've just run through the whole thing from start to finish and it's perfect. Watching the intro to Alundra (Using 3.71) right now. :D

By far the biggest ball ache is getting all the OFW files from Rapidshare. :lol

Thanks once again Mejilan.

If people wanted to save some time, there's a torrent with all of the necessary prx files up until 3.72...
 

Aske

Member
Mejilan said:
I've had absolutely no screen brightness issues with either 3.90 M33 or 4.01 M33. I've actually never heard of that problem. Does anyone have any more info on that?

From DA himself:

There it is.

Changes:

- 4.01 to 5.00

- Bug fix: when changing speed in xmb, and the psp turned the brightness to 0 automatically the speed was reseted to 222 again.

You know what? I think I read it wrong the first time - rather than being a brightness glitch, the issue is that deliberately changing the brightness setting causes an auto-reset of the clock speed. It does still highlight a small glitch in 4.01 that isn't there in 3.90, but it sounds like a much less significant one than I thought.
 

colinp

Banned
Mejilan said:
Oh brilliant. Thanks for confirming it. I'm going away for the weekend in a few, so I wouldn't really have a chance to make any major overhauls until Sunday night, at the earliest.

Good to know that those hours last night weren't wasted!

Perhaps for the next revision, I'll link to some OFW mirrors. :)

I can second that it worked like a charm. Really appreciate that Meji! Can't believe how easy you made it! :D
 

A Human Becoming

More than a Member
If anyone here is willing to help me help another GAFer (who is too lazy to post in this thread) install custom firmware, please hit me up on MSN or AIM (check my profile for info). It would be much appreciated.
 
Anyone know if there is any way to change the game ID on a ripped PS1 eboot? I found out that Persona 2 works better when using a different game ID than the norm, so I want to change it in the versio0n I already ripped, technically I could pull out my CD again, rip it with the SLPS-02100 ID and then convert it again. But I would really prefer not having to do that.


Any ideas guys?
 

homez99

Member
Seems Dark Alex earlier released the 3.71 Fatmsmod for 5.00:

Dark Alex said:
Just a little update to the fatmsmod patch, it stopped working in 5.00 due to a sony file changing its name.

Instructions: decrypt 3.71 using psardumper (square option).
Copy the file fatmsmod.prx in the root of memory stick.

Copy FATMS371 to /PSP/GAME or /PSP/GAME5XX. Run the program and done.

I just tried it on my PSP phat and it worked like a dream, and now it's running noticeably faster when loading up eboots in my game folder. Definitely a nice little quick and easy add-on.
 
I seem to have managed to semi-brick my psp using that fatsmod program. I can still access the recovery menu. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to recover it? Thanks.
 

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
since I don't have access to a computer, will m33-3 be showing up on the DAX system update, or just self-install only?

also, since my ps1 games always seem to play ok without it, would I need to worry about installing popsloader on my system at all?
 

navanman

Crown Prince of Custom Firmware
Ninja Kn1ght said:
I seem to have managed to semi-brick my psp using that fatsmod program. I can still access the recovery menu. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to recover it? Thanks.

You more than likely flashed an encryted, instead of decrypted fastmod.prx causing the semi-brick.
You SHOULD be able to recover your PSP without Pandora Battery using Recovery Flasher
http://fserv.skill-club.com/get_807_d715.html
 

navanman

Crown Prince of Custom Firmware
Ninja Kn1ght said:
Thanks for the help. I tried the Recovery Flasher but it won't even run. I think I'll need to use a pandora battery to fix this. :(

You sure? I tried on my PSP (its not semi-bricked though). Put the Recovery folder in PSP/GAME and run it from M33 Menu. 5.00FW needs to be in root of the MS
 
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