gohder
July 13th, 2006, 02:08 AM
I had posted here some time ago asking about Mod chips for PS2 and got a few replies.
However, I wasn't sure I wanted to open up the PS2 and risk damaging it by soldering tiny ass wires to its motherboard.
I was interested mostly in backing up games to a HD and being able to play these.
I finally found the "Independence exploit".
I'm gonna discuss what I've learned so far and provide you guys with links where you can get the software needed and learn even more.
There's more than one way to do the exploit, but I'll explain the one that's probably the easiest to do.
A simple explanation would be as follows:
An exploit is getting the PS2 to do something it's not supposed to.
Someone found out that when you try to play a PS1 game on a PS2 console, the console first looks at the memory card (MC).
By saving a small file (an executable with a .elf extension) on the PS2 MC, the console can run other .elf files without actually opening the game.
Some of these .elf files include file management (i.e., complete file access to hard drive, MC, USB drive, etc.), media players (music and video), network programs (ftp, etc.), and emulators (Sega and Super Nintendo), among others. Supposedly you can even have the PS2 read copied CDs and DVDs, but I haven't tried this yet.
Here's what you need for the "fat" or older PS2s:
1 - A PS2 memory card (~$20)
2 - A computer hard disk drive (parallel ATA or regular IDE, as opposed to serial ATA) - some are not compatible - check link below (~$30-$200)
3 - A PS2 network adapter (these have been discontinued but can still find some around in stores). There's actually two versions, one with a MODEM + NIC (network interface card) and another one that's just a NIC. Either way, it should say HDD on the back of the card, as it means it can connect to the hard drive. (~$20)
4 - An original Action Replay Max EVO disc (~$35). Some of these include a 16MB USB thumb drive for use on PS2 and PC. Definitely worth getting it too.
5 - The exploit files (see links below) - free
6 - Elf files to do what you want to. - free
The hard drive actually hooks up to the network card and goes into the rear of the PS2. Pretty simple installation.
There's a few .elf files for handling the hard drive (HD). Some handle images (backups) that you create and others handle other types of files on the HD.
DMS Format Tool 1.0 (HDDF48.ELF) is used to make partitions on your disk so that you can store other .elf files and saved games from you MC.
HDLoader (Hdloader 0.8a.ELF) would be your main .elf file for handling game images. It creates a new partition for each game. When it's running on the PS2, you can backup your game straight from the PS2's DVD-ROM drive or from your PC via a network connection. I've read the latter is recommended, as the PS2's laser is hard to replace, whereas for a computer's, it's just a matter of replacing the DVD-ROM drive ($16-$20).
You could also remove the HD from the PS2 and attach it directly to your PC and backup your game directly, then replace it back on the PS2. Haven't done this myself, so I can't help you here.
If you connect the PC directly to the PS2 you need to use a crossover patch cable.
To backup a game from the PC directly to the PS2 using HDloader, you need a couple of programs:
1 - hdl_dump-0.8.3a (hdld_svr.elf) - runs on your PS2.
2 - hdl_dumb-0.8.3 (hdl_dumb.exe) - runs on your PC.
After having connected your PS2 to your PC with a crossover cable, you need to run program #1 on the PS2 (assuming that you have run the exploit and have the unformated HD on the PS2). Once the program gives you a "ready" prompt on the PS2, you run program #2 on the PC. It's a windows program that lets you connect to the PS2 and "see" the PS2's HD.
Once you have established the connection to the PS2, you then point the program to your PC's DVD-ROM and the program determines which game it is.
Then you just tell it to send it to the PS2 and it does just that.
Plain and simple.
CD-based games take me about a half hour and DVD-based games take about one hour.
I'll include the links on the next post, as this one has gotten fairly long.
However, I wasn't sure I wanted to open up the PS2 and risk damaging it by soldering tiny ass wires to its motherboard.
I was interested mostly in backing up games to a HD and being able to play these.
I finally found the "Independence exploit".
I'm gonna discuss what I've learned so far and provide you guys with links where you can get the software needed and learn even more.
There's more than one way to do the exploit, but I'll explain the one that's probably the easiest to do.
A simple explanation would be as follows:
An exploit is getting the PS2 to do something it's not supposed to.
Someone found out that when you try to play a PS1 game on a PS2 console, the console first looks at the memory card (MC).
By saving a small file (an executable with a .elf extension) on the PS2 MC, the console can run other .elf files without actually opening the game.
Some of these .elf files include file management (i.e., complete file access to hard drive, MC, USB drive, etc.), media players (music and video), network programs (ftp, etc.), and emulators (Sega and Super Nintendo), among others. Supposedly you can even have the PS2 read copied CDs and DVDs, but I haven't tried this yet.
Here's what you need for the "fat" or older PS2s:
1 - A PS2 memory card (~$20)
2 - A computer hard disk drive (parallel ATA or regular IDE, as opposed to serial ATA) - some are not compatible - check link below (~$30-$200)
3 - A PS2 network adapter (these have been discontinued but can still find some around in stores). There's actually two versions, one with a MODEM + NIC (network interface card) and another one that's just a NIC. Either way, it should say HDD on the back of the card, as it means it can connect to the hard drive. (~$20)
4 - An original Action Replay Max EVO disc (~$35). Some of these include a 16MB USB thumb drive for use on PS2 and PC. Definitely worth getting it too.
5 - The exploit files (see links below) - free
6 - Elf files to do what you want to. - free
The hard drive actually hooks up to the network card and goes into the rear of the PS2. Pretty simple installation.
There's a few .elf files for handling the hard drive (HD). Some handle images (backups) that you create and others handle other types of files on the HD.
DMS Format Tool 1.0 (HDDF48.ELF) is used to make partitions on your disk so that you can store other .elf files and saved games from you MC.
HDLoader (Hdloader 0.8a.ELF) would be your main .elf file for handling game images. It creates a new partition for each game. When it's running on the PS2, you can backup your game straight from the PS2's DVD-ROM drive or from your PC via a network connection. I've read the latter is recommended, as the PS2's laser is hard to replace, whereas for a computer's, it's just a matter of replacing the DVD-ROM drive ($16-$20).
You could also remove the HD from the PS2 and attach it directly to your PC and backup your game directly, then replace it back on the PS2. Haven't done this myself, so I can't help you here.
If you connect the PC directly to the PS2 you need to use a crossover patch cable.
To backup a game from the PC directly to the PS2 using HDloader, you need a couple of programs:
1 - hdl_dump-0.8.3a (hdld_svr.elf) - runs on your PS2.
2 - hdl_dumb-0.8.3 (hdl_dumb.exe) - runs on your PC.
After having connected your PS2 to your PC with a crossover cable, you need to run program #1 on the PS2 (assuming that you have run the exploit and have the unformated HD on the PS2). Once the program gives you a "ready" prompt on the PS2, you run program #2 on the PC. It's a windows program that lets you connect to the PS2 and "see" the PS2's HD.
Once you have established the connection to the PS2, you then point the program to your PC's DVD-ROM and the program determines which game it is.
Then you just tell it to send it to the PS2 and it does just that.
Plain and simple.
CD-based games take me about a half hour and DVD-based games take about one hour.
I'll include the links on the next post, as this one has gotten fairly long.