sykoex said:
Hey can you go into more detail on this? I did linkboy's version.txt trick and that got FFVII to work, but I still can't play PSN demos.
For recent PSP demos and/or purchased PSP downloaded games, you can use NPDecryptor to strip out their DRM and convert them from restricted eboots to un-restricted ISOs. I've done this for Everyday Shooter, the Patapon 2 demo, and the Patapon 2 full game. It used the license information that gets downloaded to your PSP when you download a legitimate demo/purchased game to strip out the inconveniences. For the full games, it means you have to have purchased them. Another benefit is that as an ISO, they're no longer locked to the sometimes arbitrarily named folder locations they're initially downloaded to. So if you're using the Game Categories plugin to create specialized/centralized locations on your mem stick, you'll be able to shift them over to the proper categories without repercussion. I won't get into too much detail, as the application is easily Googled up (and might not be legit to post here), and the included readme is very easy to follow.
This does not work for purchased PSOne Classics or retail UMD-based games. For those, you can use the version.txt functionality Dark-Alex purposefully developed for 5.00 M33 in order to make it more future-proof than his older firmwares. I'd recommend upgrading to 5.00 M33-6 if you're not already there. I keep on seeing people mention that they're still on 5.00 M33-3 or whatever in this and various other threads, and I can't help but shake my head.
To get the version.txt trick going, follow the easy steps below:
1) Boot into the recovery menu from a full shut down by holding R as you power on.
2) Click on 'Configuration,' then navigate down and click on 'Use version.txt' until it says it's '(currently: Enabled)'.
3) Click 'Back,' then click 'Advanced.'
4) Plug in a USB cable connected to your PSP and click 'Toggle USB (flash0).'
5) You should see a window pop up on your PC showing the contents of your PSP's flash0. Be very careful what you do here, as you're now actively engaging your PSP's flash memory. If you modify/move/delete something here that you shouldn't, you could semi-brick your PSP.
6) Navigate to ms0:\VSH\ETC and you should see version.txt sitting there with a few other files.
7) Right-click on it with your mouse and select 'Properties.' Under 'Attributes,' make sure that the 'Read-only' box is UNCHECKED.
8) Hit 'OK,' then double-click on version.txt to open it up and edit it.
9) You'll probably see something that looks almost exactly like this, minus the bolding which I've added for convenience:
original version.txt said:
release:
5.00:
build:2740,0,3,1,0:builder@vsh-build6
system:46876@release_
500,0x0
5000010:
vsh

6264@release_
500,v46652@release_
500,20081010:
target:1:WorldWide
10) You'll want to edit the bolded 5.00/500 references so that they read 5.51/551, accordingly:
new version.txt said:
release:
5.51:
build:2740,0,3,1,0:builder@vsh-build6
system:46876@release_
551,0x0
5510010:
vsh

6264@release_
551,v46652@release_
551,20081010:
target:1:WorldWide
11) Save the new version.txt, exit it, then on the PSP click 'Back' to disengage USB, and then click 'Exit' to resume normal boot up. Enjoy! P.S. - You'll be able to similarly edit version.txt when new firmwares hit. I simply selected 5.51 because that's the newest official firmware to come out.
12) As long as you enabled version.txt before, this will make most games that have version-checking think that you're running a 5.51-based firmware, instead of the 5.00-based firmware you're actually using. The overwhelming majority of games out there do not actually require the new firmwares, merely artificially restrict you to the newer firmwares as a Sony-tactic to get you to upgrade from older, more exploitable/hack-able firmwares. However, if a game truly requires the functionality added in the firmware it requires, then it probably won't work. One game that I can think of that might apply is Idolmaster PSP, which is JP-only for now.
But for most purposes, these two tactics will defeat 9/10 firmware restrictions. I can personally vouch for Patapon 2 demo/full downloads (which I think required 5.03 or 5.50), FFVII PSone download (5.50) and Class of Heroes retail (5.03). All run on my 5.00 M33-6 machine without a hitch. Everyday Shooter is a much older game so it'll run on 5.00 without a problem. I only used NPDecryptor on it in order to circumvent the folder restrictions and move it to a more comfortable (for me) location of my mem stick.