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PSP Custom Firmware Thread

Off-topic, but I don't think this needs it's own thread.

Anybody else unable to download PSP demos from PS3 with the error "not enough free space"? I have like 6GB free!
 

YYZ

Junior Member
does creating the Pandora battery work with the newer motherboards? I think I have v2 of the slim motherboard, I just got it today. It's loaded with firmware 3.72
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Shouldn't be a problem. More of a concern is the battery. The newest ones out there are supposedly immune from being turned into Pandoras.

The PSP features a standard sized headphone jack. The same headphones I use on my DS, DSL, and iPod I use on both of my PSPs.
 

YYZ

Junior Member
Mejilan said:
Shouldn't be a problem. More of a concern is the battery. The newest ones out there are supposedly immune from being turned into Pandoras.

The PSP features a standard sized headphone jack.
hey thanks, I figured out the headphone thing, requires a hearty push.

Anyway, if worse comes to worse then I'll need to pay for the fix or send it to someone.

What about buying another battery off the shelf? Are they protected?
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
I would imagine that depends entirety on the battery's make and manufacture date. You can always buy special third party batteries that are guaranteed to not be immune (such as those sold by Datel).
 
Anyone know a way of recording .gifs that works on 3.90 m33? CFW Extender with remotejoy froze the PSP, and only screenshots are working in-game in SVCapture. The latter works fine in the XMB, though.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Do you mean taking screen shots? I don't know, I'm using the same screenshot.prx plugin that I've been using for about a year now, and I don't have any issues. 3.90 M33-3
 
Mejilan said:
Do you mean taking screen shots? I don't know, I'm using the same screenshot.prx plugin that I've been using for about a year now, and I don't have any issues. 3.90 M33-3

No, screenshots work fine, but I've been looking for something that will record animation. Most of the stuff I've found does either .gifs or a series of bitmaps, but as I said, none of it works properly in 3.90 m33.

Specifically, I'm looking to capture a little animation of Kon Kimpon in Patapon for avatar usage :lol
 

gwiz210

Member
Hey kids, I havent powered on my custom-firmware PSP in about half a year, whats the newest custom firmware for a Phat psp?
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Sylar said:
Is there anyway to "hack" a phat PSP without pandoring, like in the old days?

Potentially yes, though it depends on the current firmware that fatty PSP is running.

Peronthious said:
No, screenshots work fine, but I've been looking for something that will record animation. Most of the stuff I've found does either .gifs or a series of bitmaps, but as I said, none of it works properly in 3.90 m33.

Specifically, I'm looking to capture a little animation of Kon Kimpon in Patapon for avatar usage :lol

Ah, I've never done video capture before. Didn't even know it existed!

gwiz210 said:
Hey kids, I havent powered on my custom-firmware PSP in about half a year, whats the newest custom firmware for a Phat psp?

Same as what's available for Slim PSPs. 3.90 M33-3.
 

DarkKyo

Member
Can anyone help me out?
http://www.blastprocessing.net/?page_id=64
I completely followed that guide and I'm at the point where I have the memory stick ready and the pandora battery ready, but whenever I put the pandora battery in, the power light turns green, but the PSP doesn't turn on. Does anyone know what's up with this?

When I put the real battery back in the PSP works fine.

Thanks very much for anyone who can help me...
 

dirtmonkey37

flinging feces ---->
Okay, I'm ready to hop in and download this firmware...

...But it says I need a PSP "with CFW installed." I thought installing the CFW was the point of this thread. ? How can I install it when I don't know how to and have come to this thread to learn?

And where do I get this "pandora battery"?
 

dirtmonkey37

flinging feces ---->
dirtmonkey37 said:
Okay, I'm ready to hop in and download this firmware...

...But it says I need a PSP "with CFW installed." I thought installing the CFW was the point of this thread. ? How can I install it when I don't know how to and have come to this thread to learn?

And where do I get this "pandora battery"?

Anyone?
 

Z_Y

Member
Dechaios said:
Can anyone help me out?
http://www.blastprocessing.net/?page_id=64
I completely followed that guide and I'm at the point where I have the memory stick ready and the pandora battery ready, but whenever I put the pandora battery in, the power light turns green, but the PSP doesn't turn on. Does anyone know what's up with this?

When I put the real battery back in the PSP works fine.

Thanks very much for anyone who can help me...

Try plugging in the ac adapter. I had a similar issue...no power at all to be exact...plugged in my adapeter and *poof* it started installing. Maybe the pandora doesn't have enough juice?

dirtmonkey37 said:
You need to make a pandora. It's not as scary and hard as it sounds really. I bought the stamina battery at TRU for $16 or so and followed this tutorial.

I didn't use a soldering iron either. Just used the blade of a box-cutter to knock-out the pin. It's smaller than the pictures suggest but I did it with the naked eye. I'd use a magnifying glass if I were to try it again. I wasn't sure I actually got the pin until i tried it out.:lol

Note: Unless you plan on re-attaching that pin...this battery will not be able to be used to play....you'll need to buy another.
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
dirtmonkey37 said:
Okay, I'm ready to hop in and download this firmware...

...But it says I need a PSP "with CFW installed." I thought installing the CFW was the point of this thread. ? How can I install it when I don't know how to and have come to this thread to learn?

And where do I get this "pandora battery"?

OP

OP

OP

OP
 

D.Lo

Member
Dear GAF CFW experts,

What's the verdict on the hack to run the 3.71 memory stick driver in 3.90 M33? I'm still happily running 3.71-4, but know I'll eventually have to upgrade. I use a 4GB Sandisk Gaming stick, one of the ones which allegedly had problems with the new driver.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
I'm using the fatmsmod patch on 3.90 M33-3 (on a Slim) with a Sandisk 4GB standard mem stick and I'm generally not having any issues. FFVII (PSOne) ran fine up until I beat it, FFIX (PSOne) is running fine now, and I'm even running Crisis Core using the Sony ISO Loader driver without any issues.

I've got an 8GB Ultra II Sandisk in the mail, however. Hopefully the PSP will handle that swimmingly as well.
 

bengraven

Member
Damn, reading the OP. That's a lot of steps.

Is the Phat PSP getting little love these days, what with PSP Lite having Skype and video out and all?
 

Shouta

Member
I still can't get that stupid fatmsmod patch to work correctly. It says it copies over but there's absolutely no difference when I try playing Crisis Core (or more precisely, the movies). =|
 

vantastic

Member
Dechaios said:
Can anyone help me out?
http://www.blastprocessing.net/?page_id=64
I completely followed that guide and I'm at the point where I have the memory stick ready and the pandora battery ready, but whenever I put the pandora battery in, the power light turns green, but the PSP doesn't turn on. Does anyone know what's up with this?

When I put the real battery back in the PSP works fine.

Thanks very much for anyone who can help me...
this happened when i was trying to install the cfw on my friends psp. the screen was blank but the green light was on. i just pressed square to backup the nand then the system turned off. pulled the pandora battery out and plugged it back in. the power light was green.i just pressed X and it started installing. watch the memory stick access light to see if it's working.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Depending on the model PSP you're trying to hack, and the official firmware it's running, you may or may not need a Pandora battery to get the job done.

The most common method of procuring a Pandora involves creating one with an already CFW'ed PSP. But that's not the only method. Read on.
 

dirtmonkey37

flinging feces ---->
Mejilan said:
Depending on the model PSP you're trying to hack, and the official firmware it's running, you may or may not need a Pandora battery to get the job done.

The most common method of procuring a Pandora involves creating one with an already CFW'ed PSP. But that's not the only method. Read on.

Oh okay.

I just downloaded the official 3.93 (I think) Sony firmware, and I have a PSP 2001, so I assume I am supposed to follow this set of directions:

What to do: PSP CFW > 3.80 M33
1. Download the UPMS V3 from UPMS webpage at UPMS Project Website
2. Extract the CSO file from the rar package and place in the ISO folder of your PSPs Memory Stick (MS)
3. We then need to download the Sony 1.5FW and Sony 3.71FW and Sony 3.80FW and rename them to 150.PBP and 371.PBP and 380.PBP.
4. Then run the CSO called "UPMS Installer" from your PSP by browsing to GAME / Memory Stick in XMB.
5. UPMS warning screen will appear "In order to Install the IPL to MS when using 3.80 M33+, we must write to flash...." Press X and wait for UPMS to exit to XMB.
6. Place the 150, 371.PBP and 380.PBP in root/base level of the MS.
7. Run the UPMS installer again from GAME/ Memory Stick in XMB.
8. A menu will appear with 4 steps, we want to complete the first 3.
9. Select Step 1 (IPL Tools) and install the "Sleep Fix Multi-IPL to Memory Stick", then back to Main Menu.
10. Select Step 2 (Battery Tools) and choose "Create Pandora Battery (Service Mode)", then back to Main Menu.
11. Select Step 3 (Firmware Tools) and choose "Install U.P.M.S with Utilities (Slowest)". It will take a few minutes to install and lots of scrolling text will appear on the PSP screen.
12. When thats finished you can go back to the Main Menu and exit the Installer. Turn off your PSP and remove the MS and Battery from CFW PSP.

...right?

If I one day choose to switch back to normal firmware, what do I do? Having read the OP, I still do not completely understand the "pandora battery" thing. I'm installing a "battery" into my PSP? Huh?
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
You're on a Slim with OFW 3.93? Then you need a Pandora, which is basically a reverse-engineered service mode battery with a paired "magic" memory stick. This tool allows you to execute a special program FROM THE BATTERY ITSELF which will allow you to flash whatever you want on your PSP. Namely, custom firmware (CFW).

That means one of the following:
1) Soft-modding a stock battery with a CFW'ed PSP that'll also pair it to your memory stick.
2) Hard-modding (surgery on) a stock battery, and then using Windows XP tools to pair it to your mem stick.
3) Purchasing an already modified battery, or an alternate tool battery (such as from Datel) and using Windows XP tools to pair it to your mem stick.
4) Purchasing a Pandora battery + paired magic memory stick from a user on eBay (or equivalent merchant).

In a nutshell. Once you have managed to procure some kind of Pandora battery and have paired it to your memory stick, THEN you can flash CFW on your PSP.
 

dirtmonkey37

flinging feces ---->
Mejilan said:
1) Soft-modding a stock battery with a CFW'ed PSP that'll also pair it to your memory stick.

This is the only one that sounds safe to me -- I'd much rather do it through software. However, I have the latest official Sony firmware (last week or so I updated it), meaning I don't have a "CFW'd PSP."

I don't mean to be a pest -- I seriously have absolutely zero knowledge on the PSP mod-scene, or any mod-scene for that matter, considering how I have never modded anything in my life. So I apologize in advance.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Then track down a buddy with a PSP running CFW and procure a Pandora through him/her.

If you live in the NY area, I'll do it for you.

If all else fails, hit up Datel's website and order a TOOL battery. There have been quite a few successes with that angle within this very thread.
 

dirtmonkey37

flinging feces ---->
Mejilan said:
Then track down a buddy with a PSP running CFW and procure a Pandora through him/her.

If you live in the NY area, I'll do it for you.

If all else fails, hit up Datel's website and order a TOOL battery. There have been quite a few successes with that angle within this very thread.


Oh...and here I was thinking that I could somehow mod the PSP easily! Hehe -- I'll have to find someone here -- I live in California. I appreciate the offer though.
 

dirtmonkey37

flinging feces ---->
Mejilan said:
I laid out the options. Up to you to decide which is the best way to go.

Okay, so I've found a way:

I'm going to purchase one that's already been pandora'd (and paired with a memory stick).

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pandora-Battery...yZ122516QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

My only question: does the memory stick that I will rip my PS1 games to need to be the one paired to the Pandora battery or can I use my own 2GB memory stick? The reason I ask is because the ebay offer only comes with a 128 MB memory stick -- I don't want to end up paying for a 2GB memory stick again...or do I have to if I want to play a 700MB PS1 game?
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
Buy a separate 4GB card and put the pandora+memory stick away for safe keeping (in case you brick down the line). You only need the pandora when installing it the first time, the firmware is written to the PSP internal memory.
 

damisa

Member
Dechaios said:
Can anyone help me out?
http://www.blastprocessing.net/?page_id=64
I completely followed that guide and I'm at the point where I have the memory stick ready and the pandora battery ready, but whenever I put the pandora battery in, the power light turns green, but the PSP doesn't turn on. Does anyone know what's up with this?

When I put the real battery back in the PSP works fine.

Thanks very much for anyone who can help me...

I'm having the same problem. I tried it also with the AC adapter plugged in, and it still didn't work. I'm using a battery put into service mode using the service tool kit. Does anyone know what the problem is?

edit: Nevermind, I got it working using an easyinstaller.
 

Z_Y

Member
Mejilan said:
You're on a Slim with OFW 3.93? Then you need a Pandora, which is basically a reverse-engineered service mode battery with a paired "magic" memory stick. This tool allows you to execute a special program FROM THE BATTERY ITSELF which will allow you to flash whatever you want on your PSP. Namely, custom firmware (CFW).

That means one of the following:
1) Soft-modding a stock battery with a CFW'ed PSP that'll also pair it to your memory stick.
2) Hard-modding (surgery on) a stock battery, and then using Windows XP tools to pair it to your mem stick.
3) Purchasing an already modified battery, or an alternate tool battery (such as from Datel) and using Windows XP tools to pair it to your mem stick.
4) Purchasing a Pandora battery + paired magic memory stick from a user on eBay (or equivalent merchant).

In a nutshell. Once you have managed to procure some kind of Pandora battery and have paired it to your memory stick, THEN you can flash CFW on your PSP.

Can I continue to use that "paired" memory card after I use it to boot the CFW? Let me clarify...I used a 2GB stick...I never deleted anything off of it...just started adding homebrew apps in the GAME folder. Will it still work as a "magic" "paired" stick as long as I don't erase the files I put on it initially?


edit: I guess this is as good as a place to ask if any...has anybody had any problems using remote play with a CFW psp and the latest PS3 OFW? I use remote play a lot and have been hesitant about upgrading my PS3 for fear it may screw up a good thing. I'm running 3.80 m33-5 currently.
 
Z_Y said:
Can I continue to use that "paired" memory card after I use it to boot the CFW? Let me clarify...I used a 2GB stick...I never deleted anything off of it...just started adding homebrew apps in the GAME folder. Will it still work as a "magic" "paired" stick as long as I don't erase the files I put on it initially?

I have a 4gb that came with my daxter pack and I use it as a regular memory stick all the time and never had any issues. I think once the initial hacked psp firmware is loaded onto the psp you can use it and the card just like normal because once you hack the firmware the deal is done/hard coded into it's tiny little sexy brain. Unless you did like me and built your own pandora battery from the one that came with your slim by hard modding it. Not that I bothered changing it back, I just picked up the extended life battery so who needs the original? So yeah, the stick still works.. like magic.
 
WickedLaharl said:
oh my god why are you guys doing it the hard way? :lol use an easy installer to create your magic memory stick. google catb50 easy installer.

I think that's what I used and it worked like a charm.:D
 

inner-G

Banned
vantastic said:
this happened when i was trying to install the cfw on my friends psp. the screen was blank but the green light was on. i just pressed square to backup the nand then the system turned off. pulled the pandora battery out and plugged it back in. the power light was green.i just pressed X and it started installing. watch the memory stick access light to see if it's working.
If it uses the 1.5 kernel,it won't display on a Slim. Blind install.

So, if you're on a slim, put in the pandora memstick and battery, wait for the green light, then hit square. The orange LED will flash as it backs up the nand to the memstick.

The PSP should turn off after that.

Re-insert Pandora.

After green light, hit X. That should start the CFW install. It will all still be a black screen. Both LED's will flash crazily, & it takes 5-10 min. to install. The PSP should turn off, or you may have to press X to turn it off. Make sure no LEDs flash for a while before you hit anything.
 

Fuzzy

I would bang a hot farmer!
For the people having problems, I used this and it was extremely easy. I didn't hard mod my battery though, I used the Datel Battery Service Tool. Once I had 3.71 M33 I jumped straight to 3.90 M33-3. I left my 1GB card with all the stuff on it since I bought an 8GB one and I love it.
 

Kazenone

Member
Ok, I have desperately wanted to get into putting CFW on my PSP for about a year but I never knew anyone else who had a PSP with it on.

Am I correct in saying I don't need to do that anymore, if I follow navanman's guide here? So it's just buy the Datel Battery Tool (this or this?), follow the guide and then I have CFW on my PSP? I only have one MS Duo however, should I buy a second?

If that's right, the first thing I want to do with the PSP is get a PS1 emulater working - is that still around? I got 2 PS1 games for my birthday (picture here) but I have too many games on my PS3 rather than PS1, and I can't remote play from my college.

I remember Mejilan mentioning he made created a single eboot of a multi-disc PS1 game, did he ever do a guide for that?
 
Ok, I'm finally ready to make the CFW leap. At least, mentally. I have no idea if I'm ready as far as the process. I've glossed through various posts throughout this thread. The OP makes it look like I need a friend with a modded PSP, but many of the other posts in here seem to indicate that certain versions of the unmodded firmware can get modded without a friend or a pandora battery.

I'm a total newb to console modding, and obviously don't want to brick mine.

I've got non-custom 3.40 version firmware. Is there a way I can get to the awesome custom stuff without one of these pandora things, or some other modded PSP? I kind of want to try to get it modded by the end of the week, and doubt I can get access to either of those before then (going on a trip, want rip a couple of my games to my memory stick and not worry about having the discs with me).
 

Tektonic

Member
I just installed CFW using Battery Tool (my battery didn't have the leg thing to cut), and now playing Street Supremacy from Memory Stick. Load times gone from "I don't want to play this game with it's dodgy load times" to "Hoorah! Now the load times are less than the actual race!"

CFW is great
 
totally not platypotamus said:
Ok, I'm finally ready to make the CFW leap. At least, mentally. I have no idea if I'm ready as far as the process. I've glossed through various posts throughout this thread. The OP makes it look like I need a friend with a modded PSP, but many of the other posts in here seem to indicate that certain versions of the unmodded firmware can get modded without a friend or a pandora battery.

I'm a total newb to console modding, and obviously don't want to brick mine.

I've got non-custom 3.40 version firmware. Is there a way I can get to the awesome custom stuff without one of these pandora things, or some other modded PSP? I kind of want to try to get it modded by the end of the week, and doubt I can get access to either of those before then (going on a trip, want rip a couple of my games to my memory stick and not worry about having the discs with me).

This poor guy had a question that got stuck at the bottom of the last page where no kind souls would have noticed it to help him :(
 

x3sphere

Member
platypotamus said:
Ok, I'm finally ready to make the CFW leap. At least, mentally. I have no idea if I'm ready as far as the process. I've glossed through various posts throughout this thread. The OP makes it look like I need a friend with a modded PSP, but many of the other posts in here seem to indicate that certain versions of the unmodded firmware can get modded without a friend or a pandora battery.

I'm a total newb to console modding, and obviously don't want to brick mine.

I've got non-custom 3.40 version firmware. Is there a way I can get to the awesome custom stuff without one of these pandora things, or some other modded PSP? I kind of want to try to get it modded by the end of the week, and doubt I can get access to either of those before then (going on a trip, want rip a couple of my games to my memory stick and not worry about having the discs with me).

There is another way, actually. Do you have the original Lumines? It can be used to downgrade firmware 3.50 to 1.5. Then from 1.5, you can install custom firmware 3.52 M33.

Here's a guide on it: http://forums.exophase.com/showthread.php?t=2470
 
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