The Dedicated FreeMCboot thread + Installer requests

[Billkwando]

1) I already have the Independance Exploit. I can't remember which card it's on and what the file is called. Is it invisible? I suppose I could just pull out each mem card and try the trigger disc, but I was wondering if it's copiable.

I havent done the indy exploit in years so I forget. I'm quite sure the files are visible.

2) Does your ISO come with Free MCBoot and HDLoader? I completely forgot how to add elf files to my existing exploit. I assume there's no way to copy Free MCBoot on to a pre-exploited card? Has to be from scratch, correct?

That ISO I posted is merely ULE on CD which would let you do the initial install of the exploit. The exploit will then install ULE on your mem card to serve as the boot menu.

3) Could one use swapmagic elfs with this or does one not need them (for backups & imports)?

In my tests, SwapMagic 3.8 DVD ELF is the most reliable way to boot copied DVD games using this exploit. Cogswap works well, but a few games didnt work on it. Just remember you need to boot with a retail game in the ps2 first, exploit runs, run SM ELF, swap to copy, run it.

Is it worth the extra effort for this mod? I mostly want it because I worry about my laser dying, and I use HDloader to swap between all the beatmania games without having to switch disks.

Obviously, it's worth it for the reason you stated.

Ok. Thanks for the info.

[Mozgus]

Please seek help on psx-scene and not here. You give me head pain.

[Billkwando]

Please seek help on psx-scene and not here. You give me head pain.

and you called the guy at psx-scene rude? k d00d.

All I really wanted to know was how to copy elfs on to my pre-exploited ps2. I know I did a crappy job of explaining it. Sorry.

I figured out my problem. I have File Browser (with LaunchELF), so all I needed to do is burn a CD and copy the files over, or copy to a thumbdrive and run the elf (I did the latter).

I read this thread:
http://www.console-exploits.com/foru...ead.php?t=7411 (about file browser)


and got the most recent elf here: http://psx-scene.com/forums/freevast/58 ... eases.html


For anyone feeling apprehensive, it won't delete your current exploit, and whatever gui/launcher you use will be intact. It just boots to what you're used to with no trigger disk. This is what I was failing to understand.

What I haven't figured out yet is how to get to the PS2's native memory card browser, since it always boots straight into the exploit.

EDIT: Apparently some (older pre-v4?) PS2s can't load the browser from PS2Browser.elf, so you have to pull the memory card until it boots normally, then reinsert.:
http://psx-scene.com/forums/freevast/58 ... chelf.html If you have that problem, there's an updated version of the browser elf in the thread that will fix it. Worked for me anyway.

You can also boot Swap Magic the normal way if you pull the MC. You may want to pull your USB thumbdrive, becauase Swap Magic 3.6 kept hanging on me, until I removed it.

Hopefully this will be of some help to someone.

[Billkwando]

It seems that www.psx-scene.com is down right now.

I upgraded to 1.4b and it hasn't worked at all. I tried it with and without a boot.elf to inject and I get nothing but a black screen. The only thing that saved me from having to start over from scratch was my trigger disc.

I should add to my previous post that I didn't inject a new boot.elf when I installed 1.3b originally. When I tried to reinstall with a boot.elf, I got the same black screen. I had to go and delete everything again and reinstall with no boot.elf.

It works the same as it did before now, except when I start up, wide vertical white stripes flash across the ule screen.

[Mozgus]

It seems that www.psx-scene.com is down right now.

I upgraded to 1.4b and it hasn't worked at all. I tried it with and without a boot.elf to inject and I get nothing but a black screen. The only thing that saved me from having to start over from scratch was my trigger disc.

I should add to my previous post that I didn't inject a new boot.elf when I installed 1.3b originally. When I tried to reinstall with a boot.elf, I got the same black screen. I had to go and delete everything again and reinstall with no boot.elf.

It works the same as it did before now, except when I start up, wide vertical white stripes flash across the ule screen.

If you have a slim ps2 like me, you need to feed the exploit installer the DVDELF.BIN file, preferably one of the 75KB ones. The slims dont allow for this new exploit to extract the DVD drivers or something so you have to download and insert them yourself.

Also ESR is released. It allows direct booting of backup games as long as you patched them before burning. It works. Very cool. It basically masks the games as DVD Video discs.

Oh wait I see. the newest version actually does rip the dvd driver from the slims now. Problem is it now uses it's own CNF file which you HAVE to edit in order to tell it to autoboot ULE. So just copy the new CNF to your PC, edit in Wordpad, following the instructions inside. Works now.

[Billkwando]

It seems that www.psx-scene.com is down right now.

I upgraded to 1.4b and it hasn't worked at all. I tried it with and without a boot.elf to inject and I get nothing but a black screen. The only thing that saved me from having to start over from scratch was my trigger disc.

I should add to my previous post that I didn't inject a new boot.elf when I installed 1.3b originally. When I tried to reinstall with a boot.elf, I got the same black screen. I had to go and delete everything again and reinstall with no boot.elf.

It works the same as it did before now, except when I start up, wide vertical white stripes flash across the ule screen.

If you have a slim ps2 like me, you need to feed the exploit installer the DVDELF.BIN file, preferably one of the 75KB ones. The slims dont allow for this new exploit to extract the DVD drivers or something so you have to download and insert them yourself.

Also ESR is released. It allows direct booting of backup games as long as you patched them before burning. It works. Very cool. It basically masks the games as DVD Video discs.

Oh wait I see. the newest version actually does rip the dvd driver from the slims now. Problem is it now uses it's own CNF file which you HAVE to edit in order to tell it to autoboot ULE. So just copy the new CNF to your PC, edit in Wordpad, following the instructions inside. Works now.

Aha! I wish they'd explained that more clearly. If I hadn't had my trigger disc, woulda been bummed. It was definitely easier to use before when it would just install without any fuss. I just want it to go straight to ULE without the shortcuts, cos a lot of the time I boot my ps2 w/ the beatmania controller, and the buttons aren't really labeled on it.

I might wait for the next version, haven't decided yet. Trying to get the newest version working and restoring my MC to where it worked right at all was like a 3 or 4 hour ordeal.

Thanks for the info though, I might decide to be enterprising and try it again.

[executioner]

This seems quite interesting, will do some testing over the weekend. In my case I have a phat model with a modchip but lens is dying and I boot with an hdloader cd to play games off my hd. The benefit is booting too hdd without any discs.

My intention is also to setup some newbie friendly solutions for a couple of friends and for a slim ps2 I'm planning to buy (don't ask just collecting). Setting up swapping always seemed to me too troublesome but cheaper than modchip.

This all means lots of phat ps2 with dead lenses can be brought back to life with an hdd thrown in.

[Mozgus]

The swap method is old news now. ESR has been released. It allows for direct booting of backups. The catch is you need to patch your isos before burning them. The patch is very simple and instant.

[executioner]

Yeah just discovered it after my post. Everything works on my phat ps2, boots up to ulaunch then hdloader off the usb to save space (thanks for the tip!) or boot directly to hdloader. Slims also worked like a charm with patched backups.

[kidsampson]

I could never get the ESR process to work on my fat PS2. I've installed 1.5 and can get ULE up and working as well as hdloader, but regardless how I patch my backups or which ESR elf I use, nothing seems to work.

Version 9 of the ESR elf actually displays a message indicating where the ESR file can be downloaded for free, but goes to a black screen immediately afterwards. All incarnations of version 8 go immediately to the black screen, no color changing, no loading.

I've patched with both the patcher found on the site as well as the latest memento version. Is there some trick to loading these?

I load 1.5 to ULE. Put in my backup, and then load ESR.
I've also started with the disc in the console, as well as trying to run runme.elf before loading ESR. Nothing.

I've tried it from the usb stick, the memory card, and the hard drive. Tried disc control both on and off. Nada.

For Mozgus and others who have this working, does it seem as though I'm doing anything wrong? It is as simple as patching an image, burning the disc, and loading the elf, right? Have I overlooked anything?

By the way, I have a NTSC console.