PS1/2 PS2 softmod

[personager]

Right. Thanks

So, I took your advice and tried playing the burnt copy of Agent Under Fire (which was not ESR Patched) directly from my PS2 but the PS2 couldn't recognise it. So, I burnt it again (ESR Patched it this time) and this time the PS2 recognised it. It loaded, but then a black screen showed up with the message "This disc can not be played due to regional restirctions." My PS2 is PAL, my retail copy of Agent Under Fire is PAL and the ISOs I used to burn the copies of Agent Under Fire are from my retail version (which is PAL). Any idea why I'm getting that message?

 

[Okami Wolfen]

^ You need to put the retail disc in first, play to the second level, then put the burned disc in from what I understand.

Two questions, tho, for everyone else.

1) What is the best DVD brand for burning PS2 games?

2) How do I do the swap trick?

 

[bennyroger]

I prefer verbatim discs for my backups.

For swap trick see this page http://freemcboot.psx-scene.com/swap.php

Or ask a friend with swapmagic or modded ps2 to help you install it.

 

[Gvaz]

So uh, I have an AR MAX but I can't seem to find a jump drive lying around that AR MAX doesn't read as 0/4194303 Kb

Even reducing the size of the partition doesn't help, the only jump drives I've got are 2GB Staples Relay and a 8GB Sandisk Cruzer

Any ideas?

I also have a slimline ps2, if that matters. 75001.

edit: nvm i found one that works.

However according to this, I don't have an EVO ARMAX. Can I still mod my memory card?

http://freemcboot.psx-scene.com/armax.php

 

[bennyroger]

If your armax supports starting an elf file on the usb drive you are fine, put the files on the usb disk and try.
If you had a pal ps2 I could do it for you for free, but since you are in the us I guess you have ntsc.

Btw: anybody who have a compatible ps2 pal can pm me and I'll help for free to put free mcboot on your mc......

 

[Gvaz]

I have no idea if I can start it on the usb drive. Where would I even start?

 

[bennyroger]

Had a look you need the evo disk with armax, the armax is not capable of launching elf files alone.
I advice you to ask some of the US installers for help on the free macboot forum.

Or... you can have some fun with disk swapping , this involves covering the door sensors of your ps2 and modyfing a compatible original game.

 

[Gvaz]

I'll just pay for my friend to mod one for me. Can I hook up a hdd to the slim? like an external and use that bootloader to manage it?

 

[Yoshimashin]

If you are having an issue of installing FreeMcBoot on your card (sorry I just jumped in the last page here) feel free to send me your memory card with like, $2 for return postage and I will do it for you.

Edit: Also, USB HDD loaders are pretty bad on the PS2. They are only USB 1.1 and have a terrible file transfer speed. It is better to just burn the disc.

 

[Okami Wolfen]

So I have been enjoying my newly softmodded PS2, but I was wondering if there was any way to play PS1 backups the same way I can play PS2 backups?

 

[WiiPower]

So I have been enjoying my newly softmodded PS2, but I was wondering if there was any way to play PS1 backups the same way I can play PS2 backups?

There's a method that works on some models(V9 and 10, maybe slims too, still don't know):
Insert a retail PS1 game and let the ps2 browser identify the disc
Boot uLaunchELF, and make uLaunchELF stop the drive
Swap discs(change discs without the ps2 noticing!)
Select boot game in uLaunchELF

If you get to the PS logo but it freezes there, then you have an incompatible model.

 

[Link-san]

I need a bit of help installing the softmod.

I have a PAL silver slim PS2, model 7003 (if I'm remembering right) and using the swap disk trick with 007 Agent Under Fire. I've blocked all 3 sensors so the disk is spinning with the tray open.

I ripped my copy of AUF, replaced the DRIVING.elf file with the renamed BOOT.elf and patched the game using ESR disk patcher and momento (not at the same time, different I tried with different ISO's) and burnt it to a DVD-R disk.

Then I played AUF to the second level, saved and went back to the main screen and swapped the retail disk with my burnt disk, selected select mission and started the second mission then after the controls page it just loads a black screen and nothing happens.

Am I doing something wrong or just missed out something?

 

[Capn_Makeveli]

I need a bit of help installing the softmod.

I have a PAL silver slim PS2, model 7003 (if I'm remembering right) and using the swap disk trick with 007 Agent Under Fire. I've blocked all 3 sensors so the disk is spinning with the tray open.

I ripped my copy of AUF, replaced the DRIVING.elf file with the renamed BOOT.elf and patched the game using ESR disk patcher and momento (not at the same time, different I tried with different ISO's) and burnt it to a DVD-R disk.

Then I played AUF to the second level, saved and went back to the main screen and swapped the retail disk with my burnt disk, selected select mission and started the second mission then after the controls page it just loads a black screen and nothing happens.

Am I doing something wrong or just missed out something?

I don't think that you are supposed to patch it first, just replace the files and compile to iso and burn. The official FreeMCBoot guide can tell you exactly about replacing the TOC size and everything. Hope this helps.

 

[Link-san]

I don't think that you are supposed to patch it first, just replace the files and compile to iso and burn. The official FreeMCBoot guide can tell you exactly about replacing the TOC size and everything. Hope this helps.

I tried it unpatched as well but it didn't work. I did try that guide and some other guides from other sites/youtube but I can't seem to get it to work.

 

[WiiPower]

The disc should work no matter if it's ESR patched or not. But now that it is, you can check if your laser is still good enough to read it. Does your ps2 browser identify it as video dvd? If not, your ps2 can't read it, and it's no surprise the swap trick doesn't work.

I don't know when you are supposed to do the swapping, make sure it's the correct moment, or else it can't work. Does it work if you "swap" the retail disc with itself?

 

[Link-san]

The disc should work no matter if it's ESR patched or not. But now that it is, you can check if your laser is still good enough to read it. Does your ps2 browser identify it as video dvd? If not, your ps2 can't read it, and it's no surprise the swap trick doesn't work.

I don't know when you are supposed to do the swapping, make sure it's the correct moment, or else it can't work. Does it work if you "swap" the retail disc with itself?

It's showing up as DVD Video in the PS2 browser. Trying to boot it loads a black screen. I'm using Verbatim disks.

Apparently you can swap on the main menu and after you select mission 2 from select mission while some woman is talking. I've tried both with no success. I've swapped the retail disk with itself and it worked fine (edit: tried it a second time and just got a black screen, so it might just be me messing up the swap?).

I've also tried it with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater with the same results, except that shows a question mark in the top left corner.

 

[WiiPower]

How many times have you tried it now, maybe you need to try it a few times more? Does mission 1 work after swapping? You replace the driving.elf and the 2nd mission is a driving mission, right? If mission 1 works with your DVD-R, but mission 2 doesn't, then i would say there's something wrong with the used .elf or how you put it into the disc.

 

[Link-san]

How many times have you tried it now, maybe you need to try it a few times more? Does mission 1 work after swapping? You replace the driving.elf and the 2nd mission is a driving mission, right? If mission 1 works with your DVD-R, but mission 2 doesn't, then i would say there's something wrong with the used .elf or how you put it into the disc.

Yes it booted the first mission but it was very slow loading it, I didn't think it was going to load. I noticed the disk doesn't spin as fast as the normal retail version, it keeps spinning then stopping. I'll try booting mission 2 and leaving for a while and see if anything happens.

Edit: Doesn't seem to be doing anything

Pretty sure I replaced the elf right. I followed all the guides exactly. Any ideas?

 

[Link-san]

I tried burning a new disk and followed the instructions in the tutorial exactly, but I still get the same problem. I also tried it on a different PS2 (model 77003) and got the same problem so I'm assuming it's a problem with the original game, my disks, or am I still messing something up?

Never mind, I got it to work. I needed to burn my disks using x8 speed, I was using lower speeds.

 

[Hells Malice]

Y'know what the greatest game ever is?
From Russia With Love.
......
Yeah right. Piece of crap doesn't work for softmodding, and I have absolutely no way of getting Agent Under Fire without a damn credit card. Fuuuu.


I played From Russia With Love though...ahah. God damn. I nearly nailed that shit to a board and lit it on fire.