Hacking Semi-bricked PSP Go using TN HEN Recovery menu

[The Chow]

Long story short, I was attempting 6.20 TN-E v3 with my Go (aware of the warnings of bricking) and made some stupid choices in the process (so yes, it's my fault).

Here's some documentation about what I was doing up until I was stuck in TN Hen Recovery Menu (if not for any reason other than I would forget if I don't write this down today).

• Running signed TN-D so I could start the unsigned TN-E v3 installer. I needed to disable FLASH0 protection before I could start this.
• Ran TN-E v3 installer
• Pressed X (forgot what it asked here)
• Pressed X again to "test out" TN-E before it "installed"
• Played around in this Test mode, enjoyed seeing a new TN menu on the System tab in the XMB, system firmware said 6.20 only (no TN-D or E or anything else); I'm 99% sure I enabled my FLASH0 protection again at this point).
• Shut off my Go complete to see if it indeed was "permanent" (I forgot that was a test mode earlier)
• Back in OFW, I ran the Signed TN-D so I could start up the TN-E v3 again; strangely I don't remember disabling FLASH0 protection this time, but I would've had to in order to continue (I guess lol)
• This time, I pressed X, then O to install (as instructed by most of the community)
• Back in XMB (I assume in TN-E mode), I went to see if the new TN menu was there (it wasn't), and the system firmware said plain 6.20 again, and this was why I ran the TN-E installer again.
• Installer asked if I wanted to uninstall (I said no), then it asked if I wanted to install (I said yes, assuming nothing bad would happen)
• Blank screen. Holding R brought up the TN Hen Recovery menu; I can still connect and look at my file structure using USB.

Every solution I Googled either wasn't compatible with the Go, or specifically mentioned that the solution only worked in full CFW mode and wouldn't work in Hen mode.
It was at this point that I learned that my Go was apparently in Semi-brick mode, since I could at least bring it into a Recovery menu. But now I don't really know what to do since most of the solutions I've found aren't compatible in some way to my situation.

Suggestions?

 

[prowler]

Hellcats Recovery and install 6.20 OFW again.
I'm assuming you can install 6.20 through Hellcats on PSP Go, I haven't looked at Hellcats in a long time.

Edit: If this is kinda vague, Hellcats usually has a good readme.

 

[The Chow]

TN Hen Recovery menu allows me to load /PSP/GAME/UPDATE/EBOOT.PBP (the OFW) directly, but doing this simply crashes my Go back to the Recovery menu.

How would I start up the Hellcats Recovery menu?

 

[prowler]

Hm.
Maybe putting a 6.39 OFW update in there and see if it loads?

If so 6.39 > Downgrade 6.20 > PRO B8

 

[The Chow]

I guess I would put the Hellcats Recovery under /PSP/GAME/RECOVERY/EBOOT.PBP? the TN Hen Recovery menu has this as one of the default options. I assume it does this so people can load other Recovery menus?

How risky is the downgrade?

 

[prowler]

Oh did you not already put Hellcats in there? Do that then.

Not that risky, I have a PSP Go and downgrading went fine.

Edit: Though before you do something, I'd wait for someone like xist since I'm not 100%

 

[The Chow]

Running Hellcats, it tells me I'm limited to a lot of things because I'm using 6.20 or higher HEN. These are the options I am limited to:

• Backup Flash content
• Cache special updater modules
• Restore: Settings
• Restore: PSN Store activation
• > Launch another app from /PSP/GAME....

I have prepared a PSP Go OFW 6.20 as 620.pbp, as instructed in the readme.
But I'll just sit and wait a little bit for more help at this point.

thanks

 

[Rydian]

Hold L+R+Select while starting hellcats and go into advanced mode, see what else you're offered. I'm thinking you may be able to set the target firmware to 6.20 (if it lets you) and do a clean install.

 

[The Chow]

This warning is always present while running Hellcats, I'm not sure if it's important in what I'm trying to do here:
"[...] Your Model is: PSPgo [...] Therefore, all flash writing functions will be DISABLED!"

But yeah, Advanced mode gives me the exact same options.

 

[Rydian]

If hellcat's won't safely write to flash then I'm not sure where to go from here, wait for other advice.

 

[Schlupi]

This is tricky.

But I have a possible solution?

Since Hellcat's will NOT work, try putting Some1's Downgrader (latest one, for 6.39 and below all models) in the RECOVERY directory. See if it will boot. I don't have any other ideas besides that.... I am sorry. >_>

If Flash 0 writing HAS ACTUALLY been blocked... you're stuck, Bro.

Also... if you get it working again, just use PRO-B8/9. >_>

 

[Coto]

If you can access recovery menu, does it give you the option to enable flash0 writing? If so, you may get a homebrew launcher app then run the 6.39 OFW update again. Then use PRO-B8

edit: I'm doing tests on the 6.39PRO recovery menu, even with flash0 writing mainly disabled. So far from X:/PSP/GAME/RECOVERY/EBOOT.PBP I am able to run a custom homebrew launcher to run various apps I have lying around... I'll try to run 6.39 updater this way...

edit2: for some reason, once you try to run the updater through a homebrew launcher, which location is X:/PSP/GAME/639/EBOOT.PBP, it'll reboot the system, hence (maybe?) the why you're being redirected once you try to run the updater.

 

[realveemon]

shouldent the 6.20 eboot be renamed 620.PBP and placed on the root? shouldn't be in a folder or anything

And disabling the flash0 protection when using Hellcat is essential when downgrading. The option was there as a n00b guard when they want custom thems and the likes that would cause a brick..

Only other thing i can think of is to download the PSPGO update file and not a normal one (1k/2k/3k). The Go uses a lot of different hardware so they gave it a different build.

Perhaps your flash1 is borked....

 

[KevFan]

i hope you still have vshorig.prx on memory stick from the permanent patch...
anyways you can try this

 

[The Chow]

Wow, thanks for all these suggestions. However, I feel overwhelmed with all of the options I have now. Based on the newest suggestions, which order should I try them in?

Here is an attempt in organizing some of the suggestions that I'm musing on at the moment (sorry if I missed some):

• What exactly should I be using some1's downgrader to downgrade to? Just any other firmware, or even the same 6.20 I've been using?
• I don't think TN Recovery menu allows specifically to "enable flash0 writing", but it allows me to protect it, however. I don't think it means the same thing, but I feel I should mention it.
• In Hellcats, it's supposed to check OFW as "[versionNumber].PBP" in the same folder as the recovery EBOOT.PBP, then check again in the _root folder. About the comment that I should put it in something like /PSP/GAME/639/EBOOT.PBP, which recovery program uses that method?
• I will eventually try the unsemibrick.prx solution, but it requires me (or was it suggested?) to have a memory stick, so that may be a last resort for me unless I can use the internal memory.

Again, thanks everyone!

 

[realveemon]

Download 6.20 Firmware for psp GO.. This part is essential.....

Download the newest Hellcat and place on the stick or internals...

If you placed it in internals then place the eboot of the 6.20 firmware in the root of the internals.... If memory stick then memory of course...

Rename the eboot to 620....

Disable flash0 Protection....

Make sure all Plugins are disabled....

Run the recovery, as you do hold L+R+SELECT...

Install 6.20 Official....

Wait...

DONE!

Any questions?

 

[The Chow]

As I've mentioned, Hellcats will not allow me any more options, even after running advanced mode. Possibly because I was in HEN mode at the time of the semi-brick? It seems to be saying that, if that makes any sense.

I guess I'll just go for said solutions in the order that they were suggested:

• Hellcats solution seems doomed. There doesn't seem to be any option to install firmware because I'm on a Go, and also because I'm in HEN mode, according to the downgrader.
• As for some1's downgrader, it's only compatible with firmwares 6.31 and up.
• I will probably try the unsemibrick.prx solution (the one that was linked to wololo's in this thread) without the memory stick. Does anybody know why it MUST be done with a memory stick?

UPDATE:
And it seems my impatience did me in with the unsemibrick.prx. It must be done with a memory stick because (at least, how it appears from my perspective) if done with the Internal Memory, it would always try to auto-load the .prx if you tell it to in the vsh.txt. Since it's internal memory, you can't remove it like you can with a memory stick, and there's no way to start it up any more if something wrong happens since now it'll always to try start up the .prx from internal memory. They did warn me that I could screw this up (again), but I didn't realize how dangerous it'd be. Oh well.

 

[The Chow]

Sorry for the double-post, but I'm doing this for the bump in light of something I just realized, and to help incite some more discussion on the subject for people in a similar situation:

• At this point, I'm not sure if that plug-in actually fully bricked the machine, or if it's still in semi-brick mode while the system is trying to load said plug-in from the flash memory (and crashing immediately).
• Is there any way for the TN Recovery menu to omit auto-loading the vsh.txt? A quick Google search resulted in me finding a thread on wololo.net about pressing Up to do so, but I haven't been able to achieve this (which is real bad news for me and potential full-bricktitude).
• I also wonder if setting up a M2 Memory Stick with the proper vsh.txt would cause the TN Recovery menu to also attempt to load from the stick before the flash memory.