Disc-less hack for original Playstation

AkikoKumagara · Apr 13, 2021

Sophie-bear said:
Does anyone know if there is a homebrew application for PS2 that I can use to prep a PlayStation memory card for this exploit? Using an Arduino to program the memory card seems excessive so I'm curious if there's an easier way.

To answer my own question, the README for Freepsxboot was updated to explain that the app "Memory Card Annihilator v2.0" can do this.

After testing it, I can say it works. You must change the file extension of the .mcd file to .mcr, then Memory Card Annihilator will recognize it and you can restore it to the memory card.

asper · Apr 13, 2021

I tested it on my SCPH-5502 and it boots uniROM but... it says the drive is locked... is it a problem of 5502 model ?

I also restored the flashd memory card using "full format" under Memory Card Annihilator v2.0 so it can be usable again.

tfocosta · Apr 13, 2021

This is awesome! Thank you for sharing!

AceyBwoi · Apr 13, 2021

asper said:
I tested it on my SCPH-5502 and it boots uniROM but... it says the drive is locked... is it a problem of 5502 model ?

I also restored the flashd memory card using "full format" under Memory Card Annihilator v2.0 so it can be usable again.

How did it show up in annihiltor as my mem card does not show up just freezes the program when mem card inserted

AkikoKumagara · Apr 13, 2021

asper said:
I tested it on my SCPH-5502 and it boots uniROM but... it says the drive is locked... is it a problem of 5502 model ?

I also restored the flashd memory card using "full format" under Memory Card Annihilator v2.0 so it can be usable again.

If you follow the directions, the drive should be opened when you launch UniROM.

asper · Apr 13, 2021

Sophie-bear said:
If you follow the directions, the drive should be opened when you launch UniROM.

Never used unirom and i missed that part (i am still not able to find that specific part); anyway thank you for pointing that out!!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

AceyBwoi said:
How did it show up in annihiltor as my mem card does not show up just freezes the program when mem card inserted

I opened the homebrew and i connected the memory card after the program opened and it got recognized.

AkikoKumagara · Apr 13, 2021

asper said:
Never used unirom and i missed that part (i am still not able to find that specific part); anyway thank you for pointing that out!!

Read these directions so you're clear on how to use FreePSXBoot.
https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/blob/master/README.md#usage

asper · Apr 13, 2021

Sophie-bear said:
Read these directions so you're clear on how to use FreePSXBoot.
https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/blob/master/README.md#usage

I was looking for that info under uniROM readme

now i got it and I really missed that, thank you !

AceyBwoi · Apr 14, 2021

Mine doesn't recognise just freezes out the app

AkikoKumagara · Apr 14, 2021

AceyBwoi said:
Mine doesn't recognise just freezes out the app

Always read the README, it clearly states this can be an issue.

Once installed, it may become difficult to uninstall, as the normal software to re-format a memory card won't work, due to the exploit itself. You could end up with no means to recover the memory card; if for example your installation method was Memory Card Annihilator v2, as it will also crash. If you happen to own a game that shows the memory card's content before creating a save file like Cool Boarders 4, chances are you can recover your card's normal functionality by overwriting the exploit with the game's save.

Source: https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/blob/master/README.md#warning

Please also see here for a potential solution to your problem if you don't own a game like CoolBoarders 4.
https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/issues/18

KleinesSinchen · Apr 14, 2021

Sophie-bear said:
Always read the README, it clearly states this can be an issue.

Once installed, it may become difficult to uninstall, as the normal software to re-format a memory card won't work, due to the exploit itself. You could end up with no means to recover the memory card; if for example your installation method was Memory Card Annihilator v2, as it will also crash. If you happen to own a game that shows the memory card's content before creating a save file like Cool Boarders 4, chances are you can recover your card's normal functionality by overwriting the exploit with the game's save.

Source: https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/blob/master/README.md#warning

Please also see here for a potential solution to your problem if you don't own a game like CoolBoarders 4.
https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/issues/18

Thanks for the warning! I didn't even think about this. But it makes sense. There is an exploit on the MC and the "MC manager" crashes because of invalid data. It surprises that Memory Card Annihilator v2, able to do raw read/write also crashes. Was this in the README file all the time or has it been added later? I it had been there all the time I must have missed it.

Since different BIOS versions require different images I'm not quite sure I want to waste a bunch of cards. I have one cheap knockoff MC and will try it on an SCPH-9002 with the 100% reliable exploit and game loader.

AkikoKumagara · Apr 14, 2021

KleinesSinchen said:
Thanks for the warning! I didn't even think about this. But it makes sense. There is an exploit on the MC and the "MC manager" crashes because of invalid data. It surprises that Memory Card Annihilator v2, able to do raw read/write also crashes. Was this in the README file all the time or has it been added later? I it had been there all the time I must have missed it.

Since different BIOS versions require different images I'm not quite sure I want to waste a bunch of cards. I have one cheap knockoff MC and will try it on an SCPH-9002 with the 100% reliable exploit and game loader.

In theory, assuming the exploit works, I see no reason why one can't install the exploit then launch a backup of CoolBoarders 4 or some other game that can overwrite the exploit save data. This is still risky because if the exploit does not work and Memory Card Annihilator doesn't work anymore (seems to be a mixed bag whether it will work or not depending on the exploit version), you're out a memory card with no easy fix. I'm sure once FreePSXBoot matures more, there will be more reliable ways to install and uninstall the exploit.

Edit: It may also be worth nothing that on my card using using the
"freepsxboot-unirom-20210412-7001-7002-7500-7501-7502-7503-9001-9002-9003.mcd"
version of FreePSXBoot, I have absolutely no problems reformatting the card via MCA, slot 2 in my screenshot below:

tech3475 · Apr 14, 2021

Sophie-bear said:
Always read the README, it clearly states this can be an issue.

Once installed, it may become difficult to uninstall, as the normal software to re-format a memory card won't work, due to the exploit itself. You could end up with no means to recover the memory card; if for example your installation method was Memory Card Annihilator v2, as it will also crash. If you happen to own a game that shows the memory card's content before creating a save file like Cool Boarders 4, chances are you can recover your card's normal functionality by overwriting the exploit with the game's save.

Source: https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/blob/master/README.md#warning

Please also see here for a potential solution to your problem if you don't own a game like CoolBoarders 4.
https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot/issues/18

I just tested this, I was able to reformat the card with MCAv2 on my 500x PAL PS2.

First time I inserted the card in slot 1 it crashed, so I rebooted the console and tried slot 2 and was able to reformat.

Tried again with a different third party card and I was able to reformat using slot 1.

Tried copying a save from my PS2's HDD and it copied over fine and it SEEMS ok when loading from the PS1 both MCM and in game, but be cautious until others can verify.

edit:

Just checked the 'fix', I was using the 4.5 so that might be why it works.

AkikoKumagara · Apr 14, 2021

tech3475 said:
I just tested this, I was able to reformat the card with MCAv2 on my 500x PAL PS2.

First time I inserted the card in slot 1 it crashed, so I rebooted the console and tried slot 2 and was able to reformat.

Tried again with a different third party card and I was able to reformat using slot 1.

Tried copying a save from my PS2's HDD and it copied over fine and it SEEMS ok when loading from the PS1 both MCM and in game, but be cautious until others can verify.

edit:

Just checked the 'fix', I was using the 4.5 so that might be why it works.

Good info, thank you. I'm excited for when this gets more accessible and refined so we don't have to jump through hoops like this to manage it.

tech3475 · Apr 14, 2021

Sophie-bear said:
Good info, thank you. I'm excited for when this gets more accessible and refined so we don't have to jump through hoops like this to manage it.

Again just to be clear, it seems that the PSone 102 4.4/4.5 versions are safe from my experience. I haven't tried others.

KleinesSinchen · Apr 14, 2021

Sophie-bear said:
[...]
Edit: It may also be worth nothing that on my card using using the
"freepsxboot-unirom-20210412-7001-7002-7500-7501-7502-7503-9001-9002-9003.mcd"
version of FreePSXBoot, I have absolutely no problems reformatting the card via MCA, slot 2 in my screenshot below:

View attachment 258239 View attachment 258240

Can confirm from my end:
Exploit MC does not crash MC Annihilator -- and even the stock PS2 (fat model) memory card manager opens it showing four corrupted symbols. Did not try deleting from there.

Exploit perfectly working on PAL SCPH-9002 (no modchip). Boots CD-R backups fine.

asper · Apr 15, 2021

There seems to be crash problems even with MC Annihilator only with some bios version exploits. Anyway I find a way to recover "broken" memory card using Wipeout (I ercovered a memory card making MC Annihilator to crash - no way to recover it using abe's odyssee game)

0 - insert a WORKING memory card in slot 1 (YES, you need at least 1 good memory card - it will probably work on slot 2 too)
1 - start Wipeout [SCES-00010] game
2 - go to "options"
3 - go to "load data"
4 - press "O" to choose "format card"
5 - answer "YES" to the format 1st request
6 - SWITCH the good memory card with the modified (corrupted) one
7 - answer "YES" to the 2nd format request [some programmer (fortunately) here forgot to check for the memory card data before starting the formating procedure !]
8 - done ! your memory card is good again

Deleted User · Apr 15, 2021

My first hacked console was a PS1 with a modchip. I didn't have a cd burner so I found someone online and paid them $5 a disc, not a game per disc. So if I game had 4 discs which some PS1 games did, I paid $20 lol. Should have just bought the originals on some of them.

Elbart · Apr 16, 2021

What is the situation with regard to antimod-protected games?
I'd imagine they don't work without patches as the licence-check is disabled all together.

KleinesSinchen · Apr 16, 2021

Elbart said:
What is the situation with regard to antimod-protected games?
I'd imagine they don't work without patches as the licence-check is disabled all together.

Shouldn't be the case. Try one.

If I understood anti-mod games correctly, they had an additional check for the license string. Early chips would constantly send it (even when not reading the part that is used for authentication). The game could check for the SCE* string and if it did find it (shouldn't be the case) there must be a modchip sending it.
This prevented even original CDs from being used. Modded console → No game.

Later modchips switched themselves off after authenticating the disc (guess this was the "stealth" in the later versions).

What doesn't work with modchip and with an exploit like this one is successfully playing unpatched backups of LibCrypt protected games. They crash deliberately early on. Coincidentally I just tried it hoping RAW copy with subchannel data would work without patch… NOPE!

Disc-less hack for original Playstation

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