PS1/2 Game loaded with SwapMagic 3.6 gives black screen after memory card screen

[SapphireLuna]

Hey. So it's been a few years since I used my SwapMagic 3.6 disk but the disk itself works fine. I'm using the fat PS2. I tried loading both Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Riders Zero Gravity and both will load normally, get to the standard memory card confirmation screen, and then they give me a black screen after confirming the memory card. I tried not inserting a memory card, and I still get the black screen after confirming being unable to save.

Both of these disks used to work without problem before. I've played them many times before. Since I see their in-game loading screen, and their in-game memory card screen I assume the disk itself works. But I tried it with other games to make sure, and they get passed the memory card screen just fine. I never had this black screen issue before. Any ideas?

 

[esmith13]

It's been a LOOOOOONG time since I used swap magic, but if i remember correctly you got the best results using an original dvd game to boot a dvd game and an original cd game to boot a cd game. Also if your game had redbook audio (actual music cd tracks) you sometimes got no music unless the original game you swapped with also had redbook audio.

All that said, any reason you haven't built a FreeMCBoot memory card to run ESR for your copies or - even better - any reason you haven't reburned them using FreeDVDBoot?

Or actually, you said Phat PS2 - why haven't you setup OPL to an internal HDD with FreeHDDboot?

 

[SapphireLuna]

It's been a LOOOOOONG time since I used swap magic, but if i remember correctly you got the best results using an original dvd game to boot a dvd game and an original cd game to boot a cd game. Also if your game had redbook audio (actual music cd tracks) you sometimes got no music unless the original game you swapped with also had redbook audio.

All that said, any reason you haven't built a FreeMCBoot memory card to run ESR for your copies or - even better - any reason you haven't reburned them using FreeDVDBoot?

Or actually, you said Phat PS2 - why haven't you setup OPL to an internal HDD with FreeHDDboot?

I was just going by the assumption that if they worked completely fine before, they should still work fine now.
Sadly my knowledge is limited and I'm not aware of those other things you suggested. Is it easy to do?

 

[tech3475]

I was just going by the assumption that if they worked completely fine before, they should still work fine now.
Sadly my knowledge is limited and I'm not aware of those other things you suggested. Is it easy to do?

Basically you need a memory card, a HDD adapter and a HDD, the latter plug into the expansion bay.

Ideally you want the official Broadband Adapter, but I’ve heard the third party ones work fine, sans network capabilities.

Then you need to install FMCB, since you have swap magic you can just run the installer using that:
https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1248

So now with the FMCB card inserted, on boot it will load a menu which can run homebrew such as OPL.
Here’s a guide I found for using OPL, although note newer version(s) have been released):
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/open-ps2-loader-0-9-3-user-guide-by-shaolinassassin.20541/

Note the following are optional:

There’s also FHDB which is the HDD version of FMCB, but it’s slower to boot and only really useful as a backup to FMCB/initial installs. However I don’t know if it will work with third party HDD adapters and seems unnecessary as you have Swap Magic.

I also mention Mechapwn in case you are interested, although personally I’d avoid it unless you really need it:
https://github.com/MechaResearch/MechaPwn