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PlayStation Vita owners have been waiting with bated breath for Vita scene hacker TheFloW to release his latest exploit: h-encore. This marks the second ever major exploit for the Vita, following the 3.60 Henkaku hack. For the first time, OFW 3.65, 3.67, and 3.68 can be modified to run backups, run homebrew, and more. Adrenaline, which lets users exploit the PSP side of the Vita, has also been updated as of two days ago, to support the latest firmwares.

To use h-encore, you're going to need a PS Vita on firmware 3.65 or above, be linked (though not activated) to a PSN account, and if you're using a OLED Vita, you'll also need a memory card.

Enso can also be installed, but only for those who are on 3.65--there's no current support for Enso on higher firmware. TheFloW's instructions note that this installation is far more complex than previous Henkaku releases, and will require more work to ensure that it works correctly.

Note that the following guide is for advanced users and a bit more complicated than the previous hack that only required you to visit a website. If you don't understand the guide below or how to use these tools, you should neither file an issue here nor annoy me on twitter, but rather seek help on /r/vitahacks (check for duplicated questions first!) or wait for an easy installer.

1. Download and install qcma, psvimgtools and pkg2zip (check the releases section).
   
   
2. Download the vulnerable DRM-free demo of bitter smile (yes, that's the user entry point).
   
   
3. Download h-encore and extract it on your computer.
   
   
4. Extract the demo using:
   
   pkg2zip -x PATH_OF_PKG
   
   This will output the files to app/PCSG90096.
   
   
5. Copy the contents of the output app/PCSG90096 to the folder h-encore/app/ux0_temp_game_PCSG90096_app_PCSG90096(such that the files eboot.bin and VITA_PATH.TXT are within the same folder).
   
   
6. Copy the license file app/PCSG90096/sce_sys/package/temp.bin to the folder
   h-encore/license/ux0_temp_game_PCSG90096_license_app_PCSG90096 and rename the just pasted file temp.bin to 6488b73b912a753a492e2714e9b38bc7.rif. Again, this file should be in the same folder as VITA_PATH.TXT.
   
   
7. Start qcma and within the qcma settings set the option Use this version for updates to FW 0.00 (Always up-to-date).
   
   
8. Launch Content Manager on your PS Vita and connect it to your computer, where you then need to select PC -> PS Vita System, and after that you select Applications. If you see an error message about System Software, you should simply reboot your device to solve it. This should create a folder at PS Vita/APP/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on your computer (see qcma settings where this folder is), where the folder xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx represents the AID (account ID) that you need to insert here. If the AID is valid, it will yield a key that you can now use to encrypt the demo.
   
   
9. Change directory to the h-encore folder in terminal and use the key to encrypt all folders that are listed below using:
   
   psvimg-create -n X -K YOUR_KEY X PCSG90096/X
   
   Where X is (yes, repeat it 4 times or write a script for that):
   • app
   • appmeta
   • license
   • savedata
   The folder h-encore/PCSG90096 should then contain sce_sys and all 4 folders from above, and within these folders you should find files called X.psvimg and X.psvmd, where X has the same name as the folder. Backup this folder, since if everything has been done correctly, you don't need to redo all the steps to install it onto another device with the same PSN account.
   
   
10. Copy the folder h-encore/PCSG90096 to PS Vita/APP/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/PCSG90096 and refresh the database under qcma settings.
    
    
11. The h-encore bubble with a size of around 243 MB should now appear in the Content Manager and that's what you finally need to transfer to your PS Vita.
    
    
12. Launch h-encore to exploit your device (if a message about trophies appears, simply click yes). The screen should first flash white, then purple, and finally open a menu called h-encore bootstrap menu where you can download VitaShell and install HENkaku.
    
    
13. Enjoy. Note that you have to relaunch the exploit everytime you reboot or shutdown your device. Of course if you only put your device into standby mode, you don't need to relaunch.

GitHub
TheFloW's Twitter
For those on 3.60

 

[Purple_Heart]

i dont like to type the direction in everytime....and if i do that it dont wor

 

[AkikoKumagara]

That was English ! LOL im stuck on it all i downloaded all the stuff it asked for ... i have it all in a folder h-encore .. but i am completely confused what to do next i have CMD on my laptop but i dont understand it at all nor do i know what command prompts to use ...
i gather i start with
C:/Users/Dan/Desktop/h-encore/
or am i wrong? i just dont get what i do at all...

"cd" then the directory will change your working directory in CMD Prompt to that folder, that way you don't have to specify every time for every file that you want that directory to be used.
Example:
"cd C:/Users/Dan/Desktop/h-encore/"
Then follow the instructions as written.

 

[kublai]

Do you have to install SD2VITA for it to work or does this already have SD2VITA built in?

 

[mgs2]

Yes this worked perfectly. Make sure you do the DNS setting changes then fully sign in to your account. Once you do this QCMA will immediately recognize the vita

I tried doing it, still no avail... the error still appears... I believe it's because the DNS may have been blocked by my ISP. I'll try doing other things to solve this. Appreciate your reply! Thank you!

 

[Purple_Heart]

ah ok thank you (i ave an illness...my brain isnt working propably and i am forgetting things)

 

[stanleyopar2000]

That was English ! LOL im stuck on it all i downloaded all the stuff it asked for ... i have it all in a folder h-encore .. but i am completely confused what to do next i have CMD on my laptop but i dont understand it at all nor do i know what command prompts to use ...
i gather i start with
C:/Users/Dan/Desktop/h-encore/
or am i wrong? i just dont get what i do at all...

1. Put pkg2zip in your h-encore folder including the PKG file
2. Then for the commands that H-Encore is asking (ex: pkg2zip -x PATH_OF_PKG)
3. do in command prompt "cd C:/Users/Dan/Desktop/h-encore" (CD is a command to Change Directory" and tells CMD to look in this folder)
3.a - To check if CMD is in the right directory: do the command "dir" and you will see all the files in your h-encore folder...t
4. run pkg2zip -x xGMrXOkORxWRyqzLMihZPqsXAbAXLzvAdJFqtPJLAZTgOcqJobxQAhLNbgiFydVlcmVOrpZKklOYxizQCRpiLfjeROuWivGXfwgkq.pkg

If you did it right pkg2zip will find the PKG file in the h-encore folder and will immediately begin to work. Use the CD command in Command Prompt to change directories

 

[SuperDan]

1. Put pkg2zip in your h-encore folder including the PKG file
2. Then for the commands that H-Encore is asking (ex: pkg2zip -x PATH_OF_PKG)
3. do in command prompt "cd C:/Users/Dan/Desktop/h-encore" (CD is a command to Change Directory" and tells CMD to look in this folder)
3.a - To check if CMD is in the right directory: do the command "dir" and you will see all the files in your h-encore folder...t
4. run pkg2zip -x xGMrXOkORxWRyqzLMihZPqsXAbAXLzvAdJFqtPJLAZTgOcqJobxQAhLNbgiFydVlcmVOrpZKklOYxizQCRpiLfjeROuWivGXfwgkq

If you did it right pkg2zip will find the PKG file and will immediately begin to work. Use the CD command in Command Prompt to change directories

will ry this now i'll report back ..

 

[stanleyopar2000]

will ry this now i'll report back ..

Also for further ahead for step 9: Put all the files from the psvimg zip IN the H-Encore folder. Will make this step much easier

 

[SuperDan]

will ry this now i'll report back ..

almost there found my files using
dir
shows everything as needed
stuck at this point
4. run pkg2zip -x xGMrXOkORxWRyqzLMihZPqsXAbAXLzvAdJFqtPJLAZTgOcqJobxQAhLNbgiFydVlcmVOrpZKklOYxizQCRpiLfjeROuWivGXfwgkq
copy all that in CMD? or .... BTW THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT !!

 

[AkikoKumagara]

almost there found my files using
dir
shows everything as needed
stuck at this point
4. run pkg2zip -x xGMrXOkORxWRyqzLMihZPqsXAbAXLzvAdJFqtPJLAZTgOcqJobxQAhLNbgiFydVlcmVOrpZKklOYxizQCRpiLfjeROuWivGXfwgkq
copy all that in CMD? or .... BTW THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT !!

You can just drag the pkg file on the pkg2zip.exe

 

[SuperDan]

You can just drag the pkg file on the pkg2zip.exe

trying now ....

 

[stanleyopar2000]

almost there found my files using
dir
shows everything as needed
stuck at this point
4. run pkg2zip -x xGMrXOkORxWRyqzLMihZPqsXAbAXLzvAdJFqtPJLAZTgOcqJobxQAhLNbgiFydVlcmVOrpZKklOYxizQCRpiLfjeROuWivGXfwgkq
copy all that in CMD? or .... BTW THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT !!

Once you have
1. CMD looking in the h-encore folder....
2. pkg2zip.exe in h-encore folder
3. the PKG in your h-encore folder
4. copy and paste the below and push enter:

pkg2zip -x xGMrXOkORxWRyqzLMihZPqsXAbAXLzvAdJFqtPJLAZTgOcqJobxQAhLNbgiFydVlcmVOrpZKklOYxizQCRpiLfjeROuWivGXfwgkq.pkg

You can just drag the pkg file on the pkg2zip.exe

huh. Neat. didn't know that. Would have saved me some time there...

 

[SuperDan]

Once you have
1. CMD looking in the h-encore folder....
2. pkg2zip.exe in h-encore folder
3. the PKG in your h-encore folder
4. copy and paste the below and push enter:

pkg2zip -x xGMrXOkORxWRyqzLMihZPqsXAbAXLzvAdJFqtPJLAZTgOcqJobxQAhLNbgiFydVlcmVOrpZKklOYxizQCRpiLfjeROuWivGXfwgkq.pkg



huh. Neat. didn't know that. Would have saved me some time there...

i think im missing the pkg2zip.exe as mine says pkg2zip-master....

 

[Purple_Heart]

Where X is (yes, repeat it 4 times or write a script for that)
app
appmeta.....

if i type the commands it errors out

 

[stanleyopar2000]

i think im missing the pkg2zip.exe as mine says pkg2zip-master....

If you're not a developer on GitHub you want to click "RELEASES" tab these are the compiled binary programs for use

https://github.com/mmozeiko/pkg2zip/releases

click and download the zip file for 32Bit or 64bit..depending on what your computer is. That .exe file in the zip is the pkg2zip program. Put that in the h-encore folder along with the PKG file. They both should be in the same h-encore directory

 

[SirNapkin1334]

New newspage design?

 

[JoeyMacCheese]

Can anyone help me on Step 9? Dont know what it means at all and when i attempt to do it, CMD spits out 'psvimg output: No such file or directory'

 

[kublai]

Anyone got SD2VITA to work with this hack? I can't seem to locate the correct SD2VITA for this new hack.

 

[Purple_Heart]

i created all folders (all data are 1kb each) is it right or did i something wrong

 

[cvskid]

Does anyone know if it's possible to make a psn account on firmware 3.60 or 3.65 since the tutorial says you need a psn account to use this as someone who never made a psn account on a vita?