Gaming PSP pandora and memory card

[esoterica]

Ok, so I have a Nintendo DS Lite with a flash cart and am pretty familiar with the workings of it. My friend recently got a PSP and hacked it himself, but he's not very good at explaining things. Anyways, I would like to have my own, but I am kind of confused by all the different ways to hack and all these different files and things I need to do. So, are the ONLY things I need is Psp + Pandora battery + pro duo memory stick + psp to PC usb cable? Do I need anything else? Do i HAVE to have a "magic memory stick" or is that the same thing as Pandora? This bit is confusing me a lot. Do I need to actually do a lot of stuff to get it to work? I read the guide on GBAtemp and it makes a lot more sense now, but it does make it seem sort of complex, but my friend said he did it in 5 minutes. What are the odds of me messing this up and bricking my psp? And if I have a Pandora battery, do I not have to worry about this? or is that what the magic memory stick is for??

 

[xist]

It's a Pandora Battery and Magic Memory Stick...the battery boots the PSP (although not the newest slim psp's or the 3000 series) into service mode allowing it to boot from the memory stick instead of it's internal memory. The MMS contains all the data to allow the boot and facilitate the firmware install.

Doing it on your own all you need is a Pandora Battery (Datel Tool battery or cheap from Deal Extreme will do), a Genuine MS Pro Duo between about 256Mb and 4Gb in size and a USB Pro Duo MS reader so you can write to the stick from your PSP (often bundled with sticks but also cheap on their own). Then all you do is pick a simple GUI installer like Pandora Deluxe (2.7 will probably be what you want when you're ready for this) and get the additional files it needs freely available) and run it on your PC.

This will write all the information necessary to make a MMS to install cfw for you (and in the case of Pandora Deluxe you have lots of options!). Then you just take the newly made MMS, stick it in your PSP and insert the battery and follow the onscreen instructions...simple. And yes this process will tke less time than it takes to boil a full kettle.

Chances of bricking? Well equivalent to any firmware install, official or otherwise - ensure your battery is fully charged and it's unlikely. Plus with a Pandora battery and MMS you can always have another go since this is all you need to unbrick the console anyway!

REMEMBER - this process won't work on a PSP 3000 or the PSP Slims in the latest batch with the new mobo.

 

[gekiwolf]

Like xist said get a pandora buying it from deal extreme or using a datel tool to convert your own battery to pandora. For the magic stick I used rain's easy mms installer. Heres a video on how to use it. Really easy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h8Tlfr9Hts

 

[esoterica]

What qualifies as a GENUINE memory card? The ones off DX won't work I assume? Do I HAVE to buy the Sony ones?

 

[ENDscape]

Magic gate supported ones.

 

[esoterica]

I'm lookin on Amazon for the cheapest one. Does it HAVE to be Pro Duo or can it just be Pro like this one?

Otherwise I guess I'd go with this one? Comes with the adapter as well. And I guess I'll need an additional 8GB memory card? How much slower are the ones on DX than buying an expensive one? Looks like I'll have to drop close to $300 for everything to get a hacked PSP, plus all the casing and screen protectors.

 

[xist]

No a Pro won't work. Get a Sandisk 4Gb Pro Duo Ultra II...you'll want a decent sized MS after you've installed cfw anyway and if the only stick you have is something that small there's no real benefit to you of installing cfw... 4Gb will do everything (personally I think 8Gb is overkill unless you have ADD). Oh and Sandisk is a better choice than Sony any day due to transfer speeds.

 

[kobykaan]

A pro wouldn't work anyway its too thick to even fit the slot!

 

[esoterica]

That Pro Duo Ultra is pretty expensive. I think I am just gonna go with a regular 8gb memory card. And yes, I am quite ADD, I'm used to having like 50 games on my DS, I don't think 2-3 will cut it for me. I mean at LEAST 5 games. I'm looking for where I can find the games, I know I'm not supposed to ask but if anyone can help me out it'd be much appreciated. Also, whats the difference between ISO and CSO? What version firmware should I change it to and how hard is it to get the PSX emulator working? Are games easily available?

 

[kobykaan]

That Pro Duo Ultra is pretty expensive. I think I am just gonna go with a regular 8gb memory card. And yes, I am quite ADD, I'm used to having like 50 games on my DS, I don't think 2-3 will cut it for me. I mean at LEAST 5 games. I'm looking for where I can find the games, I know I'm not supposed to ask but if anyone can help me out it'd be much appreciated. Also, whats the difference between ISO and CSO? What version firmware should I change it to and how hard is it to get the PSX emulator working? Are games easily available?

Pro duo Ultra isn't needed a pro duo should suffice but to make the pandora work you need to have one thats a MAGIC GATE compatible card some clone/fake pro duo cards are NOT magic gate cards and will not work with the pandora tool ... although once modded the psp can use any card for games its just the modding part it has to be specific!

maby borrow one if the one you get isnt magic gate compatible

ISO is a full uncompressed game image file and CSO is a heavy compressed version sometimes with stuff removed to make it smaller .... CSO also loads a little slower but not massive amounts but definitely noticeable ...

FINALLY for your last question

do not ask here!!!!

 

[xist]

I'm sorry if it came across that way (i don't think it did) but my recommendation on an Ultra II was simply for the best 4Gb stick, not on a requirement for a MMS. However an 8Gb stick cannot be used as a MMS so you'd best get a smaller one.

 

[CorruptJon]

Just get one like this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...=tab%3DWatching

3 bucks shipped, used, genuine. You can just use it and then toss it once you have cfw.

 

[esoterica]

Oh, I already ordered a 256mb Pro memory stick by Sony, and it came with the cable that connects the Psp to PC for the MMS. I meant getting a 8gb memory stick as my regular memory card.

EDIT: Ok I've done a lot of reading, think I got everything figured out. One thing though, what is the ideal version of CFW I should be running? I think I will be using Pandora Deluxe (the newest version) to make my MMS, except I don't understand half the options available for installation that are included. Does the version of Despertar cementerio have to match the CFW version? Do I need the M33 1.50 add on installers (wtf is that anyways)? Do I need a POPSLoader? What is Time machine and nandTool? Is the 1.50 FW the Psp phat one and the M33 all other custom firm ware? There's too many names being thrown around and it's confusing the heck out of me.

Oh and last but not least... some of the games I've downloaded come in a gazillion files. I'm not talking about like the 3 part rar files that extract into 1 big file, but like 30-something files all named filename.001, filename.002, filename.003, and so on. How do I turn this into an ISO or whatever to run on the PSP? And does each game require it's own folder?

 

[xist]

Just install 5.00M33-3 for now....you can do everything else if and when you need it....1.50 options are for the fat psp only and TM is less and less useful nowadays. (I really hope that you're not buying a new PSP as the odds are it's not cfw-able now anyway!)

For your games go back to the PSP Sony Store and read their instructions. Once you've paid i believe they allow you to replace any faulty files so if you have any problems just send them an en email.

 

[Gore]

You bought the Pro?

The PSP's memory slot fits ONLY Memory Stick Pro Duo.
That's why they were saying do not buy Pro.
Pro Duo is required, it is the only thing the PSP can read!

Edit: Damn. Why not just buy a PSP and get your friend to hack it for you? It would save you time, trouble, and money. 1.50 is a firmware the PSP Slim is not capable of running. There are add-ons to simulate it but they aren't perfect.
Either have your friend do it or borrow a memory stick pro duo and pandora battery.
Or if you have a Memory Stick Pro Duo, just borrow his Pandora.

 

[Sir-Fritz]

Cant the psp read memory stick pro, but just not be able to close the door cause it will hang out or something?

 

[kobykaan]

Cant the psp read memory stick pro, but just not be able to close the door cause it will hang out or something?

no it JUST WONT FIT its PHYSICALLY THICKER in DEPTH at least twice the thickness than a pro duo card so it will not even fit in the slot!

(stack 2 pro duo cards one on top of the other the mem stick pro is about that thick)

I have a digital camera that uses mem stick pro cards and its just to chunky to fit the psp slot

besides cheap ones from DX work just fine .....

its only the flashing with a pandora battery that can be a bit picky with no name unbranded none magic gate cards once its done you can go back to using the none magic gate card for your iso/cso files