Hacking USB Slot Closest to edge is broken should I not bother with USB loader

[Creative_Theory]

I wanted to know before I go through the effort of installing a loader only to find out I'm wasting my time.

 

[yatesl]

You can still boot of SD cards using a USB Loader, if you want to not use DVDs.

 

[Maxternal]

USB Loaders usually rely on a cIOS to connect to the USB ports. You have a few options.
1. d2x v9 final (not released)
2. cIOS 222 Rodries mod 5.1 (not as compatible as d2x but it has already been released.)
3. Later Waninkoko cIOS (again, not as compatible as the d2x. Many newer loaders simply cannot use it.)

Here's the breakdown :
1. d2x is the most compatible cIOS for USBLoading BUT all current versions (including the released beta versions of v9) can't use both USB ports. v9 WILL be able to but you'd have to wait
2. This would probably be the best cIOS option in your case since it is still supported by the latest versions of some USB Loaders (USB Loader GX is the first that comes to mind.)
3. I'm not sure which or if there are any of the latest versions of any USB Loader that support this but I do remember being able to plug my drive into the other port with rev19 and rev17 if I remember right. (I haven't actually tried that often.)

If anyone can confirm or deny this one go right ahead :
There's also a possibility that neek2o can run off of either USB port and it does not rely on a cIOS.

 

[Fishaman P]

Hermes cIOS v5.1 MOD is a great option. IIRC, only COD: Black Ops and Kirby's Dreamland are incompatible compared to d2x.
I think music games will still be off limits due to needing an IOS merge, but I could be wrong.

 

[Maxternal]

I know there are some that with Hermes cIOS they give a "fortress response" or something like that and just lock up. Smurf's Dance Party comes immediately to mind. I actually thought Black Ops did work as long as you ran it off of 224 (with the standard IOS base for that one, forget what it is.) I haven't actually used it that much lately though. So I'm kinda rusty on it.