PSP Hack/Mod advice needed

August 21, 2008 9:13 AM

I need advice with modding/hacking my PSP. I have info and have tried and failed. Help!

Okay, so I have a PSP, the old one, not the slim one. And I have a kid and no money, therefore I was contemplating selling it as I can’t afford cames, and thought I wasn’t clever enough to explore the cool homebrew options.

Then, I saw this article

http://gizmodo.com/5034551/how-to-hack-your-psp-slim-for-homebrew-apps

I ordered the TOOL battery and followed this instructions up to the point where you install the battery and put the new OS on the machine. However, with the battery installed, the green power light shows power, but it doesn’t access the memory stick. What am I doing wrong.

Some clever hive minder has done this, and the various blogs that discuss these issues are written in gibberish. Please help!

If there are details I am not disclosing that are relevane and would help you give adivce, let me know and I’ll post them.

posted by Ponderance to computers & internet (12 answers total)

This is the tool you bought?

The one that states "designed for use in the new Slimline PSP (not the original model)."

Well... there's your problem.
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 9:33 AM on August 21, 2008

the TOOL battery will power on your PSP, so that part works fine.
The issue seems to be that your memory stick is not properly formatted as a MAgic memory stick.

The instructions on that site uses a seemingly old script to install it.

I didn't test this application yet, but it seems to have a windows frontend to prepare your PSP and MS for cracking. It was just released. http://dl.qj.net/PSP-Pandora-Deluxe-v1.1-PSP-Homebrew-Applications/pg/12/fid/22543/catid/151

If that doesn't work, check out this site for more detailed instructions on how to manually prepare your MS.

http://patrickleif.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!59C03FB1213D652D!942.entry

Make sure you follow every step carefully, especially the part where you remove and put back the memory stick.

If this still doesn't work, then you'll need access to a cracked PSP so you can run the Pandora Deluxe tool from up there, but running Pandora Installer manually (prepares your MS for magic MS)

Feel free to email me with questions, I've cracked over 10 PSPs.
posted by PowerCat at 9:55 AM on August 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

By the way if your PSP is version 1.50, you don't need to crack it. There's an exploit out there.

(Settings > System Settings > System Information)
posted by PowerCat at 9:57 AM on August 21, 2008

You need a pre-modded PSP to create the magic memory stick 'legally', i.e. without getting the files from someone else (since the files are copyrighted). But there are loads of "easy-installers" which bundle everything together so you just have to connect your PSP via USB with the memstick inserted and it will do the rest.

If you have Windows XP, mefimail me and I'll send you the "stuff" and easy instructions on how to get it running.
posted by cyanide at 10:41 AM on August 21, 2008

cyanide, mspformat and msinst will let you create a MMS from your PC.

The only issue that makes you requires a modded PSP is making the pandora battery from pandora installer.
posted by PowerCat at 10:47 AM on August 21, 2008

I bought the tool for the non-slim PSP.

How do I figure out if I have a 1.50 PSP? I have updated my OS regularly throughout owning it. I bought my PSP early on after its release so it is an oldie.
posted by Ponderance at 10:52 AM on August 21, 2008

Powercat, it powers it only in that the little green light comes on. I have read that this is not uncommon.
posted by Ponderance at 10:53 AM on August 21, 2008

Are the instructions on that link I posted NOT the directions on how to make a magic memory stick? I thought that is what I was doing.

Sheesh, homebrewing my DS was a bagillion times easier and less confusing.
posted by Ponderance at 10:55 AM on August 21, 2008

Send an email to cyanide, he has the files for you.
posted by PowerCat at 11:00 AM on August 21, 2008

I did, I appreciate all the help!!!

Once I get home and get the little one to bed, I'll try again and I'll post an update. What did I do before AskMeFi?
posted by Ponderance at 11:04 AM on August 21, 2008

Okay, so I followed this instruction kindly provided by Cyanide, who is very generous with his/her time and this happened...

Everything worker beautifully up until the point I tried to install 3.71 M33.

It gave me the following error and then shut off

It went through a bunch of things and said OK, then

LOADING PSAR TO RAM.....Cannot find 371.pbp at root and the it goes off.

Thoughts?

I got farther than I did yesterday.
posted by Ponderance at 6:21 PM on August 21, 2008

Should be fixed after I sent the links to download the PBP files :) Have fun with your modded PSP
posted by cyanide at 2:07 AM on August 22, 2008