brad-lin / freepsxboot Goto Github PK

Hello, I just wanted to share my findings with the SCPH-5501 model. I cannot find any reason why some of the PU-18 1-664-537-52 boards will not work with the exploit (Good candidates for an ODE!). They all have the following BIOS CRC-32 8d8cb7e4 BIOS Version: 3.0 Date 11/18/96. I would like others to share their findings, model, board revision, manufacture date on the bottom of the console, is the exploit working or not working, and BIOS version. Try to provide as much information as possible.

These are all NTSC SCPH-5501 models.

PU-18\1-664-537-62\September 1997\PSIO switchboard installed\exploit is working
PU-18\1-664-537-52\September 1997\no mods\exploit is not working
PU-18\1-664-537-52\September 1997\no mods\exploit is not working
PU-18\1-664-537-72\March 1998\no mods\exploit is working
PU-18\1-664-537-72\March 1998\no mods\exploit is working
PU-18\1-664-537-52\December 1997\no mods\exploit is working
PU-18\1-664-537-52\June 1997\XStation installed\exploit is working

Manual swap on ntsc-j 3500 not working, when I remove the memory card, the tv goes black and appears the message "no signal"

Hello (I also go by wishing4thesun at PSX-Place).

The BIOS CRC is 76B880E5 and the System ROM version is 4.5 (25th May 2000), Europe.

I installed using the Unirom CD via the disc swap trick, it verified fine. I've tried three PS1 memory cards, all are original and all verified against the installer correctly, so I doubt that that's the issue (I've heard about the '64K masquerading as 128K' cards being sold on eBay).

I've tried both slots 1 and 2 and I am using an SCPH-110 controller manufactured by Hosiden, so nothing out of the ordinary there either.

Rebooting with the lid open (and the Blu-Tack removed so it doesn't try to read the disc), I go to the memory card info, and I don't get a cyan screen after 30 seconds; instead, just locks up when the memory card icon fades to black. Nothing. Nothing.

I wonder if this indicates some kind of compatibility issue as apparently someone else filed the same thing over at PSX-Place so I have been told.

The serial number(s), if it helps, are S01-8502538-H / B8502538 for the console, and S01-5031737-C / 5031737 for the LCD screen.

Thank you for any assistance/debugging/troubleshooting, since I am not a programmer in any way, and thank you for the project as a whole. (I love the Unirom UI by the way, reminds me of the C64).

-nyuchiko

Hello,
I have a SCPH-5501 PU-18\1-664-537-62\September 1997 model Playstation and have verified the Bios is 3.0 , checksum 8d8cb7e4, and a date of 11/18/96.
I've written the freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210419-bios-3.0.mcd image to a first party memory card using PSXGameEdit 1.6 and a DexDrive. This method has been confirmed to be working in issue #22 .
Selecting Memory Card from the Playstation menu makes the screen flash from orange to a pale light blue very quickly and then it locks there. I've left the Playstation in that state for hours. Tonyhax also does not work using the Castrol Superbike save game exploit. It will load the save game successfully but starting a race to initialize the payload locks up the Playstation.
I've read a few posts about some 5501's just not working with the exploit. Let me know if there is some information I can provide about my Playstation which may help get it working.

Thanks.

I have done all the procedures but when I go to the memory card option the exploit does not start

I have not been able to run the exploit on a SCHP-9002, I did the process 2 times with a ps2 and nothing, any ideas?
run the normal mc menu

thx

Hi, I'm planning to install FPSXB on a not original MC (I have a BILBO 1MB one and two 2MB MC I don't know the brand). They always worked flawlessly.

I see there isn't any warning about third party MCs in the readme, so I should be good, right?

One last question. After I install it (with MCA), in case there will be an update or I'd want another installation for use it on a different Ps1 model, I guess I can't just overwrite the installation, it's correct?

I read in this other issue: #31 about PSX Hacker Kit 18 in 1. If it is really reliable, I think it should be added (or at least the link on the readme).

Thank you and sorry for grammatical mistakes (I'm not english).

Hello.
In the latest README-change a sentence was added that not all BIOS-versions were tested on hardware but only with an emulator.
Is there a list of those versions still waiting to be confirmed on hardware?
THanks.

I use a Bitfunx HDMI adapter (RGB signal), which works wonderfully. Unfortunately, there are problems when I start Unirom (screen stays black). I suspect that the resolution is no longer compatible from that point. Is it possible that the next update you choose a resolution that could then work with the Bitfunx? Thanks a lot!

Just noticed that BIOS 4.0 (ps-40j) and SCPH-7000W (ps-41a(w)) are absent from the list.
Or can the 4.1-image be used with them?

1997-08-18
🇯🇵
ps-40j
SCPH-7000, SCPH-7500, SCPH-9000
ec541cd0
8e4c14f567745eff2f0408c8129f72a6

1997-11-14
🇺🇸
ps-41a(w)
SCPH-7000W
b7c43dad
b84be139db3ee6cbd075630aa20a6553

I have reformatted my cheapy Aliexpress memory card that I was using for TonyHax using MCA v2 on a ps2 (SCPH 50003). I performed a full format, selected to restore an image and used 'freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210421-bios-3.0-19970106.mcr'.
I boot the PSX with the lid open, select the memory card manager and it just opens as normal. If I put the card back in to the PS2, MCA will see it and format it without a problem (I've tried full and fast). I tried the same process 3 times just to make sure it didn't work. I then booted an original copy of Tony Hawks 3 and started a new career with the FreePSXBoot card in slot 1 (to see what it would do if I tried to save a career). It detects the card as unformatted, asks me if I'd like to format it and saves the game, I can see the saved game block on the card after. I then tried to create the FreePSXBoot card again with MCA and the result is the same.

As I reported on YouTube I have two SCPH-5501 systems and both have BIOS 3.0 (03/11/96) A, as reported by both UniROM and tonyhax. I tested both systems using BIOS 3.0 (11/18/96) as you suggested, using two different memory cards on both systems, and both of them locked up immediately after selecting the memory card.

Hello!

First of all, this is outstanding work and a personal dream of mine since the PSX came out! Thank you @brad-lin et all for making this happen!

I'd like to report that there's absolutely no need for specific games, specialized hardware, or what have you to format the MC once it's been flashed with FreePSXBoot.

I originally intended to open a ticket to report that I wasn't having any issues whatsoever accessing the MC after flashing it with FreePSXBoot (think about it: I wanted to open an issue ticket to report no issues!). At the time, I was using the freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210414-bios-4.1.mcd image. I flashed it using a PS2 slim running MCA v2.0 with the cheapest aftermarket PS1 MC that money can buy (in fact I didn't even buy it, I found it!).
The presence of the MC was never causing my PS2 to crash, I was able to read it's content in both uLaunchELF and the PS2 Browser (both uLaunchELF and the PS2 browser show the content of the MC hovering around 6.8GB, pretty funny)

I was also able to create an image of it in MCA, format it, restore it, you name it, no issues whatsoever. Needless to say, the card was also working properly on my PS1s (various 7501s and 9001s).

Anyway, I ended up not reporting my results and instead flashed the freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210419-bios-4.1.mcd image when it came out, and didn't bother doing all the testing I had done with the previous image on my PS2 as I assumed nothing had changed.

Today, I saw freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210421-bios-4.1.mcd was released so I geared up to upgrade my MC, only to find out that all the issues everyone has been reporting about the card becoming unformattable, causing freezing of MCA, etc, were also happing to me now!

I "panicked" for a sec because I'm REALLY cheap and didn't want to waste a CD-R to burn PSX Hacker Kit or one of those games that are said to be able to reformat the MC, so I looked for an alternative.

First I tried to run a PS1 game through Popstarter on PS2 only to realize that it only uses VMCs, so that wasn't a go, but then it hit me that when I was perusing the menus that show up when you hit X once FreePSXBoot loads, one of the entry was "Memory Cards"

On freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210414-bios-4.1.mcd (Unirom V8.0.E), the things you can do don't really help though (although again, on this particular image, the MC can be reformatted withouth issues using MCA)

On freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210419-bios-4.1.mc and later freepsxboot-unirom-fastload-20210421-bios-4.1.mcd (Unirom V8.0.F) things look bright though (and thank god as otherwise I would have been stuck, cheap as I am)!

That's it! Hit format there, and a few seconds later the card is as good as new and ready to be flashed again or used as it was originally intended!

I'd be curious to know from a dev what changed between the 04-14 and 04-19 releases that made it so that when the MC is inserted in a PS2 at boot, or at any time really, it bombs the system right away (freeMC hangs before loading!). I mean, obviously Unirom was updated from 8.0.E to 8.0.F (thank god, otherwise the format option would have not been there), but it feels that's not the reason why this is happening.
Just a curiosity really, as it's obviously not an "issue" if FreePSXBoot nukes PS2s :) (though it would be awesome if it could be used on PS2s as well).

I imagine an update to the "Restoring the memory card" section of the readme is in order :D

There's something wrong with your latest FREEPSX UNIROM V3 1997 build for 5502, it loads into memcardrex differently than any other version and isn't working. Memory card manager just locks up. I've successfully booted Unirom without issue on several models on prior version.

I'm having issues when I'm trying to boot to the FreePSXBoot hack in both my original and cheap gamestop memory card. When I press the X button in the memory card menu, it simply doesn't boot. I've been doing this with the Swap disc method and Unirom8 Disc to flash my memory card. Am I doing something wrong? Let me know.

Im having issues with this game (SLES-02532) NOT runing, also its an original CD not a backup, im using an NTSC console SCPH-1001 with BIOS 2.1 and FreePSX Boot instaled on Memory Card using the Slot 2.

So i boot the hack from the MMC and then i go to Boot and Boot PAL -> NTSC, i only get a black screen, it only works if i boot Import Media Player Light 2.1 and then from there i boot the game it works just fine. But i dont want to use IMPL 2.1...

Any other bacup (PAL) game made for Spain/Latin America works just fine without any problem, the issue is with this original game.

Using Unirom with freepsxboot on Memory Card in slot 2, Medievil 2 won't allow you to load the save file from memory card 1, telling you that the save file is corrupted while is not.
I'm using latest 8.0.J version.
Medievil 2 is PAL version.
Game works and load save file just fine if boot with Unirom through an action replay cartridge or other methods. So I think there is something wrong with how Freepsxboot disable slot 2.

I was trying to load tonyhax using the exploit on an emulator, but had the wrong BIOS accidentally loaded. This resulted in the exploit failing to load (which is totally benign), but also I ended up with the frame 0x3F overwritten as part of the write check, which destroyed the payload.

I see two ways of working around this issue:

• Modify the script to load from 0x40 onwards only, which means the payload would be limited to 122880 bytes. Easiest solution to implement, and the one that implies simpler logic.
• Modify the builder script to skip sector 0x3F, and loading script to do the same. We'd have 128768 bytes in total, but would complicate the loading and building procedure.

EDIT: This seems to also happen if using the correct BIOS:

tonyhax-scph9002.mcd.zip

Hello, I have an SCPH-102 (PAL) console. I have tried both the slot 2 images for this model (0bad7ea9 and 76b880e5 which are for BIOS 4.4 and 4.5, respectively) and the exploit runs and I can get into Unirom. However, when I try to play a game, I get

"Waiting for CD to become ready & unlocked. . . .

Not a valid CD or the drive is locked
Press X to exit."

The console still works with legit PAL games so the optical drive is functional. Any help appreciated.

Hello, all! I heard about this project a little while ago and finally got time to looking into it. I dug out my early NA model PS-X. The sticker on the bottom says "SCPH-1001". I see there are different BIOS and some hardware revisions all called by this same model #. I can't find any good information on how to tell which version my box has.

I should probably plug it in to see if it even still works. I don't think I've had it powered on since the 90's.

Both flashed with Memory Card Annihilator 2.0 on a PS2 SCPH-50002. The memory card for the 5502 freezes when the memory card option is selected and nothing happens. The memory card for the 7500 continues straight into the memory card screen and the PS1 BIOS does not detect any data. The memory card for the 7500 cannot be copied to however, and no games read it as existing. It also freezes any PS2 software. Both cards are currently unrecoverable (I don't have any software that can format them without freezing), and both cards were fully formatted in MCA before the files were written.

Just reporting that it is working fine on 2 PSOne consoles I've tried. Both with 4.5 version. With 4.4 wasn't working.
Probably both consoles have latest bios revision. Tried with an old third party memory card flashed with PS2 Memory Card Annihilator v2.
What I noticed is that I was able to reflash the memory card from 4.4 to 4.5 always using Memory Card Annihilator without it stopping from recognising the memory card and freezing.
But then I flashed the memory card with the "bios 3.x" version to try on an SCPH-1002 PS1 and then I wasn't able to use Memory Card Annihilator anymore... Until I tried Memory Card Manager (MCM.EXE for PS1) and I was able to format the memory card and get it working normally again!
You can find MCM on PAV_PSXHKB7 cd image collection to use on the console. I'll attach here only the MCM.exe
MCM.zip
Note: MCM won't load with the modified memory card inserted. Let the program load and then insert the memory card to format with the PS1. Tried this on a real PS1 model SCPH-1002.

I did every step and when I press X on memory card it just enter in the memory card, doesn't boot psxboot

I don't know if this is the right place to put this but I've been having trouble with loading this particular game. So I have a legit copy and I'm using a Memcard Pro loaded with FreePSXBoot and a PSOne (the slim one). I do have the right image on my card because I was able to easily load my copy of Fire Pro Wrestling G easily with no problems.

After FreePSXBoot does it's thing, it freezes on the Sony Computer Entertainment Presents screen. I thought something was wrong, until I pulled out the memory card and it would boot normally. So as an alternative, I used another memory card I had lying around it was able to save and load fine and during all of that, I noticed that my Memcard wouldn't create another virtual memory card dedicated to the game. And I'm assuming the game is trying to read the memory card, but it's obviously "corrupt" according to the games standards.

TL;DR: Motor Toon Grand Prix (
SCPS-10001) doesn't play well with Memcard Pro installed with FreePSXBoot, it tries to read the data on the card and create a save on said card, a VMC dedicated to the game isn't being created and because of all this mess, the game freezes after the game is loaded.

tested
pal-scph7002 pal/jp/us work .backup do not work
pal-scph102 pal/jp/us/backup work

jp-scph100
I try your last 3 images for the 4.3Bios.
Exploit is running , but i can not start any game ,except jp.
Not a valid CD or the drive is locked!

While the payload is loading, the screen is painted orange using the 0x02 GP0 command. This works perfectly fine on an emulator, but I got a very annoying flickering on real hardware which I am not sure what could be causing it.

This is also affecting tonyhax, which uses the same command for clearing the screen.

Actually it's my SCEE Net Yaroze ;)

I was able to use the wrong Image, I have 3 SCPH-1001 (The model with the RCA jacks), in the 3 of them the MC images labeled to work in them were 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2, but none of them worked, I then experimented with different images and the one that worked was 3.0 (1996-11-18) marked to work with SCPH-5001, SCPH-5501, SCPH-5503 and SCPH-7003.

Hope this is useful for anyone who has trouble starting the exploit:
this morning I tried the FreePSXboot (2021-04-21 version) on 4 ps1 (9002,2x 7502 and 5502, I prepared 2 original memory cards I launched it but it didn't work .... as soon as I clicked on the memory card it remained hanging and nothing happened. I was using an Arcade Stick Lioncast and not an original joypad, after I used the original ps1 and ps2 joypad and the exploit always worked the first time

Just a minor issue. I saw that the Reminder text states "ou can leave the FreePSXBoot card in Slot 2!" When it should say "You can leave the FreePSXBoot card in Slot 2!"

1.use memcarduino makes a ps memory card reader by arduino.

2.use memcardRex 1.8 format the memory card.

I tested it in my SCPH-5502 (without modchip) and it works every time (I renamed the .mcd to .mcr and wrote it with my PS2 Slim using Memory Card Annihilator v2.0. I tested it many times in my SCPH-102 (with modchip) without success (hangs after hitting the memory card icon); I used the same writing method as for SCPH-5502. Is modchip a problem ?

JFYI: I also managed to correctly format and restore the memory card using the full format under Memory Card Annihilator v2.0 so the memory card was usable again.

PSX is the DVR based on PS2
PS1 is PS-X

I happened upon an odd issue which I have not experienced with any other game. With version 2.0, I tend to keep my FreePSXBoot memory card plugged into slot 2 at all times. However, whenever I try to boot up an original copy of FFVIII, the game boots to a black screen. When I remove the FreePSXBoot memory card, the game boots up with no problems at all.

Downloaded the memory card image, used PS2 Memory card annihilator to flash memory card. Put in slot 2...boot with lid open, select memory card(No flashing or anything).

This is an Asian PAL PU 23(Probably similar to what was sold in Australia?)

Hi,

firstly, thank you for the great project!

Secondly, I can report that my chipped SCPH-102 PSOne works with the 4.5 payload flawlessly - only thing that is different is that the screen doesn't blink after the exploit runs. It takes approximately 10 seconds, then shows bleak yellow-ish colour and after another ~10 seconds unirom comes up. In addition, I was able to format the card back to stock with MC Annihilator v2 on my SCPH-50004 PS2, the card did not crash the console (I also wrote the exploit with this setup).

I did the previous to test to see that my methodology is not incorrect, as the exploit does not work on my stock SCPH-5502 PAL system. I have been trying to make it work all of yesterday and even after a night with the console off and disconnected. I wasn't able to make it trigger at all, not even once.

I have a few questions:

• Is it possible that I have some uncommon BIOS revision on my SCPH-5502? I tried like 30 times and I didn't get the feeling that the exploit would be that unreliable.
• Is the only blocker for the 100% reliable exploit that you need testers? If it is so, I'm willing to test whatever you throw out there.

Thank you for any useful pointers :)

// EDIT: Also I forgot to mention, on my SCPH-102, when I select the memory card icon, it fades to black and stays like that, on the SCPH-5502, the memory card square icon fades to black and then reappears, afterwards the console freezes.

// EDIT2: Still no dice on the SCPH-5502. I have tried the 5501/5503/etc exploit version and it just goes into the memory card manager.

When I create a Freepsxboot mc, can I use it in any ps1 and psone? (like freemcboot) or I only can use it in that model and bios version?

This works on ntsc-j ps1 and psone consoles?

The following project exists which allows writing raw images to PS1 memory cards using a PC and the PS3 Memory Card Adapter:

https://github.com/paolo-caroni/ps3mca-ps1

Assuming someone can confirm this works (I've lost my adapter or I'd try it myself) this would be the most convenient method to use with an original unmodified memory card as it should be possible to remove the exploit simply by writing a backup taken beforehand.

I've tried both slot 1 and 2lot 2 images on 2 separate SCPH-7000 and one SCPH-7500 using different cards and both slot 1 and slot 2 images, nothing seams to work at all, I go straight to memory card menu. I have some 50 spare Japanese PS1s so I can keep on testing it. Edit: ps2 reports each card as unformatted so I suppose the files have been copied correctly, I've downloaded the file multiple times and used some older and newest versions of MC annihilator multiple times.

scph-9001, board PU-23, official sony memory card
installation method: unirom 8.0.J boot disc swap method install to memcard slot2

exploit seems to run, cyan screen, then hangs on an orange screen and never progresses? card writing verifies just fine on unirom boot disc, i've formatted and re-written it a couple times now, still failing.

I have 100% success formatting FreePSXBoot MC with MCA v2.

I follow this step to format with a ps2 without freezing it.

1.-insert an USB with MCA V2 in it.
2.-Run and old version of launchELF (uLaunchELF v4.39) from here https://drive.google.com/file/d/14QEU0CW3vI_T1xma1BDGk-mKDbOGKaZK/view?usp=sharing
3.-Insert FreePSXboot MC in slot1
4.-Insert a normal PS2 MC in slot 2 (Do not skip this step, is necessary)
5.-In uLaunch open MC1:\ (You will see nothing there)
6.-go Back to root
7.-In uLaunch open MC2:\ (You will see its content)
8.-go Back to root
9.-In uLaunch open mass:
10.-Run MCA from the USB
11.-The two MC will appear as options and the program will work normally.
12.-Format MC1 using MCA.

If you go directly to MCA Skipping the first steps the PS2 will freeze.

UPDATED1: step 4 is necessary, works with an old version of launchELF, I shared mine.
UPDATED2: Thanks to VRtinker for testing and confirming that this does not work with newer version of LaunchELF.
UPDATED3: Work with a few images only not all, tested with 2.0, 2.1, 2,2 and 3.0. Issue closed. Needs more testing. I'm formatting with unirom CD now.

I've reflashed the memory card various times with the correct .mcd image, and yet I cannot trigger a flashing orange screen and eventually a UniROM execution (the memory card icon remains filled in black). Also, I've tested the image on various PlayStation emulators including pcsx-redux, and what it only does is show a solid orange screen and then restart the BIOS when opening the memory card menu.

I was testing with the newest version on my 4.5 SCPH-101, but lt seems to be less reliable (at least on this specific revision) than 1.0.

I've only tested with backups of SOTN and Klonoa so far, but I still managed to find some odd behaviour on 1.1.

First, SOTN loads fine but it gets stuck when reading my MC. Obviously, I tested without the exploited MC plugged on while the game was running. I also tried formatting my mc, but that didn't work either. 1.0 works fine and reads the mc without issue. though.

Secondly, is Klonoa. The game gets stuck at the Namco logo on 1.1, but it works fine on 1.0 works just fine and also reads the mc without issue.

One last thing to note is that the payload loads faster on 1.1 vs 1.0 fastload. This also happens when pressing R1 to launch the games.

My apologies if the info I presented wasn't clear. I'm not used to opening issues, so my descriptions might sound weird.

Let me know if you need some clarification.

I noticed in UNIROM 8.0.F there is an item called "Install UNIROM". When I go to it, there is "Install FreePSXBoot to MemCard".
Upon selecting it, it says: "Waiting for CD to become ready & unlocked... Not a valid CD or the drive is locked"
The console is a 9002 and the drive is unlocked. What CD is it talking about?
Thanks.

Hello,

I am using freebootpsx along with MemCard Pro to automatically manage virtual memory cards. I am using a "slim" PS One (SCPH-100 [JPN]) that is unmodified and am using only original discs from my personal collection. First off, thank you for this great software! It works 99% perfectly for my uses.

However, I've run into issues with just a handful of games, all of which are very early JPN releases (1994-1995):

• Jumping Flash (SCPS 10007)
• Arc the Lad (SCPS 10008)
• King's Field (SLPS 91401) (PSone Books release; original ID: SLPS-00017)

freebootpsx does not recognize/provide a GameID for any of these when I launch them with R1 (though the games do boot).
In all cases, the only messages I get are:
Skipping nocash unlock...
Loaded system.cnf from sector 0xC3E2
Fastload locating CDROM:\PSX.EXE;1

[edit] It looks like these games may not have a system.cnf file on the disc!

I tested today new file for Japan 5500 and it works.
3.0 (1996-09-09) | SCPH-5500 | 20210420

But it can't load PAL and US backups, getting error.
I found out that with the licensed NTSC-J disk inserted and the lid closed, you can select a menu item "Stop Disc" https://i2.paste.pics/6a3513584d8296f5cb55517e2f9d21ac.png, swap disc to backup and press play. Then game loading correctly. But you can't release the lid closing switch when making swap, it must be pressed all the time).
There is a question: is it fixable?

upd.
Pirate stamp CD Tekken 3 (NTSC-J SLPS_013.00) reports an error on startup too. It turns out that you need a license disk in any case?

Hi! Some days ago i bought another PSX MC to do the exploit with it. i already tried it with the same kind of MC and it worked i think. because on Issue #28 i reported that my psx didn't boot into unirom. But the problem now is that i can't restore the MCD file provided in here. I don't know if someone is having the same problem as me. Im trying to use Memory Card Annihilator btw.

EDIT: Don't need it anymore, i figured out a way and im on UNIROM basic now.

Made a backup of Parasite Eve for an NTSC PSX (Model number SCPH-5501). I am able to boot into FreePSXBoot, but the game won't load. FreePSXBoot also identifies the part number on the backup CD. Same issue happens on official, licensed PSX CDs. FastLoad identifies the part number, but won't actually boot into the game.

It is possibile to make FPSXB also booting from MC Slot 2??

I think it would be convenitent since many Ps1 games only see Slot 1.

So this way you'd have to just remove the FPSXB MC from Slot 2, leaving your good-for-saving MC always plugged into Slot 1.