Longtime Xbox Modder, First Time PS2 Modder

[Textbook]

Alright this is the first time I've attempted modding a PS2. I am modding my brothers and mine. I got my PS2 for free and don't really like it or really care about it. I was going to mod it and sell it because I doubt I would ever play it. So here goes my sad, sad story. I have modded Xboxes many times and never had any real problems. I ordered 4 Magic 3.1 Plus Modchips and got them in the mail a couple days ago. I followed <<THIS DIAGRAM>> . My results are as follows:

My PS2 - after carefully installing the modchip, it boots up fine with full video and audio, controllers are working fine, but will not play ANY games at all. Will not play any backups or even RETAIL games. I am almost positive I installed it correctly. I tried swapping drives, but it didn't help. Whatever game I put in, it flashes the No Data screen for just a second before going to the Red Screen display saying put in a PS1 or PS2 format disk.

My Brother's PS2 - after carefully installing the modchip, it boots up with video but no audio, controllers work fine, will play RETAIL games, no backups. I should also note that I accidentally bridged the left side BIOS chip's pins 8 and 9. I am pretty sure the bridge is no longer there, but the number 9 pin may not be soldered to the motherboard.

I have been looking at a <<TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE>> but it isn't helping me. I just want to get one of these working. I don't care about my own, just my brother's.

[T07N]

Xbox is easier huh?

Anywho, I would take everything out and start over again. Make sure you make the wire as short as possible. I'm not sure what else I can tell ya but just check all your points with a magnifying glass. Sometimes your eyes are not enough.

[kl1k]

xbox's are a breeze

also check the points with a multimeter - it might look like its not shorted, but it only needs a hairline short to rune things.

if all else fails undo the mod and see if it still boots originals. double and tripple check all the points where you soldered. also check the legs around the large chips. there might a splash of solder or a solder ball shorting out things.

what version ps2 u got?

[saasf]

yep xboxes r the easiest to mod, takes me bout 10mins to do 1

cheers

[Textbook]

Okay, here is an update. I desoldered all the wires and completely removed both modchips.

My PS2 - works exactly like a retail PS2, is booting originals fine with no chip installed, nothing was bridged and it seems to be working perfectly with no chip

My Brother's PS2 - after removing the chip, the PS2 is acting like before when the chip was in there. No audio still, so I'm leaning towards that 8-9 pin bridge that I thought I had removed.

-----

I reinstalled the chip back in My PS2, tugged on all the wires gently, they were all on good. I booted it up, it was the same story as before: full video / audio , working controllers, won't boot ANY DVDs or games (not even originals). At this point, I desoldered all the wires going to the chip and replaced the chip with a brand new one, because I am almost certain my install was good. After the new chip was in, I booted it up and it was the same story.

I'm really just working on this PS2, because it seems to be the one that is working the most (at least it has audio). As long as I get one of them modded, I will be happy. So, to sum it up, here is the information for this PS2:

- with no chip, it boots retail, original games and DVDs fine
- has full video and audio with chip in or out
- controllers work with chip in or out
- with the chip in, it won't boot any discs at all, it goes to the red screen display
- tried with two chips and got the same response

Also, both PS2s are version 7 US (NTSC)

[Textbook]

I checked the pins of the BIOS chip for my brother's PS2 with a multimeter. Unfortunately, pins 8 and 9 are still bridged (what I thought) and that's why I'm getting no audio. Any advice on removing a bridge in between legs? Haha, in between legs, that's a good one. Er, right... No, serioulsy, how would I do this, I've already tried just heating it up and using a sewing pin, but it didn't work very well.

EDIT: Small WOOT! - I was able to remove the bridge, checked it with a multi-meter, looked good, put that PS2 back together, and it had audio and was working just like a retail PS2. So, time to try another install on this one. Wish me luck!

[GeToChKn]

Try using a desoldering braid. It's a braided string of copper that absorbs solder. You put the braid on top of the bridge or solder, then you iron on top of that. It heats the solder which gets sucked up into the copper braid. Also, a bit of flux on the braid helps too. I've used this many time to remove solder bridges in my first days of PS2 modding (and also for removing the pesky solder from the LPC holes on 1.0/1.1 XBoxes) to do a pin header install.

[Textbook]

After fixing the no audio PS2, I put the modchip in, and it works! Yay! Madden 06 booted like a gem, now I just have to figure out why SNES is rolling on screen.

[Textbook]

Okay, I got one PS2 modded and figured out why Snes Station was rolling (version auto detect was stupid, once set to NTSC, it stopped). I also figured out that if you want to burn Pgen and a bunch of ROMs, they have to be in folders because there is a certain limit to the number of files that can be in one directory. So I had to burn a new DVD with folders for each letter of the alphabet and put the ROMs in each one of these folders. This actually works out pretty well. However, I can't get PS2InfoNES to boot up and now I'm getting greedy.

Since I am now a little more comfortable knowing that I can mod a PS2, any tips on how I could fix My PS2? The one that with the modchip in, everything goes to a Red Screen Display. Even if I put a retail disc in, it goes to a red screen. I thought maybe it was a laser-related issue, but if I take the modchip completely out, it works with retail games and DVDs fine.

I've tried redoing it twice to the same result. I am doing the same exact thing that I did on the other PS2 that worked. I've also tried two modchips and they both did the same thing, so it can't be that. Any wires that I should be checking in particular? Please help, I have three PS2 modchips and I can't mod my own PS2!

[GeToChKn]

You said it read's DVD's fine, but what about DVD-R's? Try a burnt movie and see if that plays. I've done a few I forgot to check the laser on and it drove me nuts until I realized a burnt DVD movie wouldn't even play. That's a good way to tell if the laser is good or not. Everytime someone drops off a PS2 for me to mod, I check it with a burnt movie before they even leave my shop. Also try a burnt CD and see if that reads. If it does, the chip install is good and again it's the laser. Those are a few thing you can try and diagnose if it's the laser or not. I've had a few V4's that would not boot a burnt DVD for the life of it. Played all regular games ok though. Could also be a bad chip. That's happened to me before. Hooked up a wrong wire, it didn't work, found the wrong wire, fixed it, still wouldn't boot, musta fried something hooking it up wrong, after hours and hours put a new chip in, worked fine.......now back to the unmoddable v7 I have here. Its been a few weeks and this thing almost wants to work and then doesn't. I did like 4 v12's in the time, they are all fine but this one v7 is evil. lol. Anyways, good luck and let me know if you can play a burnt movie or burnt cd copy.