PS2 HDD Booting Results with DMS3 v9

[trumpetguyscw]

Since there is a lot of confusion in the last 24 hours about booting issues with the HD, I would like to clarify what I have found so far, seeming I have been a Beta Tester for FFXI and know the interface of PlayOnline and the HDD as good as anyone. I ask a mod please sticky this please as to accentuate it from the other newbie posts going around about the HDD, as most do no know the whole process.

A DMS3 is REQUIRED to play backups with the HDD installed. Sorry cheapmod users, shoulda upgraded like me, I saw this coming when I had my Magic 3.1 with the Beta kit . As CJ said, you can also use a flippy top instead of a DMS3.

With the DMS3 for v9 with flash v1.8, the following things are true:

-PS2 Backups will ONLY boot when Fast Boot mode is used (holding down Select during bootup). Unlike CJPC at the other site, I have found this to work flawlessly. However, if you have backups of any HDD enabled games such as SOCOM II, the HDD features on it will not be usable, as Fast Boot mode skips the initialization of the HDD. I tested the Beta v1.00 disc floating around on EFNet, and that CD-R boots just fine, no problems reported.

-PS1 Backups will not work with the HDD installed. Sorry. No Fast Boot mode for PS1 Backups yet.

-For PS1 Originals, PS2 Originals, DVD Movies, and CD Audio, put your modchip in sleep mode (hold the eject button down until the SCEA logo disappears). This will do the trick.

-For any HDD installed content and games, boot the modchip in sleep mode also.

This worked for me using HDD v1.10 drivers (the default ones). I did not require the Beta v1.00 drivers that I have at my house and that are circulating on IRC. I have found the v1.00 drivers are much more unstable and were not designed to work with the retail versions of these games. If you want to use a Swap Magic and boot them and install them, be my guest.

**Also another weird thing, it seems that when my HDD was factory formatted, I could NOT access the HDD content pre-installed (PlayOnline viewer, FFXI, TetraMaster). I don't know what this was caused by, faulty formatting of the HDD, or a modchip detection issue (I don't think that would be the case though since I booted everything in sleep mode before even trying to use HDD content, hadn't even tested Fast Boot mode yet at the time). After formatting the HDD using the v1.10 disc it came with and installing PlayOnline Viewer and FFXI and TetraMaster again, all of them work fine. I will test again later to make sure Fast Boot doesn't trigger something in the HDD that makes future HDD access impossible, once my FFXI updates complete.**
**UPDATE ON THIS ONE: Fat_Mike has informed me you need to insert the PlayOnline disc before accessing pre-formatted HDD features, this is for security reasons. Helps to read the instruction booklet! So it seems you do not need to reformat the drive.**

I am currently downloading updates for FFXI as we speak, so once that completes, later tonight I will test more PS2 backup compatibility further, trying DVD+R's, CD-R's and a DVD9 Silver. I will report those findings later tonight, in approximately 8-9 hours hopefully.

[Fat_Mike]

The thing come pre-installed but for security reasons, you need to boot up the Play Online disc before being able to access anything on the HDD or even moving your games save from your memory card to the it. It's not a bug nor a bad installation from the factory, it's even stated in the first few pages of the instruction manual.

[CygnusXI]

Seems that the V9 Ps2's work with fastboot, while the V7's (like MINE!!!) Don't work at all..

[Fat_Mike]

Hmm... you can use fastboot on V7 system too, you probably just need to upgrade your firmware or something.

[CygnusXI]

How can I check that FM? I know where the d/l are on DMS site, but how do I tell what v my chip is?
Thx

[Fat_Mike]

The latest firmware is located in the Download\DMS3 Flash Upgrade section of their website. As to which chip's firmware you have right now, it doesn't really matter because if you have never updated your chip's firmware before, the last firmware will be more recent than your old firmware for sure.

[trumpetguyscw]

hmmmm, helps to read the instruction book I suppose, Mike, lol. I find that FFXI sucks big butthole, and I'm glad I didn't pay 90 bucks to get the HDD. Thank god for beta testing!

[CygnusXI]

Thanks.

Updated to 1.8 (pulled the drive to do) and now all is good