FreeMCBoot install with regular AR Max, request help pls

[pepsi_max2k]

Hey all, I'm new to PS2 modding but have done a lot with the Xbox so hey to anyone who uses xbox-scene (like anyone'd know me, i lurk... meh)

Anyway, just got an AR Max disc, turns out the seller was an idiot who can't read properly so it's the regular version instead of the evo one so no media player available. but I don't give up easy...

Does anyone know of any *full* walk-through guides on how to install freemcboot to the ps2 dash / mem card with a regular AR Max disc? Basically I wanna be able to run stuff with only the single memory card with exploit files on it (and then maybe boot off a usb card with them), and not have to rely on using an AR disc or PS1 disc to boot things with.

So far I have:
http://sksapps.com/index.php?page=maxexploit.html <- very basic, not a full walk through, basically is no help for anything after title.db gen.
http://ubergeek.awardspace.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=39 <- great consice guide but only useful for booting uLaunchElf via a trigger disc.

I figure somehow running the free mc boot installer must be similar but being so new I've no idea what I'm meant to replace and not to get freemc to run and install instead of just getting an ulaunchelf gui up.


thanks for anyone who can help or point me to better guides


Oh and fwiw, when I get it figured out I'll be adding a full guide with *all* required steps and file downloads below. If there's a problem doing this, speak now, I have no idea what's legal and not round here


EDIT: Weyhey! exploided code runs! ok so, step 1, pepsi's crash course in ps2 modding; running exploitable code with a regular Action Replay Max disc (that's anything that allows USB to Mem card transfers/uncrushing). Free MC Boot / ESR useage will be added if and when it's done.







Foreword

The below will take you from stock to uLaunchElf browser on at least a fat PS2. Apparently slims won't work, but I never believe the truth...

It's written specifically for those with an AR disc that comes without the Max Media Player included. If you have a tru AR Evo disc there's specific guides elsewhere for this and I suggest you use those - http://bootleg.sksapps.com/tutorials/fmcb/ .

And to anyone reading this for the first time (ubernoob like me...) - to softmod any PS2 with no other modded PS2s around, you NEED an AR, Codebreaker or other type of disc to at the very least transfer files from a USB stick to mem card, or run exploit direct from usb. Think of the AR type discs as equivalent to Splinter Cell / Mech Assault / 007 discs on the xbox; you can't do it without them. So no fancy USB only methods like I was hoping for
Although you can use a previously modded box to install FMBC on a mem card and use it on your console, but if you're billy no-mates then carry on reading...


References
And note that following any of the following as-is will not work (you think I'd write this lot if they did? ) or are for something completely different but helpful nontheless for background reading.

http://ubergeek.awardspace.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=39
http://ashholt.googlepages.com/ps2softmod
http://sksapps.com/index.php?page=maxexploit.html
http://www.aoinamida.com/fmcbesr/esrdvdplayer.html


Step 1: Hardware You Need

1. Fat PS2. Or so they say...
2. Action Replay Max disc. Any of them with USB support.
3. USB stick (you get one with AR Max USB bundles, though any others are fine).
4. PS1 game. Any should do.
5. PS2 Memory Card. size / make shouldn't matter, although presumably anything that hasn't licensed magicgate tech could cause issues.


Step 2: Software You Need
YMMV with these, and there's alternatives, and I'll cover them individually as we go along, but in short....

TitleDBMaker v0.5:
http://www.psx-scene.com/forums/swap...pha-w-gui.html

Required Files for WinXP to run TitleDBMaker:
http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/libraryfiles.exe

PS2SaveBuilder v0.8:
http://sksapps.com/exploit/Ps2SaveBuilder08x.zip

uLaunchElf v4.26:
http://www.psx-scene.com/forums/offi...f-v4-26-a.html

Free MC Boot 1.6:
http://www.psx-scene.com/forums/free...-releases.html

ESR:
http://www.psx-scene.com/forums/free...blic-beta.html


Step 3: Create The Exploit

Basically you need 1 single file on a USB stick (bar step 3.1 below), and to transfer this to a mem card. This exploit file is designed as a save file for a specific PS1 game. Therefore you first need a PS1 game.

-- Stick the PS1 game in your PC. Open My Computer and look at the disc title, or open the disc and look for a title like "SCES_019.79", "SLES_000.00", "SCUS_000.00" etc etc. This is the game's ID - remember it.

-- Run Title.db Maker v0.5.exe, enter the game ID as above in to the ID box, eg. SLES_032.5 , click "Add To TITLE.DB". Now right click the title DB file, click Open With..., select program from list, choose WordPad, and ensure the contents of the file reads like so...

???=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,XXXX....
PSX.EXE=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,XXXXX....
SLES_032.51=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,XXXXX....

where SLES_032.5 is the ID you entered. Note there's a lot more x's after everything, but very little else.

-- In the uLaunchELF 4.16 folder there's a 362 KB sized file called BOOT1.ELF. Rename it to BOOT.ELF.

-- Now run ps2save-builder.exe. You MUST click FILE then New so that an icon.sys and my.icn entry appear in the list. If you do not do this you will see Corrupted Data messages when using AR and nowt will work. So do it.

-- Also in the box after Root / ID you MUST enter the correct region code for your PS2 console. This is BEDATA-SYSTEM for PAL (Eur, Aus) systems, and BADATA-SYSTEM for NTSC (US, Can) systems.
Japanese NTSC systems are slightly different and need two exploit files; see http://sksapps.com/index.php?page=maxexploit.html for more (basically you need one with BIDATA-SYSTEM and just TITLE.DB in it, another with BADATA-SYSTEM and everything else in).

-- Drag the TITLE.DB file from the titledbmakerv0.5 folder in to the list in PS2 Save Builder. Also drag the BOOT.ELF file from uLaunchElf in to the same list. The list should now read:

BOOT.ELF 361 KB
TITLE.DB 72.1 KB
icon.sys 964 bytes
my.icn 5.69 KB

Note upper/lower casing and exact naming IS important. File size is not so important, these will change depending on released versions of software.

-- Click File > Save As in PS2 Save Builder. Choose AR MAX V3 (*.max) from the Save As Type field, and type "exploit" as the name (shouldn't matter what name you use, but it works for me).

-- Now transfer this exploit.max file to the root of your USB drive (eg: J:\exploit.max).


Optional: Step 3.1: Add programs to USB stick.

Optional as you can do this any time, or not at all if you just want uLaunchElf for whatever reason...
And NOTE: if you want ESR to be installed to the mem card, read the last paragraph of this guide.

-- Unzip FreeMCBoot 1.6, move FREE_MCBOOT.ELF and the INSTALL folder to the root of the USB stick (eg: J:\INSTALL and J:\FREE_MCBOOT.ELF)

-- Unzip ESR beta r9a, rename "ESR beta r9a dvdv direct.elf" to ESR.ELF, creats a folder in the root of the usb stick called BOOT, and move ESR.ELF in to this folder (eg. J:\BOOT\ESR.ELF).


Step 4: Transfer exploit to mem card.

-- Stick USB stick and Mem Card in to the PS2. Load AR disc.

-- Once AR loads, copen Max Memory section, then My Devices, then select your Mem Card (1 or 2).

-- Highlight the Your System Configuration entry and press X to select it, then move right and down to select delete and confirm it.

-- Now hit triangle to move back a screen, select the USB stick, and if you remembered to add my.icn and icon.sys you should see an entry called NEW_FILE and not Corrupted Data. Depending on how much other stuff you have on your USB stick it could take a few minutes to show anything in the list so just wait for it.

-- Highlight and hit X to select NEW_FILE, move right and down to Uncrush and right to select your memory card (1 or 2). Hit X and confirm.

-- Now navigate back a screen, select your mem card again and check to see that NEW_FILE is listed. If so, you can remove the AR disc and USB stick, and so long as the next bit works then sell em on ebay cos you shouldn't need them again


Step 5: Run Exploit.

-- Insert your PS1 game, reboot if necessary, and once the game starts loading you should see a quick white flash and eventually see the ULaunchElf screen.

You can now stop here if you like (and if you didn't do step 3.1 there's not much further you can go), otherwise to install Free MC Boot and do away with the need for a PS1 disc...

-- Ensure both the USB stick and memory card are connected.

-- Highlight FileBrowser in the uLaunchElf screen, hit O to enter it, move down to mass:/ and hit O, then move down to select FREE_MCBOOT.ELF and hit O to run it.

-- Now follow http://bootleg.sksapps.com/tutorials...all_guide.html . Yes, it's well complicated. Never fear though, all that 44 KB of text needed to say was "Press X". This will install Free MC Boot to your memory card and that's it. Hit triangle to power off, boot again and enjoy.

Note that as-is the main menu will include an option for uLaunchElf and the FreeMcBoot config. Inserting the USB stick will show an option for ESR (it auto loads this menu option from the boot folder on the usb stick). More programs can be added to the USB stick's boot folder, or you can install ESR and other progs on to the memory card when doing the original FCMB install (see above sksapps guide for that). Alternatively you can run uLaunchElf and browse media for program ELF files to launch. Whatever you do, have fun, and don't be mad at the idiot seller mis-lableing his goods as EVO discs, cos it's easy to do I'm sure....

[JNABK]

http://bootleg.sksapps.com/tutorials/fmcb/en_armax.htm

[pepsi_max2k]

>> http://bootleg.sksapps.com/tutorials/fmcb/en_armax.htm

nope, that's for Max Evo discs (with max media player launching freemcboot installer directly). I need one for non-evo discs with usb to mem card tools only. Anyway, I'm half way done already. see guide below. thanks for help anyways

[JNABK]

oh..sorry, didnt see the 'regular' ar max part.

If you would like, i can dress up your tutorial with images and add it to the rest of the Boot Installer tutorials.

Let me know if you want me to.

[Bootlegninja]

Yep, that method should work just fine for Fat PS2's. To those reading and looking to use this tutorial: if you have a slim PS2, I suggest you find a buddy with a fat ps2. The old school exploit does not work on slim ps2's. So a fat ps2 is required to do this. Once FMCB is installed on the MC, it can be used on a slim ps2.

With the FMCB install, I do suggest using a DVDELF.BIN to match your region to minimize the card usage. Since on most slim systems, you can't use a regular hdd on it, memory cards will be used to general things such as code databases, and more.

I give this tut a stamp of approval.

[pepsi_max2k]

>> I give this tut a stamp of approval.

wow. 1st post too

>> If you would like, i can dress up your tutorial with images and add it to the
>> rest of the Boot Installer tutorials.

sure, hang on til I've finished it though. edit: done. image away...
fwiw best images I found were at http://ubergeek.awardspace.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=39 except for the save builder which shouldn't actually work the way it's shown, there's a better one of sb file list at http://ashholt.googlepages.com/ps2softmod. i've no idea who the guys that wrote them are though so i dunno how pleased they'd be to have their screenshots knicked


and i did get FMCB running very easily, and ESR wasn't much harder. my main problem now is suitable DVD media. I've tried my verbatim DVD+R and philips DVD+RW both set to DVD-ROM and neither appear to work. faik i could just be epicphailing my patching/bun method, cept for one thing... inserting the discs in the browser ends up with a Disc Read Error or disc corrupted or something message. Inserting my RitekG05 dye DVD-Rs runs a "Please insert official PS2 disc" message. Unfortuanetly they all have films burnt on them (legal ones, like. really...) so can't test, but looks like it's just not recognizing my DVD+Rs at all regardless of what's on em, so I just got a load of RitekG05s off ebay so i'll know in a few days... Plus, my xbox is the same, well one of them anyway. Verbatim says no, Ritek G05's fine. go figure...

[JNABK]

sure, hang on til I've finished it though. edit: done. image away...
fwiw best images I found were at http://ubergeek.awardspace.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=39 except for the save builder which shouldn't actually work the way it's shown, there's a better one of sb file list at http://ashholt.googlepages.com/ps2softmod. i've no idea who the guys that wrote them are though so i dunno how pleased they'd be to have their screenshots knicked

Not to worry, i always go thru the process of a tutorial myself {to ensure its working properly} and take my own screen shots along the way, so i dont have to depend on finding any.

I'll start on this later when i can set free time aside to run everything. I'll let you know when its posted at the main tutorials site at bootleg's page.

[pepsi_max2k]

>> Not to worry, i always go thru the process of a tutorial myself {to ensure its
>> working properly} and take my own screen shots along the way, so i dont
>> have to depend on finding any.

someone else who actually tests their guides? amazing, i though i was the only one... anyway, it should work bar spelling errors. pretty much wrote it as i was doing it. the only confusing bit is the file links to threads in this forum; the actual files are either on the first or last page depending on whether you're logged in or not, could be confusing if you're new.

if you're working on the sksapps tutorial page then: http://bootleg.sksapps.com/tutorials...nstalling.html dunno if it's meant to be there or not as i think it was only added today, but if so, 404


oh and, the disc i have, at least the packaging, appears to be an AR EVO disc. cept there's only the one disc inside, and it's not got any max media player on it. maybe datel ship different types in different regions. maybe i'm just unlucky...

[JNABK]

Yep, i removed the CD Installing tut cause it doesnt work as i thought when i wrote it, so it will be held until the 1.7 release because it works for that.

I was reading thru your tut, and i think using the PS2 Exploit Utility might be a little easier for noobies to use to make a PS1 Exploit Save, so if you want i can do that to shorten up your tutorial, unless you would like to do it and see if it is easier for new users. For me, all methods are pretty easy sinc i been doing this a long time, but in the end, its new people who have to use it.

Let me know...im still doing other stuff and will be on the forums for a while.

[pepsi_max2k]

how is the compiled file from Exploit Until run? is AR involved at all?

edit: "Memory Card Format(XPS): saves in.xps You can use PS2 SaveBuilder to convert to a different extesion for use with your cheat disc & a USB Stick." geez... seems like you'd still have to do basically everything in the guide below (find out your id, create a title.db, add programs, gen exploit file) but with the added step of converting it with save builder. i dunno... mine's kinda simple... plus i like how you actually see what's going on, instead of some program automagically doing everything. helps if anything goes wrong too, you know where to look to fix things