Softmodding Fat PS2 with Hard Disk Drive [Tutorial]

[AKuHAK]

It is some kind of tutorial and faq.

You purchased the phat ps2 and want to run games, programs and do whatever you want. Other words you are searching for easy way for launching ELF files cause if you can launch elf file - you can do whatever you want. There are some methods that are universal for all PS2 (Fat and Slim):
- FreeMcBoot
- SwapMaagic (or something like this)
- ModChip
For installing FreeMcBoot - you need FreeMcBoot (yeah recursion ) and memory card. So you need to find some other console (that is already modded) - get access to it and install FreeMcBoot. Not so easy (e.g. I was searching for it for about YEAR!!!)
For using SwapMagic - you have to buy swapmagic disc and you have to get working laser (for example my Fat PS2 cannot launch disks anymore ). SwapMagic is expensive and not so easy to find. I know that there is a way how to make swapmagic from some licensed game but...
As for ModChips - I dont like these chips - because they are expensive, can damage your system, and isn't fully compatible with some fat ps2 exclusive stuffs.
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But there is one more method - exclusive for "FAT" version. I mean Hard Disk Drive modification.

1) Firstly you need some special accessories for your. If you have SCPH-1x000 version (early japanese units) you have to find somewhere special accessories for it: HDD system external unit, PS2 linux kit, bb navigator kit etc. Unfortunately you cannot connect these official Hard Drives to PC so this guide not for you :P Check this vid.
But if you have SCPH-3xxxx or SCPH-5xxxx this guide is for you. You need to get somewhere Network adapter (external bay). If you are so lucky you already have it but sometimes you need to buy it somewhere. All known models are listed here.

Spoiler

2) Next you need to purchase IDE hard disk. You don't need to purchase official Sony Hard Disk. Soft Modding will work fine with any of your old IDE hard drive [B]except of Western Digital models (see FAQ below). For example it works fine with my 2Gb (!) 1994year hard drive (Fujitsu Siemens). All my seagate, fujitsu, intel and other drives are working fine.

Spoiler

2a) If you really need SATA for some reason (you cannot find IDE, you need bigger disks, you need faster disk, you dont have motherboard with IDE support etc.) you have to check
this post (Adapter for SATA HDD) Of course if you use SATA disk step 3 is much more easier
3) Next - you have to find PC with old motherboard which have possibility to connect old IDE hard drive. Or you have to find some USB-to-IDE adaptor. Unfortunately there is no other way for now. As for me I just swap my old DVD-ROM with this hard disk drive (caution don't do it if your PC is switched on). But if you use some USB-to-IDE you can connect it without turning PC off.

Spoiler

So assuming - you need Fat PS2, Network Adapter, IDE Hard Disk and PC with ability to connect IDE devices (running windows).

4) After hdd connection you have to launch some windows on this PC. Start program called HDD Raw Copy Tool (attached).

1. Here we have to select the SOURCE. Click FILE and select the dump file - ULE_442B_SMALL.IMG (4Mb - attached).
2. Click continue...
3. Here we have to choose the TARGET HDD. Select your PS2 HDD in the list. MAKE SURE IT IS YOUR PS2 HDD AND NOT ONE OF YOUR PC HDDS.
4. Click continue...
5. Click continue;
6. The "warning" message appears. Make sure it shows the name of your PS2 HDD then click Yes

5) Thats all. Now you can connect Hard Drive to your PS2. Dont forget to set jumper settings into Master. In some cases you have to disable modchip (if you have one). After console launching it will show you uLaunchElf And with uLaunchelf you can launch what ever you want.

Here is video which is showing you how to Soft Mod Phat PS2 without memory cards, usb drive or any type of disk.


FAQ
Q: I cant load PC - it is showing up "BOOTMGR is missing" or black screen.
A: Change jumper setting into slave or change boot device priorities in the bios.

Q: Does it work for any IDE hard disk drive?
A: Yes! It is not according to disk size (it can be any: 512Mb, 4Tb, ...). If you can physically connect disk to Network Adapter - that mean that you can use it for soft modding. The disk it even can be broken - the only thing you need that there is no bad blocks in first 4Mb and that it can run for at least 2 minutes. For example i have one disk that is full of bad blocks and can shut down after 5-10 minutes of work. Thats works fine for soft modding.

Q: How to install Western Digital models?
A: You have to to remove the shielding from the network adapter to allow the power plug to be moved slightly...

Q: Ive got official Sony Hard disk drive. Will I loose some information from it?
A: Actually official hard drives already have some kind of official soft modding (HDD OSD or BB Navigator), so there is no need for using this soft mod. It is better to install FreeHDboot over HDD OSD. But if you really want to use my soft mod - it is really good idea to backup first 4Mb. Open HDD Raw Copy Tool and select as source our Hard drive. Start backuping and wait for about 20 seconds then press stop.

Q: My Hard Drive was full of games!!! Now I cannot see anything!!! Panic!!!
A: All games became intact. You have to fix checksum through winhiip. The same is according to official Sony Hard disk - if you want to restore official Hard disk drive structure after softmodding you have to run WinHiip/

Q: I know that there is some interesting PS2 Fat exclusives like HDD OSD, BB Navigator, Pops PSOne emulator and so on. How to install them?
A: The simplest way is to find proper HDD image and select them in 4.1 Tutorial point. For example for installing BB Navigator you can paste in google "PSBBN custom install 2013 by AKuHAK"

Q: The disk that Im found was old and full with information. Can I erase it?
A: Of course you can. It is very good idea to Zero Out your HDD before start using it. Im using Low Level Format Tool. During cleaning you can find Bad Sectors in the disk (if the program freeze that mean that you have bad blocks). But be very careful - this program can erase all data from your normal working Hard Disk!!!

Q: HDD Raw Copy Tool doesn't work. PLEASE HELP!!!111oneone...
A: Start it with Administrative rules.

Q: Is it possible to install such a trick into SCPH-70000?
A: You tell me

Q: Is it possible to install Free MC boot after this soft modding?
A: Yes.

Q: Is this legal? Can I free redistribute and use it? Or one night I wake up a Giant $ony Crab?
A: Yes, this is fully legal. This files are FULLY free and you can share them on the net. The only limitation you can't call it FreeHDBoot because it is not FreeHDBoot!

Q: I want to use SATA!!! IDE is very old, small, slow and I cannot connect them to my MacBook!!!
A: For sata support you can use for example DELOCK guide (Adapter for SATA HDD). But be careful it needs some technical skills

Q: How to install official Sony stuff into non-official HDD?
A: Thanks to krHACKen it is very easy to adopt any official software for supporting non-official Hard Disk drive (no matter sata or ide). And yes this is fully legal.

1. You have to download ATADpatcher_0_03.zip
2. You have to find all atad.irx and patch them with atadpatcher
3. You have to find all elf files that can contain atad.irx and patch them
4. If you see "0 bytes patched" that means that file isnt modified.
5. You have to replaced non-patched files with patched one.

There is of course some limitation like DNAS check and big HDD support (see next FAQ question).

Q: There are rumors that I cannot install official stuff on the HDD bigger than 127Gb.
A: Yes and no. If you need to install some official stuff on HDD that is bigger that 127Gb you can do it in 2 ways.

1. You can Atad Patch your stuff and install it. If you don't cross physically 127Gb border it seems that your stuff will work but will work with problems. It is not recommended to do it but sometimes it is the only way (for example if you use BB Navigator).
2. You have to replace all atad.irx with ps2atad.irx from latest compiled PS2SDK. Be careful sometimes atad.irx is placed inside elf files, sometimes it is placed into packed and crypted files. If it is crypted - sorry there is no way (yeah BB Navigator) And don't forget about such a fact that PS2SDK isn't completed and can produce some errors.

Q: Can I install Final Fantasy XII on the disk?
A: No you can't!!! At least you have to buy Japanese console and you have to buy Final Fantasy XII. There is no way for cracking DNAS.



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Link for dowmload.
fat_soft_mod.zip

[atreyu187]

WD drives can be used but you will need to remove the shielding from the network adapter to allow the power plug to be moved slightly. I have a 500gb WD HDD in mine using this exact same method. This also works for slims with SATA HDD mod's as well if you have the capability to do so, otherwise nice guide as this is so simple to do and doesn't require anything but a IDE connection to your PC to install the mod. One more thing it is limited to 2TB as I noticed you said any size will work but to go over 750gb you will need an IDE2SATA adapter.

[AKuHAK]

In fact I dont know exact limitation of ide drives - I just mean that any size of it can be used If we have 4Tb disk it will work - you just cannot install something over it except of softmod.
Can you provide photo of western digital mod?
As I know IDE2SATA adapter is difficult to insert into so little hole

I will add it into tutorial.

[RandQalan]

@AKuHAK nice work and sticky for ya

[SP193]

One more thing it is limited to 2TB as I noticed you said any size will work but to go over 750gb you will need an IDE2SATA adapter.

Or this: http://psx-scene.com/forums/f98/sata...ml#post1057726 (This SATA adapter will fit nicely onto the PS2 Network Adapter)

And just a comment: This won't work with the SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000, SCPH-18000 without cutting the disk out of the enclosure. The disk will have to be a working SCPH-20401 Sony disk too, since the system driver update will check for the presence of a "SCE Genuine disk". The user will also have to have the system driver update installed properly, or it won't work.

[JoeTorres]

For Linux users IMG file can be written using dd, I have done it twice without any issues.

dd if=ULE_442B_SMALL.IMG of=/dev/sxx

Where sxx is the HDD device.

Best regards

[joshuadenmark]

Thanks great tutorial, will try this later to day

[MrDalek]

Thanks! Using the linux command, I am able to boot from the hard drive! However, how do I add files to the drive? ie it does not show up as a drive

[Arevyn]

I'm wondering that as well. How can I add Movies to the drive so I can run them in BB Navi? Also is there a way to put video game art on the HDD so that the covers and such will show up in BB Navi?

I'm also having trouble with OPL locking up if I try to run a game with codebreaker codes in effect. W/o codes it will bott up but otherwise it locks up right after I choose my game and it says "loading config"

[AKuHAK]

New version of soft mod which includes my uLe wip4.
fat_soft_mod.zip