Getting the PS2 to recognize a 3rd party HDD

[Tigerman]

Ok you guys, I'm getting really frustrated with the fact that the PS2 won't recognize our HDDs and stuff. Now, in an earlier post, somebody said that you could install some firmware on your HDD to make it work, but it had to be model specific, and there would be too many models. Can somebody make a firmware for a few (the more common) models, and then post them, and let other ppl take from that and make more firmware for other models, and everybody else making their own? Could we make a program that does this where you input model info and it writes the new firmware for you to use? Think about this...

[loy]

recognise u mean in the broswer or just read teh hdd in general???

[bungiefan]

Ok, I stated that the possibility is there. I didn't say it had already been done, but it was what would be needed to make it act like a Sony HDD, since that is the part of the HDD that is different from the same Maxtor model that you could buy at any computer store. so it has to be what official software scans when detecting the HDD.

Firmware is a pretty important part of the device. It is what makes it work like it should. You need to know some pretty low-level stuff about the device you are working with to make firmware for it. I guess it is similar in function to a device driver, but it is built into the device itself.

[Tigerman]

So can't somebody make some firmware for a few models and other ppl make others? And loy, I mean getting to see the HDD in the browser AND having games support, like downloadable content such as new SOCOM maps. And btw, loy, I'm still banned from the EFnet server...

[Gp225]

I'd imagine it would be a real pain in the ass considering the hundreds of types of hard drives. Realistically, your best bet would be ATAD patching

[nanakivii]

If you have a modchip that supports auto-ATAD patching (such as the Matrix Infinity) and the official HDD Utility disc, you can easily install a non-official HD like an official one. As a side note though, since that software does not support 48-bit addressing (i.e. HD bigger than 137GB) if the drive has data on it beyond that 137GB point, the PS2 will not boot into the browser at all! (Also, please do not ask me where to get/find the HDD Utility disc, as I understand that doing so is against the rules mentioned here.)

[Nightman]

If you have a modchip that supports auto-ATAD patching such as the Matrix Infinity and the official HDD Utility disc, you can easily install a non-official HD like an official one. As a side note though, since that software does not support 48-bit addressing (i.e. HD bigger than 137GB) if the drive has data on it beyond that 137GB point, the PS2 will not boot into the browser at all! (Also, please do not ask me where to get/find the HDD Utility disc, as I understand that doing so is against the rules mentioned here.)

This does work, but you have to have ATAD patching enabled at all times to see the drive in the browser. So basically you have a sony drive, but only when the modchip boots active. This will not work to use the drive for the SOCOM 2 maps. You have to disable the chip to go online, and by disabling the chip the ATAD patching also gets disabled, therefore the drive is not recognized.

[nanakivii]

Ah, thank you for pointing that out. I do not play online, so I would not have known that.

[Nightman]

n/p, I know all about that. I have been trying everything I can think of to get it to work. I really want to play the new map on socom 2, but I dont want to spend $70 for the sony hdd to use on just 1 game....

[Tigerman]

I'd imagine it would be a real pain in the ass considering the hundreds of types of hard drives. Realistically, your best bet would be ATAD patching

Yes it would, but if you only did a few models AKA 1,2, or 3 of them (the more popular models) and released that to the public online, then maybe they would figure it out and make firmware for their own models and others, so the original person wouldn't have to do all of them. It's sort of like division of labor.