HDD Utility & HDDOSD

[PS2Guy]

So here's what I know so far, I know that the HDD Utility disc is region locked to the console thru the VOB files. (There is a crack of this disc floating around but I can't seem to get it to work properly). i.e. If you have a disc that is from an SCPH-XXXX1 then that disc will only work for that type of console.

So I was wondering what it actually gets locked to and how can it be changed? (Apart from putting in a mod-chip of course). I'm trying to run this on my SCPH-30002RSW console and I don't want to have to install a chip in it.

If it is the rom, then can you inject a new region into your console by changing a file in the rom and then inject it back into your console somehow? I've read that there were some consoles that came out region free and were injected with the countries region codes when they were sold (or shipped).

I really want to be able to do this and if there's an easier way or someone can explain to me how get the disc cracked disc working I would very much appreciate it.

[Bad_Ad84]

ROM = Read Only Memory

[H360]

In a nutshell, if it is in the ROM, then you will need to de-solder it, dump it, disassemble it, re-program the disassembled code, match the same chip, flash it and solder it back.

Not an easy thing, nor anything anyone will do.


Find the region free ROM and dump it yourself, then replicate it (*match the same chip).

[l_oliveira]

The said PPF files are meant to be applied to untampered BIN/CUE image files of the utility discs in question. It's patched against the redump.org checked files. (Check the MD5)

Don't use tampered files like Hackchip stuff. That won't work with the PPF.:nod:

Anyway after you mod the iso, you will need a modchip to boot it. :shrug:

[l_oliveira]

In a nutshell, if it is in the ROM, then you will need to de-solder it, dump it, disassemble it, re-program the disassembled code, match the same chip, flash it and solder it back.

Not an easy thing, nor anything anyone will do.


Find the region free ROM and dump it yourself, then replicate it (*match the same chip).

There's no such thing as PlayStation 2 region free bios and there will never be, because the protection is NOT in the BIOS.

It's on the DVD drive CPU MASK ROM. :shrug:

[PS2Guy]

Anyway after you mod the iso, you will need a modchip to boot it. :shrug:

I have many PPF patchers, but some patch the ATAD file and as we all know there's no ATAD file in the HDD Utility Disc. I have HDUTIL_100U PPF patch which is what I've been trying, but it won't load with Swap Magic. It's funny because all of my consoles play any disc I throw at them, PS1, Blue PS2, DVD PS2, Patched ESR, DVD's, CD's, but this disc just won't play whatsoever after I've put Swap Magic in.

My chipped console is an HK console and I'm worried about not being able to get the HDDOSD when I change consoles.

[l_oliveira]

I have many PPF patchers, but some patch the ATAD file and as we all know there's no ATAD file in the HDD Utility Disc. I have HDUTIL_100U PPF patch which is what I've been trying, but it won't load with Swap Magic. It's funny because all of my consoles play any disc I throw at them, PS1, Blue PS2, DVD PS2, Patched ESR, DVD's, CD's, but this disc just won't play whatsoever after I've put Swap Magic in.

My chipped console is an HK console and I'm worried about not being able to get the HDDOSD when I change consoles.

Correction: There's no exposed ATAD files on the utility disc. All the drivers it need (USB, HDD, DEV9, PFS) are encrypted inside of the VOB file along with the disc ELF file. :nod:

The Utility disc may not work with Swap Magic because it's not a normal disc. It has an normal ELF file which loads another encrypted file.

Also there's a possibility that your patched image is bogus (most likely to be the problem).

[PS2Guy]

Correction: There's no exposed ATAD files on the utility disc. All the drivers it need (USB, HDD, DEV9, PFS) are encrypted inside of the VOB file along with the disc ELF file. :nod:

Which one of the VOB's? There are 3.

The Utility disc may not work with Swap Magic because it's not a normal disc. It has an normal ELF file which loads another encrypted file.

All I get is that it's "Not a Valid PS2 Disc", so I think that your right there

Also there's a possibility that your patched image is bogus (most likely to be the problem).

I've got the original HDD Utility Disc 1.10 and I'm using the HDDUTIL_110U.PPF (which I found from a really cool guy on 4shared), but I'm not sure what version ppf patcher I should be using?? I have version 1, 2, & 3 off of SKSApps.

I had a little bit of success loading Hackchips disc today on my chipped HK console. It gets to the menu on the disc, but then I select an option & it jumps back to the browser quickly then goes to RSOD, it does that for all 5 options.

[H360]

There's no such thing as PlayStation 2 region free bios and there will never be, because the protection is NOT in the BIOS.

It's on the DVD drive CPU MASK ROM. :shrug:

So they kept it like the PS1. Where is has it in the mechanism controller mcu?

Typical Sony......

[richi902]

I had a little bit of success loading Hackchips disc today on my chipped HK console. It gets to the menu on the disc, but then I select an option & it jumps back to the browser quickly then goes to RSOD, it does that for all 5 options.

what i did was "swapping" hackchip disc on ule via the cd control function of ule(i think its called), then go to file browser and directly launch the hdd-osd installer elf, this is the only way i can install BB-Navigator and the hdd-osd on my pal ps2, oh and i burn'd it to dvd. the ppf patched hdd-utility disc wont load on mine even though i'm using my original disc for the image,maybe the ppf patch is corrput? because the patches for the hdd-osd mbr and the various kelfs do work perfectly.

[l_oliveira]

More than one version of the utility disc might exist. The PPFs are for the versions listed on redump.org :shrug:



And please refrain from using hacked trash. :-(

[richi902]

More than one version of the utility disc might exist. The PPFs are for the versions listed on redump.org :shrug:

might be, need to check the hash from my disc.....:shrug:

And please refrain from using hacked trash. :-(

but thats the only "thrash" that works for me :P hdd-osd and bb navi working fine from that disc, IF you know how to get the installers running :dance:

[l_oliveira]

Knowledge on how to unpack and (maybe repack) the .PAK files (which contains the packages that get installed on the HDD) do exist. An TRUE REGION free disc that install TRUE region free files to the harddrive is possible if anyone knowledgeable puts effort towards it. :nod:

And that with minimum "hackage" of disc layout. :shrug:

[richi902]

then we need someone to work on that ;-)

dose the bb-navi disc have similar PAK files?
so we could finaly translate that thing,
cause i cant get beta-linux to run on my machine :/.

[l_oliveira]

Source code for a command prompt line utility that unpacks these ".PAK" files was posted at PSX-SCENE several years ago. I found it on google by accident while searching for the PPF files for the discs. :shrug:

[PS2Guy]

I find it very hard to find anything on PSX-Scene. I found a thread where they talked about "the other" thread, and that full instructions were for this were posted there, but I've never been able to find that "other thread". People are scared of you know who and very secretive over there.

I find it very hard to believe that no-one has ever made or even attempted a region free HDD Utility disc? Or at least a disc that works on different consoles.

@richi902, I've tried everything to get that disc you linked me to working. (Except burning it to DVD, I'll be trying that today). When I do the swap trick in ULaunch I still get an error saying that the installer is not an .ELF file :shrug:. I get the menu when I put the disc in normally in my chipped consoles, but then a black screen when a select something.

@l_oliveira, which files on the disc actually hold the encrypted region files? Is the PAK or VOB? And how would I find and extract the DNAS ID from my console & HDD?

[l_oliveira]

These are the encrypted files on the utility discs:

PS288.VOB = Custom/special (secure) memory card program and drivers used by the utility disc.

PS289.VOB = SECRMAN module with binding functions for memory cards.

PS290.VOB = Big encrypted filesystem which contains the main ELF for the disc and bits & pieced of the embedded DVD Player UPDATE / Launcher for PCMCIA console files.

These names are aways there but their functions vary per disc/build. One of the discs I looked into had the smaller VOB files as header-less chunks of data once unpacked.

[richi902]

@richi902, I've tried everything to get that disc you linked me to working. (Except burning it to DVD, I'll be trying that today). When I do the swap trick in ULaunch I still get an error saying that the installer is not an .ELF file :shrug:. I get the menu when I put the disc in normally in my chipped consoles, but then a black screen when a select something.
console & HDD?

that "is not an elf" happend to me too, when burning to cd-rom, but burning it to dvd works strangely o.O. the menu dosent work for me either, its completly messed up/broken.

edit:

my HDD Utility Disc 1.10
SHA1:278cb51c8d1d5ebbeeffba9cd5c79d183d6c6201
MD5:25958d0b6fe1ad085a072047ca46ddb4
CRC32:fc1b1a0f
Time:71:05:00
Size:751.993.200 bytes

[PS2Guy]

that "is not an elf" happend to me too, when burning to cd-rom, but burning it to dvd works strangely o.O. the menu dosent work for me either, its completly messed up/broken.

So I kind of got it working today, by burning it to a DVD-RW and using an ESR copy of GT4. I got into the GT4 disc using the CDFS option in Ulaunchelf, I then exited and swapped in the other disc and got into it, (weird). I then clicked on the SLES file and it loaded with no menu (like richi902 said). It didn't install anything because I didn't have a hard drive on the machine I tested it on, I'm just wondering if it auto detects one because it just hung on a black screen and the disc stopped spinning.

The machine I want to load it on doesn't read dual layer discs, so I'm now in the process of getting it so it can, so I can try again. I'm hoping that I loaded the right elf and that I didn't have to load one of the other ones?? :shrug:

I'm getting close. I will then edit the MBR and hopefully be sorted for HDDOSD. What then?? What are the settings for it or does it just load itself once I'm finished??

[l_oliveira]

Fixing the MBR is a bit tricky but isn't soo bad:

First you paste the KELF encrypted MBR block where you want it to be (usually sector 0x2000)

Then on 1st sector you add the sector the KELF file is at, the size in sectors then fix the sector 0 CRC on index. :nod:

If you install using the utility disc all that will be done for you "automagically"... :nod: