bro i tried to get my ps2 remodded and after 12 hours i found your video that had info about what to do to prepare the hdd. you, sir, deserve a beer. just can’t get the art to show lol oh well Edit: making the new opl folder is vital, finally got artwork to show !!
Thank you for making this! I was having the same black screen issue that you were getting with other methods. This is the only tutorial that worked for me. I will be sure to link this in a video I'm making about the PS2
Very comprehensible and well done guide. I was overwhelmed with several of the tutorials out there which gave me more questions than answers. This was the first guide I felt fully confident with. The additional explanation of how HDL batch installer and OPL manger works was also extremely helpful. Can’t thank you enough.
Had a problem with freehdboot install, said it failed. Tried to reset system and try again but it wouldn’t boot into elf. Plugged in my freemcboot and was able to get it to install from there.
is there a way to get this running without the USB or memory card, I tried following the noobie package but the ps2 just boots normally without any of the extra features.
There is FreeDVDBoot which is an option if you have a way to get one. Outside of that, in this tutorial I don't use the noobie package because it would cause the same issue for me. Maybe try the method I used and see if you're able to get it working.
I did every step you did, then I went into fmcb installer and tried to install the fhdb, it said that it wasn't formatted when I had already formatted it and then it wouldn't install? I don't get it... Is anyone else having this problem?
In the disk manager, delete the partition on the HDD. It should have a black bar at the top instead of a blue one. If you do that, it should create a PS2 partition.
i know this is a late comment, but do i need it to reformat the ssd to fat 32? i have same adaptor as you, i follow all of the steps, the menus working fine but when i click of one of em, it just black screen. can you help me?
The SSD has to be formatted to FAT32 in order for the PS2 to be able to read it. Hopefully, formatting it will fix your black screen issue. Otherwise I'd recommend redoing the steps just in case they didn't download properly.
I recommend picking up a physical memory card if you can. They're pretty cheap to buy online. However, OPL does have a setting to create a virtual memory card on the storage drive. I know some games have been reported to have issues when doing that. I couldn't tell you any specifics on it, but I'm sure someone has a guide out there for it
somehow following your steps didn't work for me exactly. OPL and ULaunch wouldn't load at all. I then tried installing FMCB rather than FHDB and it just worked where previously neither FHDB nor FMCB would work at all
Hi, thank you for the tutorial. I do not see an _mbr.raw file appearing, could somebody please help with this? Thank you Update: nevermind, solved it 😅 Thanks again for the great tutorial!
Thanks for the video! I followed your steps, but I have a weird problem, I press circle but it won't open my games menu. It works everywhere, except when pressing to open the games menu.. any idea?
freehddboot is greyed out. Is there any way to fix this. Thanks and God bless. It can recognize the hard drive but doesn't let me click on install FREEHDB
Unfortunately, Chromebooks can't run the programs to make this possible. If you don't have a PC, you could buy a PS2 memory card preloaded with free mcboot already installed onto it. They also make ones that use a USB drive. I've never done it, but I'm sure there's plenty of tutorials on UA-cam about it.
HI, I installed the 1.965 version and it went smoothly (1.966 was freezing on boot of FreeMCBoot). Problem is, once I go and try to access OPL, it doesnt seem to run. Any ideas?
I see. Just a couple questions first. Have you tried installing games yet from the computer? This will tell you when the installation was good because you should be able to load games without issue with HDBatchInstaller. If not something went wrong during installation and it'll need to be done again from the beginning. Before that we can check something else. When you go into LaunchElf (not hdd) can you see the +OPL folder in the hdd0:/? If not you can create a folder in there called "+OPL" and try to open OPL again. OPL should auto populate the folder. Let me know if any of this helps you out.
I instaled freemcboot with this method but ps2 does not boot again into it. It boots back into file browser. I can get into freemcboot with have to run installer.
Does anyone know if there is a way to add the artwork without having to change the ISO names (even if it had to be done manually)? I’ve seen on other videos that the OPL manager method means that your titles end up with SLUS and other irrelevant information when you have the OPL library open on your PS2.
Not quite. There is a button combo to press that may reset the console, but the PS2 was never designed for it. L1+L2+R1+R2+Select+Start then L1+L2+R1+R2+L3+R3 all pressed at the same time is the combo. Some games it'll reset the PS2; however, sometimes it'll black screen and you'll need to hard reset it anyways. Worth a shot though since you'd have to get up to reset the console anyways.
@@NonHeroJC that feels like a hidden code for unlimited lives in Contra lol. Thanks for your quick response, much appreciated. I think i will stick to power of and on then lol :)
@@NonHeroJC I forgot to ask, what type of video adapter are you using to connect your device? The image looks nice and sharp. I'm using a rca to hdmi adapter I bought in Amazon and it looks ok but wanted to look sharper if possible.
@@PacoVJ I personally bought the one of the cheapest component to HDMI adapters off of eBay and it works really well. If you don't care for eBay, I'm sure Amazon sells the same thing for a bit more money. Just make sure it's a component to HDMI adapter. These tend to have better image quality. Also, use the included USB cable to power it. It does improve the image quality versus just using the adapter by itself. Last thing, you may have to set your PS2 to component before swapping it; otherwise, you will get a black screen. www.ebay.com/itm/384506070518?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=tqaifIL6Sli&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=JawFmrEBSrS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
@@NonHeroJC I have one of those since i first owned a ps2 slim but all i was getting was a black screen when i plugged my brick version and i thought it was just not compatible with the output for the adapter! Thanks for this tip, i will try my component to HDMI again and see how things go!
Are you sure it needs to be unformated with a black line? I tried formatting my 2TB with WinHIIP and it said there wasn't enough room. Odd also as I veirfied which drive it was since I tried turning it off and on to see which one was populating, but it just showed -184.99GB (243201 cyl, 255 trk, 63 sec)
Usually having it unformatted from the PC works without issue, but you could try to format the drive from the PS2 via wLaunchELF to see if that allows WinHIIP to properly read it. I show how to format it at 9:15 in the video. Keep in mind WinHIIP is really only used to verify the drive can be formatted to the PS2 before it is actually put into it. If you can't get WinHIIP working, I'd recommend just skipping that step and continue with the rest. Just know there's a chance that drive may still be incompatible with the PS2.
ok this was by far the best vid I found to do this took me two days a dead 300 gb drive but put a 1tb in my fat all my games are in it now. Truly ya have no idea how happy I am not to have to ruin my games further by use especailly Xenosaga III mines like mint and I wanna keep it that way. I just shelled over 100 to get tales of aybass with my refurbed fat ps2 aybass cost 75 plus few other games whole thing was a 200 investment then the adapter buying a freemcboot mem card to get it find its empty 16 mb mem card lol. was almost defeated till I found your video ya saved my collection from wear and tear, and hopefuly in the future I'll redo this on an ssd but this 1tb sata 3.5 mind you will do for now. It took me 3 computers to get this done almost a month to figure out lol. Ya got a sub my friend. Thanks.
When I get all the things necessary for this I'm gonna try this but can someone tell me how games run on this? Is there any input delay or anything? How do the games run compared to running it on a normal disc?
In my experience, there's no input delay at all even when using an HDMI adapter on a 4k TV. Most of the PS2 library runs just the same as if they were on disk. There are a few games that have issues though. I'll leave a link for you to check those out and see. www.ps2-home.com/forum/page/opl-game-compatibility-list
How did it allow you to install fhdb to me it says to format it even after doing exactly everything you do, if i click to format it wipes out everything that was done to the ssd previously on the computer.
It's intentional that it wipes everything that was done on the computer. What we do on the computer is check that the SSD is compatible with the PS2. Some drives refuse to work with FHDB and this is an easy way to check for incompatibility. Once the drive has no issues on the PC, we put it into the PS2 to get a clean format. The computer step is optional, but I have it in the video because it helps diagnose any issues your drive may have before attempting to install FHDB.
@@NonHeroJC I found the problem the hard drive must be MBR its the only thing that i did different this time and it worked, sadnly now i cannot install bigger games via the HDL for some reason, so i am starting to think either the network adapter isnt good or my ps2 fat port.
If you haven't already, try the other USB port on the front. Other than that some flash drive may not get recognized by the PS2. You could try another one.
I'm able to get up to the part where the FreeHDBoot install is completed with no issues. When I exit the installer, instead of booting back to the menu it stays in a black screen and I can clearly hear the HD booting and shutting down in a loop. Any ideas about what could be happening?
This sounds similar to an issue I had before using the "noobie package" method. I would recommend downloading a previous version of opl (1.965 for example) to install onto the PS2 and see if that fixes it. That's the only thing I could think of. Let me know if it works out for you.
Yeah, you're right. I personally like to do it since it makes sure the drive is working properly. I had a bad drive the first time I tried modding my PS2 and it took me a while to figure out what was wrong.
@@NonHeroJC it won't affect in anything, as the raw image will do a byte per byte raw writing... And don't forget that expansion bay consoles control de HDD software execution from a EEPROM setting, Wich can only be changed by the og Sony utility discs or the FreeHdBoot installer
Sry, I know this is already an older video, yet I'd like to ask... I am currently getting the black screen (after FMCB logo) with the Kaico adapter when using the noobie package or other images... Should be the same issue as with your Gamestar, right?
I was also getting a black screen using the noobie package. The method I used in the video worked with my game star adapter and I've had no issues since I first set it up. I'd like to assume the noobie package was made with the original PS2 adapter in mind and that's why 3rd party adapters don't work well with it.
@@NonHeroJC Thanks for replying (even so quick). Yeah, I suppose those 3rd party SATA-only adapters are pretty much all based on the same design. I will try your way today or tomorrow then. :) I was already concerned I might have got a bad adapter. Guess it's nothing wrong with it now. I will leave a note here telling whether it worked or not. Maybe it will help other buyers of the Kaico part.
Are you formatting on the computer or the PS2? If it's the computer, you may be able to skip that step and move onto the PS2. If it's on the PS2, you may not be able to use that drive.
Great tutorial 👍. I did a tutorial going over this awhile back. I need to update my tutorial. I just haven't felt like doing any tutorials lately. But anyways....keep up the great work
Probably a stupid question, can I easily swap between loading games off of a USB drive and loading games from the HDD? I'm waiting on my adapter and HDD but I want to play games via the USB method, but once the drive comes in I want to exclusively use the drive.
As far as I know, you should be able to swap between the two without issue. Assuming you are using FreeMCBoot via a memory card, you just need to change where the games are being loaded via OPL. Unless you decide to swap to FreeHDBoot once your drive and adapter come in. Saves might be hard to transfer if you use a Virtual Memory Card on the USB though.
No. If you need to format a drive larger than 32gb to FAT32, go into disk management. Delete the old partition. (make sure to back up any files you may have on that drive first) Create a new partition smaller than 32gb and then have it formatted to FAT32.
The drive you copy the _mbr file to should be formatted to the PS2. This means your PC can't open it normally. You can just unplug the drive after you copy the _mbr file onto it if you are unable to eject it.
@@NonHeroJC Sorry I was listenng to it and doing it at the same time, so when you wrote the _mbr file to your hard drive I did not see it, I just heard you say it was usb, so I thought it was the thumb drive, my bad, thanks for response.
It shouldn't be formatted on the computer. It gets formatted on the PS2. If your drive is already formatted, I show you how to remove that at 5:25 in the video.
I actually haven't tried using Popstarter before. I usually only make a tutorial if the current ones are hard to follow or, it just doesn't work when I follow their steps. Let me know if the current tutorials on it are bad, and I may look into it.
I have a couple of questions. Is your computer able to recognize the drive and read/write to it normally? Are you able to test your adapter with a different drive to see if the adapter may be at fault? I would recommend you check out this page of FAQ to see if any of them may give you a clue as to why it's not working properly. israpps.github.io/FreeMcBoot-Installer/test/6_FAQ.html You may need to make sure the connector is seated properly if you aren't screwing it in. I'd recommend running through the steps one more time during 4:00 - 8:30 . Be sure to let me know if any of this helps you out or not.
@@NonHeroJC No the PC doesnt see the drive, it does acknowledge that Ive plugged it in tho with a beep. I have 3 sata drives here with the Gamestar adapter and all are the same results.
@@NonHeroJC yes, even instal games to it, but the PS2 wont see the drive. I did the same to a failing IDE drive and it works, sata's wont. Even bought 2 different adapters with the same results.
It sounds like a bad PS2 SATA adapter, but there's still a few things we check to make sure. Could you let me know when in the tutorial you are unable to read the drive? If you could timestamp it I'd appreciate it. I really apologize for all these questions. I'm just trying to see if there's anything that might fix your problem.
Unfortunately, I don't know what could be causing you issues with the art. What I recommend is checking out this video and trying it out. This is the guide I originally followed when I was learning about adding cover art in OPL on the PS2. Maybe they can clarify some parts better than I could. ua-cam.com/video/Dy-_OHq2QfI/v-deo.html
@@witherscreations Dang, I was hoping that'd help you out. I'll give it my best shot if you want. What I'll need to know is what version of OPL are you running? (If you don't remember what you downloaded, just check the to right corner) On the computer, are you copying the right folders to the USB drive? (It should take a couple minute to transfer the photos to the PS2 depending on the amount of art files downloaded) What kind of USB drive are you using? (USB 3.0 and newer drives tend to be less compatible with the PS2 and it's older hardware) Are you plugging the USB drive into the top USB port? (I don't remember why, I just know that the top port usually works better)
In the the OPL Menu, in "Display A Settings", is "Enable Cover Art" set to "On". I would cycle that to "Off" then back "On". Don't forget to hit "Save Changes" before exiting the OPL Menu. If that doesn't work, go to a game and click the Square Button on it to bring up its Info. That will check if any of the other art is in there correctly.
I re-did your steps to the T, twice, but when I get to FileBrowser->MISC->HddManager, press R1, choose Format then select OK; it says HDD formatting failed. HDD used MB amount does not change like it does in your video, and no extra folders are created. I'm not sure what could be causing this or what a solution would be. I am going to create the additional folders and assume that since in your example it was just formatted that there are no actual files in them. Any input or suggestions on this would be appreciated, but for now I'm going to continue with at tutorial and hope for the best. Once I get to the step of opening FMCBInstaller.elf and hitting R1, Install FHDB is not selectable. it is grayed out. I'm at a loss.
The PS2 is not connected properly with the hard drive via the network adapter. There are two possible reasons it's doing that. First, your network adapter is not plugged in correctly or is defective. Double check it and make sure it's fully slotted into the PS2. It doesn't nee to be screwed in to get a solid connection. Checking if it's defective is a bit easier if you have a second hard drive that you are certain works. You can use it to test and see if it reads it on the PS2 (allows it to format). Second, your hard drive is bad. (HIGHLY unlikely if you were able to set it up on the computer) If you are using a SSD, you can use CrystalDiskInfo to see it's current "life percentage". You can also test by trying to transfer a large file or many small files to it and see if it can complete the task.
Hi erm… I have a PS2 Fat Pal and I do remember the Model of my PlayStation 2 I think it is Scph-50003 Some PS2 Slim Models have the Same Strategy as than the Fat aka Original PS2… and I’m not sure if it’s Compatible with the Free McBoot… Free HDBoot… Free HDDBoot… Free DVDBoot… I had a look on the Website for PS2 Home of Compatibility Models Chart both of them are v1.70/v1.90 for Europe Pal the Same Mode Yes… the SCPH-50004 Original and v1.70/v1.90 in Europe Region… Pal of the TV aka Television are All Compatible for Compatibility Fat Models… I was trying to use Codebreaker aka Cb and I can’t remember which Version of Codebreaker it is either V10 and Higher that I need to use of the Latest Version my Free McBoot Memory Card with… or Without… Magic Gate to Use the Apps and I’m on the Version 1.966 or 1.953 which it literally is Silver Paper Sticker… and Orange Paper Sticker… I tried Esr and Ulaunchelf aka ulaunch.elf… for Files and Back Ups… So I want to play and test out some… Pal and Ntsc-u/Ntsc-j Japanese and American Games in different Region Countries… when it’s not Region Locked or Region Locked for Cheats with Codes… if I could give myself a try to test out all the games… and I want to work it out for to play all region countries games… only the Normal American and Japanese Title Games for the Fat PS2 Pal…. I tried to use the Save Files for GameFaqs to Download… the Correct Save Game of PS2 Games and I put the USB Drive to Stick it on the PS2… from using my Laptop and I tried to test the game out on the Ulaunchelf… and it comes and pops up with SLUS Digits… for Speed Dial File Format Game Image with Letters of… all Xs it needs to put with SLES… and it won’t let me no more… and I don’t know how to use it for Pal and I’m at the UK Which I wanted to… test out the Compatible Games to use the Homebrew Programs… Such as Including Like ESR To Launch Discs, Ulaunchelf, Open Ps2 Loader,, SMB, PS2 HDLoader, PS2 HDAdvance, USB Advance, PS2infoGB, GSM 0.38, PS2FCEUltra 0.93 PGEN v1.5.1 SNES-System, SMS Aka Stream Media Files for the… Simple Media System, Cheat Device, the app for FMCB Similar to (ARMAX) Action Replay Max, Xploder, GameShark, CodeBreaker, External USB Sticks for Flash Drive, Pen Drive, Thumb Drive, Hard Disk Drive, FAT32, Free McBoot Configurator, FHDB, FMCB, CD-R aka Compact Disc Recordable, DVD+R aka Digital Versatile Disc Recordable, and Others for PS2 HomeBrew Programs… on the Main Menu of the Screen… Sorry for the Long Text Message… My English is no good to understand much… just to read… May you help me Please…🙏🏼❤️🥺😢😔😥
My Ps2 Model is SCPH-50003 for the Fat Chassis is H/I/J, Motherboard GH-023/ GH-026/GH-029, Rom v1.70 / v1.90, Region Europe, Tv System Pal… and I don’t know what the Bios is for my SCPH-50003… May it be compatible with Free McBoot…❤️🥺😢😔😥
Sorry for the late reply. I was busy with family and work during the holiday season. FreeMCBoot should be compatible on your PS2. You should probably to avoid FreeHDBoot. Your model is known to have issues with FreeHDBoot when using generic adapters. I'm unfamiliar with FreeDVDBoot, so you'll need to ask someone else who knows more about that. I still would recommend you to running FreeMcBoot on your PS2 if you choose to go through with modding it.
@@NonHeroJC So the Ps2 is good to go with the Free McBoot to Free HDBoot is Compatible and your Unfamiliar with FreeDVDBoot I’m gonna use something to go through Modding with my Fat Original Ps2… What about Save Game Files from GameFaqs Website use with USB Sticks, Pen drive, Thumb Drive, Flash Drive, and Others…
@@stefanfollows9480 You are able to copy save files from online, put them on a thumb drive, and then copy them onto a memory card. Copying them over is done in the ulaunch.elf file browser. Just make sure the files are formatted for a PS2 and not an emulator.
bro i tried to get my ps2 remodded and after 12 hours i found your video that had info about what to do to prepare the hdd. you, sir, deserve a beer. just can’t get the art to show lol oh well
Edit: making the new opl folder is vital, finally got artwork to show !!
Thanks for making a tutorial based on my method, I was tired of helping people following deficient tutorials
XD estaba cansado dice :DDD
What makes the other tutorials deficient?
@@brandontadday6288 the use of premade images and not creating the +OPL partition with a decent size (around 1gb depending on HDD size)
@@El_IsraPS2 😍😍😍😍😘😘
Thank you for making this! I was having the same black screen issue that you were getting with other methods. This is the only tutorial that worked for me. I will be sure to link this in a video I'm making about the PS2
Very comprehensible and well done guide. I was overwhelmed with several of the tutorials out there which gave me more questions than answers. This was the first guide I felt fully confident with. The additional explanation of how HDL batch installer and OPL manger works was also extremely helpful. Can’t thank you enough.
same as this!! literally couldnt find that HDL was a thing until this
HDL Batch installer can download artwork and transfer to the drive on it's own
Had a problem with freehdboot install, said it failed. Tried to reset system and try again but it wouldn’t boot into elf. Plugged in my freemcboot and was able to get it to install from there.
Thanks a lot, worked like a charm. Is there any guide on how to play PS1 games on a fat PS2 model with FHDB?
Excellent video. Great that I can also see the cover art. Thanks for uploading.
I followed every step and it worked like a charm, thank you so much!
is there a way to get this running without the USB or memory card, I tried following the noobie package but the ps2 just boots normally without any of the extra features.
There is FreeDVDBoot which is an option if you have a way to get one. Outside of that, in this tutorial I don't use the noobie package because it would cause the same issue for me. Maybe try the method I used and see if you're able to get it working.
Is there a way to automatically load into the games when you start your PS2? Just a quality of life thing but it would be nice.
i have don everything over and over and it all works except the art non of the art works
I did every step you did, then I went into fmcb installer and tried to install the fhdb, it said that it wasn't formatted when I had already formatted it and then it wouldn't install? I don't get it...
Is anyone else having this problem?
In the disk manager, delete the partition on the HDD. It should have a black bar at the top instead of a blue one. If you do that, it should create a PS2 partition.
You're the man. Thank you. This really helped.
Literally saved the day. Awesome video, probably the easiest one to follow of any I could find. Thanks a ton.
Glad it helped you out. :)
i know this is a late comment, but do i need it to reformat the ssd to fat 32? i have same adaptor as you, i follow all of the steps, the menus working fine but when i click of one of em, it just black screen. can you help me?
The SSD has to be formatted to FAT32 in order for the PS2 to be able to read it. Hopefully, formatting it will fix your black screen issue. Otherwise I'd recommend redoing the steps just in case they didn't download properly.
this tutorial is awesomeni followed it step by step and works beautifully and now how do i make a save game files without a physical memory card
I recommend picking up a physical memory card if you can. They're pretty cheap to buy online. However, OPL does have a setting to create a virtual memory card on the storage drive. I know some games have been reported to have issues when doing that. I couldn't tell you any specifics on it, but I'm sure someone has a guide out there for it
@@NonHeroJC it’s better to have physical memory card then
Thankyou, this was really helpful :)😀
somehow following your steps didn't work for me exactly. OPL and ULaunch wouldn't load at all. I then tried installing FMCB rather than FHDB and it just worked where previously neither FHDB nor FMCB would work at all
Hi, thank you for the tutorial. I do not see an _mbr.raw file appearing, could somebody please help with this?
Thank you
Update: nevermind, solved it 😅 Thanks again for the great tutorial!
Boss man. How did you find it. I can’t locate it myself.
@@betoeg2I can’t find it help
right corner hit all files and then shows up@@uliseschavez8371
Thanks for the video! I followed your steps, but I have a weird problem, I press circle but it won't open my games menu. It works everywhere, except when pressing to open the games menu.. any idea?
freehddboot is greyed out. Is there any way to fix this. Thanks and God bless. It can recognize the hard drive but doesn't let me click on install FREEHDB
Appreciate the upload , super helpful to know what I'm going to need to play my backups
Very, very good guide. Quite clear and all still works fine. Thank you very much for this guide.
Real question could i do this with a chromebook or should i just wait until i get a pc?
Unfortunately, Chromebooks can't run the programs to make this possible. If you don't have a PC, you could buy a PS2 memory card preloaded with free mcboot already installed onto it. They also make ones that use a USB drive. I've never done it, but I'm sure there's plenty of tutorials on UA-cam about it.
HI, I installed the 1.965 version and it went smoothly (1.966 was freezing on boot of FreeMCBoot).
Problem is, once I go and try to access OPL, it doesnt seem to run. Any ideas?
I see. Just a couple questions first. Have you tried installing games yet from the computer? This will tell you when the installation was good because you should be able to load games without issue with HDBatchInstaller. If not something went wrong during installation and it'll need to be done again from the beginning. Before that we can check something else. When you go into LaunchElf (not hdd) can you see the +OPL folder in the hdd0:/? If not you can create a folder in there called "+OPL" and try to open OPL again. OPL should auto populate the folder. Let me know if any of this helps you out.
I instaled freemcboot with this method but ps2 does not boot again into it. It boots back into file browser. I can get into freemcboot with have to run installer.
Does anyone know if there is a way to add the artwork without having to change the ISO names (even if it had to be done manually)? I’ve seen on other videos that the OPL manager method means that your titles end up with SLUS and other irrelevant information when you have the OPL library open on your PS2.
What about TRIM. The SSD will die quicker without it. Otherwise, top video and advises!
Followed your tutorial and worked just fine! Just one quick Q: is it possible to exit a game without having to shut down the console?
Not quite. There is a button combo to press that may reset the console, but the PS2 was never designed for it. L1+L2+R1+R2+Select+Start then L1+L2+R1+R2+L3+R3 all pressed at the same time is the combo. Some games it'll reset the PS2; however, sometimes it'll black screen and you'll need to hard reset it anyways. Worth a shot though since you'd have to get up to reset the console anyways.
@@NonHeroJC that feels like a hidden code for unlimited lives in Contra lol. Thanks for your quick response, much appreciated. I think i will stick to power of and on then lol :)
@@NonHeroJC I forgot to ask, what type of video adapter are you using to connect your device? The image looks nice and sharp. I'm using a rca to hdmi adapter I bought in Amazon and it looks ok but wanted to look sharper if possible.
@@PacoVJ I personally bought the one of the cheapest component to HDMI adapters off of eBay and it works really well. If you don't care for eBay, I'm sure Amazon sells the same thing for a bit more money. Just make sure it's a component to HDMI adapter. These tend to have better image quality. Also, use the included USB cable to power it. It does improve the image quality versus just using the adapter by itself. Last thing, you may have to set your PS2 to component before swapping it; otherwise, you will get a black screen. www.ebay.com/itm/384506070518?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=tqaifIL6Sli&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=JawFmrEBSrS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
@@NonHeroJC I have one of those since i first owned a ps2 slim but all i was getting was a black screen when i plugged my brick version and i thought it was just not compatible with the output for the adapter! Thanks for this tip, i will try my component to HDMI again and see how things go!
Are you sure it needs to be unformated with a black line? I tried formatting my 2TB with WinHIIP and it said there wasn't enough room. Odd also as I veirfied which drive it was since I tried turning it off and on to see which one was populating, but it just showed -184.99GB (243201 cyl, 255 trk, 63 sec)
Usually having it unformatted from the PC works without issue, but you could try to format the drive from the PS2 via wLaunchELF to see if that allows WinHIIP to properly read it. I show how to format it at 9:15 in the video. Keep in mind WinHIIP is really only used to verify the drive can be formatted to the PS2 before it is actually put into it. If you can't get WinHIIP working, I'd recommend just skipping that step and continue with the rest. Just know there's a chance that drive may still be incompatible with the PS2.
ok this was by far the best vid I found to do this took me two days a dead 300 gb drive but put a 1tb in my fat all my games are in it now. Truly ya have no idea how happy I am not to have to ruin my games further by use especailly Xenosaga III mines like mint and I wanna keep it that way. I just shelled over 100 to get tales of aybass with my refurbed fat ps2 aybass cost 75 plus few other games whole thing was a 200 investment then the adapter buying a freemcboot mem card to get it find its empty 16 mb mem card lol. was almost defeated till I found your video ya saved my collection from wear and tear, and hopefuly in the future I'll redo this on an ssd but this 1tb sata 3.5 mind you will do for now. It took me 3 computers to get this done almost a month to figure out lol. Ya got a sub my friend. Thanks.
When I get all the things necessary for this I'm gonna try this but can someone tell me how games run on this? Is there any input delay or anything? How do the games run compared to running it on a normal disc?
In my experience, there's no input delay at all even when using an HDMI adapter on a 4k TV. Most of the PS2 library runs just the same as if they were on disk. There are a few games that have issues though. I'll leave a link for you to check those out and see. www.ps2-home.com/forum/page/opl-game-compatibility-list
How did it allow you to install fhdb to me it says to format it even after doing exactly everything you do, if i click to format it wipes out everything that was done to the ssd previously on the computer.
It's intentional that it wipes everything that was done on the computer. What we do on the computer is check that the SSD is compatible with the PS2. Some drives refuse to work with FHDB and this is an easy way to check for incompatibility. Once the drive has no issues on the PC, we put it into the PS2 to get a clean format. The computer step is optional, but I have it in the video because it helps diagnose any issues your drive may have before attempting to install FHDB.
@@NonHeroJC the installation fails though
@@chriszerzelidis3097 Which part is it failing at? Timestamp from the video would help me understand where you're at.
@@NonHeroJC I found the problem the hard drive must be MBR its the only thing that i did different this time and it worked, sadnly now i cannot install bigger games via the HDL for some reason, so i am starting to think either the network adapter isnt good or my ps2 fat port.
Im thinking of making my own game console than modding one
My Flash Drive doesn't get recognised in Ulaunch any idea why?
If you haven't already, try the other USB port on the front. Other than that some flash drive may not get recognized by the PS2. You could try another one.
did you have a problem with game list not showing at all?
I'm able to get up to the part where the FreeHDBoot install is completed with no issues. When I exit the installer, instead of booting back to the menu it stays in a black screen and I can clearly hear the HD booting and shutting down in a loop. Any ideas about what could be happening?
This sounds similar to an issue I had before using the "noobie package" method. I would recommend downloading a previous version of opl (1.965 for example) to install onto the PS2 and see if that fixes it. That's the only thing I could think of. Let me know if it works out for you.
There's no need to format the drive before flashing the uLaunchELF KHN image
Yeah, you're right. I personally like to do it since it makes sure the drive is working properly. I had a bad drive the first time I tried modding my PS2 and it took me a while to figure out what was wrong.
@@NonHeroJC it won't affect in anything, as the raw image will do a byte per byte raw writing...
And don't forget that expansion bay consoles control de HDD software execution from a EEPROM setting, Wich can only be changed by the og Sony utility discs or the FreeHdBoot installer
NonHero 😅 1st time I heard that title 🎮
Sry, I know this is already an older video, yet I'd like to ask... I am currently getting the black screen (after FMCB logo) with the Kaico adapter when using the noobie package or other images... Should be the same issue as with your Gamestar, right?
I was also getting a black screen using the noobie package. The method I used in the video worked with my game star adapter and I've had no issues since I first set it up. I'd like to assume the noobie package was made with the original PS2 adapter in mind and that's why 3rd party adapters don't work well with it.
@@NonHeroJC Thanks for replying (even so quick). Yeah, I suppose those 3rd party SATA-only adapters are pretty much all based on the same design. I will try your way today or tomorrow then. :) I was already concerned I might have got a bad adapter. Guess it's nothing wrong with it now. I will leave a note here telling whether it worked or not. Maybe it will help other buyers of the Kaico part.
@@LordChaos80 That sounds good. You caught me just as I was getting ready for work, so it was lucky timing. I wish you luck.
I'm lost where that _mbr raw file came from ??????
You download that from the website at 4:32
It's labeled "wLaunchELF KHN HDD image Download"
When i click in format it takes to much time or maybe it stoped it cant format the hdd
Are you formatting on the computer or the PS2? If it's the computer, you may be able to skip that step and move onto the PS2. If it's on the PS2, you may not be able to use that drive.
Great tutorial 👍. I did a tutorial going over this awhile back. I need to update my tutorial. I just haven't felt like doing any tutorials lately. But anyways....keep up the great work
Do you need the flash drive in while it is on or is the art copied to the hard drive
The art is copied onto the hard drive.
Where is the raw file ?
what's the network adaptor for?
That's used to connect the SSD to the PS2. On the original network adapters, it can also be used to connect the PS2 to online games.
Probably a stupid question, can I easily swap between loading games off of a USB drive and loading games from the HDD? I'm waiting on my adapter and HDD but I want to play games via the USB method, but once the drive comes in I want to exclusively use the drive.
As far as I know, you should be able to swap between the two without issue. Assuming you are using FreeMCBoot via a memory card, you just need to change where the games are being loaded via OPL. Unless you decide to swap to FreeHDBoot once your drive and adapter come in. Saves might be hard to transfer if you use a Virtual Memory Card on the USB though.
@@NonHeroJC I don't plan on using virtual saves and I plan on using OPL with the HDD. Using batchloader shouldn't affect anything right?
@@Jooj0620 That shouldn't be a problem.
@@NonHeroJC Thank you so much
Can you use an exFAT drive
No. If you need to format a drive larger than 32gb to FAT32, go into disk management. Delete the old partition. (make sure to back up any files you may have on that drive first) Create a new partition smaller than 32gb and then have it formatted to FAT32.
I use the hdd raw tool, and copy the _mbr file to the usb, but when i click on the usb it just wants to format it again.
The drive you copy the _mbr file to should be formatted to the PS2. This means your PC can't open it normally. You can just unplug the drive after you copy the _mbr file onto it if you are unable to eject it.
@@NonHeroJC Sorry I was listenng to it and doing it at the same time, so when you wrote the _mbr file to your hard drive I did not see it, I just heard you say it was usb, so I thought it was the thumb drive, my bad, thanks for response.
I watched and follwed it this time, worked like a charm, thanks.
Does it work with 2TB HDDs now?
I haven't had an issue using a 2TB HDD with it. Although, any larger than 2TB may cause some issues.
What format does the ssd/hdd have to be?
It shouldn't be formatted on the computer. It gets formatted on the PS2. If your drive is already formatted, I show you how to remove that at 5:25 in the video.
ah. thank you.@@NonHeroJC
Do popstarter next
I actually haven't tried using Popstarter before. I usually only make a tutorial if the current ones are hard to follow or, it just doesn't work when I follow their steps. Let me know if the current tutorials on it are bad, and I may look into it.
Do VMC's work for this set up?
Yes. Just make sure to check with the compatibility chart first. www.ps2-home.com/forum/page/opl-game-compatibility-list-1
@@NonHeroJC Awesome just got it all working. Thank you for this video you.
No mater what I do my PS2 doesnt see the hard drive. Brand new 1 tb sata. Any ideas why?
I have a couple of questions.
Is your computer able to recognize the drive and read/write to it normally?
Are you able to test your adapter with a different drive to see if the adapter may be at fault?
I would recommend you check out this page of FAQ to see if any of them may give you a clue as to why it's not working properly. israpps.github.io/FreeMcBoot-Installer/test/6_FAQ.html
You may need to make sure the connector is seated properly if you aren't screwing it in. I'd recommend running through the steps one more time during 4:00 - 8:30 . Be sure to let me know if any of this helps you out or not.
@@NonHeroJC No the PC doesnt see the drive, it does acknowledge that Ive plugged it in tho with a beep. I have 3 sata drives here with the Gamestar adapter and all are the same results.
Are you able to format the drive using WinHIIP? I do this at 5:58.
@@NonHeroJC yes, even instal games to it, but the PS2 wont see the drive. I did the same to a failing IDE drive and it works, sata's wont. Even bought 2 different adapters with the same results.
It sounds like a bad PS2 SATA adapter, but there's still a few things we check to make sure.
Could you let me know when in the tutorial you are unable to read the drive? If you could timestamp it I'd appreciate it.
I really apologize for all these questions. I'm just trying to see if there's anything that might fix your problem.
You did a great job. Easy to follow tutorial 👍
i have don everything over and over and it all works except the art non of the art works any help thanks
Unfortunately, I don't know what could be causing you issues with the art. What I recommend is checking out this video and trying it out. This is the guide I originally followed when I was learning about adding cover art in OPL on the PS2. Maybe they can clarify some parts better than I could. ua-cam.com/video/Dy-_OHq2QfI/v-deo.html
@NonHeroJC thanks that didn't help at all tho
@@witherscreations Dang, I was hoping that'd help you out. I'll give it my best shot if you want.
What I'll need to know is what version of OPL are you running? (If you don't remember what you downloaded, just check the to right corner)
On the computer, are you copying the right folders to the USB drive? (It should take a couple minute to transfer the photos to the PS2 depending on the amount of art files downloaded)
What kind of USB drive are you using? (USB 3.0 and newer drives tend to be less compatible with the PS2 and it's older hardware)
Are you plugging the USB drive into the top USB port? (I don't remember why, I just know that the top port usually works better)
@NonHeroJC I have copied the files just nothing shows on opl for cover art and the opl Manger I am using is version 22.3 on computer and 1.0 on ps2
In the the OPL Menu, in "Display A Settings", is "Enable Cover Art" set to "On". I would cycle that to "Off" then back "On". Don't forget to hit "Save Changes" before exiting the OPL Menu. If that doesn't work, go to a game and click the Square Button on it to bring up its Info. That will check if any of the other art is in there correctly.
I re-did your steps to the T, twice, but when I get to FileBrowser->MISC->HddManager, press R1, choose Format then select OK; it says HDD formatting failed. HDD used MB amount does not change like it does in your video, and no extra folders are created. I'm not sure what could be causing this or what a solution would be. I am going to create the additional folders and assume that since in your example it was just formatted that there are no actual files in them. Any input or suggestions on this would be appreciated, but for now I'm going to continue with at tutorial and hope for the best.
Once I get to the step of opening FMCBInstaller.elf and hitting R1, Install FHDB is not selectable. it is grayed out. I'm at a loss.
The PS2 is not connected properly with the hard drive via the network adapter. There are two possible reasons it's doing that. First, your network adapter is not plugged in correctly or is defective. Double check it and make sure it's fully slotted into the PS2. It doesn't nee to be screwed in to get a solid connection. Checking if it's defective is a bit easier if you have a second hard drive that you are certain works. You can use it to test and see if it reads it on the PS2 (allows it to format). Second, your hard drive is bad. (HIGHLY unlikely if you were able to set it up on the computer) If you are using a SSD, you can use CrystalDiskInfo to see it's current "life percentage". You can also test by trying to transfer a large file or many small files to it and see if it can complete the task.
same problem, hdd is new...
Hi erm… I have a PS2 Fat Pal and I do remember the Model of my PlayStation 2 I think it is Scph-50003 Some PS2 Slim Models have the Same Strategy as than the Fat aka Original PS2… and I’m not sure if it’s Compatible with the Free McBoot… Free HDBoot… Free HDDBoot… Free DVDBoot… I had a look on the Website for PS2 Home of Compatibility Models Chart both of them are v1.70/v1.90 for Europe Pal the Same Mode
Yes… the SCPH-50004 Original and v1.70/v1.90 in Europe Region… Pal of the TV aka Television are All Compatible for Compatibility Fat Models… I was trying to use Codebreaker aka Cb and I can’t remember which Version of Codebreaker it is either V10 and Higher that I need to use of the Latest Version my Free McBoot Memory Card with… or Without… Magic Gate to Use the Apps and I’m on the Version 1.966 or 1.953 which it literally is Silver Paper Sticker… and Orange Paper Sticker… I tried Esr and Ulaunchelf aka ulaunch.elf… for Files and Back Ups… So I want to play and test out some… Pal and Ntsc-u/Ntsc-j Japanese and American Games in different Region Countries… when it’s not Region Locked or Region Locked for Cheats with Codes… if I could give myself a try to test out all the games… and I want to work it out for to play all region countries games… only the Normal American and Japanese Title Games for the Fat PS2 Pal…. I tried to use the Save Files for GameFaqs to Download… the Correct Save Game of PS2 Games and I put the USB Drive to Stick it on the PS2… from using my Laptop and I tried to test the game out on the Ulaunchelf… and it comes and pops up with SLUS Digits… for Speed Dial File Format Game Image with Letters of… all Xs it needs to put with SLES… and it won’t let me no more… and I don’t know how to use it for Pal and I’m at the UK Which I wanted to… test out the Compatible Games to use the Homebrew Programs… Such as Including Like ESR To Launch Discs, Ulaunchelf, Open Ps2 Loader,, SMB, PS2 HDLoader, PS2 HDAdvance, USB Advance, PS2infoGB, GSM 0.38, PS2FCEUltra 0.93 PGEN v1.5.1 SNES-System, SMS Aka Stream Media Files for the… Simple Media System, Cheat Device, the app for FMCB Similar to (ARMAX) Action Replay Max, Xploder, GameShark, CodeBreaker, External USB Sticks for Flash Drive, Pen Drive, Thumb Drive, Hard Disk Drive, FAT32, Free McBoot Configurator, FHDB, FMCB, CD-R aka Compact Disc Recordable, DVD+R aka Digital Versatile Disc Recordable, and Others for PS2 HomeBrew Programs… on the Main Menu of the Screen… Sorry for the Long Text Message… My English is no good to understand much… just to read… May you help me Please…🙏🏼❤️🥺😢😔😥
My Ps2 Model is SCPH-50003 for the Fat Chassis is H/I/J, Motherboard GH-023/ GH-026/GH-029, Rom v1.70 / v1.90, Region Europe, Tv System Pal… and I don’t know what the Bios is for my SCPH-50003… May it be compatible with Free McBoot…❤️🥺😢😔😥
Sorry for the late reply. I was busy with family and work during the holiday season. FreeMCBoot should be compatible on your PS2. You should probably to avoid FreeHDBoot. Your model is known to have issues with FreeHDBoot when using generic adapters. I'm unfamiliar with FreeDVDBoot, so you'll need to ask someone else who knows more about that. I still would recommend you to running FreeMcBoot on your PS2 if you choose to go through with modding it.
@@NonHeroJC oh ok…
@@NonHeroJC So the Ps2 is good to go with the Free McBoot to Free HDBoot is Compatible and your Unfamiliar with FreeDVDBoot I’m gonna use something to go through Modding with my Fat Original Ps2… What about Save Game Files from GameFaqs Website use with USB Sticks, Pen drive, Thumb Drive, Flash Drive, and Others…
@@stefanfollows9480 You are able to copy save files from online, put them on a thumb drive, and then copy them onto a memory card. Copying them over is done in the ulaunch.elf file browser. Just make sure the files are formatted for a PS2 and not an emulator.