- How to unbrick any PSP Show Notes:

Files Needed:

Pandora’s Battery Creater Pak

Sony PSP 1.5 Firmware eboot

One of the biggest if not THE BIGGEST development in the PSP hacking scene has just unfolded. A collective group of hackers including the likes of Dark_Alex, Noobz and Booster have released a new piece of software which will replicate the exact functions of Sony’s Jigkick battery (even better) - that means it is now possible for homebrew enabled PSP’s to UNBRICK and DOWNGRADE their systems at their own will. The respective software will transform any regular PSP battery into one which can perform all the functions of the Official Sony JigKick which is used by Sony repair staff themselves. Even if your PSP is not homebrew enabled, you can just ask a friend who has a homebrew enabled PSP to run the software and transform your battery too! Read more on the software at the official release thread as launched by legendary hacker Dark_Alex HERE. Spread the word and DIGG THIS! And on a FINAL note, while the team is a bit too proud to apply pressure for DONATIONS, just do it even if it is just a dollar - ig390@msn.com via PAYPAL (Authorized by Dark_Alex, Noobz and all on the C+D development team).

Read More/Download: here

Lets get one thing straight first: you cannot directly install any custom firmware on the official SONY firmwares higher than 1.50. This means that you have to downgrade your PSP to 1.50 before you can run any of the installation programs. For certain firmware versions below 3.03, you can directly use a glitch in GTA: Liberty City Stories to downgrade. However for firmwares above 3.03, there is no such way. Instead you have to use something called Pandora’s Battery. This is a modified PSP battery that allows you to boot any code on any PSP, including the programs that will downgrade your PSP. The process is quite long and complicated, so I will not be writing a guide on this blog. However there are many good ones that come up from a simple Google search.

• QJ.Net Tutorial
• MaxConsole Tutorial (with screenshots)
• IRShell Tutorial

You don’t have a friend with a PSP? Well, all hope is not lost. There is a way to physically modify the battery and make it act as a Pandora’s Battery. However it requires you to crack open the battery, and place a pin between two connectors. Some guides that describe this process are here:

• How to create a Pandora’s Battery and Slim MS without a Fat PSP (with Pictures)
• GUIDE:HOW TO MAKE A PANDORAS BATTERY WITHOUT A PSP WITH CFW

Intro:

Lots of questions pop up in these forums lately on how to install Despertar del Cementerio v3 (DCv3).
Numerous threads on the matter are created, because the newbies can’t find their answers.

This is not a complete howto, but should get people in the right direction.
And if they do have any questions, they can ask here instead of starting a new thread.

What is DCv3 ?

DCv3 is a powerfull tool created by the greatest devs in the psp scene. It is an evolved version of the Pandora’s Battery. Pandora was first created to unbrick psp’s. However Pandora wasn’t compatible with the psp slim. Therefore DC was coded. The latest version (v3) has full compatibility with classic and slim psp’s.

DCv3 allows you to:
- Write custom fw M33 3.71-2 to ANY model psp (regardless of fw version) to date
- Write official fw 3.71 to ANY model psp (regardless of fw version) to date
- Create a nand dump from the psp (the nand holds the fw on the psp)
- Write a nand dump to the psp.

NOTE: DO NOT USE A DUMP FROM ANOTHER PSP. IT WILL DESTROY THE IDSTORAGE. THERE’S NO WAY OF REGENERATING THE IDSTORAGE. THE ONLY WAY OF RECOVERING THE IDSTORAGE IS FROM A NAND DUMP FROM YOUR OWN PSP. THEREFORE ALWAYS MAKE A NAND DUMP BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING WITH DCv3 !

To let the memstick do it’s magic you’ll need a battery which will put the psp in ’service mode’. There’s several options how to obtain such a battery.

1) Create it with a homebrew capable psp. That’s a psp running cfw or official 1.50 fw.
2) Create it by hard modding a battery. This is not for beginners, it is potentially dangerous as you are opening your battery.
3) Buy a battery from the internet. Your on your own on this one, as I do not promote the financial exploitation of psp devs.

Once you have the battery all you need now are the correct files on the memstick. Once again there are several ways of putting them on.

1) Create the stick using a homebrew capable psp.
2) Create the stick without a homebrew capable psp.

That’s all the options we have. Now you know what DCv3 is, where it came from and how you can get it.
I’ll put all the needed downloads and information below here in links and attachments.

Downloads:

If you do not have access to a homebrew capable psp use the folowing files:

- Memstick Easy Installer Run it by clicking Start.exe follow the prompt and choose Option 4.

- Hard modding your battery This will tell you exactly how and which chip to alter.

- Free service Go here and let someone near you create you a DCv3 kit.

If you have access to a homebrew capable psp (slim or classic) use the following files:

- To create the DCv3 yourself you need the 1.50 eboot, the 3.40 eboot and the 3.71 eboot. Also use the DCv3 attachment.

- To create the battery use one of the two tools. Slim users and classic psp with M33 3.71 without 1.50 kernel use the 3.xx tool.
Both tools will also allow you to convert your battery back to normal.

That should get all of you started. I know it’s not complete. For usage of DCv3, check the readme included.
If you still have questions on DCv3, post them here please !!

Some reminders:
MAKE A NAND DUMP !!
DO NOT USE A NAND DUMP FROM ANOTHER PSP !!
USE DCv3 WISELY !!
WHEN IN DOUBT…DON’T !!

The complete PSP glossary.

A

Ad-hoc: The network process of connecting one PSP directly to another

Atrac3 and Atrac3Plus: Sony’s format of music similar to mp3 and wma

AVC: AVC, or Advanced Video Codec is a brilliant codec that allows better quality video to be put into a smaller file
B

Bière d’Alsace: Fanjita’s eLoader 0.9.6 Was a big bugfix over 0.9.5

Booster: The creator of DevHook

Brick: To brick someone’s PSP, key flash modules must be overwritten. If your PSP is bricked, when you turn it on nothing will happen except the little green light will come on.

Bock: Fanjita’s eLoader 0.9.7, the most current release. Supports wifi

Brown Ale: Fanjita’s eLoader 0.9.5 The first eLoader not called eBOOT Loader, can load many EBOOTS for 2.01-2.60

Buffer Overflow: A Buffer overflow is where the PSP is told that somewhere there is 2 byte’s of information to read. If more information is forced then it will also be read without checks. Hopefully at least, this can lead to a loader making use of that overflow.

C

C/C++: C and C++ are two commonly used languages for the PSP, C++ is the most powerful, but C is easier. They are used in conjuction with the toolchain.

Cache: Where webpages are stored in temporary memory. Helps speed up page loading.

Cheatdevice: The first thing to utilize the GTA exploit by Edison Carter. This allows you to change many aspects of GTA:LCS

Coding: Coding is the act of making programs for the PSP. They may be make in a number of languages.

Coldboot: The short video that plays when you turn on your PSP

Custom Firmware: A custom firmware is a firmware mod made by a developer. These are most likely flashed to the PSP. These add funtionality to your PSP e.g Wlan switch down at boot, go straight to DevHook

D

Dark_Alex: The man dehind the 2.6-1.5 Downgrader, 1.5-1.0 Downgrader and custom firmwares

Decrypt: If you decrypt something then you remove all protection on it and can edit it freely

DevHook: Device Hook, or DevHook for short is a revolutionary piece of homebrew that allows you to emulat any firmware without actually installing it. I guide to getting DevHook working can be found here.

Digital Signature: See: Encryption Key

Directory: A directory is just the correct name for a folder.

Ditlew: Worked with Fanjita on the eLoader, the other half of the team

Downgrading: Downgrading is the process of going down a firmware or two. This may be done because the lower firmware has more homebrew games that work on it. Currently only firmwares 2.00, 2.50 & 2.60 can downgrade. If your PSP is a TA-082 downgrading won’t work.

E

EBOOT: EBOOT.PBP is what an application/game must be called to run on the PSP.

eLoader: The eLoader is a device that allows you to use downloaded games on firmware 2.00 and above. It does not work on 2.70+ You can download it from this link: http://dl.qj.net/Alternative-eLoader…5999/catid/114

Emulator: An emulator is something that effectively turn your PSP console into something else. It may allow you to play (illegal) ROM’s for an N64 or SNES or any other console.

Encrypt: The process of encoding information so it can’t be changed then used

Encryption Key: This is Sony’s personal 128 Bit Key. It is virtually uncrackable, however Sony use this to sign EBOOTS and make them run on any firmware.

Exploit: An exploit is a bug in Sony’s code that may hopefully lead to a buffer overflow or underflow which could lead to homebrew on that firmware.

F

Fanjita: The other half of the eLoader team

FAT: FAT, or FAT16, is the format used in the PSP’s memory sticks by default. Sadly it round any file less than 4kb up to 4kb, which isn’t very space conservative. FAT32 however doesn’t do this.

Firmware: Your PSP’s firmware is almost like OS, its upgrading every time. However Sony also put more effort in to stop homebrew every time.

Flash0: Stores highly important system stuff. Cannot restore itself

Flash1: Stores system settings and stuff such as your background. Can restore itself it you currupt something

Flash: (N) The Flash memory of your PSP, where important system settings and files are kept. (V) To flash a PSP means to add, delete or change content on the PSP

Flash Dump: An exact copy of a part or all of the PSP’s flash

Flash Player: PSP’s version 2.70 and above come with a version of Macromedia Flash Player 6

G

Gameboot: The short movie that plays between when you click a game and when it actually begins

Gigabyte: 1024 megabytes, which is 1024 kilobytes which is 1024 bytes

GTA Exploit: An exploit in GTA that allows it to run unsigned code. Unpatched versions ONLY!

GUI: Graphical User Interface

H

Hello World: The simple program thats used for testing exploits and whenever a programming/scripting language is created, Nem created the 1st PSP one (I think)

Hex Editor: A hex editor is basically used to take apart, well, anything. From editing menu names to changing your font loaction, a hex editor will do it.

Homebrew: Homebrew is any game or application not made by a company to make profit. Homebrew is generally free of charge.

I

IDE: Interactive Development Environment, one program that group things such as a tool chain, an editor etc…

Infrastructure Mods: Like Ad-hoc, but rather than connecting directly to another PSP this goes via an access point

IRdA: The PSPs infrared system. Used in remote control programs

ISO’s: ISO’s are against this site’s policy. They are games that have been directly ripped from the UMD and put on the internet for anyone to download. They are VERY illegal

ISO Loader: A program the lets you load iso’s

J

K

Kernel: Kernel is a specific part of the memory in any device, you PC will have kernel RAM also.
It controls access to more major system functions, but also if we use kernel RAM in an app we will have more RAM to work with.

KXploit: KXploit is the trick used to get homebrew to work on 1.5. I was initially done by swapping the memory sticks, but now it is done by adding a percent (%) sign to the end of a homebrew’s name.

L

LocationFree: A Sony device that lets you stream all of your media content, TV, Radio etc… to your PSP. Works only with version 2.50 and above (emulated or flashed)

Lua: Lua pronounced Loo-ah is a simple scripting language designed for entry level games and applications. You can download luaplayer v0.17DK2 (most compatible) here and v0.20 (most features) here. Note, I suggest v0.17DK2.

M

Makefile: Makefile must be used to actually turn your surce code into an EBOOT, this is used with the PSP Toolchain.

Memory Stick: The memory stick (or ms0) is the little card you insert into your PSP. This stores information such as songs etc…

Mips: A type of processor

Modchip: The modchip (most famously Undiluted Platinum) allows you to unbrick your PSP, dual-boot your PSP, upgrade/downgrade at will and has a very nice recovery mode. You can’t brick a modchip.

MP3: The most commonly used audio codec

MP4: The format the PSP uses as standard for a/v

MPH: The creator of the MPH 2.00 -> 1.50 Downgrader

N

NAND: The Flash Memory that the PSP uses is called NAND Flash

Nub: The Nub or Analog nub is just a fancy name for the Analog Stick
O

P

PAK: Almmost like zip, a collection of files needed to make a game run

Param.Sfo: This file contains information on the thing it is attached to (region etc.)

.PBP: The PSP’s form of .EXE

PMF: Sony’s game video format, it can only be encoded using the leaked Sony UMD composer Tools

PMP: A homebrew media format that can stream brilliant quality content to the PSP in full resoulution using PiMP Streamer

POC: POC, or Proof Of Concept it used by developers to show something works, generally created after an exploit

Port: The act of porting a game invoves making it run on a different console to what it what coded for, for example, you may port a PS2 game to work on the PSP

Portal: A shell that runs through the PSP’s web browser

Prx: A file that contains important system functions.

PSP:PlaystationPortable

Python: Python, like Lua, is an interpreted language that needs an interpretation EBOOT to run. You can download the interpreter here

Q

R

Resolution: The number of pixels on something’s screen. The PSP had 480 horizontally and 272 vertically, thats 130,560 altogether.

Ripkit: A program that takes unnecessary files out of an iso to make it smaller

Ripped: If something was ripped from a UMD it doesn’t mean it was torn, it means simply that an exact copy was made and saved to a computer.

ROM:1 A ROM is like an ISO, although it is not from a PSP game, you may have ROM’s for a GameBoy game etc… ROM’s are illegal.

ROM:2 ROM or Read Only Memory is the PSP’s memory stick, or your PC’s hard drive, where information is kept.

Root: The root of your memory stick is not a folder. It is just the memory stick’s contents before you have entered a folder.

S

Sdk: Software development kit, See Toolchain

Shell: An alternative OS for the PSP to replace the xmb

Sircs: Sony’s iR protocol, used in most Sony TV’s, the PS2 and the PSP

Sleep Mode: A form of the Windows ‘Hibernate’ for the PSP

T

TA-082: A motherboard version identifiable by writing on the top left hand side of the inside of the UMD Drive. These PSP’s are not downgradeable

Tiff Exploit: An exploit present only in 2.0 that allows unsigned code to run through a buffer overflow in the TIFF image loading code

Toolchain: The PSP Toolchain is run in cygwin and it automates the process of compiling EBOOTs

U

UMD: A UMD, or Universal Media Disk, it the disk in the plastic casing the the PSP uses. Currently only large games companies can write to these. A UMD Holds 1.8 gigabytes of stuff

Unsigned: If an EBOOT is unsigned then it doesn’t have Sony’s encryption key built into it. Unsigned EBOOT’s can only be run via exploits on firmwares above 1.0

Updating: Updating is the process of taking you PSP up a firmware. However above firmware 2.60 there is no homebrew and you cannot downgrade. 2.80 is the most recent firmware

USB: Universal Serial Bus, the most common way of connecting a portable device to a computer, the PSP has a USB mini-B port, for which you’ll need a USB mini-B cable

User Mode: User mode it often unlocked a long time before kernal mode. This allows you to run homebrew games and write to the flash but not to use kernal features. *

V

VRAM: Video RAM, RAM designated to graphics. Mainly found in computers

VSH: VSH is an abbreviation of Visual Shell

VSH Mode: The Mode that the XMB runs in, halfway between Kernal Mode and User Mode, gives flash access etc…

W

WAB: The creators of the WAB Version changer, one of the first kernal mode Eboots

WAD: See PAK

WEP: A bad network encryption format

Wifi: Wifi is the PSP’s wireless feature, it comes in two versions, ad-hoc and infrastructure

WLAN: A WLAN, or Wireless Loacal Area Network is a home or business network that runs from a wirless access point (router)

WMA: Windows Media Audio, the default windows format for audio. Can be used only on 2.6+ after enabling via the settings menu. Will not work below 2.6 (unless you are in DevHook)

WPA: Also known as TKIP, a network encryption protocol, safer than WEP

X
XMB: The XMB, or Cross media Bar is simply the PSP’s menu UI

Y
YoYoFR: The creator of the current most popular emulator Snes9x TYL
Z

ZX-81: The guy that has made loads of the emulators you probably use, including the calculator one and PSP-VBA

*It is a common misconception that User mode blocks flash0 writing, however that is what Sony did by making it read-only. It is however writable in kernel mode as we then change the permissions to writable.

The Wii’s Twilight Hack has been a big hit for the homebrew crowd. Using the software flaw, they’ve been able to play Tetris on their Wiis and even create some custom Wii channels. Nintendo tried to shut that program down, but 8 hours later, it was back. Nobody can keep the homebrew devs down, and over the past week there have been two more major breakthroughs in “hacking the Wii.”

A group called Waninkoko has created a custom firmware for the Wii which allows writable DVDs to be read by the system. This means that downloading Wii titles to your PC, and then playing them on a burned disc could be right around the corner. The second crack for the Wii came from teamshift. They were able to create a PSP emulator that can play whatever games you wish.

Of course, neither of these hacks have actually been confirmed, so take heed before you try to install the Waninkoko hack. Do so at your own risk. The PSP emulator rumor from teamshift comes from a single image posted on NintendoMax showing Puzzle Bobble Pocket playing on a Wii. The image doesn’t hold much credence, and could be completely fake, but if it’s real then PSP games may become the new black for a while in Wii owner’s homes.

As more information is revealed on this, we’ll let you know.

Read more at engadget and DCEMUuk

 Sorry about the PSP Blender blog visitors who have been waiting on an update. We have been busy on a sister site of ours.

http://www.thegameforum.com

You can visit their PSP section here:

http://www.thegameforum.com/sony-psp/

You may want to check it out for all of the latest PSP downloads, and PSP hacking news. PSP Blender members receive special access to a PSP downloads forum. Simply send you receipt number and PSP Blender username to The Game Forum. Contact info can be found on their website.

Sony reveals new details for BD-Live Interactivity.

Watch this video demo for the PSP Skype

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/29451.html