Definitive Internal HDD Guide

RamboT

Forum Noob
Hi everybody, I know there is the great ps2 aio guide and it says there to use WinHiip to format and install the games on the HDD and every youtube tutorial I see also uses WinHiip. However I've also heard on this forum and reddit that WinHiip is not a good program and I should instead use something else to format and another thing to install the games. I'm confused and would like someone to help me or point me to a definitive guide or youtube video on this.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Try HDLDump Helper GUI v2.3 for manage the ps2 hdd is the best ((format the hdd using ULaunchElf and use HDLDump Helper GUI v2.3 to manage the games ((If you want add game covers use OPL_Manager_V21.3 you need theme with screens support))))
 

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Try HDLDump Helper GUI v2.3 for manage the ps2 hdd is the best ((format the hdd using ULaunchElf and use HDLDump Helper GUI v2.3 to manage the games ((If you want add game covers use OPL_Manager_V21.3 you need theme with screens support))))

I've heard that using HDL Dump with a batch made by a user is the best way, he even as a youtube video explaining it.
 
@RamboT WinHIIP shouldn't be used with 1TiB drive and larger (if You using small then is ok). Instead, use HDL Dump/Dumb rev47 or any GUI which using it, like i.e this one (so far the best one IMO):
https://www.psx-place.com/resources/hdl-batch-installer.1173/

So let me see if I got this right. First connect HDD to console and format using ULaunchElf; then creat a partition named +OPL with something like 4GB; then connect to PC and use one of those installers that you mentioned to put the games on the HDD. Is that everything?
 
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If You plan using OPL v1.1.0 and newer only, You don't need "hdd0:/+OPL" (You can redirect OPL resources to i.e "hdd0:/__common/OPL/" which is mandatory in standard partitioning anyway).

If You plan using older OPL and newer, then You need "hdd0:/+OPL" but I heard that 4GiB cause problems in OPL. Also I don't see why so large You want it. Even if You want covers, it is at least twice large than they occupy. VMC shouldn't be larger than 8MiB, and personally I don't see any reason to keep them per game (once You finish game, just export saves to *.psu container or copy saves to "hdd0:/__common/Your Saves/").

Yes, that's the steps which You should do. However, if You do not plan using any software like HDD OSD, FHDB or SoftDEV2, then all partitions are not needed, except "hdd0:/__mbr" which keeps partition index.

If You want know more about HDD, I recommend also my tutorial (it is not step by step guide, but tutorial which explains several issues related to PS2 HDD):
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/a...thing-you-should-know-about-hdd-in-ps2.30912/
 
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If You plan using older OPL and newer, then You need "hdd0:/+OPL" but I heard that 4GiB cause problems in OPL. Also I don't see why so large You want it. Even if You want covers, it is at least twice large than they occupy. VMC should be larger than 8MiB, and personally I don't see any reason to keep them per game (once You finish game, just export saves to *.psu container or copy saves to "hdd0:/__common/Your Saves/").

So how much would you say is enough? 2GB? Less?

Also, can I have two different OPL versions on the same memory card?
 
Format via wLE, create +OPL according to the size of your storage-device, install the games via HDL Batcher, or HDL Game Installer, or etc.!
 
Or format via PFS Shell. ;)

@RamboT How much depends of Your needs. Personally I keeps one generic 8MiB VMC and covers for my games (not covers for all games released) and theme Korium Reloaded - so all fits for me in ~40MiB.

You can have unlimited versions of any applications on any mass storage You connect. They are not self aware, and do not start killing each other. ;]
 

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