PS2 DMS HDD Explorer 1.31

[PoyrazDereli]

DMS HDD Explorer Installer v1.31
http://www.dms3.com 01-02-2005

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Alternative Download: (psx-place server)
→ hdd-explorer-installer-1.31.part01.rar ←
→ hdd-explorer-installer-1.31.part02.rar ←
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NOTE: This will most likely be the final release of HDD Explorer. DMS Explorer v2 is under development which will replace HDD Explorer.​

As a gift to the scene we have decided to make this release of HDD Explorer available to anybody, regardless of if you are using a DMS product or not. The ELF file is on the install CD

What's new

• Seperated HDD Explorer and loader. Now it is possible to load any ELF via Devolution 2 mode (HDD Explorer is installed by default).
• Optional configuration file is supported
• Compatible with most recent DMS3 and DMS4 flash releases.
• No longer writes any data to modchip flash which should eliminate the problems some people have been reporting.
• HDD Explorer is no longer restricted to working on consoles with DMS modchips installed. Enjoy!

Installation Directions

• Burn the ISO included in this archive.
• Boot the CD you just burned containing the HDD Explorer installer.
• You will then be prompted to install HDD Explorer. Select OK to begin installation.
• Once installation is complete, boot to HDD explorer by holding START on controller 1 and pressing reset.
• Once at the HDD Explorer screen, ensure the HDD Explorer installation CD is in your PS2, and press triangle to install the applications which are bundled with the installer cd.

Bundled Applications

• PGEN 1.2 - most recent PGEN build, with HDD support
• DMS HDD Format tool - allows you to manipulate filesystems on your PS2 HDD.
• DMS HDD Dump tool - allows you to copy the contents of a CD to a specified filesystem on the HDD. This is what you will use to get roms onto the HDD for PGEN.
• Naplink - Run homebrew code on your PS2.
• ps2link - Run homebrew code on your PS2.
• ExecFTPS - FTP server for your PS2.
• SNES-Station - SNES emulator.
• PS2 MP3 Player - as the name says.
• PS2Newz Memory Card Killer - brute force format your memory card.

Advanced Users

With release 1.3 of HDD Explorer the actual HDD Explorer ELF has been seperated from the loader. This means that you can replace the HDD Explorer ELF on the HDD with anything you like, and this will be loaded when you enter Dev.olution 2 mode. The filename of the ELF which is loaded on startup is "boot.elf", in the partition "__boot". Another way of saying this is that "hdd:__boot/boot.elf" is loaded on startup. All you need to do in order to replace HDD Explorer with the application of your choice is replace this file.

Before loading the boot.elf file, the modchip firmware will attempt to load an _optional_ configuration file called "boot.cfg" from the same partition (so filename "hdd:__boot/boot.cfg". If found it will parse its contents and set some options accordingly. The options are as follows:

DISABLE_DEV9 - Disable the network adapter (ethernet and HDD) before loading boot.elf. This can be useful if you are loading an ELF which has no HDD/ethernet support, or which does not work correctly if the network adapter is enabled when the ELF is first loaded.
REMOVE_HOOKS - Remove all traces of the modchip from memory before loading boot.elf. This is necessary in order to load certain ELF files which hook into system internals.

To enable an option, simply include its corresponding keyword (ie: DISABLE_DEV9) in the boot.cfg file. One keyword per line.

Lastly, some people have had their boot partition corrupted and have been unable to format/erase this partition in order to fix the problem. Now you can use the HDD Explorer installer format the boot partition by holding L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 at the "Press X to install DMS HDD Explorer..." screen.

 

[Kevstah2004]

Regarding the memory card formatter, does it matter if you don't format the card with the browser?
On real hardware are cex & dex formatted cards interchangable or can you format from any game instead if the modules are missing?
uLE doesn't let you format a card, does it?

 

[PoyrazDereli]

Regarding the memory card formatter, does it matter if you don't format the card with the browser?
On real hardware are cex & dex formatted cards interchangable or can you format from any game instead if the modules are missing?
uLE doesn't let you format a card, does it?

Are you asking this to use HDD Explorer?

 

[Kevstah2004]

To use it on any homebrew app, i've tried Apollo save tool & MCA also, same problem.

Any Developer DTL-H3 to DTL-H7 bios i've tried with the Magicgate / Python supported version of pcsx2 shows 8mb ps2 memory cards up as ps1 cards instead an won't format, retail bios work fine an KELFBinder will sign & bind a ELF to the Memory Card or HDD.

I can't find any DTL-T bios to try it with but apparently fmcb didn't work with DTL-H either,
DTL-H30100 is said to work but DTL-H30000 didn't you needed to emulate the memory card over a network connection with a special startup memory card with anything below DTL-H5.

The only other option that may work is running the DEX MechaCon externally via KELFBinder instead from rom0: using a CEX bios or rebuilding a CEX bios with the DEX MechaCon.

 

[PoyrazDereli]

To use it on any homebrew app, i've tried Apollo save tool & MCA also, same problem.

Any Developer DTL-H3 to DTL-H7 bios i've tried with the Magicgate / Python supported version of pcsx2 shows 8mb ps2 memory cards up as ps1 cards instead an won't format, retail bios work fine an KELFBinder will sign & bind a ELF to the Memory Card or HDD.

I can't find any DTL-T bios to try it with but apparently fmcb didn't work with DTL-H either,
DTL-H30100 is said to work but DTL-H30000 didn't you needed to emulate the memory card over a network connection with a special startup memory card with anything below DTL-H5.

The only other option that may work is running the DEX MechaCon externally via KELFBinder instead from rom0: using a CEX bios or rebuilding a CEX bios with the DEX MechaCon.

Believe me, I don't know more about this than you do.

I don't have any DTL console and I'm not the developer of this application.

EDIT: You can access some BIOS files from here:

PlayStation 2 TEST (DTL-H75000) BIOS 2.20
PlayStation 2 TEST (DTL-H70002) BIOS 2.00
PlayStation 2 TEST (DTL-H30101) BIOS 1.50

Here you will also find PCB Gerber and DTL BIOS files for converting SCPH-5000x series consoles to DTL series.
PS 2 Boot Rom Mod

EDIT2: For more BIOS dumps

https://ia600805.us.archive.org/16/items/the-ultimate-ps2-bios-collection/

DTL-T10000 (PS2 TOOL, devkit)

 

[Kevstah2004]

Ok thanks, i'll try DTL-T10000.
It sounds like Netemu where it doesn't go into the actual browser, but it'll launch any ELF like uLE via fastboot on disc.

Edit: Just modified Softemu with the DEX SECRMAN from Netemu, it has the same problem with the memory card not being usable in the browser or uLE but KELFBinder is now able to see it & sign the card if it was previously formatted with the unmodified Softemu bios, but it won't boot the update on the modified bios, oddly it boots on CEX bios as if it was still signed with the CEX SECRMAN.

PS3 Softemu, Netemu, DEX_Mod-Softemu
https://limewire.com/d/LewG9#C1iOXmqp8k

 

[PoyrazDereli]

Ok thanks, i'll try DTL-T10000.
It sounds like Netemu where it doesn't go into the actual browser, but it'll launch any ELF like uLE via fastboot on disc.

Edit: Just modified Softemu with the DEX SECRMAN from Netemu, it has the same problem with the memory card not being usable in the browser or uLE but KELFBinder is now able to see it & sign the card if it was previously formatted with the unmodified Softemu bios, but it won't boot the update on the modified bios, oddly it boots on CEX bios as if it was still signed with the CEX SECRMAN.

PS3 Softemu, Netemu, DEX_Mod-Softemu
https://limewire.com/d/LewG9#C1iOXmqp8k

With a DTL-H75000 or higher BIOS, you can try different region codes by using the L1+L2+R1+R2 combination.