Downgrading to very old OFW from new CFW

You cannot go down below factory fw version (PS3 will reject it before install). You didn't tell us Your PS3 model so probably Yours started from 3.50.

If You are able to install such old fw, You need make one checkpoint at 3.55. And the same when You will be upgrading. You can install 3.55 from any 4.xx if have set QA flag (without it, no downgrade is possible at all anyway). You cannot install Evinat CFW from 3.55 for unknown reasons (but Rebug Rex/Lite are fine and from them Evilnat if You want).

So my factory minimum firmware is 3.40. This is a slim model (2503A).

I'm currently on CFW 4.87.2 (EVILNAT). So ignoring going back as far as 3.55, and instead just lets talk about going back to OFW 4.55. With the QA flag set, can I just put 4.55 OFW straight in from where I am now?

Then, once I'm finished with OFW 4.55, can I upgrade back to OFW 4.91 and then redo my 4.91 CFW install again?


This is all very complex for me, so I'm looking for a YES/NO. If NO, then I need to have someone advise me the steps that I need to go through. This is a learning exercise for me.

Please.
 
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In theory yes, but if You cannot downgrade so low, I have some doubts. Wiki says it is 3.40 thou:
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/SKU_Models

Yes You can. But You will loose CFW and only way to install it again will be going through latest fw + web exploitation.

Thank you! Finally! It's taken SO long to get a straight answer from someone. I'm very much appreciative!

I understand I'll lose my CFW by doing this. I'll put it back once i'm finished. This is just for my experiment. I'll only take it back to 4.55OFW, no lower. If PlayTV still doesn't work in OFW4.55, I'll increment it a few times through some more OFW to check. My vague memory tells me that I was super happy with my old Phat PS3 around the OFW 4.65 mark back in the day, so i'll maybe try it up to there before returning it to the latest CFW. This is just to test PlayTV in the modern day, with modern TV signals, but with firmware which dates back to early 2014, which i know for sure PlayTV was working there with no issues.

Again, thank you. I'll let you know how i get on. Fingers crossed I don't end up with a brick!
 
You will not end with brick because of downgrading. You would be if You would downgrade by fw patching (which not updates syscon hashes) - but that was times before QA flag discovering. It is official way how Sony deals with downgrading, just only CEX and SEX firmwares was disabled and it is one of many things what CFW enables. And You would if You downgrade to fw on which Your hardware is unsupported, but that's it is not a trivial task to do because normally PS3 will rejecting fw lower than factory version.

Easier for You will be downgrade to some CFW instead OFW. Like e.g 4.21 PSIta, 4.60 Rogero or whatever was. Rebugs was always golden CFWs so prefer those always when You can use. Nowadays Evilnat is.
 
Right, I've hit a hurdle. As a reminder, I'm on CFW 4.87.2 (EVILNAT) and I'm trying to downgrade to OFW 4.55. I had to do the :but l1::but l2::but l3::but r1::but r2::dir down: button press to bring up the "Edy Viewer", and then go to "Debug Settings" and switch ON the "System Update Debug" option to allow the console to accept a lower firmware (before I did this, it just said there was no available update data available). I thought "excellent, got it to accept it!". The firmware copying process got to 61% and then the message "The data type is not supported (80029C9C)" popped up on-screen.

What does this mean? I double checked the OFW4.55 PS3UPDAT.PUP file using and md5checker, and it's showing to be OK.

So what do I do from here please?
 

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