How to use the eid root key to mount HDD?

Nomeji

Nomeji

Member
I've read online that it's useful to backup your eid root key in case you mess up with files on PS3 HDD and it won't boot so you can fix that on your PC afterwards. So I did.

But how too mount the PS3 HDD using the eid root key then?
As far as I understand, the eid root isn't just a decryption key but I actually need a proper explanation here if possible.
 
Nomeji said:
I've read online that it's useful to backup your eid root key in case you mess up with files on PS3 HDD and it won't boot so you can fix that on your PC afterwards. So I did.

But how too mount the PS3 HDD using the eid root key then?
As far as I understand, the eid root isn't just a decryption key but I actually need a proper explanation here if possible.
Click to expand...

The eid root key is a per console key required to decrypt the content of the HDD.

Use Rebug Toolbox to get the eid_root_key file. You must put that file in the same folder of the PS3 HDD Reader for Windows developed by 3141card. That tool (ps3.exe) and the GUI that I created (ps3_hdd_gui.exe) can be found in this path: %userprofile%/ps3tools/ps3tools/tools

NOTE: When you attach the HDD to the PC, Windows will ask to initialize the disk: *DO NOT confirm the initialization*. If you confirm it, the first sector will be overwritten; making the PS3 unable to read the content of the disk again and will prompt to format it.
 
Nomeji said:
But how too mount the PS3 HDD using the eid root key then?
Click to expand...

On Windows, simply You cannot. But there is application which read directly connected PS3 HDD with on the fly decryption (only ERK is needed).

On Linux is a hard way, as bswap16 doesn't compiling on current kernels, You also need kernel with UFS at least read support and decryption key (in one of my post I attached bash script to generate it from ERK; it's a little misleading so choose "slim" option which is fine for all models). I heard that someone create fork of nbpclient for most of the above tasks but I didn't use it yet.

As far as I understand, the eid root isn't just a decryption key but I actually need a proper explanation here if possible.
Click to expand...

It is not, not for HDD content but having it, You can generate all decryption keys related to HDD.

there is a way to reverse the initialization?
Click to expand...

If You didn't press NO button when Windows ask to do it then not... Anyway, there is not any initialization. ;) Windows just writing partition table, overwriting the original one. So You need replace new one created on PS3 by this which Windows write. Of course PS3 will not let You do this without reformat so You are doomed to read sector by sector broken PS3 HDD environment, reformat it on PS3, read partition table (first 2MiB should be enough), wrote back sector by sector HDD image, wrote back partition table dump.

That's the theory. If You make ANY other changes on this HDD, this will not work.
 
How could I read the partition table?
I had been recommended to "read" with WinHex but I do not know how to identify a sector in hexadecimal form only it has a size of 512 bytes but in the editor itself it does not handle it by bytes but by "offset" and "block"
But apart I do not know if it is enough to just cut and paste hexadecimal values from the clean partition to the partition initialized to fix the partition.
Could not you give me a tutorial or show me a video of how it's done?
 
Till Harpax said:
How could I read the partition table?
I had been recommended to "read" with WinHex but I do not know how to identify a sector in hexadecimal form only it has a size of 512 bytes but in the editor itself it does not handle it by bytes but by "offset" and "block"
But apart I do not know if it is enough to just cut and paste hexadecimal values from the clean partition to the partition initialized to fix the partition.
Could not you give me a tutorial or show me a video of how it's done?
Click to expand...

512 bytes is 0 to offset 200. I think that's what you mean.
 
although from 0 to 200 both partitions have the same hexadecimal values, is it mandatory to use Winhex? It is very slow it takes 2 hours to eliminate
the hexadecimal values regardless of how many blocks are
 
Till Harpax said:
although from 0 to 200 both partitions have the same hexadecimal values, is it mandatory to use Winhex? It is very slow it takes 2 hours to eliminate
the hexadecimal values regardless of how many blocks are
Click to expand...

that I don't know. I've never used it.
 
aldostools said:
The eid root key is a per console key required to decrypt the content of the HDD.

Use Rebug Toolbox to get the eid_root_key file. You must put that file in the same folder of the PS3 HDD Reader for Windows developed by 3141card. That tool (ps3.exe) and the GUI that I created (ps3_hdd_gui.exe) can be found in this path: %userprofile%/ps3tools/ps3tools/tools

NOTE: When you attach the HDD to the PC, Windows will ask to initialize the disk: *DO NOT confirm the initialization*. If you confirm it, the first sector will be overwritten; making the PS3 unable to read the content of the disk again and will prompt to format it.
Click to expand...

Thank you Aldo for making the GUI of the ps3 hdd reader !!!
I just mounted my frozen corrupted drive just now,
after a week of trying not to stress after a cfw/app updating left my ps3 not booting,
and not repairing-restoring-or updating in recovery,
and i have had your tools and the originals from 3141card for ages and not needed in past,
and i was not backed up when the crash occurred and could have lost all my heaps of gamesaves,
none of which backed up, etc etc....
Thanks to some legends telling me how to install a new hdd with same Cfw,
and then getting my root key that way,
and seeing your above post just now,
i have mounted the drive! Yahoo!!
It wasnt mounting before.
i may not have ran the app as an administrator though!! Rookie mistake lol,
and not from the location of the tools you described just above (not sure if thats crucial or not!!??)....
tonight i created that dir structure (%userprofile%/ps3tools/ps3tools/tools) dropped in your port of the app and my eid and boom!

So, many thanks to you and 3141 card and all you legends :))
 
Good evening everyone, I'm french excuse me if my english isn't perfect.
Then I want to use Webman mod 4.85.1 on m'y PS3 OFW 4.82
I use the xploit for install the han mod for the ofw 4.82 ans pkg enabler but when I launch multiman or Webman mod, I have the error 80010017
Can you help me please ?
Good night
 
Tu devrais installer le HEN et non pas le HAN car le HEN est le seul à te permettre d'installer des HomeBrews d'où son nom qui veut dire "Homebrew ENabler". Donc, tu sais ce qu'il te reste à faire ... Pour le HEN, il te faudra préalablement installer le HFW-4.85.1 (pas le HEN-4.86.1 car les HBs ne sont pas encore tous à jour. @+

You should install the HEN and not the HAN because the HEN is the only one that allows you to install HomeBrews hence its name which means "Homebrew ENabler". So you know what you have to do ... For the HEN, you will need to install the HFW-4.85.1 beforehand (not the HEN-4.86.1 because the HBs are not all up to date yet. @+
 
Last edited:
aldostools said:
The eid root key is a per console key required to decrypt the content of the HDD.

Use Rebug Toolbox to get the eid_root_key file. You must put that file in the same folder of the PS3 HDD Reader for Windows developed by 3141card. That tool (ps3.exe) and the GUI that I created (ps3_hdd_gui.exe) can be found in this path: %userprofile%/ps3tools/ps3tools/tools

NOTE: When you attach the HDD to the PC, Windows will ask to initialize the disk: *DO NOT confirm the initialization*. If you confirm it, the first sector will be overwritten; making the PS3 unable to read the content of the disk again and will prompt to format it.
Click to expand...

Hey man thanks for the good explanation. Is there a way to find the ERK manually? I'm on HFW so I have access to the dev_flash folder but I can't find any file named like that. I can run the PS3 for a couple of minutes and I haven't initialized my HDD on PC. I've also tried the Rebug Toolbox but OC the ERK Dumper isn't available :( . Anyone have any thoughts?
 
AnotherGlitch said:
Hey man thanks for the good explanation. Is there a way to find the ERK manually? I'm on HFW so I have access to the dev_flash folder but I can't find any file named like that. I can run the PS3 for a couple of minutes and I haven't initialized my HDD on PC. I've also tried the Rebug Toolbox but OC the ERK Dumper isn't available :( . Anyone have any thoughts?
Click to expand...
There is no way to get the key on hfw/hen. as i understand it, this is unlikely to change.
 
AnotherGlitch said:
Is there a way to find the ERK manually? I'm on HFW so I have access to the dev_flash folder but I can't find any file named like that
Click to expand...

EID Root Key in old chain of trust is part of meta loader file (first 48B as I remember), which is encrypted. We cannot decrypt it just like that because we cannot get it's encryption key, so we (I mean: the scene, community) exploiting console to expose for us already decrypted. But chain of trust was changed since consoles with factory firmware installed 3.60 have appeared and that's the reason why we cannot do the same on newer consoles (which means all consoles currently CFW incompatible).

However, Bguerville comment put some light on this topic as he is one the big brains on HAN and HEN projects. So, take proper conclusions. ^^


BTW: If someone is curious how to read data from PS3 HDD on Linux, here is tutorial:
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/tutorial-hdd-mounting-and-decryption-on-linux.23308/

But for just only reading dev_hdd0 or dev_flash* contents is easier to just use HDD Reader (for both: Windows and Linux, but version for Linux is the latest and have unique feature of replacing existing files with equal size).
 
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