PS2 Is it possible to hide PS2 games partitions in HDD-OSD??

[El_isra]

Is there any way to do that?? (Or at least put them at the bottom leaving my apps on the top with the __common folders)
I'm interested in this because I want to use the HDD-OSD to launch homebrew and the games are extremely annoying (also I'm working on a .BAT to install PS1 games into the HDD and make them bootable from the HDD-OSD)

 

[Berion]

Hiding partitions is not possible. You could change filesystem type and rehash header checksum but this also block access to the partition by any program.

If You only want achieve to have apps on top and games on the bottom, You must change time partitions stamps and rehash header checksum.

 

[El_isra]

Hiding partitions is not possible. You could change filesystem type and rehash header checksum but this also block access to the partition by any program.

If You only want achieve to have apps on top and games on the bottom, You must change time partitions stamps and rehash header checksum.

How can I do that?
Can this be done&automated from the PC?

 

[Berion]

Sorry, it looks like I gave You false information. For me it looks like HDD OSD displaying partitions in order (order can be checked by any app for PS2 and PC which understand APA). Only on "mc0|1:/" and "hdd0/__common/Your Saves/" order is based on time stamps, not the partitions.

However, isn't OPL shows games by scanning APA partition for fs type field, not by partition names? So if You remove prefix "PP.<blah blah blah>" from all game partitions, they will disappear from HDD OSD (because rules for them is very strict). So! For test:

Mini tutorial for PC:

1. Open PS2 HDD by IsoBuster v4.7 or higher.
2. Choose partition for test and extract it (on right mouse button menu) as *.dsk.
3. Go to main view and look at column named Start LBA. See what value is for "test partition" and remember it.
   
4. Now open *.dsk file in hex editor then change partition name (removing "PP.") and save.
5. Drag and drop *.dsk file to APA Partition Header Checksummer and remember the displayed value.
6. Now open PS2 HDD in hex editor (i.e in HxD, but remember to launch it as Administrator).
7. Open Windows calculator and switch to programmer calculator. In decimal mode, multiplicate Start LBA for this value by 512. I.e if test partition starting at LBA 12345, then You must do 12345*512=x. Now convert x from decimal to hex.
8. In HxD, press CTRL+G and put that hex value in jump field. Remember to choose radiobutton for jumping from beginning of the file.
9. Now You should be at address of test partition start and see "****APA". Under asterisks is checksum for this partition header so replace it by value given by APA Partition Header Checksummer.
10. Change also test partition name to exactly the same as in *.dsk file (or else checksum will not match and partition will disappear for all applications and be threaten as free space).
11. Save changes and see what happen. Test partition should disappear from HDD OSD and still be visible in OPL.

Mini tutorial for PS2:

1. Run uLE, go to HDD Manager, choose test partition and rename it removing "PP.". Test partition should disappear from HDD OSD and still be visible in OPL.

 

[psydefx]

yes removing the "PP." will cause hdd-osd to not show ps2 game partitions. ive done it before, though its annoying having to rename each with ule

 

[Darkshadow_]

Sorry, it looks like I gave You false information. For me it looks like HDD OSD displaying partitions in order (order can be checked by any app for PS2 and PC which understand APA). Only on "mc0|1:/" and "hdd0/__common/Your Saves/" order is based on time stamps, not the partitions.

No you were right, the HDD OSD does show everything based on time stamps. There just is no way to change the time stamp with the current SDK - once you've created a partition its time stamp is never changed/updated. So there's no real way to change the order partitions are displayed in, unless you want to erase everything and add stuff back in in the reverse order you want it displayed (everything shows the most recent time stamp first, then goes on to the oldest last).

(One slight difference - any folder in hdd0/__common/Your Saves/ that shows up in the HDD OSD will be shown before any partitions are shown.)

 

[Berion]

If partition have time stamps then it can be changed in APA section by hex editor and recalculating hash. No easy user friendly way to do but at least possible if someone want that. ;p

In example if someone want homebrew partitions right after "__common", then in theory could be possible to change date to i.e year 1900 so it always be in first line.


However, I don't know if HDD OSD displaying partitions by order or by time stamp. If someone have time to experiment with this I'm still interesting and be glad to mention me in the comment. ^^

 

[El_isra]

If partition have time stamps then it can be changed in APA section by hex editor and recalculating hash. No easy user friendly way to do but at least possible if someone want that. ;p

In example if someone want homebrew partitions right after "__common", then in theory could be possible to change date to i.e year 1900 so it always be in first line.


However, I don't know if HDD OSD displaying partitions by order or by time stamp. If someone have time to experiment with this I'm still interesting and be glad to mention me in the comment. ^^

I've made some tests.
HDD-OSD orders the partitions by date of creation.

 

[Berion]

If You could tell me exact time stamp when it's created (it is displaying somewhere?) and attaching print screen from first sector of this partition (attach HDD to PC, open drive by IsoBuster v4.7, choose partition and press CTRL+S to view hex), I can probably tell You how to modify it.

But looking at it I don't see anything which would looks like time stamp (maybe it's in "__mbr" index?):

 

[El_isra]

If You could tell me exact time stamp when it's created (it is displaying somewhere?) and attaching print screen from first sector of this partition (attach HDD to PC, open drive by IsoBuster v4.7, choose partition and press CTRL+S to view hex), I can probably tell You how to modify it.



But looking at it I don't see anything which would looks like time stamp (maybe it's in "__mbr" index?):
View attachment 29629

I'll do that tomorrow if I have time...
at the moment the only workaround that works is to create the partition with uLaunchELF previously changing the console date into a few decades in the future