PS2 PSX DESR needs hdd

niino said:
The DW-Q28A will NOT work; it has a different revision of the SF-DB11 and will either blow the 5V fuse on the PSX board or burn the laser flex cable. Only revisions T01 to T07 of the SF-DB11 are ok (don't know about T08, but T09 and later are definitely NOT ok, and all variants with an S before the revision, like S03, also don't work, only T01-T07).
Click to expand...

Question: How does one check the revision of the laser? I don't see anything on one of my IDE drives with the SF-DB11. I know you said the DW-Q28A isn't compatible but I have one and the board revision underneath the tray says Revision 01. Is it printed on the laser itself.

EDIT: According to l_oliveira (he's not on this site but he's a well respected member of the PS2 scene in general), the DW-Q28A is actually compatible but requires heavy amounts of adjustment to the screws for skew and parallax. He successfully installed one in a PSX2 using a DW-Q28A pulled from a Mac G5.
 
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The revision is embossed into the metal casting of the SF-DB11 on the top side.

And I confirm that they are NOT compatible... swapping a T17 with a T07 between to IDE drives lead to the same symptoms for me (burning flex cables and a lot of magic smoke)... unless there are also several hardware revisions of the DW-Q28A using different revisions of the SF-DB11.
 
MonkeyBoyJoey said:
A hack is in progress to allow non-Sony drives but there is no ETA.

As always, MAKE SURE TO BACK UP WORKING HDDs USING HDDRAWCOPY TOOL BEFORE MESSING WITH THEM!

The update disc will throw a HDD needs servicing error if the drive is blank. Empty drives pulled from other PSX systems will need krHACKen's repartition program he made a while back. You will have to ask him about it. That program was how I was able to install the XMB onto an official Sony 40GB SCPH-20401 PS2 HDD.

You cannot use a regular HDD, it must be one from another PSX or the SCPH-20401. This is due to Sony modifying the drives at the factory with a custom firmware on the HDD itself. The custom firmware adds extra ATA commands that the console uses. It will run an authenticity check every single time the HDD is accessed. Non-Sony modified drives will respond to the console with "command not supported" and the console will instantly shut off the HDD.

In addition, if you swap the drive with one from another PSX, the firmware of the console needs to be the same as the installed XMB or you will not be able to use the XMB. For example, swapping a 1.31 XMB into a console with version 1.10 will work but you won't be able to use the XMB without running the update discs or krHACKen's private utilities.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, these HDDs were not working. When I turned on both PSX's, they showed the PSX screen, and then, they showed black screen eternity. It was so common the HDDs could be not working. This is the first issue. So, I thought it. When I plugged in my PC, both were working. It seemed that they were deconfigured. They are like new. Few times, they have been used. I have few units of SCPH-20401 and two Seagate ST3160022ACE (from PSX 160 GB). What the article doesn't say if when you remove the HDD from PSX, the software MUST be installed inside of this HDD to install in another PSX.

I have read on Internet. Some people coppied the HDD 1:1 with DD Linux Tool and other softwares. My question is: How can I insert this image inside of this HDD?

Everything is so confused
 
@Lady_Yuna Disk image is not to be written to disk logic (like eg. copy to some partition) but to write whole disk by this disk image.
In example on dd case:

copying:
Code: 
sudo dd if=/dev/sdx of=/home/mint/desr.raw bs=64M status=progress

writing:
Code: 
sudo dd if=/home/mint/desr.raw of=/dev/sdx bs=64M status=progress

If You made mistake and point to wrong device, You made serious troubles for Yourself, so be extra careful. ;) "sdx" is Your DESR HDD, e.g "sda", "sdb", "sdc" and so on, depend on IDE port number, You can check it by "fdisk -l" or "lsblk"). path and filename depend of Your environment and will.
 
Berion said:
@Lady_Yuna Disk image is not to be written to disk logic (like eg. copy to some partition) but to write whole disk by this disk image.
In example on dd case:

copying:
Code: 
sudo dd if=/dev/sdx of=/home/mint/desr.raw bs=64M status=progress

writing:
Code: 
sudo dd if=/home/mint/desr.raw of=/dev/sdx bs=64M status=progress

If You made mistake and point to wrong device, You made serious troubles for Yourself, so be extra careful. ;) "sdx" is Your DESR HDD, e.g sda, depend on IDE port number, You can check it by "fdisk -l" or "lsblk"). path and filename depend of Your environment and will.
Click to expand...

HAHAHHAHAH I'm so new to programming. HAHA HA.. I'm fucked up
 
It is not programming. It is normal user stuff. :P

On Windows You can use e.g HDD Raw Copy Tool or DMDE. Yet Windows can "initialize HDD" and by that destroying the PS2 hard drive logic before You make image of it, beyond repair... So I strongly suggest to use Linux.
 
MonkeyBoyJoey said:
A hack is in progress to allow non-Sony drives but there is no ETA.

As always, MAKE SURE TO BACK UP WORKING HDDs USING HDDRAWCOPY TOOL BEFORE MESSING WITH THEM!

The update disc will throw a HDD needs servicing error if the drive is blank. Empty drives pulled from other PSX systems will need krHACKen's repartition program he made a while back. You will have to ask him about it. That program was how I was able to install the XMB onto an official Sony 40GB SCPH-20401 PS2 HDD.
Click to expand...

Sorry to bump an older thread, but I don't see any way of PMing or sending a message. I assume it's because I'm too new?

Either way, if @krHACKen is able to provide the repartition tool, I'd really appreciate that! I came into possession of a DESR-5000, and luckily have the update Discs for it. Of course the HDD failed. I'm using one from a FFXI install, but it of course isn't doing much good in the PSX right now.

Just wondering, LaunchELF isn't showing the HDD at all. It's showing that it isn't connected and isn't formatted, while on the PS2, it shows it with no issues. Is there a special version of ULF specifically for the PSX, or am I looking at a possible hardware issue?

Thanks!
 
@tehkapiNone application will understand contents on HDD prepared outside DESR because DESRs encrypting it, while normal PS2 doesn't. So for them, it is empty. You need format HDD on DESR. What is strange to me, that uLE not detecting HDD connected, but I don't have DESR model anyway so I'm not sure if this is normal. What version You using? Try latest WIP from ps2homebrew repository or @El_isra fork.
 
Berion said:
@tehkapiNone application will understand contents on HDD prepared outside DESR because DESRs encrypting it, while normal PS2 doesn't. So for them, it is empty. You need format HDD on DESR. What is strange to me, that uLE not detecting HDD connected, but I don't have DESR model anyway so I'm not sure if this is normal. What version You using? Try latest WIP from ps2homebrew repository or @El_isra fork.
Click to expand...
So, I figured out that for some reason, the main board wasn't even bothering to read the HDD. No light, no nothing. I switched it out for a board that was in a unit that had a bad disc drive, and now it's reading the drive, but is still showing it isn't connected, with a status of -19. (4.43x_isr latest)

pd2homebrew doesn't show connected either, but does show a dvrhdd listing in the file browser, so either way, at least something.

Thank you for replying, it triggered me to check and see what was going on hardware wise, which at least did something.
 
Green Hawk said:
I'll try to be more detailed! I have 3 PSX "2" models PSX1 desr 5100s silver with 160GB HDD. And "1" PSX2 desr 7500 HDD 250GB.
A model 5100s works until I mistakenly delete the files from the HDD.
Another model 5100s the HDD works. Which I extract all files with ulaunchelf 4.43a.
The HDD I deleted by mistake I formatted on the PSX 5100s and all the folders appear. __MBR 128MB,
__net 32MB, __system 32MB, __sysconf 32MB and __commom 32MB. Which leads me to believe that the HDD is good. But it doesn't let you expand the size of the folders. And it also doesn't let you make a new folder like for example: __OPL.
He have firware 1.30. I'll intall the modbo 5.0, and use update disc.
Thank you!
Click to expand...

hi friend

I have same problem as you. After formar Psx desr HDD vía MISC:/HDD MANAGER, partitions of system folders appear smaller then I can't copy back XMb system files as no enough space.

how you manage to increase partitions size as R1 "expand" option is disabled.

many thanks

Before format
. __MBR 128MB,
__net 128MB, __system 256MB, __sysconf 512MB and __commom 1024MB.

After format
. __MBR 128MB,
__net 32MB, __system 32MB, __sysconf 32MB and __commom 32MB.
 
beholder said:
hi friend

I have same problem as you. After formar Psx desr HDD vía MISC:/HDD MANAGER, partitions of system folders appear smaller then I can't copy back XMb system files as no enough space.

how you manage to increase partitions size as R1 "expand" option is disabled.

many thanks

Before format
. __MBR 128MB,
__net 128MB, __system 256MB, __sysconf 512MB and __commom 1024MB.

After format
. __MBR 128MB,
__net 32MB, __system 32MB, __sysconf 32MB and __commom 32MB.
Click to expand...
Congratulations

You found the bug on HDD software with drivers smaller than 40gb.

Your drive is larger, but the DVRP must have the game area without extending (2gb)

You must extend the game area to 40gb.

That is done either from an XMB option or pasting some .opt files inside
Code: 
xfrom:/BIEXEC-SYSTEM/
 
El_isra said:
Congratulations

You found the bug on HDD software with drivers smaller than 40gb.

Your drive is larger, but the DVRP must have the game area without extending (2gb)

You must extend the game area to 40gb.

That is done either from an XMB option or pasting some .opt files inside
Code: 
xfrom:/BIEXEC-SYSTEM/
Click to expand...

Many thanks for your answer i much appreciate it.

Could you tell me then how I can not
paste .opt files inside xfrom:/BIEXEC-SYSTEM/ ? I have no acces vía FMCB.
 
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beholder said:
Many thanks for your answer i much appreciate it.

Could you tell me then how I can
paste .opt files inside xfrom:/BIEXEC-SYSTEM/ ? I have no acces vía FMCB.
Click to expand...

After writing the comment I asked krHACKen. Seems like now you can't do anything because those opt file tokens are useless if the XMB can't boot.

I guess you ran out of options, wait for the answer of someone with more experience on PSX catastrophe's
 
El_isra said:
After writing the comment I asked krHACKen. Seems like now you can't do anything because those opt file tokens are useless if the XMB can't boot.

I guess you ran out of options, wait for the answer of someone with more experience on PSX catastrophe's
Click to expand...

Hi friend

I could restore the original partition size for _system, _sysconf, _net and __common my swapping the HDD to another psx desr and executing MISC/HDD manager. Then I copy the XMB files to them I created two partitions more _xdata (128mb) and _xcontents(128mb). Psx desr now can boot until blue balls freezes … red light from HDD is blinking like os recording..

Questions
could you tell me please all partitions needed?
Is _xdata and _xcontents partition size correct?

many thanks for your help!! I much appreciate it :)
 
For first area covered by PS2, those partitions are:
  • __mbr
  • __net
  • __sysconf
  • __system
  • __common
  • __contents
For second area covered by DVRP (which You will not be able to recreate and is needed only for fw update na dvr features) those are:
  • __extend (like __mbr, it is partition index partition)
  • __xdata
  • __xcontents.

I don't have any DESR but I thinking that all sizes from first area are standard one, and __contents standard for PSBBN (but I don't know its size). Leaving all the rest empty space, up to 40GiB as empty for PP/PC partitions (game partitions).

Sizes of second area are unknown to me except __extend which is 128MiB. But as I said, You will not be able to recreate it because uLE covering only __mbr, and You cannot add in first area partitions from second (they will not be used or hang console maybe when will be accessed).

- - -

If someone would make disk image, with the same fw which You have, and You written it back to Your HDD, You should restored working state of console. But only in assumption thet encryption key is the same on all models, not per console unit.

Which I don't know if it is but if You send me first eg 2MiB of Your HDD, I will be able to judge if encryption is the same because I have sample from one of the users.

Linux (change sdx to your drive and home path to Yours):
Code: 
sudo dd if=/dev/sdx of=/home/mint/minidump.img bs=2M count=1 status=progress

Windows:
eg. using DMDE and copy sectors option (source > device > desr hdd and for destination > file and dump 2MiB). Do the same like on picture in this thread: https://www.psx-place.com/threads/tutorial-fixing-windows-disk-initalization.27599/
start sector: 0
end sector: 4095
 
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El_isra said:
That can be recreated with the token files I was gonna share.

My PSX halted at blue ball untill krHACKen sent me those files to repartition DVR area
Click to expand...

After many hours of effor my psx desr boot but blue ball halted. I am sure the problem is the repatriation of DVR area :(

El_Isra Could you kindly share those files ?

Many thanks in advance
 
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Berion said:
For first area covered by PS2, those partitions are:
  • __mbr
  • __net
  • __sysconf
  • __system
  • __common
  • __contents
For second area covered by DVRP (which You will not be able to recreate and is needed only for fw update na dvr features) those are:
  • __extend (like __mbr, it is partition index partition)
  • __xdata
  • __xcontents.

I don't have any DESR but I thinking that all sizes from first area are standard one, and __contents standard for PSBBN (but I don't know its size). Leaving all the rest empty space, up to 40GiB as empty for PP/PC partitions (game partitions).

Sizes of second area are unknown to me except __extend which is 128MiB. But as I said, You will not be able to recreate it because uLE covering only __mbr, and You cannot add in first area partitions from second (they will not be used or hang console maybe when will be accessed).

- - -

If someone would make disk image, with the same fw which You have, and You written it back to Your HDD, You should restored working state of console. But only in assumption thet encryption key is the same on all models, not per console unit.

Which I don't know if it is but if You send me first eg 2MiB of Your HDD, I will be able to judge if encryption is the same because I have sample from one of the users.

Linux (change sdx to your drive and home path to Yours):
Code: 
sudo dd if=/dev/sdx of=/home/mint/minidump.img bs=2M count=1 status=progress

Windows:
eg. using DMDE and copy sectors option (source > device > desr hdd and for destination > file and dump 2MiB). Do the same like on picture in this thread: https://www.psx-place.com/threads/tutorial-fixing-windows-disk-initalization.27599/
start sector: 0
end sector: 4095
Click to expand...


Berion many thanks for your support i much appreciate it.

I need to do repartition on dvr area if not I cannot fix it
 
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