Exploiting the PS2

[pcjunkie]

Ok. I've heard of the Independence Exploit. If you are reading this you probably have too. I have ALOT of documentation on it, And alot of files\Different ways to do it. The thing is...I don't understand it. I have watched the video tutorial on www.exploitstation.com However, it shows only how to prepare it. I do not know what goes on once you have the installer cd, or have the files on the thumbdrive. I know, that some of you will say, HOW can you not understand? IDK..some people understand modding some don't. I DO know, however..That IF i had the PC version..modding would be a snap. What I need is an extremly basic, boneheaded explanation on What to do to load the exploit to my memory card. I have a 512MB SanDISK USB drive, and it is formatted to FAT. I have the Gameshark2 v1.1 (Released in 2002, i believe)..And it can read the usb stick. I am aware that it is "Simple"..whereas basically all you do is produce a gamesave using PS2 Save builder, and copy it to your USB stick..then loading it to the PS2 Memory card..then using an original ps1 game to "trigger" the expoilt, (by using the ps1 game that you added to the title.db file). After that..I am COMPLETELY lost. There are SOOOOOOO many bootloaders out there, and every tutorial is different, some usekeylauncher, some use launchelf..and others.

I KNOW that once you memory card has the expoit all you do is insert the game u are using..But..someone,PLEASE, tell me how to do the ENTIRE process, but with extreme detail from the transfer of the save to the MC...What ps2 buttons to configure for ease of use(i am aware that you can personalize what keys, but someone pick what i should use for me..lol) I am interested in "live dumping" for san andreas (original),so..maybe that will help people in deciding how to help me.I think i'd need an FTP program for that, but i am sure someone will help set that up when i create the exploit. (something Like execFTP, probably). Like i said..I am VERY interested in this,as I DO NOT have a modded ps2, OR the HDD..so my optionsare pretty limited for doing any MAJOR hacking. ANYWAY, I am PROBALY going to get flamed to hell for being so dumb, but o well, here is a cookie, and a thanks for whomever helps. , Thanks again..send me a message on aol if you read this and want to help. my s/n is kf7strng.

[{20_20_STAN}]

i was wanting to mod gta san on ps2. ages ago i ask about doin this with a hdd drive and sum 1 gev me a site bt lost it wen i wiped my comp. i dont no much about moddin bt im not a complete noob. i mite have a go at the way u wer talkin about and c wat if i can do it. if u no of way to do it with a hdd please let me no muchos apprecaited

[Gantons Most Wanted]

nice explanation dude i wish i knew all this technical stuff its not that i'm a noob but i just play theg ames add some codes 2 my cheat disc but i would love to mod my PS2 version so much

[pcjunkie]

 

Thanks for the replies. I AM quite a n00b to ps2 modding(except fr the gameshark manipulations)BUT, if i can find a way that even i understand, maybe it will help you guys as well. I am pretty confident that I CAN pull off the USB>Memory Card>PSXDisk Exploit..But..if you've seen the tutorials, there are alot of steps..and ALOT of grey areas(unknowns)Like, copy this,move that..add this, then insert usb stick,then insert ganeshark, then use slidecard\fliptop,then insert psx dics..LOL..lots of stuff!(not necessarily ALL of the things @ one time..but each tutorial seems to have their own way of doing things. But o well, Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment!

[The-Exploited]

Wow, it IS possible then. Keep us informated! although the mods i want to put to the game are a bit unsignificant (i want Sweet's tee shirt and a dreads haircut, yeah it's so stupid, but i want it) so keep us informated, just tell me what do i need to do this, my ps2 isn't modded either and i don't have a gameshark (it cracked up for some reason) but i can get another one. What else do i need?

[pcjunkie]

Ok. here's the scoop. I have a WORKING( FINALLY!) version of the Independence Exploit. Follow these steps:

1. To prevent ANYONE from pulling their hair out..I can provide the exploit, in the PS2 format. Since I am to lazy to read the forum rules i will NOT post the download here. I believe i CAN however, post my e-mail. It is [email protected], the subject line of your email should read, I need the exploit.

 

2. I used the Gameshark2 v1.1 (look at walmart, http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4329669

, and a SANDISK USB drive (512mb) to transfer it from the USB to the gameshark. The usb drive does NOT have to be the same kind..OR the same size, however some usb drives aren't too friendly with the gameshark.Just make CERTAIN that the gameshark\ you have\Borrow has a memory manager. There are different steps for codebreaker, so, if you have codebreaker, please email me using the same email address, and make the subject line say "Codebreaker"..or somthing like that.

 

3.The Memory card save (Exploit) I would send includes a file called "Title.db"(you will ONLY see a file called "ballz.ps2" on your thumbdrive, or what you will download.) This file is EXTREMLY important! This file is what tells the PS2 what to do. It searches for the "SLUS"(us\Canada discs), (other countries will have "SCES,SLES"..or something like that. ANYWAY the format will be S, 3 more letters, then an underscore..(this_) and then a series of numbers that look SIMILAR to this xxx.xx, where the x's represent the numbers. The SPECIFIC one that title.db file is configured for is "Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3". I CAN, However, make specific Title.db's for you, just have to let me knwo what game you want to use. (Don't need te actual "name"..Just the "ID" if you will. There are several ways of doing that. The EASIEST, I think, is just by looking at the case(The "spine side", It says the title vertically, and SHOULD have the code below it. for example..the spine of thps3 says SLUS-01419, and then there are other numbers on a line below that. The hypen between the letters and the numbers need to be changed to the underscore,though.

 

4. Now, let's assume you have already contacted me, and recieved your save. It might be easiest to just save it to your memory card, but, hell..Might as well save to your computer first, THAT WAY you have a backup, incase you lose your MC, or need to delete the save for some reason. NOW, I am assuming you have at this point, copied the save to your USB drive. Double check, just to make sure it is there. you CAN rename it,(if you think "balls" is either STUPID, or inappropriate), just make SURE that the name ends with.ps2(If using gameshark), and to use ALL CAPS. If not will NOT work! ..lol

 

5. Now, i assume your exploit is on your usb stick. And at this point is still either named "BALLZ.PS2", or...YOURFILENAME.PS2

either way, it is now time to boot up your ps2.. Insert your gameshark disc, and go to the memory manager. at THIS TIME ONLY, insert your memory stick.(This version of gameshark got pi$$ed when i inserted the usb stick first, and refused to run. simply then copy FROM your USB to your MC, and then remove your usb stick.( If you don't have enough room, I suppose this is a good time to remind you to make sure you have enough room to transfer it over. (Alternatively, you can ALSO use the memory manager to copy saves FROM your MC to your usb stick, so you don't need to delete any gamesaves.

 

6.Ok, At this point, you SHOULD NOT see anything different on your memory card.(weird huh?..bet some people will be like , and all sad, or confused or something. don't worry..the file you transferred overwrote the EXISTING file called "Your System Configuration", and SHOULD have been replaced by one called "Your SystemConfiguration"(with NO SPACE between System, and Configuration). if that is what you see, and NOT a file called BALLZ.ps2, or YOURFILENAME.PS2, then you have SUCCEEDED at this point! (i CANNOT spell succeed..so what?..lol) After you are done rejoicing..restart your ps2.

 

7.Insert your ORIGINAL ps1 game(the ORIGINAL ps1, sometimes called PSX), and NOT the PSone(2 totally different consoles, PSX games can be used to trigger the exploit, PS2,PS3, and PSone, as well as PSP games can NOT. Reboot your console again.

 

8.If you have left your PS2 Memory card inserted, and you have used either THPS3, or a game that I programmed in for you, you SHOULD see this... http://www.lookatthemonkeys.com/images/ftp4.jpg

 

9.It MAY take awhile for it t actually load up, so wait for it. The ONLY way to be certain it failed, is if you see the original PS1 logo, and the ORIGINAL ps1 game loads normally, if this happens..try re-copying it to your memory card, if it still refuses to work after that, there could be a few problems:

a.i MIGHT have messed up the title.db file if i created on for you.

b.You forgot that you need Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3(not any other game, even if it is the same series) if you used the save the way i sent it.

c. The game you want to use won't trigger the explot. why?..don't know here's to hoping the game WILL work.

d.lastly, you go too impatient while waiting for the exploit(hope not). reboot with the trigger disc (no need to transfer it to your mc and use the GS and all that again.

 

10.FINALLY, After succefully loading the exploit, and installing "cogswap"(for playing psx,ps2 backups), I was about to see if all of my HARD WORK paid off..only to attempt the knife trick..and cut the pin right off! so, I never got to see if all the hard work would trigger a BACKUP disc, but i know..that I successfullly exploited the Memory Card anyway..SO. I made a slide card,(for swapping discs..see here..http://www.sksapps.com/jnabk/SlideCardTrick.html

NOW..I am waiting for a different PS2..My g/f said I could have hers..what a lucky guy i am..right? ..ANYWAY..I ASSUME all that you would have to do after installing my exploit is look into how some of the PC versions of san andreas are modded, like editing the digits of the peds.ide file, and editing main.scm..I BELIEVE, (NOT 100% sure) that all you would need to do is edit what you want, burn the EXACT folder structure(same as the ORIGINAL game), and then load the game using cogswap.

 

i am NOT 100% sure with anything further than the actual exploit. The exploit SHOULD work..HOWEVER, I take NO responsibility for someone changing game files and then buring it to disc, only to find it won't work! with the explot, it IS possible to boot backups using cogswap, but i am NOT positive about it booting a modified game. I DID, however read somewhere, that you will NOT be able to use any current gamesaves of that game, you will be forced to use a new save.

 

if anyone is adventureous enough to try a mod, and burn it to disc..let us know about it! I would like to show the people that say "it's hard-coded and CAN'T be changed!", that it indeed CAN happen!

 

Thank You to everyone that has replied to my topic, and I am SORRY to the mods for posting liks to outside sources, AND for the length. ALSO, if someone could move this to the tutorials section, that would be GREAT..Thanks!

[The-Exploited]

ok, what you're saying is that you haven't actually tried any mod? i hope it's not hard! i just want Sweet's green t-shirt and maybe a green tanktop (i guess it's easy as it's just a colour change (changing white t-shirt from Binco to a dark green one, and the white tanktop to a dark green one)

I hope it can be done

[pcjunkie]

OK.another update...i just got done burning like 4 copies of san andreas..ONE worked!..And the one that worked was the only one i didn't mod...so..I guess I am going to have to start looking deeper into the problem. There has GOT to be something that is not letting the game load if the file size is larger than the original or something...If anyone knows what the hell is wrong with it..for the love of god..PLEASE tell me!

[The-Exploited]

well i'm assuming (as i've never tried computer mods or any mods) that if it's just a texture change it won't make the files larger (e.g. in my case there should be a code for Sweet's t-shirt colour, copy and delete the white t-shirt's one and paste the other, i think it would be the same as if it had white?)

hope it works with texturing at least

[pcjunkie]

Well everyone, here's the preliminary verdict: for SOME REASON, (as I have yet to discover), Modding the ps2 version of SAN ANDREAS(for PS2), is impossible. I used some of the mods for the pc version, and tried burning a dvd, and loading it using the independence exploit, and no luck. I HAVE , however...Made a working copy of the ORIGINAL GTA:SA(no mods), by using DVD Decrypter. That loads, and works fine...So..The next question I have would be, why is a disc with the mods different than the disc with no mods? The modded files have the same actual NAME, but some of the files are bigger, bringing the disc size up to 4.19GB, from 4.13 (NTSC version, UNSURE of "offical" PAL format disc size. Anyone with information on as to why this is happenning, PLEASE let me know.

[Knowledge Novice]

>Installing Mods On PS2<

 

Above is a link to a topic on the >Junk Yard Modding< site. TGR is a moderator there and the author of the above topic. This stuff is outta my league, but if you guys get together and compare notes with him maybe some progress can be made? He's a pretty cool dude. I'm sure he'd be glad to help you guys out.

 

P.S.

Be sure to tell him that Azazel sent you. Later fellas.

 

 

[pcjunkie]

Thankk you for the info! I check out the link you sent me to, but his (or her) mods are for the hdd, and i don't have that. Here is something interesting I found.; When you burn a game, be it with Dvd Decrypter,Alcohol 120%, Nero..Whatever..it copies EVERYTHING about the disc. The LBA(Logical Block Address), on the actual disc itself, and the disc structure. For San Andreas, it looks like this:

 

ISO

|-DATA

|-MODELS

|-SYSTEM

|-TEXT

|-ANIM

|-STREAM.ini

|-AUDIO

|-MOVIES

|-Credits.nm

|-Cutscene.nm

|-fileload.nm

|-init.nm

|-jpeg.nm

|-mc.nm

|-mpeg.nm

|-SLUS_209.46

|-SYSTEM.CNF

 

There is ALSO a heading called "UDF"..and the folders, and files are all in the same order under that. HOWEVER..remember how I mentioned something called LBA addresses? Here is where it gets weird. Open your ORIGINAL San Andreas disc in ISOBuster, and you will see that under the 2 different headings(ISO, or UDF) the FOLDERS have different LBA addresses, but the files that are NOT in folders have the SAME LBA! And the other strange thing is..that when you make a straight copy using DVD Decypter, is assigns the correct LBA, and everything! However..if you extract(NOT COPY) the files to a folder on your hdd, and modify then..and then burn them back to a disc...EVEN IF it's in the same order,,the LBA changes..I have tried to change them using CDVD GEN, and even ISOBuster..Still no luck. I HAVE made a disc using nero that has the UDF section in order(but NOT the correct LBA), however, the ISO section was in ALPHAbetical order! Does anyone know why this is? Ahead(the company that makes Nero) claims that this is because if the ISO9960(or whatever) standard, but if a FREE program(Like DVD Decrypter) can make an EXACT copy of a ps2 game(NON-Bootable, of course)..then WHY oh WHY can't an $80 program like NERO successfully replicate the structure, after simply copying it to my PC HDD, and changing some files?? Maybe I am stupid, and just not doing something right, but as it stands..right now, I have 1 working backup(no mods), and 8 "coasters"(won't load, even using cogswap) I assume that it's because of the LBA addresses being different, as well as the files structure of the way nero burned the modified files to my disc. does ANYONE know how to do this? $h1t! at this point I'll try anthing!

 

--------------

OK..after all of this, I am quitting. I am sorry to everyone that ha came here looking for help.I have wasted 12 DVDs trying to burn a copy of the game that included the mods i wanted. I produced several different configurations, with disc sizes as small as 3.55GB, but some bigger than the original disc at 4.22GB. My FINAL attempt was ALMOST susseccful, but i recieved an erroe at the loading screen that said "Error Reading San Andreas Disc"(from the game itself) I went as far as using the cd\DVD gen to MANUALLY arrange ALL of the files on the disc from LBA 651 all the way to the dummy file!, Maybe all of my MISADVENTURES can help someone else...But, I am just going to assume that it is IMPOSSIBLE to burn mods to a dvd, and be able to play it just like the original. Happy Hacking everyone!

Edited February 15, 2007 by pcjunkie

[Kazass]

Oh too bad I haven't seen thes tpoic earlier. I could've helped you out in a sense:

it is pretty much impossible to mod gta and burn it and make it work.

The problem lies, as you have already noticed somehow, in the LBA adresses and further little things.

There was a topic back in 2005 where me and another guy who had programmed a mod for gta

tried to mod a disc (that was my part) and him trying to mod it using a ps2 HDD. He succeeded, I didn't.

It cost me aswell 'bout 9 DVD's until I realised that it was pretty much impossible.

my guess is, that R* has put some kind of check in that makes modding the disc impossible.

why do I come to think of that? well, because I managed to mod other games!

My guess is that they had some DVD architecture that has crossreferences between files,

which means modding one file makes others impossible to work. I'm no expert, but I had

the same damn experience myself...

 

[pcjunkie]

Alright. That helps ALOT.hahaha..I wish u would have neen here about 10 dvds ago..hahaha Thanks a million!, Atleast I know never to try it again..unless, that is..we find out how to succeed.

[Kazass]

one thing that should be possible somehow is to find out at least if the modded dvd image WOULD work, meaning

if we knew beforehand that it doesn't work we could save dvds. I'm sure there is a way for that but I guess, getting

a ps2 hdd is the easiest way to go, 'cause with the drive you can truly mod it...

[pcjunkie]

Well HELLO forum surfers! after a LENGTHY absence from GTAforums, i have returned. I am back because i dug up a few inteesting tidbits. #1 being.. MEDIA. Media.. being..the dvd's used to attempt burning of a working modded ps2 version. ALWAYS be sure to use good quality media. I know.. some people will say, "But, I have $ony Dvds that cost me x amount of dollars, they ARE good.!". well.. NOT neccessarily. Your best bet is to go here.. http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm .

 

It will tell you more about the dvds than i could ever. What i found out bout mine? WELL... I bought mine from walmart. They are memorex, 25dvds.. $14.88. They burn dvd MOVIES GREAT!.. However, it appears i may have just got lucky...If you consult the list in the link i provided, it claims my disc "mediaID"(again, consult the link) qualifies it as "4th class media", and it states that those dvds in the 4th class are COASTERS to BEGIN with..LMAO.

 

It also claims that even though they ar capable of holding the 4.37GiB standard data size.. they DO NOT reccommend going over 2.5GB, just to be sure u have a decent dvd. So.. that could be ONE reason for the bad burn. HOWEVER....I do also believe that there ARE "anti-modding" measures in place in the games coding, and until someone makes a program that make the million or so lines of code more hacker friendly... then. we are going to have to wait till r8 hands over the answer( we'll all die before that happens). So, let's keep this topic alive, shall we? And for my final words of wisdom, everyone REMEMBER... the game design is BOUND by Mips programming rules. game makers decide HOW to code the game, but the moethods HAVE to stay the same, or else even LEGIT retail copies won't work on our PS2's. So, if somone out there is a programming prodigy, and would like to help... PLEASE DO. (and speaking of "prodigies".. i have alreay askd the LEGEND himself, "Skiller". and he respectfully declined, as he didn't have a ps2 at the time, and a million lines of code, WITHOUT a ps2 to test on.. would be NEARLY impossible to do anything with. so. continue hacking everyone!

[gthg91]

ok i just read that you cant mod a san andreas disk,ok,but what other games could you mod?im thinking like starwars battlefront II or bully,think about it,put roman sholders to replace rebels,or WWII planes for the space battles!!could you point me to the right direction?for mods related to what im talking about

[pcjunkie]

I'm not sure. some POPULAR games i have heard of, are guitar hero, and, i believe, Gran Tourismo 4. I am not aware of any detailed list that may, or may not exist. I have not come across anything yet. Maybe if this site has one, one of the other members might be abl to point you in the right direction. HOWVER, if there are any mods looking at this topic, maybe NOW would be a good time to do that? However...right now, it's just hit and miss.. (specially for NEW games...).. sometimes hacking make me feel like this.. And while i am here.. can someone post me the link (on this site), or explain to me exactly HOW to format a hdd for use with the ps2, and how to install gams to it? that is about the ONLY way to hack san andreas... while not getting a pc version.

 

I went out and bought a pc version... and the game ran like shyt for me.BEWARE: the pc version says "64mb video recommended).. well.. that's what i have... and it's choppy as the atlantic ocean in a hurricane. so, i would "RECOMMEND" no less than about 256..(those of you that can afford a dual sli 1024mb video card setup make me SO jealous..lol

 

So, yeah.. ANYONE that knows where i can get a tutorial on how to use a hdd with the ps2, please let me know where thaat is.. And as always, thank you all for supporting my thread.