[Guide] The Best 1.50 PSP
Written By Fr@nkie

Follow these instructions and you will have the best PSP in the world!

This guide covers Custom Firmware, Devhook, Fonts, Gameboots etc. on a 1.50 PSP. This guide now covers 2.71 SE as well!

Check Your Firmware

To start off this guide, you must have firmware 1.5. If you have any other firmware you should downgrade. Firmwares 2.0-2.71 can all be downgraded using this file - http://dl.qj.net/2.0-2.71-Tiff-Downdater...10263/catid/151 This guide does not cover downgrading.

First check that you have a 1.5. Go Settings>System Settings> System Information and it should say your mac address, nickname and you PSP version. This guide is for you if it says 1.50



Installing X-Flash

After you have a 1.5 you will need a program called X-Flash. This is how you modify gameboots, intro sounds etc. You can get X-Flash from here - http://dl.qj.net/X-Flash-v15f-PSP-Homebr...10050/catid/151 After you have that installed on your PSP, (by putting the folders __SCE__XFLASH and %__SCE__XFLASH in the ms0:PSP/GAME folder) you will need to install custom firmware.

Installing Dark_AleX's POC Custom Firmware

Custom firmware are files flashed to you PSPs firmware so it can do various things. NOTE: You should install custom firmware before using X-FLASH. The original custom firmware by Dark_Alex, only has a Recovery Menu. We will learn about Custom Firmware mods later. Get Dark_Alex?s custom firmware from here - http://www.psp-hacks.com/file/639 To install it, you must put the right folders in the right position.It should be like this:

ms0:/PSP/GAME/__SCE__customproof
ms0:/PSP/GAME/%__SCE__customproof
ms0:/PSP/SYSTEM/config.txt

You might get a folder called src. Ignore this is this is just the source. Before flashing it read over the README just to be safe. Once you have done this, you will need to start it and install it. Go to Game>Memory Stick and choose Dark_Alex Custom Firmware POC. Click X and some text should come up. NOTE: This is the flashing part and if something goes wrong, it could brick your PSP, so be careful. It will confirm it with you and then it will flash and you PSP will go back to the XMB Menu. Hold the power switch up for 3-10 seconds and then turn your PSP on while holding the R trigger. If a blue menu comes up, you have successfully installed custom firmware.The menu should have 4 option to do. They are:

- Press Start to activate USB Mass.
- Press triangle to flash ms0:/index.dat to flash0
- Press cross to start the program under ms0:/PSP/GAME/UPDATE/EBOOT.PBP
- Press Home to exit




Modifing Your PSP with X-Flash

You should start X-Flash and get familiar with it. Now exit and go into USB mode. You are now going to get your custom files so you have your PSP how you like it. The best site for custom PSP files is http://www.nextpsphacks.com Here you can choose your custom files. Remember to check the Forum for extra sounds and boot videos. For different font you should get Birdman?s font Pack from here - http://dl.qj.net/Birdman1-s-All-In-One-F...10388/catid/151



Once you have downloaded a font/gameboot/opening sound etc. you will need to put it in the ms0:PSP/GAME/__SCE__XFLASH/XFlash/Modifed folder. They need to be named correctly. Heres how they are named:

Gameboot (UMD Starting Video) ? gameboot.pmf
Font (In XMB) ? ltn0.pgf
Opening Sound ? ColdBoot.vag
Background ? background.bmp


Once you have the file named correctly and put in that folder, you can start X-Flash. If you have done something wrong, it will ?give you the boot? and won?t let you start X-Flash until you have the right file. Below is i giving me the boot from irshell but it will look like that if you have the wrong file.


Once you are in, scroll down to the file you want to flash. Plug in your power cable and click X. It will tell you when it has finished and you can now quit. Your new file should now be in your firmware!

Okay, once you have modified your PSP to your liking using X-Flash, it is now time to install Devhook 0.46.

Installing Devhook 0.46 by Booster

This is a very easy thing to do and it allows you to:

Emulate 2.71 firmware
Play Game that need higher firmware
Play Backup/Downloaded ISO Games

These are the main things Devhook does. To setup Devhook you will need this file - http://www.psp-hacks.com/file/673 It is an installer so all you have to do is plug in your USB and run it. Follow the instruction and you will have Devhook installed on your you will need an ISO file. You can get this yourself. Put it in the ISO folder in the root of your memory stick, and launch Devhook from Game>Memory Stick.

Once you have loaded it, put these settings in and make sure you have a UMD in the drive.

UMD SELECT ? Choose your UMD or ISO (The Game You're Going to Play)
UMD MOUNT ? UMD Disc for playing a UMD, ISO ANYUMD for an ISO
UMD VERSION - 2.xx-> 2.00
FIRMWARE - 2.71
CPU CLOCK - 222/111
BOOT SELECT - reboot XMB
OTHER > REMOTE CTRL - "No Change"
OTHER > preload address - "No Change" (89000000) default




With these settings you can now load all your UMDs and ISOs. When it reboots you will be in 2.71 firmware.

Installing Devhook Launcher/VSHEX Mod by chunglam

If you notice, up the top in the picture it says

PSP Devhook .0.46 by Booster Launcher/VSHEX Mod by chunglam.

This is not what you get when you install devhook. This is a mod. You can get the launcher mod from here - http://dl.qj.net/DEVHOOK-Launcher-VSHEX-...10837/catid/151

Once you have downloaded and extracted it you have 3 folders
-ms_root
-pctool
-dh_fw_installer

Ignore the pctool and dh_fw_installer folders but we will need the ms_root one.
Open the ms_root folder and copy the psp and dh folder to your ms0:/ Click yes to the overwrite warning and it will install the Launcher/VSHEX mod. You will now have new launcher icons under Game>Memory Stick. The setup is kind of the same and the XMB is a bit differnt. The controls of the XMB are:

Tap Home to - Bring up your ISOs (cover and thumbnail)
- Use L and R to switch ISOs and circle to mount them
Hold Home for 3 seconds - Change Settings (font, colour etc.)
- Use L and R to change options and circle to select

Uninstalling Dark_AleX's POC Custom Firmware

Get this file - http://www.psp-hacks.com/file/640 This file unflashes the custom firmware we installed at the start. It is best to have no custom firmware when installing mods. Run this homebrew and your custom firmware will be gone.

Installing Harleyg's 'Dual Boot' Firmware

The custom firmware we are installing now does the following:

Hold L on Startup ? 2.71 firmware
Hold R on Startup ? Configure and Recovery Menu
Turn On (not holding anything) ? 1.50

This is by far the best custom firmware. Get it from here - http://www.psp-hacks.com/file/641 Install all the files on your memory stick in the corresponding places and run it like you did with the POC. It will flash to the firmware and should be done. Check that it works by holding L on boot up. If there is a problem, it will be with Devhook not the Custom Firmware. Congratulations! You have now gotten the most out of your 1.5 PSP.


Finished Product (1.50 with Dual-Boot)

To finish it off, you could get a faceplate or skin for the front of your PSP. If you would like to see a video of a finished version click this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZThqtrnPxI This is actually my PSP :)

I hope you enjoy your new modified PSP.
Alot of people have been asking for my background so here it is - http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/1760/splatterbf7.jpg

Thanks To:

Dark_AleX, NOOBZ Team, QJ.Net, PSP Hacks, BOOSTER, Harleyg and anyone else who created something or hosted a file.

Guide by Fr@nkie. If you would like to use this guide on your website, just PM me.

How Small can your ISOs and CSOs Get? - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/430790
The Best 1.50 PSP - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/403745

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19. November 2006 @ 20:12

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. October 2006 @ 06:54

my guide for psp hombrew threw usb http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/394241

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. October 2006 @ 16:11

How Small can your ISOs and CSOs Get? - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/430790
The Best 1.50 PSP - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/403745

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 13. October 2006 @ 03:48