Exploit help!!!

I have been trying for the past couple of days to get the exploit installed onto my MC and get it working. I have tried several different methods and all of them were unsuccessful.

What I have:
Gameshark 2 V1.1 Retail
Unmodded PS2 "Fatty" 3XXXX series
USB Stick
Network Adaptor & IDE HD if needed for this
USB HD

What I DO Need:
1. Info on how to install the exploit with retail Gameshark 2 V1.1
2. Info on how to get it working that cannot be found just by searching forums (not just this forum but many others as well) or googling it because I have done that.

What I DON'T need:
1. A tutorial made for a retail cheat device other than Gameshark because I have tried using those methods modified to "work" with gameshark and they didn't work (obviously or I wouldn't be asking this question)
2. Info on how to install the exploit with a pressed boot disc (Swapmagic, HD Advance, USB Extreme...) I don't have those.

Any info is always appreciated and thanks in advance.

Lucky you, I was in the same boat as you the other day. Everybody makes reference to installing the independance exploit with gameshark but no one says how. Well after hours of searching I found this VERY easy tutorial.

http://ubergeek.awardspace.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=25

I would recommend using the Exploit Compiler personally. Less stuff to download and you dont have to switch progs as much.

Basically you make your save file. Resave it to .md format. Rename that to yoursystemconfiguration.ps2. Then copy it over to an empty memcard. The compiler also lets you install .elf files along with the rest of the exploit (HDLoader , HDL Dumb server, etc.)

The "hard" part with Gameshark is what format to make the file and renaming it. Apparently that is too hard for everybody else to include in their tutorials.

It works flawlessly with v1.2 If it works with your 1.1 please let ubergeek know so he can update. Also try to pass the message so more people can use Gameshark to install since (at least for me) it was the easiest thing to find (Wal-Mart)

Ok, that worked finally!!! I had to make 1 modification to the steps but i got it working. Instead of deleting the original Your SystemConfiguration.ps2 file, you have to leave it and then transfer the one you created and overwrite the original. I am not a member of that forum so I cant post my results but you can post them if you want to. It does work with gameshark 2 v1.1.

Thanks so much for that info.

You dont have to be a member to post. But I'll go ahead and do it anyways. Glad I could Help.

But, I wanted to say thanks for this clearer tutorial on the memory card
exploit. However, I still have not managed to get it working. I have a
Gameshark 2, I believe the version is 5.5. I can copy the exploit save file over
to the memory card via a USB flash drive with Gameshark, but this still does
not work on my PS2. Here is what steps I have taken:

1) Create the gamesave file (to be called Your SystemConfiguration.ps2)
using title frontend, importing the 800+ disc version of title.db.

2) Copied file to my USB flash drive. It should be noted that I've used the
extensions .ps2, .md, and no extension at all for Your SystemConfiguration
in my attempts.

3) Fired up Gameshark, proceeded to memory card management, copied the
game save file over to the memory card.

4) Since Gameshark does not allow a soft-reset, I power down the unit and
insert a PS1 disc, and turn the system back on.

At this point, from what I understand, this should enable the exploit, causing
whatever .elf executable I chose to be boot.elf to launch. But, it is not
working. When I recheck the memory card contents, another Your
SystemConfiguration file has been created on the memory card - no matter
which file extension I'm using.

I have tried several different PS1 trigger discs, all with the same exact result:
The PS1 game loads completely normally.

Thanks for any help, I am so close to a Linux PS2 I can taste it,

- RobM

Originally Posted by robmrom

But, I wanted to say thanks for this clearer tutorial on the memory card
exploit. However, I still have not managed to get it working. I have a
Gameshark 2, I believe the version is 5.5. I can copy the exploit save file over
to the memory card via a USB flash drive with Gameshark, but this still does
not work on my PS2. Here is what steps I have taken:

1) Create the gamesave file (to be called Your SystemConfiguration.ps2)
using title frontend, importing the 800+ disc version of title.db.

2) Copied file to my USB flash drive. It should be noted that I've used the
extensions .ps2, .md, and no extension at all for Your SystemConfiguration
in my attempts.

Ok first your extension should be sps i think, but aside from that you need to make your own title.db with the exact SLUS# or SLES# or whatever it is of your trigger disk. Cuz if you've got 800#'s but not the one for your trigger disk ... you know.

Thanks for the reply!

I had temporarily forgotten about this thead, but what it came down to was
that newer versions of Gameshark just don't work. There's something wrong
with the file format that PS2 Save Builder doesn't do well with, apparently.

Finally went out and bought Codebreaker, had it working in minutes. There is
nothing cooler than playing my old SNES and Genesis games on my PS2.

Well shut my mouth lol. I'm glad you figured it out, I just hate to see post un answered or RTFM as a reply.

Some people have reported success with using Gameshark when installing the
exploit, but in my own experience, it's completely worth going and getting
a better package. Your local used game store will probably have a copy of
Codebreaker or Action Replay Max for cheap.

But...

If you insist on using Gameshark, then I shall try my best to help you out.

What I need from you, on top of the generic tutorial I will write for you, is
what progress you have made.

Something to keep in mind is that the file that you copy to your USB stick is
*NOT* a game saved file. This is something most tutorials never, ever,
mention. The file you end up with, which in this case should be a .md file, is
actually a compressed file format. Gameshark then uncompresses this file,
which then creates the required directories and files on your memory card.
The problem this misconception creates is not immediately evident, but can
cause confusion later in the process.

What that basically means is that it does *NOT* matter what you call your
.md file - it can be yourmamma.md, for all that it matters. Another thing to
keep in mind is that I've ran into some problems on different consoles (in
such a short amount of time learning about this exploit, I've already done this
process for about a dozen consoles or so) with larger sized exploit packages.
If you have a network card and hard drive installed in your PS2, then the only
elf your exploit package should contain is your boot.elf. Upload all the other
desired programs through the network later. Your boot.elf should be
uLaunchElf; other front ends, I've found, can be cumbersome to use.

Let me know what progress you have made, and I'll respond with a more
detailed step-by-step process.

Originally Posted by robmrom

Some people have reported success with using Gameshark when installing the
exploit, but in my own experience, it's completely worth going and getting
a better package. Your local used game store will probably have a copy of
Codebreaker or Action Replay Max for cheap.

But...

If you insist on using Gameshark, then I shall try my best to help you out.

What I need from you, on top of the generic tutorial I will write for you, is
what progress you have made.

Something to keep in mind is that the file that you copy to your USB stick is
*NOT* a game saved file. This is something most tutorials never, ever,
mention. The file you end up with, which in this case should be a .md file, is
actually a compressed file format. Gameshark then uncompresses this file,
which then creates the required directories and files on your memory card.
The problem this misconception creates is not immediately evident, but can
cause confusion later in the process.

What that basically means is that it does *NOT* matter what you call your
.md file - it can be yourmamma.md, for all that it matters. Another thing to
keep in mind is that I've ran into some problems on different consoles (in
such a short amount of time learning about this exploit, I've already done this
process for about a dozen consoles or so) with larger sized exploit packages.
If you have a network card and hard drive installed in your PS2, then the only
elf your exploit package should contain is your boot.elf. Upload all the other
desired programs through the network later. Your boot.elf should be
uLaunchElf; other front ends, I've found, can be cumbersome to use.

Let me know what progress you have made, and I'll respond with a more
detailed step-by-step process.

yeah i happen to be one of those people who gave up on trying to use gameshark lol....too time consuming but i seem to have it down with the whole action replay thing

Im wondering if there ever will be a ps3 hack

Originally Posted by kadafi

Im wondering if there ever will be a ps3 hack

Its inevitable, give it time my young padawan learner.