No application available to access PSX memory card on PS2

[cartridge]

Hi!

I'm looking for an application to access a PSX memory card on my PS2.
I have a PS2 with Matrix Inifinity.

I have used the broadband adapter with ExecFTP, but that will only give me access to the PS2 memory card.

Anyone know if this software is available or any chance that someone will write some?

[cartridge]

Now I have managed to access my PSX saves, by first copying them to a PS2 memory card.

I then access my PS2 memory card via ExecFTP.

When I copy a file to my PC from the memory card and then copy it back to the memory card, the PS2 won't recognize the save anymore.

Anyone know why this is?

[cory1492]

nPort tried to solve this problem (but it never went past beta I guess), I think it has something to do with creation dates etc, but hey I could be way off (as usual)

[cartridge]

I will try to maintain the file dates then.

I will also try to find out what the difference is between an US PSX save and an EU PSX save for the same game..

I will make two save files, one with FF Origins (US) and one with FF Origins (EU) and then compare them.

[pixel]

There's a flag on the directory to tell it's a PSX save on a PS2 memory card...

[cartridge]

Can you change this flag?

And it doesn't help me when I'm trying to make backups of my PSX saves.

[cartridge]

Now I have tried nPort in conjunction with Pukklink and Inlink.
It works perfect for PS2 saves, but it won't work with PSX saves.

If I copy a PSX save I get a npo file and all seem ok, but when I copy it back I get "Corrupted data" on the memory card.

Anyone managed to succesfully backup PSX saves?

[dlanor]

There are indeed very few programs available that deal correctly with PS1 memory cards and the game saves on/from them. Most PS2 homebrews fail to access the cards directly, and when copying PS1 saves from PS2 memory cards (placed there by the browser of PS2 BIOS) most of these homebrews fail to preserve the special PS1 flag of the folder.

Fortunately there are at least two PS2 tools that do allow correct backup of PS1 saves such that they can be restored without problems. These are 'MC Manager' (by Kaylakaze) and 'LaunchELF' (by some japanese guy).

MC Manager can only backup saves from PS2 MCs, but in so doing it will preserve the PS1 flag for the save folder. When such a backup is restored from HDD to PS2 MC, the flag will again be preserved, and the PS2 browser will accept the save as valid, so that it can be copied back to a PS1 MC.

LaunchELF on the other hand does NOT preserve the PS1 flag of PS1 saves on PS2 MCs, but fortunately it doesn't really need to, as it is also capable of accessing PS1 MCs directly. This allows the original PS1 save file to be copied to almost any PS2 media (eg:
PS1 or PS2 MCs, hard disk, USB drives...), and any such backup can then be restored simply by copying it back to a PS1 MC again.

I believe you need the latest version of LaunchELF for PS1 MC access to work right, as there have been massive improvements in its browser lately. (Current version is v3.4b)

Best regards: dlanor

[cartridge]

Thank you for your reply.

I will try LaunchELF 3.4b2 when I get home.
I don't have a harddisk in my PS2, but I hope it will work anyway.

[dlanor]

Thank you for your reply.

I'm glad I could help.

I will try LaunchELF 3.4b2 when I get home.

That's the one I meant, I just missed typing the '2'.

I don't have a harddisk in my PS2, but I hope it will work anyway.

It should work fine. As far as I know, LaunchELF isn't dependent on any of the media it supports, except that the one used to launch it will affect how it loads/saves its configuration file.

Best regards: dlanor

PS: I almost forgot...
Since LaunchELF is a japanese program (despite using english text), it uses the 'O' key for activating stuff but the 'X' for canceling actions. (Except sometimes when it's used to mark selections) This can get confusing as it's the opposite of non-japanese PS2 usage.

The blame for this lies solidly with SCEA who decided to create this confusion rather than adopt the original japanese usage...
DS.

[weltall]

dlanor do you know a way to load them to pc so they can be loaded on a psx memory card manager and on an emulator succesfully? i can't get this to work :(

[dlanor]

dlanor do you know a way to load them to pc so they can be loaded on a psx memory card manager and on an emulator succesfully? i can't get this to work :(

That too can be accomplished quite easily though some hex editing is required.

First you need to download PSXMemTool from some emu site, and don't forget to get the runtime libraries it needs. Those should be available in the same place, since that's how the author released them.

This tool allows all kinds of manipulation of PS1 MC files, even editing, and is compatible with all formats normally used with PS1 emulators. Unfortunately that does NOT include the raw save file format used for individual saves on a PS1 MC, having only 8192 bytes per save, so you need to convert that to a supported format.

The format I normally use is the ".PS1" format, using a 128 byte header followed by the 8192 bytes of the 'raw' save file. I normally add the header with a hex editor, simply by pasting a 128 byte block from an old ".PS1" file and then edit this header to match the current save.

Here is an example of what such a header would look like:

Code: Select all

Offset      0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7   8  9  A  B  C  D  E  F

00000000   51 00 00 00 00 20 00 00  FF FF 42 45 53 4C 45 53   Q.... ..ÿÿBESLES
00000010   2D 30 32 39 36 35 30 30  30 30 30 2D 31 33 00 00   -0296500000-13..
00000020   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ................
00000030   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ................
00000040   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ................
00000050   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ................
00000060   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ................
00000070   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 75   ...............u

You only need to edit the game and save identifier, starting at offset 0x0A. All other parts may be left unchanged as they are not significant for importing a save into PSXMemTool. However, if you need to use the PS1 file for other things, remember that the last byte of the header is a check value, and should then be equal to the XOR value of the other 127 bytes. But with PSXMemTool you never have to calculate that, as you can just export the save again after importing it, and then the new PS1 file will have the correct check value.

Anyway, having made a PS1 file as described above (with possibly nackered check value ;) you can simply import it into a save slot of an MC file in PSXMemTool, just by right-clicking a save slot and selecting 'import'. This will suck that save into the edited MC, and you can then save it out as a full MC file, or re-export just that slot. Several formats are supported both for full MC files and for separate saves, and in all cases the saved data will have corrected checks.

I have used this method several times to transfer PS1 saves between the PS2 and PS1 emulators on a PC, in both directions.

Best regards: dlanor

[cartridge]

I finally managed to backup my PS1 saves successfully.

I used LaunchELF 3.4b2 in conjunction with ExecFTPs 0.69 (since I don't have a hard disk or a compatible USB memory to use with LaunchELF).

If I copy the files to my PS2 memory card with LaunchELF and then copy them to my computer with ExecFTPs, I can successfully edit and put them back on my PS2 memory card with ExecFTPs and then copy them from there to my PS1 memory card with LaunchELF.

I successfully managed to change region on my Suikoden I (EU) save to US region. Seems that the only difference is the file name on the save (can anyone confirm this?).

I also managed to use a save downloaded from internet. I only stripped the header as described in dlanor's latest post.

I successfully changed the region on a PS2 save also (seems that the file name is the only thing that changed, can anyone confirm this?).

[dlanor]

I finally managed to backup my PS1 saves successfully.

I'm glad to hear your problems were solved.

I successfully managed to change region on my Suikoden I (EU) save to US region. Seems that the only difference is the file name on the save (can anyone confirm this?).

I don't have that game so I have no idea, and you need to be very sure of full compatibility for these things. Even if the files are 99.9% identical, minor diffs may still prevent completion of the game.

I also managed to use a save downloaded from internet. I only stripped the header as described in dlanor's latest post.

Yes, importing PS1 saves is very simple, as the format is fixed to 8192 bytes per save block (though some games use multiple blocks).

I successfully changed the region on a PS2 save also (seems that the file name is the only thing that changed, can anyone confirm this?).

I can confirm that it is _sometimes_ that simple, but I must also tell you that it's not very common. Often there have been major changes in the save-data structures between the releases for US and Europe, and even if the structures are unchanged many games use checksums, CRCs, or even encryption and patching such saves will result in corrupt data (unless you can repair the CRC/encryption).

Not that the save will be regarded as corrupt by the PS2 itself, of course, but games mostly refuse to use a save if the CRC (or other check method) fails.

Best regards: dlanor

[cartridge]

I don't have that game so I have no idea, and you need to be very sure of full compatibility for these things. Even if the files are 99.9% identical, minor diffs may still prevent completion of the game.

I used it for loading it into Suikoden 2 (that was US version)

I can confirm that it is _sometimes_ that simple, but I must also tell you that it's not very common. Often there have been major changes in the save-data structures between the releases for US and Europe, and even if the structures are unchanged many games use checksums, CRCs, or even encryption and patching such saves will result in corrupt data (unless you can repair the CRC/encryption).

It seems that MGS 3 uses some sort of encryption.
The save game file is a long name with "garbage" characters.

Though, backup always work at least.

[ooPo]

That garbage may be japanese characters you're not viewing correctly.

[cartridge]

That garbage may be japanese characters you're not viewing correctly.

Yeah, that may be the case. Maybe they didn't change the save routines from the japanese version of the game to the us version.