A Few Questions About HDLoader

Hey,

I've been looking at ordering an HDLoader boot disc/network card/hard disk set for my PS2 but I had a few questions about it first.

1. Versioning. Either due to financial troubles or the copyright gestapo, one version of HDLoader stopped production and now there seem to be several different versions out there. Which, if any, is the best one to use?

2. Hard disks. I know there are certain incompatible disks out there, but that's just a matter of checking the compatibility lists. What I'm wondering is if anyone can recommend a drive model that's consistently good/a good deal/whatever. Also, what size disk would be about right for a collection of, say 50-60 games? Some are CD, some are DVD5, some DVD9, some multi-disc games on various formats/disc sizes. I don't know that a 40GB HDD would really cut the mustard, but then a 500GB drive sounds like a bit of overkill. On the other hand, I may wind up "borrowing" games from friends for the, how you say, long term, so the extra space would be nice for installing games that seem to be invisible on my DVD shelf. If you catch my meaning. So anyway, 300GB? 500GB? 750GB? 10TB liquid-nitrogen cooled RAID? BlueGene? Holographic temporal-distortion quantum storage black hole array?

3. The whole install-from-PC thing. I understand there are two ways to do this. You can either install the physical drive in your PC or you can go over a network. Do you have to manually assign an IP? Do you need an FTP client or other special software? If so, is a Mac version available or will I need Virtual PC/Bochs/Parallels?

4. The whole install-from-PC thing redux. I keep reading about games being incompatible or having problems, except where installed on a PC. Is a PC installation a panacea for these problems or are some games flat-out incompatible no matter what you try? I have no problem with installing everything via PC if that's what works--what I've read makes it sound like PC installations are faster anyway.


Okay, I think I'm done. I guess my last question would be, to those who have used HDLoader...is it worth it? The time, money, work, etc. Are the benefits you get worth the investment, and/or are you ultimately glad you went the HDLoader route?

Thanks. I know I kinda vomited questions all over, but I do appreciate it.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Best site : http://www.console-exploits.com/

Best method : Memory Card Exploit = running any patched/updated version of hdloader from your memorycard

Best program : winhiip = hook up your hard drive to your PC or Mac and dump the iso on it

HDD Models : any models are suitable ,of course, UltraDMA models (not SATA) i'd go for a 200 GB

How ya doing, buddy?

The only thing you have to watch out with hard disks is that they align properly with the PS2 HD adapter. My Western Digital 120GB did not align perfectly, and I had to make-do by cutting the thin metal cover of the PS2 HDD adapter to align its molex with the molex on my hard disk. I do believe that most Maxtors are "compatible" in this area; but it's safest to check before you buy. How big is totally up to you, since the newer versions support 48bit LBA and can read past 137GB; I simply delegated an aging hard disk to use in my PS2.

Read up on the Independence Exploit, it's the most convenient way of launching HDLoader amongst other useful applications. As for installing games, get a cheap IDE enclosure and use WinHIIP; it's insanely fast and easy to use. Or you can use HDL_dump/dumb to transfer the image over the network, which is slower, but is less hassle as you just need to plug in an ethernet cable. The latest version is compatible with DHCP, so as long as your router/switch has that on, it's just plug-and-go.

Some games that have issues can be resolved by using the three HDLoader modes; others require certain patches to work while a very few games won't work at all. Look at the PS2HD compatibility list to see if games are compatible and which modes need to be enabled.

HDLoader is definitely worth it. The convenience of having all your games together and the almost nonexistant load times is worthwhile. Only gripe I have with HDLoader is that when I reset to play a different game I can't stop the hard disk from powering down and back up again. This may wear down the disk faster than if it was in a PC, but they're so cheap noadays it's no longer a worry. (Plus mine's already old and worn so..!)

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

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I've been looking at ordering an HDLoader boot disc/network card/hard disk set for my PS2 but I had a few questions about it first.

Don't order it. Use the homebrew version that all the current commercial versions are based on anyway. It has the best compatibility of all. You need to set up the "Independance Exploit" to get it working though. I'll be happy to discuss this with you if you need help.

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1. Versioning. Either due to financial troubles or the copyright gestapo, one version of HDLoader stopped production and now there seem to be several different versions out there. Which, if any, is the best one to use?

The original developer is now working on Toxic OS, a version of HDLoader which is somewhat more compatible, but only works with a DMS IV modchip. Homebrew developers have created a lot of patches for the original HDloader, but they are all applied to the original HDLoader. In a sense, there is only one version of HDLoader, and only ever will be. The HDL Patch application which applies patches to the clean HDLoader has a version number though, and so you refer to the patch version. It's currently at v0.8b.

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2. Hard disks. I know there are certain incompatible disks out there, but that's just a matter of checking the compatibility lists. What I'm wondering is if anyone can recommend a drive model that's consistently good/a good deal/whatever.

I've had good luck, with Samsung drives since I've been using HDLoader. I always advise people to buy Samsungs when they ask me for advice regarding HDLoader simply because of my own excellent results.

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Also, what size disk would be about right for a collection of, say 50-60 games? Some are CD, some are DVD5, some DVD9, some multi-disc games on various formats/disc sizes.

The average size of the PS2 games I own would seem to be about 2.5 GB or so. There are some really tiny games, and there are some huge two-disk 8GB monsters, but on average I'd say to estimate the number of games and multiply by 2.5 to determine your required space. Having done that, you should add on some extra to ensure you have elbow room for games that are larger than average.

I'd go with anything from 120GB upwards, if I were you. Just remember it has to be PATA, not SATA. There's no actual limit on the size of drive you can use with the homebrew HD Loader.

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3. The whole install-from-PC thing. I understand there are two ways to do this. You can either install the physical drive in your PC or you can go over a network. Do you have to manually assign an IP? Do you need an FTP client or other special software? If so, is a Mac version available or will I need Virtual PC/Bochs/Parallels?

You do need to manually assign an IP address for network installation of games, and the software you must use is called HDL Dump. I think it is possible to compile an OS X version of that software. There are other tools for the job, but they are Windows only as well. I heard Virtual PC does work for this though.

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4. The whole install-from-PC thing redux. I keep reading about games being incompatible or having problems, except where installed on a PC. Is a PC installation a panacea for these problems or are some games flat-out incompatible no matter what you try? I have no problem with installing everything via PC if that's what works--what I've read makes it sound like PC installations are faster anyway.

Some games are always incompatible whatever you do. They just don't work from the HD, and possibly never will. Other games only work when you connect your HD to the PC, and install using WinHIIP. Most games work fine however you install them. WinHIIP is Windows only, and I don't think it works with Virtual PC.

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Okay, I think I'm done. I guess my last question would be, to those who have used HDLoader...is it worth it? The time, money, work, etc. Are the benefits you get worth the investment, and/or are you ultimately glad you went the HDLoader route?

It's great. My PS2 will last longer, my games load faster, and my collection stays on my shelf, safe from scratches. I love the HDLoader.

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