Adding a Hard Drive to the Playstation 2...

I hope this is the tread to discuss this topic... NOTE: I have a FAT Playstation 2 so I know that's a requirement for this topic

First I did not search this web site about this topic, I searched the web and watched videos, and I'm a bit confused still. Instead of bothering someone who is MODing my Playstation 1, I thought I would bring up an old subject...

I have the Modem/Broadband adaptor and I didn't do any thing with it, I was going to look up things I could do with it and never did, so it sit in the box it was shipped in from the person who I bought it from (some one from here..). After looking into MODs for my Playstation 2 I noticed there are videos and discussions on adding a hard dive (COOL!), I thought this was special drive from Sony, and didn't realize that this is basically IDE drive like the X-Box.

Now for the dumb question, the videos I watched, the people where installing 3 1/2 IDE 200gig hard drives, does it have to be this big (gigs wise)? Can it be 7200rpm or does it have to be 5400rpm, this doesn't really matter to me, most of my computers have 5400rpm hard drives in them (except for those SSD computers), BUT my old IDE hard drives are 7200rpm, thus why I ask.

Can you put Emulators on the hard drive (Gen/NES/SNES/GAMEBOY)? Can you put Playstation 1 and Playstation 2 games on it? In some of the videos people where running Playstation 2 games off it. Can you run videos (I'm sure you have to put them into some kind of format)?

I noticed people where using MODed memory cards and I read how to do that. I'm looking at buying an already MODed memory ($11 shipped) card since buying AR-Max which those that I can find on the net that have the player want big bucks for. Can't I get around this by hooking up the hard drive to the computer and using software on the computer to format and install the software needed to run it on the Playstation 2? This would seem to me be the easier route.

Thanks for answering these noob questions!


=Hugh

 

OK first off you don't need FMCB on that memory card since you can install a modded OSD into a HDD and have hax for free, can even install FMCB yourself on a card after that.
As for the size and speed of the HDD well the size matters only if you dont want to open up the HDD adapter since bigger sized HDD wont plug into the adapter normally tho if you open it up it works fine, Speed wise it doesn't matter at all.

As for the rest well

Yes on emulators but not all work since some look for the disc drive specifically, Just use USB for those.
Yes PS1 does kinda work but I wouldn't recommend it
Yes PS2 works and even runs most games better then from disc which is cool but there are some that don't work right tho everything I own runs fine so IDK.
Just use SMS for videos, needs to be in avi iirc, been a long time since I used it but it ran fine from what I remember.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean physical size. I know it has to be a 3 1/2 half hight drive, I mean size in gigabytes. I guess I better do some more searching on net on how to setup the hard drive with out dealing with FMCB on a memory card. Every where I was looking kept mention FMCB to boot the playstation to setup the drive. I would like to do this with out getting the memory card to be honest.

Yeah on the Playstation 1 games, it was just a thought, I have some Playstation 1 games not work right on my Playstation 2. Strange I know, some of them lock up but work fine on my Playstation 1.

I know, what you mean since it's been a long time. Everyone moved on to better things while I stopped buying consoles at the 3DS and GameCube. I didn't get a PS3, X-Box 360, X-Box One, or PS4 because I didn't have an HDTV. Guess what I do now, but I'm having too much fun playing all these old games I didn't get a change too, but we are getting off subject here..


Thanks!

=Hugh

 

As long as its at least 40GB you will be fine but I used an 80GB on mine and had a good handful of games on it.

To install the modded OSD without FMCB you need a way to connect the HDD to a PC so you can run a thing that will format the drive then copy an image copy of someone else who already did it.
I can link ya in PM if you want the files since the place its on is against forum rules.

 

I have a way to connect the HD to the computer, big deal there. I have one of those things that lets you connect any HD to the computer <IDE,2.5IDE,SATA>. Well I can try to more searching around, I don't to break any rules of the site. :/

Thanks!

=hugh

 

There's two hdd ps2 images on psxscene.
What you do is you connect the hdd to your pc and restore the hdd image of your choice to the hdd.
Once that is done your ps2 is softmodded.
At this point I would install fmcb to mc and format the hdd, but you don't have to.

 

I used the one thats on that one zone for 1$0z and honestly nothing beats booting games from the OSD so I would recommend that instead of FMCB.

 

Setting up games for OSD/PSBB is a hassle. Installing them with WinHIIP and loading with OPL is hasslefree and a breeze. Also nice to keep the softmod separated from the hdd.
The result is the same though. Games boot super fast, loading times are much shorter than playing from cd/dvd.

 

No. You could even use disks smaller than those official 40GB SONY disks, but having one too small will prevent you from storing much content.
Old disks that do not support UDMA mode 4 (i.e. not compliant with ATA-4) are likely not supported.

Although you must beware that some disks (notably those from Western Digital) have a slightly longer jumper block, which makes the disk physically incompatible with the network adaptor.

You can. But having a super-fast disk may not grant you higher performance, due to hardware limitations.

The card itself is not modified; FMCB was just installed.
Likewise, the installation of FMCB or FHDB does not modify the software on the PlayStation 2 console, as the console uses ROM.

Regardless of whether he actually boots games from the HDD Browser or not, FHDB will still allow him to boot software without a memory card.
FMCB does not support the HDD unit, so the only way to boot software directly from the HDD unit would be to use FHDB.

If he installs his games with HDLGameInstaller, then the games would work with OPL and the HDD Browser.
In fact, he wouldn't have to even disconnect the HDD unit.
The only issue would be the slower installation speed, due to hardware limitations.

 

I'm not talking about that. You're talking about booting the PS2 from the HDD. For what purpose? It's cool that FHDB is available as an alternative to FMCB, but it's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about playing games from the HDD, which you can do with FMCB + OPL. To me that's the prefered way of using an HDD.

 

You mentioned this:

This was what you're suggesting, so I am suggesting that if he didn't use FMCB, then he could just boot OPL directly from the HDD unit. No need to store OPL or any other software on the memory card, keeping it free for save data.

 

Yes, because I like keeping my eggs in separate baskets. And because I have an ar max 64 mb card. That's why I said "you don't have to"
And fate was talking about osd/psbb. Which is a hassle compared to opl/winhiip.
Also, since opl has vmc, space on the mc is not an issue even if you have a standard 8mb mc.

 

i just stumbled upon this thread by accident but figured i would throw in my two cents, i also have a fat ps2 with a modded memory card, i also modded my network adapter to take sata hard drives (which i have a WD Black 1tb hard drive installed) instead of a old and dying ide drives, which are getting harder and cost more to find and buy, best to just future proof it

 

That's weird, where do you live where ide drives cost more?
Over here ide are dirt cheap, sata are more expensive. Not by a lot, but my point stands, ide are cheaper.

I wouldn't say ide are less reliable, or even that they become less reliable with age.
Just salvaged two 120gb ide drives from a 16 year old workstation. Ran all kinds of tests on them and it turns out they're in perfect condition, despite daily use for 16 years.

 

im

in the usa and for the longest time i have been able to get sata drives cheaper than ide

 

Weird. Just ran a quick search on ebay and ide are 5-20 $ cheaper than sata there too.
You must live in some weird place where sata is cheaper..

 

nah i just buy new rather than used so thats probably the biggest reason, also i used the maxdiypower sata adapter i know it dont work for everyone but it works awesome on my NA!

 

US guy over here, IDE is indeed cheaper so IDK where luke here got his numbers.
Anywhoo I just used to use the nifty program sp193 made to install games to the OSD from network so IDK, sure the install is slow but its not like im going to be deleting/installing games everyday.

 

i only buy new hard drives thats why, though the 1tb hdd i used in my ps2 was used but new in the box that was bought by a friend of mine who was going to use it for something but decided not too and let me have it

 

I'm talking new as well, check Amazon bruh bruh.