Playstation 2 FAQ [WIP] (Read before posting)

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Please include the information in the spoiler when asking for help.

Spoiler warning:

Originally Posted by Vivi

It's hard to help people when they just say, "it Crashes", So I have written this up to help people who are experiencing problems get to the roots of it quicker.

What you need to include when asking for assistance are the following,

**Hardware**
CPU (if your computer is a dual-core, be sure to mention this)
Graphics Card
RAM (Not hard drive space)
Operating System. (Windows version or other OS)


Emulator
What emulator you are currently Running
What version of the emulator
What plugins you are using (Include your GPU plugin settings)
Have you tried other Roms/Images, of the same game
And or if you have tried other emulators

Please read this before posting any emulation problems you are experiencing.

General
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Archive, multi file and download questions

Q. What do I do with zip rar ace 7z files?
A. these are compressed archives, though some emulators don't need these extracting others will, to extract you can use WinZip WinRAR WinAce or 7-zip, 7-zip will cover most archive types but if you ever have a problem check for updates or use the official extractor for that file type, emulators generally only support zip archives (there are a few exceptions)

Q. I downloaded X game, I have all parts how do I put them together?
A. Depending on the file types you can rejoin the files using WinRAR, 7-zip and plenty more 7-zip covers most formats though, just extract from the first file, usually named 001 or it's the only one without a numbered file ext, usually rar or zip.

Q. Help I'm getting a virus when trying to run this self extracting file and the files are not extracting?
A. This is a false report and can be avoided using this guide.

Q. I can't download X file from your website?
A. Post the problem link over at Comments/Suggestions/Broken Links & Download Problems this will be fixed as soon as possible.

Q. Help my downloaded files are not extracting and keep giving me an error?
A. Please try redownloading the file if the problem is still there please feel free to ask in a new thread.

Q. What do I do with .nfo files?
A. These are not part of the compressed files but they are text files with information about the release. You can open then with Notepad.

Q. What do the .sfv files do for me?
A. These are for verifying your files and to make sure they have downloaded correctly with QuickSFV or MOOSFV.


Q. I downloaded a game and extracted it, but there's a strange extension at the end I don't recognize. It's .ecm. How do I use this file?
Q. I also have .ape files, how do I use these?
Q. I can't find the cue sheet to go with this, how do I find it?
A: ECM is used to further compress a file. You can read up on how to extract it and handle ape files aswell as the missing cue sheets here.

CD Image Questions

Q. I there a list of CD Image formats and software I can use for burning these?
A. Yes we have a nice guide on cd images here

Q. The emulator I'm using does not support CD Images can I still play them without burning CD Images first?
A. Yes you can if you mount the CD Image in a virtual drive, you can find a guide for that using a free tool called Daemon Tools here


PS2 Emulation
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Q: I'd like to play some Playstation 2 games in my computer, is there any PS2 emulator? Where can I download it?
A: There are a few PS2 emulators being developed. The best one is PCSX2. Click that link to go to the Official webpage and download it. If you have a high end computer it's worth to try it.

Q: My computer is not too good, will it work in my computer?
A: You can check the requirements out here.

Q: My computer is good enough, but I need a step by step guide to make it work.
A: This tutorial will help you to configure the program.

Q: Where can I find the BIOS file? the emulator won't run without it.
A: You can download it here. BIOS file.

Q: I've downloaded a game and it doesn't work on PCSX2. Am I doing something wrong?
A: Not every game is being emulated properly so you better make sure if you'll be able to run the game before downloading it by checking a Compatibility List.

Q: Where can I download PS2 games?
A: Emuparadise offers you a large and always growing selection of PS2 games in the Playstation 2 Links section.
Also, requests are allowed in the ROM & ISO Requests subforum. Open a new thread in that section to request your games stating the complete name and version requested (NTSC-U/America/Canada, NTSC-J/Japan, PAL/Europe/Australia).

PS2 Console
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Burning

Q: How do I burn my games to play in my PS2 console?
A: There are several burning applications you can use to burn your games, Alcohol 120%, Nero, IMGBurn/DVD Decrypter... the process won't differ too much between using one or other. Alcohol 120% even includes a specific setting to burn the PS2 games. Here's a small guide to burn using DVD Decrypter/IMG Burn.

Q: Is it possible to burn the CD based games to DVD media?
A: Some of them can be converted to be burned onto DVDs, we have a couple of tutorials explaining the process here and here.

General

Q: I have a NTSC-U console and a NTSC-U TV, will the PAL games display on my TV?
A: Some games will be displayed properly as they include the 60Hz option. Some others will have to be patched with programs like Y-FIX V1.06 BETA or ADR Patcher to work. And, finally, some others simply won't be displayed on your TV properly.
Lists of games including the 60Hz option and detailed info on how to patch the games with the programs mentioned above can be found here.

Q: When I try to run a game in my PS2 console I always get disc errors, any way to fix it?
A: You could try the method explained in this thread.

Q: How do I update my Action Replay Max Evo disc?
A: This tutorial will walk you through the process.

Running Backups

Q: Is there any way to play my PSX backups in a non modded (no mod chip installed) PS2 original model console?
A: Yes, the process implies using a slide card and a PSX Gameshark. A detailed explanation on the whole process including how to make your own slide card can be found in this guide. Alternatively you can use the Breaker Pro boot disc instead of Gameshark.

Q: Is there any way to play my PS2 backups in a non modded (no mod chip installed) PS2 console?
A: Currently the best method is to use a softmod called ESR that needs no tricks once installed except for patching the games before they are burned, installing does require some sort of trick though.. full details can be found here

The PSX method described above (slide card) can be used if you have a PS2 original model console, but you have to purchase the Swap Magic DVD (to run DVD based games) and CD (to run CD based games). A backup of them won't work.

The Official PS2 Broadband/Network Adapter, a Hard Disk Drive and a program called HDLoader can be also used to install PS2 games onto the HDD and run them from it. A good tutorial on this can be consulted here.

Alternatively, if you don't want to use the slide card or the HDD, you can install a fliptop cover in your PS2 original model console or PSTwo slimline model. Videos explaining how to do it with both models can be watched here (fat model) and here (slim model). In this case, you still need original copies of Swap Magic.

Finally, if you have a PS2 slimline model console, if you don't want to get a fliptop cover, you can install the Magic Keys/Switch, consisting in 3 pieces of plastic/aluminium, that will let you run your backups, again, you need to purchase the Swap Magic discs. Installing them is easy, but still, download this video if you find some problem doing it.

Q: I'd like to run homebrew programs and backups in my PS2 console, is there any way to do it without installing that stuff nor purchasing the Swap Magic discs?
A: There's a nice application called Free MC Boot that allows you to do that, you only have to install it in your official 8 MBs Memory Card (it works with some 3rd party memories too). Detailed guides in various languages can be found in this site.

Q: Do I need Swap Magic to install the Free MC Boot application?
A: It's been reported that some games, like 007 Agent Under Fire, can be used instead of Swap Magic to install it. For a list of the games that can be used with this purpose and the way to do it, go here.

Q: I use HDLoader to play my games and I'm having some problems running x game. Is there any HDLoader Compatibility list?
A: There are many lists out there being this one one of them.

Q: I'm getting a black screen when trying to run my PS2 backups via HDLoader, any way to boot them so I can play them?
A: You could try using a Virtual Memory Card and rebuilding your games accordingly to the tutorial posted here.

Q: How do I create that Virtual Memory Card?
A: You can do it by following the steps described in our guide. You'll have to get a USB stick.

Online Gaming

Q: What do I have to do to play online games with my PS2 console
A: It deppends on the PS2 cosole model you have. Regardless of it being the original or the slimline one, you need a modem or router, a ethernet cable to connnect the router/modem and the console and broadband connection.
Original model users will have to buy the PS2 Bradband Adapter, the slimline model already includes it so it's not necesary.

Q: Will I be able to play backups online aswell?
A: Yes, backups can be played online, but you need to patch the image file first before burning it with a program called WINDIP and using the correct DNAS ID for the game you want to play. The tutorial to do it and a good list with DNAS IDs for NTSC-U and PAL games can be found here.

Emulation on PS2 Consoles

Q: Is it possible to run emulators in my PS2 console via an USB stick?
A: Yes, it is, as long as you can run .elf files (with Swap Magic, Free MC Boot..). Emulators for various systems (NES, Master System, SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, NEOGEO CD...) are available to be used this way. For more info, click here.