( Read Before Posting! ) Playstation and PSP FAQ

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

Spoiler warning:

Quote:

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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

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General

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. A good tutorial on how to handle
  these files can be found here.
  
  
• 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
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Q. Are there any in-depth guides about the archive files? I'm still confused...
  A. Well, if reading text is not your thing, then hope Shardnax's guide can help you better.

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.

PSX

• Q: How do I burn a game for use on my console?
  A: There are several programs you can use: Alcohol 120%, Imgburn, etc. Here's a guide by polobunny that tells you how to burn a game using Alcohol 120%.
  
  
• Q: Will x game run on my emulator?
  A: That depends on your emulator and version. This thread contains links to several compatibility lists.
  
  
• Q: I've downloaded ePSXe and the plugins, but can't get them configured! What do I do?
  A: We have a guide here that will walk you through the process of setting it up.
  
  
• Q: Help, x game isn't running on my emulator! What do I do?
  A: We'd need more information. What exactly happens when you try to run the game? What emulator and version of the emulator are you using? What plugins, if it's plugin based? If ePSXe, then click config, video, configure, click the "Copy settings to clipboard" button in
  the lower right and paste on reply.
  
  
• Q: When playing Chrono Cross in ePSXe I can only see a portion of the screen, the rest is black!
  A: This happens in a couple of areas, and the solution is to increase framebuffer access all the way. It will likely slow the game down, but at least you'll see the screen.
  
  
• Q: The game's going way too fast in ePSXe! What can I do to fix this?
  A: This is usually caused when you don't have the fps limit set. Go to config, video, configure, check the "Use FPS limit" option, and set the fps to 60 (for US and Japanese games) or 50 (for PAL games).
  
  
• Q: I set the fps limit but it's still too fast! What do I do?
  A: If this is the case, then you most likely have a dual core computer. Grab this and run it (follow any instructions with it!) and you should be good to go.
  
  
• Q: My Final Fantasy IX game froze in Dali after boarding the ship! I'm on ePSXe 1.6.0, so what do I do?
  A: This is a known problem with 1.6.0, and the only real solution to get past that part is to use either 1.5.2 or 1.7.0.
  
  
• Q: I can't see the battle menu in Final Fantasy VII/VIII/IX when using ePSXe, what do I do?
  A: This is usually caused when the offscreen drawing isn't high enough (I recommend at least 3). Here's a thread that has a configuration for each of the three games.
  
  
• Q: I extracted the files, but I now have a mds and mdf file. How do I get this to run in an emulator?
  A: To use those kind of files you need a program such as Daemon Tools. Mount the image (click, select "Drive 0", and locate the game file) and configure your emulator's CD drive path so that it will read from the virtual drive. Next simply click "Run CDRom"
  (in ePSXe for example) and it should work. For a more detailed explanation of how to set up Daemon Tools, see this thread.
  
  
• Q: I don't want to go through the hassle of downloading a emulator, BIOS, and plugins seperately, is there a place I can get them all in one?
  A: As a matter of fact there is. We have some starter kits here.
  
  
• Q: How do I change discs in ePSXe 1.7.0? I go to file, change disc, iso, but all I'm getting is a blank screen!
  A: This is an issue with ePSXe version 1.7.0. Zorlon describes a way to switch discs here, or you could use a different version of the emulator
  to get through the switch disc part. All plugins and everything are compatible with the older versions. It's also been reported that using a different cd plugin than the one that comes with 1.7.0 works as well. Note: On games that allow you to save at the disc swap screen,
  you could just create a save, close the emulator, then reopen the emulator and load the next disc.

Playstation Portable (PSP)

• Q: How do I get Custom Firmware(CFW)?
  A: You can download it anywhere on the net, through the uses of search engine and so on, but it's better to download it from trusted PSP hacking sites, such as PSP-Hacks, PSPSlimhacks, or Wololo.net
  
  
• Q: So, which CFW should I use?
  A: Depends on the PSP models you have, newer CFW has better compatibility when running backup games, especially the latest one, as well of having wide selection of plugins and homebrew.
  The said CFW are PRO CFW and ME CFW.
  
  
• Q: Is downgrading possible on the latest model of PSP(3000, GO)?
  A: Yes, it can be done by using Chronoswitch Downgrader. More details from this thread.
  
  
• Q: How will I know what POPS version to use for my PSX eboot?
  A: Here's a useful compatibility list that you can check. If you're using PRO or ME, then it is recommend to use Popsloader plugin.
  
  
• Q: How do I make an PSX Eboot?
  A: There are several guides on the forums explaining this. Ktiger and Inferno have both made guides if you wish to use Icetea to convert,
  but if you'd prefer PSX2PSP, then check out Jazzmahwhatever's guide. (links to each are in the names).
  
  
• Q: Can I play Playstation 2 games on my hacked PSP?
  A: No, you can't. The PSP simply isn't powerful enough to run PS2 games. Any that you may see running are official ports of PS2 games.
  
  
• Q: What are the best PSP emulators to run commercial games?
  A: Looks like an emulator called JPCSP can run some games now. A good tutorial on how to get started using it is available here. And here are some links to compatibility lists.
  
  
• Q: Can I play backup games on Official Firmware(OFW)?
  A: Of course. In order to do that, you need to convert the ISO/CSO to EBOOT first(not PSX EBOOT) using this software.
  However, there is a limitation though, where you can only use it on clean backup, with maximum size of 1.1GB.
  
  
• Q: Is it possible to play PSP backups on a modded PSP console by loading them directly from a computer HDD?
  A: If your CFW is at or higher than 3.52 m33-4, check this tutorial out.
  If your CFW is below 3.52, this is your tutorial.
  
  
• Q: Does any PSP emulator offer multiplayer capabilities to play with my friends?
  A: Yes, PPSSPP includes a multiplayer feature to play online the PSP games that originally included co-op options. Here's a good tutorial on how to set up the emulator using the Evolve method.
  
  
• Q: Are there more PSP related guides hosted here? Or if I want to request for certain guide?
  A: Go here for more PSP related guide, and here if you want to make request.

Playstation VITA (PSV)

• Q: Are there any existing CFWs for PSV until now?
  A: There is no 'native' CFW for PSV, but thanks to current exploits, eCFW has been released for PSV.
  
  
• Q: eCFW? what is that?
  A: eCFW or Emulator Custom Firmware is a PSP emulator that runs within Vita through game exploit.
  
  
• Q: Can I run my PSP backup (.iso) on it? and plugins?
  A: Yes, you can. Its quite similar on how you run PSP backup on your PSP, difference is you are playing it on Vita.
  
  
• Q: What about Vita backup?
  A: Nope, there are no known method of creating Vita backup as of now, let alone any existing Vita backup floating around the net.
  
  
• Q: Do I need anything specific before I can use it?
  A: Yes, first you need to OWN the game which has the exploit (will be announced at Wololo.net), and download the CFW files as well.
  
  
• Q: How can I obtain 'these' soon-to-be-announced games?
  A: The only way to obtain it is by PURCHASING from PSN store.
  
  
• Q: So where I can download this 'eCFW'?
  A: Go here. Installation guide or any extra info about this CFW should also be included.
  
  
• Q: Any working Vita emulator yet?
  A: Nope.
  

Missing/broken links will be fixed as soon as the tutorials or guides linked here are re-posted.