FreeMCBoot, HDLoader, and Partition Sizes

[Mistral]

This might be an idle or foolish question, but is there a upper limit on hard drive partition sizes that an install of FreeMCBoot/HDLoader can access? Right now, I have connected to my SPCH-70012 PS2 a 2TB WD FAT32 HD, which apparently cannot be accessed. I ended up using my USB drive to actually install FMCB 1.8b, uLELF 4.42a, and HDL 0.8c, and I can still boot FMCB normally using this USB drive, but I would much prefer to use the hard drive purchased for this purpose. I am aware that the partition size is far and beyond what Windows natively permits for formatting, and thus am curious if the PS2, or at least these utilities, have a similar issue that might prevent it from accessing the drive. Thank you.

[cOcO!]

Have you formatted the HDD using winhiip?

[Jase]

Reg interest, as i just scored a PC and have a IDE HDD, i wanna see how this plays out

[Colamisu]

Google for "2TB PS2 HDD" reveals the following post in a thread from December '10:

>1TB does not work. The file system does not recognize the table entries properly and it causes data corruption. The current softwares would need to be updated to allow it to work.

There are NO reports of 1.5TB working, and if there are there are no pictures or videos to prove it. I forced my HDA on my HD to allow 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB. Nothing more than 1TB works. 1.1TB = FAIL. It will not format nor recognize in any software. I have other people that have tested.

So I'd say that's a pretty solid "No." You may be able to make it work with a 1TB partition on the 2TB HDD, but I have no experience messing with HDLoader.

EDIT: Oh, this also seems important:

In HDL, you are limited to 256 games to be listed, so its really a waste to use a 2TB HDD with it. I personally like to use 120GB to 500GB HDDs, but i mostly stick to 120GB to 200GBs sized HDDs so it dont take as long to re-populate the list after a delete/install of a bunch of games.

The larger the HDD, the longer it takes to read the HDD for changes and write to the config file for the Games List in HDL.

[Jase]

This can only be done with a fat PS2 right? becuase it uses a network thingo in the back which has an IDE port?
This in theory will turn my PS2 into a 'JTAGed" type PS2, so i can run ISO's from the HDD?

[Beelzebub]

This can only be done with a fat PS2 right? becuase it uses a network thingo in the back which has an IDE port?
This in theory will turn my PS2 into a 'JTAGed" type PS2, so i can run ISO's from the HDD?

Not necessarily, you can connect an IDE HDD to a Slim PS2, it's just not easy. http://www.i-hacked.com/content/view/157/62/

[Mistral]

Google for "2TB PS2 HDD" reveals the following post in a thread from December '10:



So I'd say that's a pretty solid "No." You may be able to make it work with a 1TB partition on the 2TB HDD, but I have no experience messing with HDLoader.

EDIT: Oh, this also seems important:

Ah, thank you. Silly me, forgetting to use search engines in addition to the base sites. I didn't notice that post in my search of the forums, but I suppose I just searched for the wrong queries. I just looked for everything that mentioned HDLoader or FreeMCBoot.
...
So...I suppose I can probably use this thing for backups for my computer. Ah, well.

EDIT:
"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Colamisu again."
So, any ETA on that rep hack? :nyoron: