Thanks to Davee and Team typhoon, custom firmware can now run on PSP-3000 or PSP-2000 with TA-088v3 via the chickHen hack. Using chickHen, you can run custom firmware to play ISO/CSO games and run homebrew applications.
So what is chickHen?
ChickHEN is an loader for all Sony PSP models (1000, 2000 and 3000) to run homebrew apps on official Sony 5.03 firmware. Everything runs on the onboard memory of the PSP so there’s no risk of damage (unless you stray away from the instructions). The current version of chickHen is chickHen-R2.
Important: If you have official firmware 5.50 installed, stop now. You can’t install the chickHen hack which means you can’t install any of the custom firmware for your PSP (5.03 GEN-A or Custom Firmware Enabler). As of 5.50 OFW, the TIFF exploit that the chickHen hack runs on is already patched.
Requirements:
- A PSP-3000 or PSP-2000 with TA-088v3 motherboard.
- A firmware version of 5.03 or lower. If you have anything higher, you can’t install chickHen.
- Download: 503.pbp | 503.pbp
- Download: ChickHEN R2 | ChickHEN R2 | ChickHEN R2
Update your PSP to OFW 5.03
Skip this step if you already have official firmware 5.03 installed.
- Connect your PSP to the computer in USB Mode
- Copy the 503.pbp to folder PSP/GAME/UPDATE
- Disconnect the PSP from USB
- Run the Update via XMB
- When the update finishes proceed to installing chickHen R2.
How to Install chickHEN R2
- On the Settings menu of your PSP’s XMB, do the following
- Restore to Default Settings’ of PSP
- Turn off UMD Auto-Start and UMD Cache
- Character set to us
- Revert theme for classic
- Connect your PSP to the computer in USB Mode
- Unzip ChickHEN R2.zip on your computer
- Copy h.bin to your memory stick root, this is where the VIDEO, PICTURE and PSP folders are.
- Copy the chickHEN folder (use the contents PHAT folder for PSP-1000s, SLIM folder for PSP-2000s and PSP-3000s) inside the PHOTO folder of your PSP (X:/PSP/PHOTO is the root of the memory stick, manually create this if you don’t see one)
- Disconnect the PSP from USB.
- Turn OFF (not standby) your PSP and turn it on again.
- Go to XMB >> Photo >> Memory Stick and wait (YES YOU NEED TO WAIT) an Options menu appear (Right Bottom)
- Hit X to open ChickHEN folder
- If you’re successful ChickHEN-R2 load up, you’ll see flashing colors, and your PSP will reboot automatically into ChickHEN. Check your Firmware version and you should see :
5.03 ChickHEN R2
Easy installer for ChickHen R2
For you lazy bums out there, you can use these programs to install chickHen R2 will just one click.
- Download the installer for your PSP Model:
- Extract the zip file to your computer
- Run the included program (it’s an exe, but don’t worry, it’s virus free)
- Connect your PSP to your PC.
- Hit the install button.
- If you’re successful ChickHEN-R2 load up, you’ll see flashing colors, and your PSP will reboot automatically into ChickHEN. Check your Firmware version and you should see :
5.03 ChickHEN R2
installer by ADePSP
Running custom firmware on ChickHen
After successfully loading chickHen, you can now proceed to run custom firmware on your PSP. You can choose:
Troubleshooting
If you’re experiencing trouble (and yes, a lot of people are having trouble running ChickHen) try these:
- Go to system settings, and choose Restore Default Settings option. Don’t change your PSP’s name from default.
- Turn off the Umd Auto load
- If you have PSP-2000 or PSP-3000 turn off UMD cache.
- Change the character set code to the US (437) or Multilingual latin 1 (850), this code are used for system access of some file types.
- Adding 1 to 2 extra gif images, copy and paste with name e.g. ChickHENe.gif, ChickHENf.gif. Its most happen on High Speed memory stick pro duo. Fake MS or Not
- Don’t use the chickHen folder other than for pictures used for chickHen.
- Try to use a different memory stick or reformatting your memory stick (after backing up it’s contents).
If you need a video:
If you still have a question, post it in the comments.
Tagged with: ChickHEN, Custom Firmware
Filed Under: Playstation Portable
helP!!!! i install correctly the chickHen r2 and tha gen-c upgrader but whenever I open my psp it became slow motion pls help
On the VSH menu (press select) set the CPU Clock XMB and CPU Clock Game to default
thanks dude! awesome
Strangely enough, ChickHEN worked for several months, but after adding new games, it stopped working. Are some games somehow able to interfere with the hack?
To sylv3rblade: Is your picture Mio from the anime K-On!?
Some of the newer games require 5.03 GEN-C to function properly so be sure to have this version of CFW installed
Also yep, it is mio
On another note, when I press X on the PSP, it only takes me back a folder. I have to press O instead to advance forward or to select. Any reasons why?
My guess is… it’s a Japanese-released PSP. They use O as enter and X as cancel.
you said important:if you have 5.50 OFW than you can’t install chickhen. but you didn’t say for which series. I have a psp phat (1001) with 6.20 OWF. so it still works? if it does, than you should edit it saying only for 2000 and 3000
ChickHen works on 5.03 ONLY. The only way you’ll get your phat to have CFW installed is to downgrade using a pandora battery. No other way around it.
so, after I make my pandora battery and downgrade to 1.50, how do I get to 5.03 from there? (phat)
This video would answer your question better than I can put them to words:
can you please answer my above question?
my friend is having a psp 3004 and he wants to install chicken hen ! i am noob i dont noe ……much bout psp’s etc he is hving a psp with 5.03 ofw ! can he intall chickenhen r2 direvtly from the easy installer is there a chance to brick plzz reply
hey i have a psp 3004 with firmware 5.03ofw i just want to ask can i directly instll chickenhen r2 through the easy installer is there a chance to brick????please help i dnt noe much bout tat! thanks
Just follow the instructions to the letter. There’s 0% chance of bricking if you keep to what the post says
@sylv3rblade hey dude, we meet on fb
remember?
and the “X” = back comes in singaporian psps too
Yep. I remember you
thanks!
This guide has worked great before, but today, im having an endless amount of trouble reinstalling
My steps:
check version to ensure that my handheld hasn’t mysteriously updated past 5.03
Switch off Wlan
Format Memory Card
Reset to default settings (leaving original name as is)
Revert theme to classic
Set character set to US (437)
Disable UMD autostart
Disable UMD autocache
Disable USB autoconnect
Disable USB charge
Plug handheld into pc, run chickHEN easy installer
Unplug psp, restart
Go to photos->memory card in my XMB
after options tooltip shows up, select chickHEN
watch PSP freeze at the .tiff file
repeat past three steps about 40 times
rage
repeat from step one
Am i missing something here? or is my timing just off selecting the chickHEN folder?
lol @rage
Try changing memory sticks. This is usually what prevents people from running chickHen properly.
last 3 times i`ve installed r2 in less than 10 attempts (with no default settings…)
but before that i tryed 11 hours…..
guess the most important thing may be….to select the `character set` to 850-multilingual latin 1 ????(`cause this is the last thing that default settings change….)
Fan friggin tastic guys. I have tried to load up ChickHen for the past 3 days with no success until just now. I have a PSP1000 PHAT, and it just would not work, with hundreds of attempts. After visiting dozens of websites with the same instructions, I finally saw this and changed the Character Set to Multilingual latin 1 (850), and voila – it worked! Thanks guys, U R ACE!
Time to put on the CFW – hope this goes more smoothly.
CLo
one small question after running chicken hen r2 easy installer it will directly install chicken ! or just put the images and h.bin……and then we have to clck on folder an oll??? plz help
It’ll just copy the files for you.
Hi. I have a PSP 2003 (Slim 3rd Gen) with firmware 3.73. If I upgrade my PSP to 5.03, won’t it mean that the custom firmware can only be temperately installed? I’m so confused, please help!
Yep. But seeing as your PSP is likely to be only partially hackable, that’s better off than just OFW.
Ive retried the above listed steps across three memory sticks now. The one which originally worked was a 2gb sandisk unoffical stick. The two which have reliably been utterly useless were offical sony 4gb memory stick mark 2s
Any insights on what I can do to get a successful install again?
Will ChickHEN R2 work on a non-TA-088v3 PSP-2000?
Yes but it’s recommended that you install a permanent CFW over it.
Hey man, thanks for replying.
I’m trying to hack a PSP-2001 for my brother’s friend. Currently he has 5.03 MHU, but he wants 5.03 GEN-C via ChickHEN R2.
Here’s what I plan to do:
1) Backup and format MS.
2) Softboot to reset everything and revert to OFW 5.03.
3) Install ChickHEN R2.
4) Install 5.03 GEN-C.
Can you please confirm if my process is correct sylv3rblade? I won’t brick anything right? Mahirap na, hindi kasi sakin eh. ^_^;
If you’re sure that the PSP isn’t a TA-088v3 mobo, you can simply hit the uninstall option of 5.03 MHU or you can simply convert the PSP to 5.00 M33 or even 5.50 GEN-D3 by following the guide below:
http://www.atmaxplorer.com/2009/07/convert-your-psp-to-custom-firmware-without-pandora-battery/
on psp 3000…..if we run psp chicken hen r2 and its is not sucess full will it brick or come back to normal state ot there is no chance to brick because it writes on the memory stic…plz reply
There is no chance for you to brick your PSP when installing ChickHen?
ok i have chickhen now but when i go to games i dont see them, “there are no games” can you tell me whats wrong please?
You still need to install either a 5.03 GEN CFW or CFWEnabler both are linked at the bottom of the post.
thanks!
)
I followed everything to the tee and have tried everything but cant get chicken to work. The video at the bottom shows a chickhen folder, but the chickhen files you give only have the one TIFF image and the h.bin. I also see about 19 images in that folder which once again i have only the one. I using the PSP PHAT and am totally confused here, need help!!!
Why not create a folder and copy the SINGLE tiff file to make MULTIPLE copies and rename them appropriately?
I’m trying to do this on a PSP-1001, and I’ve changed everything, even the encoding, and every time I try, it freezes and the memory card access light stays on for about 10 seconds, then it shuts down, but doesn’t install ChickHEN, i.e. It doesn’t say it in the “System Information” thing. I updated to 5.03 after trying on 5.00, and it still didn’t work. Does anyone have any ideas?