Convert your PSP to Custom Firmware
Posted by 
October 15, 2008 •
PSP for Dummies > Converting your PSP to Custom Firmware using a Pandora battery
This is the nitty gritty guide on converting your PSP to custom firmware by means of a Pandora battery. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of creating a Pandora battery, you can opt to use the Pandora-less guide: Convert your PSP to custom firmware without pandora.
How to install Custom Firmware on your PSP
Requirements
- A Hackable PSP. Again if you don’t know what a hackable PSP is, please READ: Can my PSP have custom firmware installed?
- A Pandora Battery, you can either buy one here or convert an original Sony PSP Battery
- A Memory Stick Pro Duo to Magic Memory Stick [at least 64MB – 4GB]
If you are wondering as to what a Pandora Battery is, read the Terms and Definitions part of my CFW for dummies guide.
-
Making a Magic Memory Stick
- Download PSP Grader: Mirror 1
- Extract the file to a folder to your computer
- Connect your PSP into the PC. Backup any data on the Memory Stick Pro Duo on your hard drive. This is because you need to reformat the Memory Stick and all data on it will be lost
- Run PSP Grader. Once it has opened, select ‘Download’. This will download the 5.00 update file needed for installing custom firmware. Do note that the download speed is highly dependent on your connection.
- Once the download finishes, under ‘Target Memory Stick’, select the drive letter of your PSP. Check the box that says ‘Format Memory Stick’.
- Select ‘Create Pandora Stick”
- Congratulations, you now have a Magic Memory Stick
-
Making a Pandora Battery
If you didn’t buy a Pandora battery from this link, you can opt to create one yourself but you need a second PSP with custom firmware installed.
- Download the Pandora installer: Mirror 1
- Extract the file to a folder to your computer
- Connect your PSP into the PC. Backup any data on the Memory Stick Pro Duo on your hard drive. This is because you need to reformat the Memory Stick and all data on it will be lost
- Copy the “pan3xx” Folder to X:PSP\GAME where X is the drive letter assigned to your memory stick
- Disconnect your PSP and turn it off
Now to turn a normal battery to a pandora battery:
- Insert the Battery you want to convert into your PSP and turn your it on.
- On your XMB run the Pandora Installer for 3.xx+ -R4b-
- Once Pandora Install is running, press “X” to go to the main menu.
- Scroll down to “Battery Options” and press “X”
- Scroll down to “Dump Battery Serial to File” and press “X” (this will backup the battery serial to your memory stick)
- Select “Make Battery Pandora” and press “X”
- The Battery serial in the top left should change to “0xffffffff” (If the battery serial doesn’t change then your PSP can’t write to the battery or the battery is not compatible. If it’s either of the two, stop now.)
- Scroll down to “Back to main menu” and press “X”
- Choose “Quit” and press “X” and the program will exit
- Congratulations, you now have a Pandora Battery.
Note that you can’t use the Pandora battery for normal gameplay, hence you need an extra battery
-
Installing Custom Firmware
- Charge your Battery to at least 78%. This is to prevent your PSP from turning off during installation and bricking.
- Put the Magic Memory Stick and Pandora Battery in your PSP
- Turn your PSP on while holding down the left shoulder button. Once the IPL has loaded on your PSP, press X. Your PSP will begin installing Custom Firmware.
- When this process is finished, press X to shut down your PSP.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you press X to shut down your PSP before removing the Pandora Battery or Magic Memory Stick. If you don’t, you could brick your PSP. - One your PSP is off, you can replace the battery and the memory stick with the ones you want to use.
- Congratulations, you now have Custom Firmware installed.
-
After installation notes
When booting up your PSP for the first time, hold the R Trigger to enter the Recovery Menu. Here’s a few configurations that you’d want to set to get the best experience:
- Find the UMD Mode option and set this to M33 Driver or Sony NP9660
- Find the Use M33 network update, and enable it. Now you can use the network update to update your custom firmware.
After installing custom firmware, here’s a few things that you might want to do.
IF you don’t have a spare, you may want to turn your Pandora battery back to a regular one. Of course this beats the purpose of creating one earlier but just in case, here’s how you do it- Place the Pandora installer on your Memory Stick [you can get it above]
- Insert the Pandora Battery and magic memory stick into your PSP, your PSP will turn on automatically.
- Select ‘Test M33? and your PSP will load as normal
- On the XMB select Pandora Installer for 3.xx+ -R4b-
- Press X to enter the menu
- Go to Battery Options, and select Set Battery Serial From File
- Congratulations your battery is now normal again!
- Exit the program, and restart your PSP. You can now use the battery for normal operations.
Your PSP Phat or PSP Slim is now running Custom Firmware. If you want to update to the latest custom firmware version (which is currently at 5.00 M33-6), check out this 5.00 M33 installation guide.
If you’re having problems, don’t understand the instructions or need some other help, post a comment.
Tags: Custom Firmware, Playstation Portable
why do we need custom firmware for our psp’s? I just want 2 download free games..and I’m kind of a beginner..I have the limited edition jack and daxter psp..can u please help? THANK U!
I did everything up to making the pandora batt. Everything else worked smoothly. However, my psp is saying it cant run the program and just stops right there. I have a reg PSP-1001 so this ought to be compatible. I also didnt understand the significance to having another pandora batt, no where in the tut does it say when to use it. Can someone shed some light, please? I really want this psp at its fullest potential
Having 2 batteries (ergo you have one regular battery and one pandora battery) can save you the trouble of remaking pandora if you need to re-flash your PSP to install a different firmware.
If all else fails, you can always ask (sometimes pay) someone to do this for you.
i click the “download”button but it says “error downloading file, please try again.” i have a psp 1000 v 2.81
What file are you downloading?
will this work on psp-1000 n my version of firmware is : OFW5.00 SO WILL it still work ??
reply ASAP plz
Yep. Just follow the instructions to the letter.
dude when i click download button in the program called : psp grader ITs says : error downloading file, please try again.”
wats wrong with it ?
Hmm, I checked and the links are both active. I’ll reupload the file to a 3rd mirror then.
i’ve install version 5.00 m33 in my psp 2000 series but it failed before it finish installing.. so my psp now can start for few second but the screen just black and then turn off itself.. what i’ve to do now??
Try entering the recovery menu by turning off your PSP (not standby), holding the R button then turning it on.
still can’t work coz i can’t turning off my psp, it will turn off itself for about few second… and also can’t entering the recovery menu.. does it has another way?
Sounds like a brick. Don’t worry, just repeat step 4 of this guide (ergo, just re-Pandora your PSP) and it should be fixed.
my battery can’t become the pandora coz the serial doesn’t change to “0xffffffff”… 🙁
dude i thought u could make a pandora battery with ur default battery…dude i’ve soo much time with this tuts…i did everything n still doesn’t work…when i’ll start the: Pandora Installer for 3.xx+ -R4b- its says error corrup sumthing like dat…. n i have to battery btw… n i’ve follow a tut on utube with there it shows u how to make a pandora n just need to take out a lil legs from ur battery…kk i’ve done this ok..i mean i’ve done this part already n its successful but i still can;t convert it…dude serious help
dude thnxx i found the other way to do it…this one is the hard one….i’ve use the chickHen r2 WAY ITS easier…n i’ve use another to run on CFW n u don’t even need pandora after having chickHen…its sick
n im actually running on 5.00M33-6 RITE fully sickk man
wooooooohooo
Lol. At least you’re now on CFW. 😀 congrats
Dude this sounds awsome and i really want to try it but can i do ity eventhough my psp has ofw 5.50
plz help….Ive been wanting to do this for a while now
can i also hardmod the battery to make it a pandoras battery
buy a tool battery. Look it up using google and it will pop up. It costs anyway between 35-50 dollars. the tool battery has a button that allows you to choose between having it as pandora or having it as a normal battery. The directions that comes with the battery will explain everything. It’s worth it.
thanx….. A lot but my major question still is ccan i do this eventhough my psp is on ofw 5.50
dude if ur on OFW 5.00 or any OFW don’t follow this guide u gotta follow this one :
http://atmaxplorer.com/2009/06/install-chickhen-r2-on-your-psp/
and after follow this one :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8EAchy7sJk&feature=related
this video will show u how to install CFW on ur psp using CHICKHEN n without a pandora battery
actually he can, he just need to downgrade to firmware 1.0. But eh.. I guess I left it out.. Will edit with a more complete version x.x I keep forgetting stuff
do you HAVE to have someone who already has a pandora battery to make yours?
I have a PSP-1001B with a Sony 3.6V 1800mAh battery. The firmware is version 3.71 (not CFW). Is there a way to get a CFW without a Pandora battery for my PSP?
@TMann if ur running on a firmware lower than 5.03 u don’t need a pandora batt…but if ur firmware is higher than 5.03 then i think u will need one… and if ur on 5.03 follow this :
http://atmaxplorer.com/2009/06/install-chickhen-r2-on-your-psp/ and this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8EAchy7sJk&feature=related
and if ur not 5.03 then update ur psp to ofw5.03 kk
________________
@numby
u gotta update ur psp to ofw5.03 then follow this tut : http://atmaxplorer.com/2009/06/install-chickhen-r2-on-your-psp/ and this one also : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8EAchy7sJk&feature=related
__________
hope this will help 🙂
what does pandora mean?
pandora mean : its a type of battery that downgrade ur version of psp firmware means once u’ve downgrade ur psp with pandora battery u can install CFW….
btw u can make ur own pandora battery as well just google it on : how to make a pandora battery….
I only just heard about CFW and my psp is a 2000, date code 7c, serial No. HB, the only concerns i have is that the letter code on the box is NP and the firmware is 5.51. Im all set to buy a pandora and memory stik but need some detailed guidance if this will be compatable and how to downgrade the firmware to 1.0, thanks
retro do so buy a pandora battery off extremedeal.com its abt $6…and when its ship to u..then u just gotta make a MMS magic memory stick , the mms will help u install CFW on ur psp via the help of pandora of coursee…just google it type in : How to make A MMS psp…
gud luck!!
i have the same problem
in the grader menu i click download and it says eror plez try again later
i knw i had dat problem as well…wat i did is just download the OFW 5.00 from google then load in the grader…thats it…
Ok i’ll give it a try but this probably wont be the last you’ll hear from me as i’m not a genius at doing mods n hacks lol. Thanks for advice.
Hi,
New to all this.. Have a PSP 2003 with 3.71 on. I want to get the latest CFW (5.5 GEN-A or GEN-B). Do I need to go through the pandora / magic memory stuff to install CFW M33 first?? Then how do I get the GEN CFW on? I have also seen loads of stuff about Chicken2 in relation to the GEN-A CFW, is this an alternative method to the pandora battery method??
Any guidance will be appreciated..
you can start by reading this guide. The first step is to check whether your PSP can even install custom firmware.
Hi,
Thanks for the quick response. From what I gather I can install CFW, the serial I have begins with HB268XXXX with OFW 3.71 installed. From what I have read, I need to use the pandora with magic memory to first get M33 CFW. I have since seen mention of Chickhen for the GEN-A CFW which claims not to need pandora (would prefer to go this option but have no idea which is best or even if I can). Sorry for being a pain, am a complete novice..
You can install CFW via ChickHen (it’s linked in the guide) if you don’t want to or can’t use pandora. It’s probably the best course of action for you. The only draw back is that you can’t turn off your PSP.
anyone please help how do i instal cfw on my psp fat if it is running ofw 5.50 im a complete noob
wait a bit. I’m working on a post to help you flash your PSP to custom firmware 😀
hmm ye so u mean u can flash OFW 5.50 ? there is no chickhen version for this firmware w8 as i knww lol…but yeaa im w8ing for thiss to come!! cuz my stupid friend accidently updated to 5.50…so yea…
If it’s a hackable PSP, you just need a Pandora Battery.
If it’s a hackable PSP BELOW 5.50 OFW (which means 5.03) you can install custom firmware without pandora 😀
If it’s a TA-088v3 motherboard PSP-2000 or PSP-3000 then you’re screwed.
Hack completed with ease using the hybrid pandora battery and mms. Now im in retro heaven! The snes emulator (snes9xTYL 0.4.2) tends to be a bit glitchy, any ideas to have it running glitch free?
Is it posible to install this without changing the battery nor the memory stick?
wait but can you give me a link to a guide that will tell me how to install cfw on my psp 1000 one that is noob freindly
Isn’t this aready noob friendly? I mean they let you ask questions if you do not understand.
well u can install CFW without Pandora n mms…
all u need is :
a firmware lower than 5.03 or 5.03
if u got the following then follow this :
http://atmaxplorer.com/2009/06/install-chickhen-r2-on-your-psp/
_______________
n if ur higher than 5.03 then ur f*cked..which then after u will need a pandora to help u downgrade this OFW …
yes but the problem is that i have no idea if it is possible to do it on a psp fat with ofw 5.50 . do i need anything different to do this with ofw 5.50 thats what i dont know. please help me if you can
since you’re already on 5.50 the only way to downgrade your PSP is from using THIS method.
Advice please, since installing cfw 5.00 m33 and then 5.50 GEN-A/B i’ve not been able to play the psn games i downloaded, just get the message ‘game could not be started (80010013). Any ideas how to make them work, i tried various methods.
change your ISO setting. This is usually a trial and error thing.
can the Magic Memery Stick still work as a normal memory stick?
please help
Yes, all you need to do is format it again.
when i try to install pandora intaller for 3.xx+-R4b- it says this game cannot be started the data is corrupted what did i do wrong??
Since you’re having trouble installing pandora, why not have a go at the pandora-less way of installing custom firmware? (linked in the guide as well)
Install custom firmware without pandora.
i just wanted to express my sincerest gratitude to the person/people behind this guide (and of course, all of its attached required files). this guide has been very easy to use, it speaks in plain english and is devoid of the unnecessary techie explanations that plagued most of the other guides written by people who just wanted to bloat their e-penises.
just wanted to say something though. on PART 4, it said to insert the Pandora’s Battery, and then turn on the PSP while holding the L button. it’d be useful if you edited it a little by saying that “you have to have the Magic Memory Stick already inserted, then plug in the Pandora’s Battery while holding the L button” so as to avoid confusion (because that part kinda confused me a little).
well, again, thanks for this guide, and now i’m off to play some homebrew. ^_^
Thanks. I’ll edit it as requested :D.
Enjoy your CFW 😀
i do not get it i know and had read the steps but i just cant do plz help me and i need some one to teach me person to person i will leave my yahoo add and msn add so someone could help me n tell me step by step plz if anyone is too kind to teach me i would be very great full Thanks
i know these instructions are simple to follow but im having a problem, i have a psp1000 with frimware version 3.90 and everything i do it either says its corrupted or game can not be read. Can any please help me?
How do you change your ISO settings to make ISO/CSO’s work?
plzz i have firmware 6.10 in psp phat how to remov to 5.00?? pz help thx
hi there guys, pls help me, i have here a PSP Slim, model PSP-2006,
may firmware is 6.10, and now i want to downgrade it to any firmware that can support ISO/CSO games., i don’t have a pandora battery, pls help… thanks
I currently have CFW 3.51 m33-7. What steps do I have to take to upgrade all the way to CFW 5.55
I thought I could go 3.51–>3.52–>5.0–>5.55 but can figure out how to to 3.51 to 3.52.
okay, i am really pissed. i’ve had a psp a while but i’m just now starting to mess with the thing. i thought i had to upgrade to 5.50 to play ISO games, but now everything i see says otherwise… is there any way to play downloaded games on 5.5 or do i have to downgrade? it says “corrupted file” on both my previous 3.something version and on the 5.5 but i know it’s a good file. do i need a pandora battery or what?? someone e-mail me and help me out please, i am seriously getting pissed with the time i am putting into this
yes, you really need to downgrade it by using a pandora battery because 5.03 and below are the only firmwares you can download iso games and even if you have firmware 5.03 and below you still have to make it a custom firmware.
you need to get a pandora battery that will fix all the problems and it will install 5.00m33
How do I use a memory stick that I turned into a mms as a regular memory stick?
alright, thanks. do i have to buy one though? or can i do a downgrade and then download whatever program to make mine into a pandora?
Thanks man..
But I couldnt Make my battery to a Pandora Battery.
When I run “Pandora Installer for 3.xx+ -R4b-“, it says to me: “The game could not be started (80020148)”
I’ve PSP 1004..
What’s the problem? :S
It says “error downloading file, please try again”
I’ve tried it so many times each time it says the same thing. Help me!
can i buy a pandora battery in stores in canada
Thanks for this guide. Very helpful indeed. I am a noob at this.
By the way, a lot of people in youtube have been posting videos about how to make pandora batteries. Usually it involves taking a spare battery apart and cutting off a chip on the circuit board inside. My question is: Which is the most effective way of creating a pandora battery? Is it through the method that you have suggested in this blog or is it through battery hacking (literally chopping)? I’m just confused as to what is better. Thanks in advance!
hi.can you send an step by step guide in my email.?? tnx.please send it.the one that i can understand easily.installing CFW without anything confusing on my psp slim.
There are several guides on this blog but before that you must first confirm if your PSP is hackable or not.
i have a psp-1000 given to me by a friend. It was already on ver5.50. I bought a pandora battery because i didnt have a battery pack at all(its all i got).
2. I downloaded the psp grader to my mms. I fell asleep holding down the trigger. nothing happend the blank screen never came on.
3. when i pop the battery in the green light comes on and stays on.
what am i doing wrong? ive stayed up all night trying to work this. Yes i want cfw. But i have ver5.50 . No my psp is not bricked it still turns on if i plug it in and take the battery pack out. ive been given the run around. from many sites/
Please help. Can i just get a link to the exact cfw i need?
ugh……
so the psp-1000 i have was upgraded to 5.50
i need to downgrade it. BUUUuuuuuuut like every site i download from, my computer refuses to open it with winrar. says its corrupt.
ive heard i need 1.5boot. where to get one?
the closes i got to mod was Pan 3xx+ by Hellcat.
But outragiously enuff i only have 32mb magic gate FML!!!!!!!!!
i dont even want this stupid psp anymore! insomnia is threw the roof. and i still got no games.
err
amazin.!!Fuck yes this is what i was using. I had that same psp grader. I guess i’ll **shamefully retrieves it from the recycling bin.**
i had that same IPL problem. U ARE DEVINE. THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOooO much!!
when i go out to buy a bigger mms ill tell you how it goes. later on this week
No prob. Just keep us posted :D.
so. im finally prepared. i have a large memory stick, a pandora, and a working computer. The onlly thing im missing is a phat root file.
all other sites have megaupload links. But after i download them,, they all seem to be corrupt and my comp refuses to extract them.
Do you know of a valid psp phat ROOT. files? thats available?
Will it work for my psp phat 3.40 ofw?
gaaahh.. im so totally new at this.. hmmm .. im kinda scared to like custom the psp… its my girlfriends psp kc..gosh gosh.. how do i actually fix it??? the psp system info is this :
system software:3.90 m33-2
i like to play px1 games on it… so far .. ok naman yung mga na download ko.. gosh..
games like crash bandicoot, suikoden2.. but i cant seem to play resident evil.. and some other random game that used to be for the ps1 now made available to psp.. help naman.. gosh where do you work> are you in manila?? i can upgrade the psp in the mall but its going to cost me… hope you can fill me in on how to do things right… thankx thankx….
i created a pandora battery using a hadmod method and i dont have enough resources to buy another battery, is it possible to change it back again into a normal one?? o use it again back as a normal one??
Hey mate! Thx so much for the great tutorials!!
I bought my psp slim and installed CFW 3.90 M33-3 a long time ago. It’s actually been a long time since I don’t use my PSP, so it still has the same CFW. Is it safe to update the CWF through network update (consider that it is enabled)?
Thx again!
No, that will install the official firmware. You need to manually update via:
http://atmaxplorer.com/2008/10/psp-custom-firmware-500-m33-is-released/
or
http://atmaxplorer.com/2009/12/install-psp-custom-firmware-5-50-gen-d3/
will it work wiht OFW 6.31
Nope. But there’s a cfw meant for 6.31. I’m working on the post at the moment
comment whn done
And done: http://atmaxplorer.com/2011/01/install-6-31-hen-prometheus-iso-loader-on-your-psp/
best place to get pandora battery eg. trustworthy site
Not really sure. I got mine off a seller at our local mall. :/ Your mileage may vary however.
Hi there! You are awesome! Well, I know this sounds crazy.. but, can you please just do the work for me? Im trying to do this on my own but I can’t. It’s been how many months (turning a year, actually) since this has got games. I cant DL one coz of the CHICKHen stuffs, whatevs you call that. Please, please, please. Do notify me if your’e interested. Thanks in advance, Mr. Awesome Dude 😀
Umm why can’t you download? I checked the files and they’re still active.
Thank you very much. Creating a pandora wasn’t as hard as I thought!
I can confirm 110% that this works with PSP 2000 (Japanese model) which has HJ.
Thanks again for the useful tut sylv3blade.
I have a psp-2000 with a serial number that starts with HJ7 and it has firmware version 4.05. i am able to download the pspgrader and extract it and run it, but when i click on download the file is not there… please help what can i do to convert this psp to cfw
hey. i have PSP 3000 and when i go to open the installer for the battery it says “this game cannot . The data is corrupted.”
Please read the warning. It says only for hackable PSPs (no PSP-3000). Also if you want to install custom firmware, start with this guide.
oops i forgot ” be started”
anytime i click on the pandora flahser or whatever it is, the psp says “the data iscorrupted” of course it was d-loaded and copied properly. any help?
Please check if you have copied it to the right directory.