I am back with another “How-To” post.  I know it has been a long time since my last post but I have been busy with school, work, and most importantly playing all the new PC games that have come out in the past month and a half.  Its a great time to be alive!

Anyway, today we are going to install custom firmware on a PSP 2001 (the Slim).  This will allow you to copy “back-up” copies of your games to your memory stick and play them from there, rather than lugging around all those UMDs.

On a difficulty scale of 1 thru 10, this project is about a 2.  If you can read, then you can do this project.

Tools and Materials:

PSP Slim 2001

Pandora Battery

Memory Stick (with custom firmware on it) – For this project we will be installing 4.01M33

I recommend checking out pandorasales.com.  I bought the pandora battery and a 512MB memory stick with the firmware on it for $25.  Follow link here.

OK, let’s get started.

Step 1:

Open battery cover and remove factory battery.

Open cover and remove original memory stick.

Step 2:

Insert new Magic Memory Stick and close cover.

Insert Pandora battery and close battery cover.

Step 3:

Turn on the PSP.  Let PSP boot to this screen.

Step 4:

Highlight the first option:

Install 4.01 M33

Press the X button

Step 5:

Sit back and relax while the firmware installs itself.

Step 6:

When installation is complete press the O button to shutdown PSP.

Step 7:

Open battery cover and remove the Pandora battery.

Open cover and remove Magic Memory Stick.

Step 8:

Insert original memory stick and close cover.

Insert factory battery and close battery cover.

Step 9:

Boot PSP into Service Mode.

This is done by holding down the Right Bumper and turning PSP on.

You should get a screen that looks like this.

Hit the down arrow button and select Configuration

Press the X button

Step 10:

Highlight Hide corrupt icons (currently: XXX)

Ensure that this is set to Enabled

If not, press X button to cycle through options

Step 11:

Highlight UMD Mode (currently: XXX)

Ensure that this is set to M33 driver – NO UMD-

If not, press X button to cycle through options

Step 12:

Highligh Fake region (currently: XXX)

Ensure that this is set to Disabled

If not, press X button to cycle through options

Step 13:

Highlight Back

Press the X button

Step 14:

Back on the Main Menu highlight Registry hacks

Press the X button

Step 15:

Highlight Activate WMA

Press the X button to activate (Notice at bottom of screen activation message (not pictured here))

Step 16:

Highlight Activate Flash Player

Press the X button to activate (Notice at bottom of screen activation message (not pictured here))

Step 17:

Highlight Back

Press the X button

Step 18:

Highlight Exit

Press the X button

The PSP will now restart

Step 19:

Lets confirm the successful install of the new custom firmware.

Once in the PSP OS navigate to:

System

System Settings

System information

Press the X button

Ensure that System Software = 4.01M33-2

If not, you must have had an ID 10 T error!

There should be no reason this would not work.  I have tried it several times and it works flawlessly everytime.  From here you can load your “back-up” copies of your games and movies to your memory stick and have fun!

Stayed tuned for a “How-To” on formatting the Memory Stick and loading games and movies to it.

Thanks for tuning in and I hope you enjoy this tutorial.  If you visit, we encourage you to leave comments on the post.

Shawn

Right-click the images and save them to your computer. I used Verizon’s online message center for my account to send the images as a picture message to my phone.

Upgrading the firmware on the TV was super easy. Download the firmware, unzip it onto a USB drive, plug the drive into the USB service port on the TV, and use the onscreen menu to perform the upgrade. I haven’t had any dropout since the upgrade, but that doesn’t mean the problem is solved since it’s intermittent. If I have further audio dropout problems, I’ll let post it here.

By the way, the HP-T5054 is an awesome TV.

After searching the net for firmware updates to the Glyde, I found a couple of sites that mentioned that Verizon released a firmware update on Nov. 4. I stopped by my local Verizon store and asked the support tech if there was anything he could do for the touchscreen issues I was seeing on my phone. He told me he could update the firmware. It took about 15 minutes, and after using it for a couple hours the update seems to have about worked. Not only does the update seem to cure the touchscreen issues I had been having, but some nice changes to the phone came with the update.

• The annoying throbbing square that served as a shortcut has been changed to a small tab on the right side of the screen. The shortcut menu also slides in from the right. It’s a nice touch.
• You now have to drag a key onto a lock to unlock the screen instead of just pressing the unlock icon on the screen.
• The UI has been given a very nice update. No more boring black.
• Scrolling the contacts is now a breeze. A small button has been added to the left side of the contact list that can be dragged to quickly change letters in the alphabet. The current letter is displayed in the center of the screen sort of like it’s done on the iPod when you quickly scroll through a long playlist.

Before the update, I was running version .BF25 of the firmware. Now I’m running version .BI29. I wholeheartedly advise you go to your local Verizon store and get your Gylde’s firmware updated. It’s made a world of difference with my phone. You won’t be disappointed.

When I finally decided to drop the service, it was just about time for my subscription to be renewed. I tried numerous times to cancel online, but I was always given an canned message to the effect that site maintenance was being performed and that I should try again later. I finally called and told the customer service rep that I did not want my subscription to automatically renew. Well guess what. My credit card was billed for a year’s worth of subscription charges. So I had to call yet again and cancel.

I know what you’re thinking. “Come on Tim. But you can listen to XM on the web too.” Yeah, sort of. You can listen to the XM music channels, but forget about the sports or talk channels. They’re not available.

Just about the only thing I miss about the XM is the First Team on Fox with Steve Czaban on Fox Sports Radio.  Now if they would only post their shows (sans commercials of course) so I can listen to them on my iPod.

I guess this is as much a pro iPod post as it is a negative XM post. As much as I detest Apple fan boys, I can’t help but attribute my cancellation of my satellite radio subscription to my iPod. Anyone want to buy a couple XM radios?