Welcome
The earliest programmers and technical artists of the personal computer revolution in the 70’s were given the nickname “hackers.” Defined in the Discovery Channel Hacker’s Hall of Fame Glossary , a “hacker” is:
1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities.
2. One who programs enthusiastically.
3. A person who is good at programming quickly.
4. An expert at a particular program, as in 'a Unix hacker'.
5. [Deprecated] A malicious meddler who tries to discover sensitive information by poking around. The correct term for this sense is "cracker."
However, the term has hacker has been used to include both programmers that “hack” computers, networks and programs illegally and legally, maliciously and inquisitively, innocently and with exploitative intent. For the purposes of the this project, the term hacker will be reserved to the first 4 definitions given above while the term “cracker” will encompass the 5 th definition. It is important to note; however, that in most every article, book, and newspaper, the term hacker is used to define a “cracker”. In these cases, please take the definition in context with the article.
The art of hacking computers can be traced back to the late 1960s and 1970s when youngadults like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were inventing the personal computerindustry in their garages. From that start, the motley bunch of computer programmers and techie “nerds” began gathering together and sharing information on the computer, possibilities, ideas, innovations etc. The term hacker, back then, defined these types of people—individuals who programmed computers intensely, nerds that knew 3-4 computer languages, people that knew computers inside and out. It wasn’t until the personal computer revolution in the early 1980s, that the term hacker evolved into the infamous connotation. Personal computers became affordable and eventually necessary tothe average consumer. With computers being distributed at an enormous rate, the concern of that time was new and innovative technology, not security. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the average computer user became the consumer and was not quickly associated with “nerd.” This gave innovative, deceptive and creative individuals a whole newbreed of people to scam, rip-off, threaten and hack—computer users who could not retaliate nor defend themselves with proper net/computer security. Thus, the evolution of the hacker came from the lack of security precautions taken while the personal computerrevolution began. It is only much later in the 21 st century that computer and Internet security has gotten much attention. Computerusers are growing exponentially, still, and the availability of security software and hardware is still slow to develop. Improvements have been made, but auxiliary precautions are still necessary to be able to safely use a computer and the Internet.
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Can't Hack It
There are three major types of cyber crime. The Internet offers limitless communication, which crackers can use to establish connections with cohorts or with their victims. Net-based attacks disrupt information on the Internet and finally, the World Wide Web is a gold mine for information and tools that can be used to facilitate crime on and off of the Internet. Prefabricated programs, detailed instructions, maps, sensitive information, schedules, and addresses can be accessed over the web and make it extremely easy for an individual or group of individuals to remain anonymous, organized, and unseen by the public or by the proper authorities.
Communication allows one or more crackers to plan and coordinate attacks over the Internet or in a physical environment. The distribution of illegal materials (drugs) and pirated materials (programs, music) are also common cyber crimes. Death threats, extortion, and harassment are the more serious instance of cyber crime that can effect individuals or groups of individuals and wind up causing emotional or physical harm on them. Finally, each year thousands of people are scammed out of money over the Internet with a variety of get-rich quick pyramids, bogus college degrees, and email fraud. The Moldavian Web scam cost the crackers over $2.4 million in refunds to the over 38,000 customers scammed through long distance dial-ups of their computers. Consumer complaints increased 6x in 1999 from 1998 alone. The number of people that are potential victims increases as every computer is sold—the problem can only get worse unless serious action is taken.
Digital piracy of software and music has lead to big business screaming for regulation. As of 1994, over 1600 illegal software sites were being operated. The software and music industries claim to be losing $20 and $10 billion dollars (respectively) annually due to thedistribution of these pirated materials alone. Again, the net offers the freedom of extortionand scam to anyone who knows what buttonsto press. How many of us have illegal files saved onto our hard drives right now? I want my MP3.
As computer users, we all represent potential targets of web-based attacks. There are several targets in particular though, that we as net-savvy computer users should all be concerned about. Computers can be broken into, web sites can be hacked into and manipulated, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, email bombings, viruses and worms, and eavesdropping. All of these vulnerabilities of a computer user can be used to the advantage of a cracker to gain access to your personal system, steal sensitive information, manipulateyour computer in a DoS attack, infect your PC with a virus or worm that destroys files and spread across a network, or to establish open communication between you, the victim, and apotential physical threat. As of July 1999, there was a reported 1400 web hacks. Credit card theft alone has skyrocketed as more and more users are establishing business and making transactions across the net. Carlos Felipe Salgado Jr. stole almost 100,000 credit cards numbers and attempted to sell them on the Internet for $260,000 dollars before the FBI caught him in a sting operation. Salgado did not hack through security measures either, once the firewalls were bypassed; the numbers were available to him without even 40-bit encryption. Computer viruses such as Chernobyl (CIH) and the Melissa macro virus have spread worldwide infecting computers, erasing files and overwriting the BIOS. In China, over $120 million dollars were lost to the Chernobyl macro virus .
Businesses lost $7.6 billion in the 1 st 2Q of 1999 according to Computer Economics due toviruses. Over � of the computers of business are infected, mainly through email, by these viruses. Clearly, crackers have the ability to write and distribute these viruses to one user, one firm, one country, or the entire system of computers connected to the Internet. As the rate of globalization increases, and as advancesin communication outweighs the innovations in security, vulnerability lurks within every computer plugged into the wall.
To the amateur cracker, the Internet is a supermarket for information and tools regarding illegal computer hacking. There are “how to” guides on hacking, social engineering, making bombs, drugs, and evading law enforcement. The software available on the net provides crackers with themeans to automate crimes and to hide any trace of illegality. The NY TIMES reported that in 1997, there were 1900 hacker web sites andmore than 30 hacker publications.
The tools of the trade are available for free download on the net. Programs that serve as Network monitors are programs like Back Orifice , Netbus, and Backdoor-G—all of which allow the cracker to remotely gain control of the infected computer to excise sensitive information such as image, packets, keystrokes, and files. These programs can be hidden within another program like a game or the free trial of a utility. Password cracking programs like Crack, LOphtCrack, and John theRipper are used, obviously, for breaking into password protected systems. Several different programs including Ping of Death, Smurf, SYN flood, Land, Teardrop, and FloodNet can initiate remote DoS attacks. Trojan horse programs by the likes of Trin00, Tribal Flood Network, Stacheldraht (used in the DoS attacks of Feb 2000 ) can also be distributed secretly and used to organize large-scale attacks on popular web sites like buy.com, yahoo.comand ebay.com. There are also a whole series of programs designed to find the vulnerabilities of computer systems over the Internet. Right behind that are sets of programs designed to exploit those specific weaknesses. Want to write a virus? There are even programs available on the net for those aspiring authors of computer viruses as well. Will one be a bestseller on your PC?
Update: 4/23/00
On April 17th, Canadian police arrested a 15 year old boy that goes by the name Mafiaboy online in conjunction with the February DoS attacks. It is claimed that Mafiaboy made several claims in online chat rooms of his involvement with the attacks and the FBI has reason to believe that the attacks came from an ISP in Montreal of which Mafiaboy holds two accounts. Currently , the boy is being charged under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which was expanded in 1996 to cover all computers used in commerce. It prohibits the unauthorized access of information and the transmission of anything that causes damage or facilitates fraud and extortion. Mafiaboy could face 6 months to 10 years in prison for arepeat offender and twice the gross monetary loss to the victim.
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Legal Implications
In 1998 there were 418 cases handed to federal prosecutors, up 43% from the previousyear. Only 20% of those cases were filed with charge of cyber crime. Over 40% of the cases that are brought to the prosecutors do not have enough evidence for a successful trial. Of the 418 potential cases, only 47 of them resulted in conviction with the average sentence being 5 months in jail (half of those 47 cases resulted in no jail time). Since 1992, atotal of 84 cyber criminals have been imprisoned. That’s it. The cost of cyber crime, estimated by CSI/FBI , is near $124 million for the 163 organizations surveyed. According to ASIS however, over $250 Billion have been lost in intellectual property theft. These numbers are merely estimates that do more than point to a problem, they scream at a need for a solution.
In light of the recent DoS attacks, President Bill Clinton held a summit at the White House calling in the leaders of the computer industry to try and formulate the problem in a manageable and solvable way. What came fromthe meaning was a need for increased security in the high-tech market. Cyber crime is one of the most critical issues in law enforcement with the rate of online crime escalating from 547 “computer-intrusion cases” in 1998 to 1,154 in 1999 according to the FBI. Louis Freeh , Director of the FBI, stated, “In short, even though we have markedly improved our capabilities to fight cyber intrusions the problem is growing even faster and we are falling further behind.”
Janet Reno has proposed a five-year plan to deal with the issue of cyber crime, which will work toward establishing uniformity in the tech industry that would regulate security features on computers and related equipment. The plan also intends to increase the penalty for cyber intrusions by making it a bigger offense to wreak havoc on the Internet. The objective of this plan is to increase awareness of cyber crime, to help regulate technology so that at least some collective effort can be made to securing cyberspace, and to discourage malicious hackers from committing a cyber crime by offering stiffer penalties. The issues at hand are being taken very seriously by both the FBI and the White House and illustrate one very important point: unless action is taken, the distance between a secured Internet and an unsecured Internet will only lengthen with time.
What does big business say about security? The e-comm bigwigs like ebay and yahoo deal with hacking, fraud and security breaches every day. Their systems are constantly under the strain of attempted cyber intrusion; however, only the most serious cases are even brought to attention of the FBI—yielding mostly limited results. The FBI and the federal courts do not have the technology to investigate and convict potential cyber criminals. Therefore, it is futile for these companies to rely on the law when there are simply no resources at hand to investigate these types of crimes. Instead, corporations that cannot afford to rely on the government for support invest billions of dollars into high-tech security measures. While funding for prosecutors remains static, computer crime hasquadrupled over the past three years, according to a survey by the FBI and San Francisco's Computer Security Institute. Seventy-five percent of the hacking victims—most often corporations and government agencies—said it cost an average of $1 million per intrusion to investigate, repair, and secure their systems. Corporations spent $7.1 billion in 1999 on corporate security to protect themselves against cyber attacks and the bill could reach $17 billion by 2003, according to Internet analysts at Aberdeen Group in Boston, Mass. The evolution of the Internet has illustrated a very sensitive weakness, technology that outweighs it’s security and the economy and society that depends on it will be under constant strain until adequate security measures are taken into effect. The effects of security on business and e-commerceare analyzed in detail in another focus of this project.
In summary
Hacking, the essence of programming, has become one of the most potential disasters of the Internet. While everyone remains concerned with the Microsoft anti-trust case , the latest web browser, or the best place to buy a garden rake on the net, the silent but deadly art of hacking computer systems has gained a firm hold in cyberspace. It will take more effort than simplyoutfitting every computer with virus software. After all, the people designing virus software work in a reactionary response to the crackers,not proactively.
Is there a way to secure the Internet from hackers? Absolutely not. Here is an analogy. Is there anyway to stop speeding cars on the highway? No. Are there ways to regulate speeding and to keep it to a minimum? Yes, more than likely. In light of this rant on hacking the Internet, no, there is not a cure-allsolution for safeguarding cyberspace. Technology is still an option in this country. The only way to assure one’s security over the Internet is to unplug it from your wall. Precautions can be taken; however, and that will be discussed upon in a later focus of this project.
Like all crime, the CSI/FBI need people to pointfingers at. Right now, it is relatively impossible to trace the source and individuals responsible for cyber attacks. Programs facilitating the capture and conviction of cyber criminals should be initiated, many have been, and the seriousness of this issue needs to be released every time someone buys a computer.
Perhaps my dad isn’t so tech stupid after all. He hates computers, because he values his privacy and security more than anyone I know does. To him, a computer represents a portal right into someone’s house—vulnerability; a weak spot that can be exploited by the knowledgeable and the willing, unbeknownst to the typical computer user.
Maybe computers need a warning label on the box. It is up to the user to secure their computer. There is information out there. Tonsof it. On the Internet, in the library, on the news, everywhere. To use the Internet safely, one must be aware of the problems out there. Hopefully this entire project has shed some light on the subject. If you’re sitting at a computer reading this right now, how many other people do you think know what site youare at, what you are looking at, and what yourIP address is? They might know where you live,your email address or your favorite flavor of icecream. Or they might not.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
computer hacking guide
One fraudulent act that is illegal in some ways and helpful in others is hacking. Hacking is basically knowing programmable systems and how they work. How can hacking be helpful? Some agencies hire hackers to show them the downfalls in their security system so they can improve it against hackers that want informationor access into the computer for other reasons. Hacking is a form of art for some people. Hackers have formed groups and even have conferences together to share their knowledge and abilities. Hackers started with gaining access to free telephone calls through different sources and learning more about the internal workings ofthe nation's phone system and radios in the mid 1950's. When computers were introduced, hackers found a new communication system to learn more about. This is generally of interest to teenagers and young adults. Self-taught hackersare generally more accepted in their "society" more openly than educated hackers. Some famous hackers have gone on to create computer systems, such as Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson creating UNIX operating system.Other kinds of hackers, known as crackers, havefound their ways into federal prison for their work.
Issues
Educators can warn students about the complications of the works of hackers and crackers. By educating students about hackers, they can take proper steps in trying to secure themselves from having their information stolen or their computers broken into by unauthorized people to the best of their ability. The educators can also show students that they are ultimately in control of their actions on the computer. Theiractions, if illegal, can get them into major trouble. Educators can talk to students about the consequences of their actions and talk openly about computer ethics. The students should be able to discuss right from wrong on the computer and Internet as well as other partsof their lives.
Minimizing Potential
One way to minimize the consequences of having a hacker is by protecting the computer system. This is comparable to locking you doors to your house when you leave so you know that breaking and entering is illegal, but that doesn't mean that you leave your doors unlocked. Protection against hackers is basically the same thing. First the software has to be safe and stable so you can rely on it being secure. The second part is the government's job of certifying that the software used is really tested and reliable for the commonwealth interest. Lastly, have firewalls in place and make sure thatencryption and other protection are used to have information remain private. By educators and other computer owners using these three steps, the hackers will have a more difficult time getting information that is supposed to remain private.
By discussing computer ethics with students, educators are opening the eyes of their studentsand making them think about their actions on the computer. Here are some issues to help educators get started in discussing ethics with their students:
The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics by the Computer Ethics Institute:
1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm otherpeople.
2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing orthe system you are designing.
10. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that insure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.
Legal Implications
Some hackers feel that they are no more than explorers out to see how far they can get into other computer systems. Some of them use their skills to help companies and agencies to finderrors in their computer security system. Others, usually known as crackers, are out to find information, change something, or cause damage in other's computer systems.
Hacking is covered under law Title 18: Crimes and Criminal Procedure: Part 1: Crimes: Chapter47: Fraud and False Statements: Section 1030: Fraud and related activity in connection with computers. The federal punishment for hacking into computers ranges from a fine or imprisonment for no more than one year to a fine and imprisonment for no more than twenty years. This wide range of punishment depends upon the seriousness of the criminal activity and what damage the hacker has done.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between a hacker and a cracker?
According to The Jargon Lexicon, hackers are defined as the following:
[originally, someone who makes furniture with an axe] 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. 2. One who programs enthusiastically(even obsessively) or who enjoys programming rather than just theorizing about programming. 3. A person capable of appreciating hack value. 4. A person who is good at programming quickly. 5. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently does work using it or on it; as in `a Unix hacker'. (Definitions 1 through 5 are correlated, and people who fit them congregate.) 6. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker, for example. 7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations. 8. [deprecated] A malicious meddler who tries to discover sensitive information by poking around. Hence `password hacker', `network hacker'. The correct term for this sense is cracker.
Cracker is a person who breaks security on a system. The cracker is looked down upon in the hacker group. The crackers are usually more secretive and have small groups in which they share their knowledge although they like to referto themselves as hackers. Crackers are potentially more harmful than the true hacker who just wants to know the workings of a system.
Why do hackers consider their work valuable?
Hackers believe that they are just exploring howprogrammable systems work and that they are not doing anything wrong as long as no theft, vandalism, or breach of confidentiality is broken. The hackers also believe that sharing informationis good to do and very powerful. They do not see any harm in sharing resources with each other to gain access into unforbidden places as long as no damage is done.
Issues
Educators can warn students about the complications of the works of hackers and crackers. By educating students about hackers, they can take proper steps in trying to secure themselves from having their information stolen or their computers broken into by unauthorized people to the best of their ability. The educators can also show students that they are ultimately in control of their actions on the computer. Theiractions, if illegal, can get them into major trouble. Educators can talk to students about the consequences of their actions and talk openly about computer ethics. The students should be able to discuss right from wrong on the computer and Internet as well as other partsof their lives.
Minimizing Potential
One way to minimize the consequences of having a hacker is by protecting the computer system. This is comparable to locking you doors to your house when you leave so you know that breaking and entering is illegal, but that doesn't mean that you leave your doors unlocked. Protection against hackers is basically the same thing. First the software has to be safe and stable so you can rely on it being secure. The second part is the government's job of certifying that the software used is really tested and reliable for the commonwealth interest. Lastly, have firewalls in place and make sure thatencryption and other protection are used to have information remain private. By educators and other computer owners using these three steps, the hackers will have a more difficult time getting information that is supposed to remain private.
By discussing computer ethics with students, educators are opening the eyes of their studentsand making them think about their actions on the computer. Here are some issues to help educators get started in discussing ethics with their students:
The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics by the Computer Ethics Institute:
1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm otherpeople.
2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing orthe system you are designing.
10. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that insure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.
Legal Implications
Some hackers feel that they are no more than explorers out to see how far they can get into other computer systems. Some of them use their skills to help companies and agencies to finderrors in their computer security system. Others, usually known as crackers, are out to find information, change something, or cause damage in other's computer systems.
Hacking is covered under law Title 18: Crimes and Criminal Procedure: Part 1: Crimes: Chapter47: Fraud and False Statements: Section 1030: Fraud and related activity in connection with computers. The federal punishment for hacking into computers ranges from a fine or imprisonment for no more than one year to a fine and imprisonment for no more than twenty years. This wide range of punishment depends upon the seriousness of the criminal activity and what damage the hacker has done.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between a hacker and a cracker?
According to The Jargon Lexicon, hackers are defined as the following:
[originally, someone who makes furniture with an axe] 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. 2. One who programs enthusiastically(even obsessively) or who enjoys programming rather than just theorizing about programming. 3. A person capable of appreciating hack value. 4. A person who is good at programming quickly. 5. An expert at a particular program, or one who frequently does work using it or on it; as in `a Unix hacker'. (Definitions 1 through 5 are correlated, and people who fit them congregate.) 6. An expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker, for example. 7. One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations. 8. [deprecated] A malicious meddler who tries to discover sensitive information by poking around. Hence `password hacker', `network hacker'. The correct term for this sense is cracker.
Cracker is a person who breaks security on a system. The cracker is looked down upon in the hacker group. The crackers are usually more secretive and have small groups in which they share their knowledge although they like to referto themselves as hackers. Crackers are potentially more harmful than the true hacker who just wants to know the workings of a system.
Why do hackers consider their work valuable?
Hackers believe that they are just exploring howprogrammable systems work and that they are not doing anything wrong as long as no theft, vandalism, or breach of confidentiality is broken. The hackers also believe that sharing informationis good to do and very powerful. They do not see any harm in sharing resources with each other to gain access into unforbidden places as long as no damage is done.
Hacking PSP slim
Here is a step by step tutori on hacing your psp slim for homebrew
Homebrew, the magical world of quasi-legal third-party PSP software including web apps, radio apps, Super Nintendo/NES emulators and ripped PS1 games. I'm going to show you how to get your PSP to do all this and more.
This is the method I found to be the easiest, combining tips from sites like PSP Slim Hacks and Code Retard . Note that this is customized for the PSP Slim, which is the only PSP you can go out to stores and buy, but most of these steps will be the same for the older PSP. I started the process with a PSP running 3.71 firmware, but it should much the same on other versions.
1) Buy a PSP MAX Power TOOL SLIM battery . Trust me. Unless you have a friend who already hacked their PSP and has a service mode battery of their own, this is the easiest solution. There are ways of modifying your current battery to enable service mode on your PSP, but the time spent doing that is much better spent doing ANYTHING else. Buy this for$25 and wait for it to come in the mail.
Update : Reader Wrocky found this $10 version that supposedly does the same thing. Buy it here at Dealextreme . We haven't personally tested it, but if it works, it works! The only downsideis that it's made for the original PSP so will stick out ofyour battery case if you have a PSP Slim. Since you'll only be using this once, that's not a big deal.
2) Make sure you have at least a 256MB Memory Stickand a USB to miniUSB cable to connect your PSP to your computer running a version of Windows XP. I tried this on Vista but it kept erroring out on various parts of the process.
3) Charge your current (normal) battery as well as the MAX Power to full.
4) Download this file here , as linked to from this guide here . Extract the file to your desktop (remember, Windows XP machine).
5) Connect your PSP to your computer via the USB cable and setting it in "USB mode". Use the standard battery for this. If you have any importantfiles on your memory card, back that up to a folder on your computer first.
6) Run the "START.exe" file from the package you extracted. Follow the instructions there. Once this is done, you'll have what's called a "Magic Memory Card", which is used to replace the standard firmwarewith a customized one. You'll have to pop your memory card in and out as the program tells you during the process. Follow the instructions until it tellsyou that you're done, then disconnect your PSP and turn it off.
7) Take out your normal battery, but don't put in your MAX Power battery just yet. Hold the L button (the left shoulder button) while inserting in the MAX Power battery. Make sure it's secure and won't fall out fall out while you're putting the battery cover back on.
8) Once the PSP is on (you might have to flip the power toggle) you may see a black screen with whitetext, or you may see nothing at all—I saw a completely blank screen for some reason. Either way, the power light on your PSP should be green to show that the unit's powered on. To install the firmware, press the X button. You should see the Memory Stick light on the left of your PSP flash with activity. When this is done, the PSP will shut itself off.Congrats! Now you have version 3.71 m33. But you're not done.
9) To upgrade this to version 4.01 (the latest hackedrelease as of this writing), download these files. First, the official 4.01 firmware . Then, the hacked 4.01 m33 and also 4.01 m33-2 . That not a typo, by the way: Those file names are actually backwards and m33 is actually m33-2. Keep this in mind.
10) Extract all 3 files into their own directories. The 401-m332 folder (which should actually be the m33 update and not the m33-2 update) should have a folder called UPDATE under it. The Now, place the 401.PBP file (the official 4.01 firmware file) into the 401-m33 UPDATE. All this is going on on your PC's hard drive, not the PSP.
11) Then connect your PSP to your PC again (put the normal battery back), enable USB mode and copy the entire UPDATE folder from your PC onto /PSP/GAME/ onto your PSP's memory card.
12) On your PSP, exit USB mode, go to the Game and then Memory Stick , and run the PSP Update. Follow the instructions on screen, and you should have a PSP running 4.01 m33.
13) Now, connect your PSP to your computer using USB mode, delete the UPDATE folder under /PSP/GAME from your PSP, and copy over the UPDATE folder that belongs to the 401m33-2 file from your PC onto the PSP. Then go to the Game section and run this update on your PSP. You don't need the official 4.01 firmware in your UPDATE folder for this. Woohoo, you're finished.
Are you ready to get some homebrew going? Hit up PSP Hacks for a big list of applications you can run, including web apps, radio apps, Sudoku and even emulators. For obvious reasons, we're not going to link you to actual ROMs to run on an SNES emulator, but you can find those in the usual places you get ROMs. There are several SNES emulators to choose from, but this SNES emulator runs particularly well on the PSP, lending itself to old school gaming on the go.
Although a side effect of homebrew is that you can run pirated PSP games on your PSP, that's being pretty naughty and isn't something we encourage. The fact that a lot of people are doing this is contributing to (according to Sony) the lack of good games for the platform, which hurts everybody. Try not do to this.
What you can do is rip your old PS1 games and play THOSE on your PSP without waiting for an official release and having to pay Sony again for something you already own. Another idea when you're going onvacation is to get a 16GB Memory Stick and load all the PSP games you own onto it so you don't have to carry around so many UMDs. In order to rip PS1 games, you'll need a program like ISOBuster (there are others as well) that can take your disc and createan "image" of it on your hard drive, which is just a file representing the contents of the CD. You then plug those files into a program called PSX eBoot Creator tomake it suitable for your PSP. The file and instructionson how to use it can be found here . You don't need a separate emulator once you have the eBoot file, but you do need plenty of space on your Memory Stick (1GB is probably only enough to hold a couple small games or one large one).
Thanks : We wanted to thank all the hard work that the PSP community—which includes PSP Slim Hacks and Code Retard which we got much help installing this from.
Did you like this How To tutorial? The point was to give you the easiest path from start to finish, even if it required you to spend money on purchasing something. Your time is valuable, which means you don't want to spend hours solving something yourselfwhen it can easily be bypassed with a few dollars. What do you want to see a How To on? Drop us a note at meetskywalker@yahoo.com.
Enjoy
Homebrew, the magical world of quasi-legal third-party PSP software including web apps, radio apps, Super Nintendo/NES emulators and ripped PS1 games. I'm going to show you how to get your PSP to do all this and more.
This is the method I found to be the easiest, combining tips from sites like PSP Slim Hacks and Code Retard . Note that this is customized for the PSP Slim, which is the only PSP you can go out to stores and buy, but most of these steps will be the same for the older PSP. I started the process with a PSP running 3.71 firmware, but it should much the same on other versions.
1) Buy a PSP MAX Power TOOL SLIM battery . Trust me. Unless you have a friend who already hacked their PSP and has a service mode battery of their own, this is the easiest solution. There are ways of modifying your current battery to enable service mode on your PSP, but the time spent doing that is much better spent doing ANYTHING else. Buy this for$25 and wait for it to come in the mail.
Update : Reader Wrocky found this $10 version that supposedly does the same thing. Buy it here at Dealextreme . We haven't personally tested it, but if it works, it works! The only downsideis that it's made for the original PSP so will stick out ofyour battery case if you have a PSP Slim. Since you'll only be using this once, that's not a big deal.
2) Make sure you have at least a 256MB Memory Stickand a USB to miniUSB cable to connect your PSP to your computer running a version of Windows XP. I tried this on Vista but it kept erroring out on various parts of the process.
3) Charge your current (normal) battery as well as the MAX Power to full.
4) Download this file here , as linked to from this guide here . Extract the file to your desktop (remember, Windows XP machine).
5) Connect your PSP to your computer via the USB cable and setting it in "USB mode". Use the standard battery for this. If you have any importantfiles on your memory card, back that up to a folder on your computer first.
6) Run the "START.exe" file from the package you extracted. Follow the instructions there. Once this is done, you'll have what's called a "Magic Memory Card", which is used to replace the standard firmwarewith a customized one. You'll have to pop your memory card in and out as the program tells you during the process. Follow the instructions until it tellsyou that you're done, then disconnect your PSP and turn it off.
7) Take out your normal battery, but don't put in your MAX Power battery just yet. Hold the L button (the left shoulder button) while inserting in the MAX Power battery. Make sure it's secure and won't fall out fall out while you're putting the battery cover back on.
8) Once the PSP is on (you might have to flip the power toggle) you may see a black screen with whitetext, or you may see nothing at all—I saw a completely blank screen for some reason. Either way, the power light on your PSP should be green to show that the unit's powered on. To install the firmware, press the X button. You should see the Memory Stick light on the left of your PSP flash with activity. When this is done, the PSP will shut itself off.Congrats! Now you have version 3.71 m33. But you're not done.
9) To upgrade this to version 4.01 (the latest hackedrelease as of this writing), download these files. First, the official 4.01 firmware . Then, the hacked 4.01 m33 and also 4.01 m33-2 . That not a typo, by the way: Those file names are actually backwards and m33 is actually m33-2. Keep this in mind.
10) Extract all 3 files into their own directories. The 401-m332 folder (which should actually be the m33 update and not the m33-2 update) should have a folder called UPDATE under it. The Now, place the 401.PBP file (the official 4.01 firmware file) into the 401-m33 UPDATE. All this is going on on your PC's hard drive, not the PSP.
11) Then connect your PSP to your PC again (put the normal battery back), enable USB mode and copy the entire UPDATE folder from your PC onto /PSP/GAME/ onto your PSP's memory card.
12) On your PSP, exit USB mode, go to the Game and then Memory Stick , and run the PSP Update. Follow the instructions on screen, and you should have a PSP running 4.01 m33.
13) Now, connect your PSP to your computer using USB mode, delete the UPDATE folder under /PSP/GAME from your PSP, and copy over the UPDATE folder that belongs to the 401m33-2 file from your PC onto the PSP. Then go to the Game section and run this update on your PSP. You don't need the official 4.01 firmware in your UPDATE folder for this. Woohoo, you're finished.
Are you ready to get some homebrew going? Hit up PSP Hacks for a big list of applications you can run, including web apps, radio apps, Sudoku and even emulators. For obvious reasons, we're not going to link you to actual ROMs to run on an SNES emulator, but you can find those in the usual places you get ROMs. There are several SNES emulators to choose from, but this SNES emulator runs particularly well on the PSP, lending itself to old school gaming on the go.
Although a side effect of homebrew is that you can run pirated PSP games on your PSP, that's being pretty naughty and isn't something we encourage. The fact that a lot of people are doing this is contributing to (according to Sony) the lack of good games for the platform, which hurts everybody. Try not do to this.
What you can do is rip your old PS1 games and play THOSE on your PSP without waiting for an official release and having to pay Sony again for something you already own. Another idea when you're going onvacation is to get a 16GB Memory Stick and load all the PSP games you own onto it so you don't have to carry around so many UMDs. In order to rip PS1 games, you'll need a program like ISOBuster (there are others as well) that can take your disc and createan "image" of it on your hard drive, which is just a file representing the contents of the CD. You then plug those files into a program called PSX eBoot Creator tomake it suitable for your PSP. The file and instructionson how to use it can be found here . You don't need a separate emulator once you have the eBoot file, but you do need plenty of space on your Memory Stick (1GB is probably only enough to hold a couple small games or one large one).
Thanks : We wanted to thank all the hard work that the PSP community—which includes PSP Slim Hacks and Code Retard which we got much help installing this from.
Did you like this How To tutorial? The point was to give you the easiest path from start to finish, even if it required you to spend money on purchasing something. Your time is valuable, which means you don't want to spend hours solving something yourselfwhen it can easily be bypassed with a few dollars. What do you want to see a How To on? Drop us a note at meetskywalker@yahoo.com.
Enjoy
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