[Tutorial] - Clearing flash0 space (on custom FW)

[DarkPacMan77]

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DarkPacMan77's guide to freeing up flash 0 space
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***Disclaimer******Disclaimer******Disclaimer***
These processes below are all entirely optional!!
ONLY ALTER THE FLASH 0 IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS.
Neither myself or any moderator or administrator of
pspbrew.com takes responsibility for this guide
if you brick your psp. Doing this incorrectly
CAN brick your psp if you do not follow the steps
closely.

Use this at your own risk.

Before attempting this tutorial, it would be wise
to back up your firmware with x-flash by first
performing a firmware dump. Read the readme.txt
of x-flash for further details.

***Disclaimer******Disclaimer******Disclaimer***

Many psp users have upgraded to the newer custom firmware versions. This has created some pretty nasty bricks with many
users because they have run out of flash 0 space when trying to customize their psp with programs like X-Flash.

This guide is to show you the safe way to customize your psp if you have custom firmware installed.

I will first teach you about WHAT we will be doing. First off, what we are going to be doing is either "dummying" a
file on the psp (copying the smallest file and renaming it so that "secretely" all files are the same, but the psp doesn't
know), or simply deleting the file altogether from the flash of the psp. This is done for the purpose of having enough room in the Flash0 space for customization, like adding larger gameboots/ cintros. The flash has many files with the file extention
.prx. A .prx file is something that 'controls' something of the psp, like the usb camera (the chottoshotto available in Japan).
The following hack may render some parts of your psp useless, like the camera/ web browser/ rss feeds/ different languages/
gps (in future) if you choose to take them out. That is why I recommend that you perform a firmware dump with x-flash prior
to using this.

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To begin this tutorial, you will need a few things.
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1) A psp with a custom firmware installed
2) You need a copy of the program, pspfiler. :::this is the version I have used for this::: http://www.pspbrew.com/?page=fileInfo&cid=&d=3387
3) Great attention to detail
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You should now install pspfiler into the game folder of you memory stick (or wherever you have selected games to be run). After
installing the program, you start the program from the psp menu (xmb).

You now want to enable "hacker mode". To do this, press and hold the L trigger, then press and hold the left button on the
directional pad, then press the right trigger and release the three buttons. You will now see (in the top left corner) that
you are in hacker mode. If you press the start button you will switch from viewing the files on the memory card, to viewing
the files on the psp's flash, which is what we want to do.
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This will dummy the font files into making them english. This will make it so that even if you click on Korean/Japanese/Chinese font, your psp will recognize it as English. If you want to use the Japanese/ Korean, or Chinese fonts, please skip this step.

I.Scroll to the font section.
II. choose ltn9.pgf and press X (this is used b/c it is the smallest file). Press Circle on the menu that pops upand that file will copy to the RAM.
III.After it is copied, choose jpn0.pgf (Japanese font file). Press X and Square to delete this file. Now press Start until you get to RAMDISK. Press X on the file and then R-Trigger to rename. Rename it to jpn0.pgf
IV. Go to flash0:/font. Paste the file from RAMDISK here by pressing X and Triangle. Finally, go back to RAMDISK and delete jpn0.pgf.

Do the same renaming and replacing steps now for gb3s1518.bwfon as above. Note that by dummying this file you'll get half cut-off text in the internet browser. This will free up an extra megabyte, but you may not want to do it. If you do, you might as well delete the internet browser as well (located below).

This should free up 2,540KB (2.5MB) more space on your flash0
**Note** most customizations will not need anymore space than this. However, getting rid of files like the usb camera will help you be less irritated. For instance, I am very used to version 1.50. Whenever I tried viewing photos on the custom firmwares that were compatible with the camera, I would click on the CAMERA on accident. This would then open an error message instead. Read on to just take out these features altogether, so that when you click on them, it does nothing.
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This will make your psp not able to play mp3 files. If you want to still listen to mp3 music files on your psp, please skip
this step.

In the flash0:/vsh/nodule folder (yes, nodule with an "n"), there are 3 files to delete.
1. music_main_plugin.prx
2. music_common.prx
3. music_plugin.prx
Next navigate to flash0:/vsh/resource, there is 1 file to delete.
1. music_main_plugin.rco

This should free up about 623KB on your flash0
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This will make your psp unable to use the web browser/ flash player. If you still want to use the web browser/flash player, please skip this step.

In the flash0:/vsh/nodule, there are 3 files to delete.
1. htmlviewer_plugin.prx
2. htmlviewer_ui.prx
3. htmlviewer_utility.prx
In the flash0:/vsh/resource, there are 6 files to delete.
1. htmlviewer.fbm
2. htmlviewer.gim
3. htmlviewer.msg
4. htmlviewer.res
5. htmlviewer.snd
6. htmlviewer_plugin.rco.

This should free up about 492KB on your flash0
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This will make your psp not able to view photos. If you want to still view photos on your psp, please skip this step.

In the flash0:/vsh/nodule, there is 1 file to delete.
1. photo_plugin.prx
In the flash0:/vsh/resource, there is 1 file to delete.
1. photo_plugin.rco

This should free up about 232KB on your flash0
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This will make your psp not able to play videos. If you want to still watch videos on your psp, please skip this step.

In the flash0:/vsh/nodule, there are 4 files to delete.
1. video_plugin.prx
2. video_main_plugin.prx
3. msvideo_plugin.prx
4. msvideo_main_plugin.prx
In the flash0:/vsh/resource. There are 3 files to delete.
1. video_plugin_videotoolbar.rco
2. video_main_plugin.rco
3. msvideo_main_plugin.rco

This should free up about 802KB on your flash0
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This will make your psp not able to view RSS feeds any longer. If you still want to receive RSS feeds, please skip this step.

In the flash0:/vsh/nodule, there is 1 file to delete.
1. rss_subscriber.prx
Ine the flash0:/vsh/resource, there is 1 file to delete.
1. rss_subscriber.rco

this should free up about 21.1kb on your flash0
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This will make your psp not able to use the Network Update. If you still want to use the Network Update

In the flash0:/vsh/nodule, there is 1 file to delete.
1. update_plugin.prx
In the flash0:/vsh/resource, there is 1 file to delete.
1. update_plugin.rco.

this should free up about 33.6kb on your flash0
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This will make your psp not able to use the ChottoShotto digital camera attachment (sold in Japan). If you still want to use the PSP Camera, please skip this step.

In the flash0:/vsh/nodule, there is 1 file to delete.
1. camera_plugin.rco.
In the flash0:/vsh/resource, there is 1 file to delete.
1. camera_plugin.prx
In the flash0:/kn, there is one file to delete.
1. usbcam.prx

this should free up about 277kb on your flash0
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This will make your psp unable to use the GPS (not in stores yet). If you still want to use the GPS feature in the future, please skip this step.

In the flash0:/kn, there is 1 file to delete.
1. usbgps.prx

this should free up about 15.4kb on your flash0
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****************************************************************************************
What is dummying?
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Dummying a file, as said before, is basically using the smallest file you can, duplicating/ renaming the file/ putting it in the place where the older file was, and making the psp THINK that it is something else. If you don't feel safe dummying files, please don't try this step. I encourage you to try out as many of these steps as long as you feel comfortable doing so and understand the consequences. You should read the disclaimer at the top of the page if you haven't done so already.
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This is a list of all 32 files that are safe to either dummy (if listed) or just plain delete. There very well may be a few more, but wouldn't really be worth deleting in my opinion.

flash0:/font/gb3s1518.bwfon (dummy this)
flash0:/font/jpn0.pgf (dummy this)
flash0:/kd/usbcam.prx
flash0:/kd/usbgps.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/camera_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/htmlviewer_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/htmlviewer_ui.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/htmlviewer_utility.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/msvideo_main_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/msvideo_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/music_common.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/music_main_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/music_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/photo_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/rss_subscriber.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/update_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/video_main_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/nodule/video_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/resource/camera_plugin.rco
flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.fbm
flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.gim
flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.msg
flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.res
flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.snd
flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer_plugin.rco
flash0:/vsh/resource/msvideo_main_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/resource/msvideo_plugin.prx
flash0:/vsh/resource/photo_plugin.rco
flash0:/vsh/resource/rss_subscriber.rco
flash0:/vsh/resource/update_plugin.rco
flash0:/vsh/resource/video_main_plugin.rco
flash0:/vsh/resource/video_plugin_videotoolbar.rco

Please feel free to ask questions. I will check back on this thread every once in a while and try to answer each and every person that I can.

-DarkPacMan77-

[monkeymaximus]

that was just awesome. Great job Dark

Holy crap!!

Nice tut!!!!!!

dude awsome tut! really usefu!l

I have just a few questions: what would happen if i took out something like network update and then updated to a new custom fw? like say if 3.03 OE-C came out would anything happen when updating? and is there a way to take out all of the languages besides english and would that free up flash space?

[DarkPacMan77]

Thank you guys for the positive reviews. If you use this tutorial, just make sure to pay attention to detail. That said, enjoy!

~FireFoxx- I am fairly certain that it is safe to take out the network update function and still be able to update to another firmware. Personally, I took out mine. I also took out GPS, Camera, and RSS feeds, and the web browser (b/c I just prefer the computer over the psp's web browser).

The good thing about custom firmware, is of course recovery mode. Now, recently a lot of mishaps have been popping up with cintros. My personal view on that is that the user didn't have enough room on the flash0 to begin with, and it corrupted the recovery mode when it semi-bricked (and made it a full brick on the custom firmware).

I mention the recovery mode as a safe haven b/c the primary purpose of the recovery mode (since it was implemented) was to protect the "1.50" and be able to recover it. I am sure that there have been people that mess around with the psp flash0 that have taken out the network update on version 1.50 and still received no problems. I am fairly certain that it is safe, however, if you are REALLY cautious, I encourage you to downgrade to 1.50, which will work, and just upgrade from there.

Regarding deleting the languages. I am not sure if you could just plain delete them. I have only tried to dummy them b/c it is safer. My personal guess is that the psp would crash if you deleted say... Japanese font and then tried to use it. I will ask someone that I know who has goofed with the Korean font a bit, and I will get back to you. It could very well be safe, and just create "static-looking" letters. While that wouldn't mess with how the psp works, you might not be able to change it until you recovered 1.50. Like I said though, just wait for a final answer.

*Edit* I would like to add that dummying the file DOES work, just takes a little bit of time. If you just dummy the language files you should free around 2.5mb on the flash0, which should be more than enough for various customizations; however, if you are interested in cintros, then you should watch your file sizes very closely.

-DarkPacMan77-

alright thx man, deleting the languages is not that big of a deal, just wondering because they are no use to me

Very nice tutorial, will the VSH prx's cause anything during the process? (fyi a brick most likely?)
Even x-flash can't do such a job (maybe)
Nice.

[DarkPacMan77]

I have created this tutorial for the user that dares to go where x-flash doesn't. Even the .prx files in the vsh are safe to delete as long as I say so

All of those files can be safely taken from the psp's flash.

Keep in mind, that if you delete just ONE file, you have to delete the others that goto that function.

I have realized that I have not added how to take out the web browser files, so I will do that soon.

Jan. 13th, 5:32 PM (eastern time):::: tutorial has been updated to include web browser

-DarkPacMan77-

Very nice tutorial

I've done most of this except for the gps, so thanks for that!

[DarkPacMan77]

You are very welcome. Hopefully this tutorial persuades a few people to upgrade to custom firmware 3.xx and not be afraid of the low flash

-DarkPacMan77-

where can i get a firmware dumper

[DarkPacMan77]

x-flash (3rd time I've answered this for you)

-DarkPacMan77-

lol im sorry and went to three different loacations and u didnt answer then all of a sudden u answer them all and i am sorry though ok

i just dont want anyone running to malias and telling him suttin about me and then i get banned

[DarkPacMan77]

It's ok. No harm no foul.

-DarkPacMan77-

[Skelator03]

just wanted to say well done i dont usually comment on tuts but this was worth it i have no reason to try any of this out but if i did i would read this again because it looks like you hit the nail on the head with freeing up some space