HD Loader
Encyclopedia
HD Loader is a program for the PlayStation 2
video game console which allow users to play games installed on the optional hard drive peripheral via PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor. The games can be copied to the hard drive from within the program, or by using a computer with image dumping software that outputs to a specific custom format.
The HD Loader software does not require an original Sony
hard drive to function properly, however some drives may be impossible to attach without modifying connectors. Games may also refuse to detect the drive if it is unofficial.
by allowing games to be installed, then played later without owning the disc). In October, 2006, a federal court in California ordered defendants to pay in excess of $9 million in damages for Digital Millennium Copyright Act violations for selling HD Loader. Original HD Loader discs are still being produced and sold on their main HD Loader website and alternative websites http://www.hdloader.net/ http://www.hdloader.com.au/, but rumor is that it's of the unofficial patched version. http://www.hdloader.net/forums/showthread.php?mode=hybrid&t=186 A clone of the patched version of the official version is being sold as called HD Advance is still being manufactured and can be purchased from many online retailers.
and Gran Turismo 4
, to prevent them from being executed off the hard drive.
In response to the limitations of HD Loader, a number of independent programmers have developed patches which extend the functionality of HD Loader to improve game compatibility. These include a fix to improve dual-layer support, one to implement a non-aligned data buffer (which allows Gradius V
to be played from the HD), one to defeat newer copy-protection measures (popularly known as the God of War fix), one to support the new "slimline" SCPH-70000 series PlayStation 2 hardware and one to implement 48-bit Logical Block Addressing
(which allows HD Loader to take full advantage of hard drives larger than 137 GB
; or 128 GiB
, as reported by HD Loader) as of 0.7c hard drives of up to 2 Terabyte
s can be used.
These patches have been accumulated into unofficial HD Loader release known as 0.8b, The unofficial HD Loader is currently at version 0.8c as of April 2007. Version 0.8c continues support for 48bit (up to 2 Terabyte hard drives), patches for both GTA:LCS/GTA:VCS & GOW2 , 3 more modes and support for installing and running dual layer games directly off the hard drive.
Some games need to be patched in order to be played with HD Loader. Another may require using tricks, such as starting the game with an older, digital controller and then switching to Dualshock 2, or refuse to install. According to PS2HD.COM, the compatibility rate of patched HD Loader is around 88.2%.
0.6d - the first unofficial version that improved game compatibility.
0.7c - fix for Suikoden V, patches for 48bit HDDs (up to 2 Terabytes), DMA
modes (UDMA
/MDMA) and DVD9 fix to allow dual layer games to be played were added. A stable GUI Patching app was created and allowed one to choose which patches and other various edits to apply to an Official unpatched version. Updated compatibility menu added.
0.7e - patches that fixed Shadow of the Colossus and Super Monkey Ball were added. This version enabled playing many previously incompatible games. Updated compatibility menu and changed modes description.
0.8 - A patch that fixed GTA: Liberty City Stories and the ability to edit the DMA button configuration.
0.8b - fixes a bug with HDL0.8 not installing to HDDs over 128GB and a few other minor errors. Updated compatibility menu.
0.8b+ - A patch that fixed God of War II
was added. This version is known under different names because author did not rename the version. Additionally, this patch breaks support for Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
.
0.8c - A fix for the buffer alignment was added into the GUI Patcher app and made both GOW2 and GTA:LCS run without crashing. This is the current version. The unofficial releases can be run on a console with a modchip installed, or by using an exploit such as Free McBoot http://freemcboot.psx-scene.com or PS2 Independence Exploit.
, which allow users to play games installed to the optional hard drive peripheral available for the PS2. HD Advance is identical in functionality to many patched versions of HD Loader freely available online (that include DVD-9 support and 48-bit hard drive addressing) - only with a different theme and some changed text strings.
The only benefit of HD Advance is that it is distributed on a pressed disk, giving a patched version of HD Loader that can run on a console without a modchip installed, and also without the need of the PS2 Independence Exploit or any other software modification.
However, players who were using HD Advance 2.0 retail pressed discs (CD or DVD) to format a Maxtor
hard disk with 80 GB capacity and subsequently use the disc to play PS2 games from the HDD were reported experincing a strange problem. HD Loader versions up to 0.7c boot up perfectly via the Independence Exploit but subsequent versions of HD Loader from 0.8 onwards freezes on the splash screen and refuses to start up if formatted with a HD Advance disc. This is possibly due to newer patches that are not in any HD Advance discs;a solution is to reformat the hard disk with HD Loader version 0.8 or higher, which is recommended for newer PS2 games. However, this is not confirmed to work 100% across the board as certain PS2 models (mainly PAL 7xxx consoles) was reported to still freeze at splash screen; a currently-unfixable problem related to HD Loader version 0.8 or higher on PAL single-port network adapter models was the main problem.
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game console which allow users to play games installed on the optional hard drive peripheral via PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor. The games can be copied to the hard drive from within the program, or by using a computer with image dumping software that outputs to a specific custom format.
The HD Loader software does not require an original Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
hard drive to function properly, however some drives may be impossible to attach without modifying connectors. Games may also refuse to detect the drive if it is unofficial.
Reaction
Sony's public stance on HD Loader is that it is not supported and is illegal (it can enable game piracyCopyright infringement of software
Copyright infringement of software=The copyright infringement of software refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software. Copyright infringement of this kind varies globally...
by allowing games to be installed, then played later without owning the disc). In October, 2006, a federal court in California ordered defendants to pay in excess of $9 million in damages for Digital Millennium Copyright Act violations for selling HD Loader. Original HD Loader discs are still being produced and sold on their main HD Loader website and alternative websites http://www.hdloader.net/ http://www.hdloader.com.au/, but rumor is that it's of the unofficial patched version. http://www.hdloader.net/forums/showthread.php?mode=hybrid&t=186 A clone of the patched version of the official version is being sold as called HD Advance is still being manufactured and can be purchased from many online retailers.
Compatibility
HD Loader is not 100% compatible with all PS2 games. Some incompatibilities exist because game software depends on certain peculiarities of the PS2 drive hardware. Additional incompatibilities arise from the use of dual-layer DVDs in some PS2 games, which are sometimes not parsed properly by HD Loader (incidentally, dual-layer games can only be installed from a PC but as of 0.8c it's possible to install them from HD Loader). Finally, there are intentional impediments introduced some recent high-profile PS2 titles, such as God of WarGod of War (video game)
God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
and Gran Turismo 4
Gran Turismo 4
is a racing simulator for the Sony PlayStation 2 which was developed by Polyphony Digital. It was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan and Hong Kong , February 22, 2005 in North America , and March 9, 2005 in Europe , and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line...
, to prevent them from being executed off the hard drive.
In response to the limitations of HD Loader, a number of independent programmers have developed patches which extend the functionality of HD Loader to improve game compatibility. These include a fix to improve dual-layer support, one to implement a non-aligned data buffer (which allows Gradius V
Gradius V
Gradius V is a Japanese-developed shoot 'em up video game published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console in 2004. Gradius V was largely developed under contract by the Treasure team responsible for Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga under supervision of Konami's internal development...
to be played from the HD), one to defeat newer copy-protection measures (popularly known as the God of War fix), one to support the new "slimline" SCPH-70000 series PlayStation 2 hardware and one to implement 48-bit Logical Block Addressing
Logical block addressing
Logical block addressing is a common scheme used for specifying the location of blocks of data stored on computer storage devices, generally secondary storage systems such as hard disks....
(which allows HD Loader to take full advantage of hard drives larger than 137 GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
; or 128 GiB
Gib
Gib may refer to:* A castrated male cat or ferret* Gibibit , measurement unit of digitally stored computer information* Gibraltar, British overseas territory* Drywall, construction material...
, as reported by HD Loader) as of 0.7c hard drives of up to 2 Terabyte
Terabyte
The terabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix tera means 1012 in the International System of Units , and therefore 1 terabyte is , or 1 trillion bytes, or 1000 gigabytes. 1 terabyte in binary prefixes is 0.9095 tebibytes, or 931.32 gibibytes...
s can be used.
These patches have been accumulated into unofficial HD Loader release known as 0.8b, The unofficial HD Loader is currently at version 0.8c as of April 2007. Version 0.8c continues support for 48bit (up to 2 Terabyte hard drives), patches for both GTA:LCS/GTA:VCS & GOW2 , 3 more modes and support for installing and running dual layer games directly off the hard drive.
Some games need to be patched in order to be played with HD Loader. Another may require using tricks, such as starting the game with an older, digital controller and then switching to Dualshock 2, or refuse to install. According to PS2HD.COM, the compatibility rate of patched HD Loader is around 88.2%.
Version history
Official HD Loader is extracted and released to the internet as a retaliation to the free library files used in its creation.0.6d - the first unofficial version that improved game compatibility.
0.7c - fix for Suikoden V, patches for 48bit HDDs (up to 2 Terabytes), DMA
DMA
DMA can refer to:* DMA , a defunct dance music magazine* Dallas Museum of Art, an art museum in Texas, USA* Danish Music Awards, an award show held in Denmark since 1989...
modes (UDMA
UDMA
For the main article about the controller, see Parallel ATAThe Ultra DMA interface was the fastest method used to transfer data between the computer and an ATA device until Serial ATA....
/MDMA) and DVD9 fix to allow dual layer games to be played were added. A stable GUI Patching app was created and allowed one to choose which patches and other various edits to apply to an Official unpatched version. Updated compatibility menu added.
0.7e - patches that fixed Shadow of the Colossus and Super Monkey Ball were added. This version enabled playing many previously incompatible games. Updated compatibility menu and changed modes description.
0.8 - A patch that fixed GTA: Liberty City Stories and the ability to edit the DMA button configuration.
0.8b - fixes a bug with HDL0.8 not installing to HDDs over 128GB and a few other minor errors. Updated compatibility menu.
0.8b+ - A patch that fixed God of War II
God of War II
God of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
was added. This version is known under different names because author did not rename the version. Additionally, this patch breaks support for Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is a 2005 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar North and Rockstar Leeds. It is the ninth game in the Grand Theft Auto series...
.
0.8c - A fix for the buffer alignment was added into the GUI Patcher app and made both GOW2 and GTA:LCS run without crashing. This is the current version. The unofficial releases can be run on a console with a modchip installed, or by using an exploit such as Free McBoot http://freemcboot.psx-scene.com or PS2 Independence Exploit.
HD Advance
HD Advance is a cloned version of the HD Loader software for the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, which allow users to play games installed to the optional hard drive peripheral available for the PS2. HD Advance is identical in functionality to many patched versions of HD Loader freely available online (that include DVD-9 support and 48-bit hard drive addressing) - only with a different theme and some changed text strings.
The only benefit of HD Advance is that it is distributed on a pressed disk, giving a patched version of HD Loader that can run on a console without a modchip installed, and also without the need of the PS2 Independence Exploit or any other software modification.
However, players who were using HD Advance 2.0 retail pressed discs (CD or DVD) to format a Maxtor
Maxtor
Maxtor Corporation, founded in 1982 and acquired by Seagate Technology in 2006, was an American manufacturer of computer hard disk drives, the third largest in the world immediately prior to acquisition...
hard disk with 80 GB capacity and subsequently use the disc to play PS2 games from the HDD were reported experincing a strange problem. HD Loader versions up to 0.7c boot up perfectly via the Independence Exploit but subsequent versions of HD Loader from 0.8 onwards freezes on the splash screen and refuses to start up if formatted with a HD Advance disc. This is possibly due to newer patches that are not in any HD Advance discs;a solution is to reformat the hard disk with HD Loader version 0.8 or higher, which is recommended for newer PS2 games. However, this is not confirmed to work 100% across the board as certain PS2 models (mainly PAL 7xxx consoles) was reported to still freeze at splash screen; a currently-unfixable problem related to HD Loader version 0.8 or higher on PAL single-port network adapter models was the main problem.
External links
- HD Advance Manufacturers site
- HD Loader, HD Loader site.
- HD Loader Game Compatibility List, a straightforward list which includes notes about various compatibility issues.
- Game Compatibility List for the PS2 HDD Shows compatibility for the various versions of HD loader, USB Extreme and ToxicOS.
- PS2 Hard Drive Compatibility Chart