How to Install Custom Firmware on your PSP

UPDATED AS OF 8-2-2010

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What is Custom Firmware??

Custom firmware replaces your PSPs official firmware but it is not a permanent upgrade.
You can easily uninstall the custom firmware and to back to official firmware if you
don't like or don't want to use custom firmware anymore.

Custom Firmware has all the features of the official sony firmware, but also adds the ability
to load homebrew PSP ISOs and PSX EBOOTs directly from the game menu in the XMB.
so you can still play your original UMD discs, Music and Videos using custom firmware.

Custom Firmware also has an option to use 'No-UMD Mode' so you can run your PSP ISOs without a UMD inserted.

If you don't have a USB cable but you have a memory card reader, you can use that instead.
when you see 'connect your PSP to your computer and make a USB connection',
Turn off your PSP, take the memory stick out of your PSP and insert it into your memory card reader.
When you see 'close the USB connection and disconnect your PSP from your computer'
Take the memory stick out of your computer and insert it into your PSP and turn your PSP on.

To Install.. CFW follow the steps below. Installing CFW *Custom Firmware* on your PSP enables it the ability to play these downloadable games on my blog on your PSP.

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Installing CFW using ChickHEN and Hellcat's Recovery Flasher

NOTE: This will not work with PSP-3000s [TA-090v2] or new PSP-2000s [TA-088v3]

Step to install CFW on a PSP Slim without a Pandora battery:

1. Check and triple check you have a hackable PSP that will accept
custom firmware flashing without resulting in a BRICKED PSP. Make sure you have a PSP with a TA88v2 or below only + or TAv90v1. If your PSP has a TA88v3 or above or is a PSP-3000 DO NOT proceed!!! You will brick your PSP.

1A-Download this easy installer: Easy ChickHEN CFW installer (Without Pandora)

1B-Run the installer and point it to your Memory stick Pro Duo root.

2. !!NOTE!! If your PSP is anything below firmware 5.03 official, you will need to update to 5.03. Use this file. Place in /PSP/GAME/UPDATE/ and run -- Download 5.03 update here

3. Now lets run ChickHEN to have a homebrew enabled environment. In your PSP go to photo then click the ChickHEN photo and wait. If the PSP jams *freezes black*, please retry. If it flashes colour GREEN and reboots you have loaded ChicKHEN. Check your system info to be sure it say’s 5.03 ChickHEN R2. You may have to retry several times for it to work *got mine on the 8th try*

4. Now with your PSP rebooted in ChickHEN go to your PSP XMB game menu and run Hellcats Recovery and install 5.00 M33! Your PSP will reboot, follow the instuctions to install PSP Custom Firmware 5.00 M33. After your done you can update to 5.00m33-6

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How to put games on your Memory stick:

Now you've got a CFW! You now only need a memory stick and some downloaded games from my blog.

1. Turn on your PSP, connect it via USB cable and go to Settings>>USB Mode on your PSP
2. On the AutoPlay, Click Open Folders.
3. Copy the game you downloaded and paste it to X:/ISO where "X" is the letter of your PSP drive
4. Enjoy!


The next section is for users who only want to update to GEN (but in my opinion m33 is more stable than GEN :)

For CFW PSP users to update to 5.50 GEN-B2

To update to 5.50 GEN-B2, you need at least a PSP running firmware 3.52 M33-3.

INSTRUCTIONS: *before updating, make sure you have your battery charged to 100% to avoid bricks*

1 - Download 5.50 GEN-A, 5.50 GEN-B, and 5.50 GEN-B2.

2 - Extract them all, and connect your PSP to the PC.

3 - Copy the UPDATE folder in pspgen-cf550gen-build4 extracted from 5.50 GEN-A to the GAME folder in the memory stick.

4 - Copy 5.50-genB-update extracted from 5.50 GEN-B to the GAME folder in the memory stick.

5 - Copy 5.50-genB2-update extracted from 5.50 GEN-B2 to the GAME folder in the memory stick.

6 - Disconnect the PSP from the PC.

7 - Reboot the PSP holding the R button, and the go to Configurations->Game folder homebrew, and make sure that it is set to 3.XX/4.XX/5.XX.

8 - Execute the 5.50 GEN-A update from XMB->Game menu. When the installed finishes, press X to reboot to XMB.

9 - Do the same to 5.50 GEN-B and 5.50 GEN-B2 update.

When finished, you can delete all of the update folders. Download PSP games here.