What hard disk drives will work with HDLoader?
Most standard IDE hard disk drives will work with HDLoader, very few are known to actually have problems. If you want a HDD which is guaranteed to work, get an official Sony internal HDD - but be warned that the capacity of these drives is fixed to 40GB. If you want a larger drive capable of storing more games then we recommend that you purchase a 120GB Maxtor HDD.
You may wish to take a look at the UN-OFFICIAL HDD compatibility chart which lists various HDD's as working or non-working, however we cannot verify the accuracy of this chart. Can I use an external HDD, such as one connected via USB?
No, and external HDD's are not likely to ever be supported as the transfer speed would be too slow to make it worthwhile.
Do I need to format my HDD before use with HDLoader?
No. HDLoader requires the HDD to be formatted with the proprietary PS2 format (APA), and HDLoader will format the HDD for you if necessary. If you have already formatted your HDD with another PS2 utility such as the HDD utility disk then you will not need to format it again.
I have a hard disk drive installed in my PS2, but HDLoader says there isn't one installed! What gives?
Check your HDD jumper settings and ensure that the HDD mode jumper is set to MASTER and NOT SLAVE. If you have the HDD configured as a slave the PS2 will not detect the drive.
If you have confirmed that all jumper settings are correct and your drive is still not detected it is possible that the HDD you have is incompatible with the HDLoader and your PS2. You may wish to take a look at the UN-OFFICIAL HDD compatibility chart which lists various HDD's as working or non-working, however we cannot verify the accuracy of this chart.
What are the maximum and minimum hard disk drive sizes supported by HDLoader?
The maximum hard disk drive size supported by HDLoader is 120gb, and the minimum size is 40gb. If you use a HDD with a capacity larger than 120GB (ie: 160GB, 200GB) then only the first 137GB will be useable.
What buffer size/rpm/ATA speed should my HDD have?
HDLoader will work with most HDD's, regardless of the buffer size etc. You dont need to worry about these details.
HDLoader freezes at the splash screen! Help!
A few hard disk drives (specifically, a few recent Segate models) do not play nicely with older models of the official Sony PS2 network adapter.
Is HDLoader compatible with DVD-9 (Dual layer) games?
Games on DVD-9 media are currently unsupported by HDLoader. If you attempt to install a DVD-9 game it is likely that the installation will appear successful, but any attempt to actually run the game will most likely fail. There are currently under 10 DVD-9 games for the PS2, so hopefully this is not too much of a problem.
Is HDLoader compatible with modchips?
Yes.
Can I use a cheat device such as Action Replay or Gameshark with HDLoader?
No, unfortunately this is not possible at this time.
Will future games work with HDLoader?
Considering that "future games" are not yet released, it is a bit hard to determine if these will work with HDLoader or not. Please stop asking us this question :)
What PS2 models will HDLoader work with?
HDLoader will currently work with all PS2's except for the first three Japanese models: SCPH 10000, SCPH 15000 and SCPH 18000.
Where can I purchase HDLoader?
Please visit www.consolesource.com to order your HDLoader and HDLoader related products.
Can I play Playstation 1 games with HDLoader?
No. Unfortunately, this will be impossible with HDLoader.
How does the installation process work?
Once HDLoader is running, you can choose the "Install" command from the toolbar. You will then be prompted to eject the HDLoader disc and insert your game disc. After you have inserted your game disc you need to input a name for the game. After a title has been assigned to the game, the installation process begins, and HDLoader will transfer the entire contents of the disc to the HDD. It is not possible to install a game over a network - it is only possible to install a game from a disc inserted into your Playstation 2 DVD drive.
Can I use HDLoader to store my saved games on the HDD?
No, this is not currently possible.
Can I still use my memory card to store gaved game data?
Yes.
Will I need the HDLoader disc inserted in my PS2 each time I wish to play a game from my HDD?
Yes. In order to boot a game using HDLoader, you must insert the HDLoader disc and then launch the game from the GUI.
How fast are games transferred from the disc to the HDD?
That depends on the media type and amount of data to be transferred. The approximate maximum transfer rate for a CD is 700kb/second, and for DVD it is 1.5mb/second. Please note that the transfer rate is not constant, it starts off slow and gets faster. This is due to the fact that the PS2 can read data faster from the outside of a disc than it can from the inside of a disc.
Do I need to be connected to the internet to use HDLoader? Is this why a network adapter is required?
No, you do not need to be connected to the internet to use HDLoader. The network adapter is only required because it is used to physically connect a HDD to your PS2.
Can I use HDLoader to play my games online?
You can play any games which do NOT use DNAS online. The DNAS check will fail when HDLoader is used, so it is not possible to play DNAS enabled games online using HDLoader.
How many games can I store on my HDD?
This depends on both the size of your games and the size of your HDD. Lets assume that you have a 120GB HDD and the average size of your games is 2GB. 120GB / 2GB = 60 games.
Can I install backups/imports using HDLoader?
No this is not possible.
Does HDLoader conflict with other HDD enabled software such as PlayOnline, FFXI etc?
No, HDLoader does not interfere with any other HDD enabled software.
Do I need a modified Playstation 2 in order to use HDLoader?
No - HDLoader is provided as a pressed, bootable Playstation 2 disc. No modifications are required. |
