[GUIDE] Running Backed-up games on your PSP and Compressing an ISO

[Moose]

[GUIDE] Running Backed-up Games On Your PSP
This guide will help you to run backed-up games on your PSP console using the M33 firmwares​

[FIELDSET=How To Run A Backed-Up Game][FIELDSET=What Will I Need?]

• A PSP running a custom firmware (preferably M33)
• An ISO/CSO file to test

[/FIELDSET]

This is a very simple process, however sometimes problems will occur where the game will not run. If you do encounter any problems like the said, then take a look at the advice below the guide.

Anyway, here we go:

1. Connect your PSP to your PC using a USB cable.
   • You can use a card reader for this as well.
2. Enable USB Mode in the XMB
3. If the folder 'ISO' is not already present in the root (X:/) of your memory stick, create it.
4. Drag and drop your chosen backed-up game into the ISO folder.
5. Once it has finished copying over, exit USB mode (or insert the memory stick into the PSP) and in your XMB do the following to run your game:
   • Go to 'GAME > Memory Stick' and start your ISO/CSO game by pressing CROSS (it will look like a normal UMD game would in the XMB).
6. Follow the above procedure for adding any other backed-up games you may have.

[/FIELDSET]

[FIELDSET=Compressing an ISO][FIELDSET=What Will I Need?]

• A PSP running a custom firmware (preferably M33)
• An ISO/CSO file to convert
• The ISO Compressor - Here

[/FIELDSET]

Compressing an ISO is easy. When done your ISO will be a CSO. Do the same with a CSO as you would with an ISO to run it on your PSP.

1. Extract the RAR file to your desktop
2. Run the exe file named 'PSP ISO Compressor 1.4.exe'
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the application
4. Run the application from Start Menu > All Programs > 'PSP ISO Compressor'
5. Now do the following:
   1. Browse for your ISO file under 'Input File'
   2. Choose the save location and name of the CSO under 'Output File'
   3. Tick the option 'Browse to output folder after compression'
   4. Choose your preferred compression level (I recommend 9*)
   5. Leave 'Use NC' unticked
   6. Make sure that on the left the option 'Compress ISO -> CSO' is selected
   7. Start the compression by selecting the 'Compress' button
6. Once done, you will be automatically taken to your newly created CSO
7. Copy the CSO to your ISO directory on your PSP
8. Done!

The compression percentage differs depending on the size of the original ISO and the game itself.

*Remember that when you are compressing an ISO, the loading times will be affected. However, the amount the loading will be effected depends entirely on the compression level chosen. If you aren't willing to wait a little longer to play your games after compression, choose compression level 2-5 instead of 9.[/FIELDSET]

[FIELDSET=Troubleshooting]My ISO/CSO game is not running, it gives an error when I attempt to start it.
Do the following:

• Turn your PSP off fully.
• Turn your PSP on while holding the R button to enter Recovery Mode.
• Go to 'Configuration'.
• Change the option 'UMD Mode' to 'Sony NP9660 -NO UMD-' by pressing CROSS while the option is selected until it reaches the said option.

If it still doesn't work after the above, go to Recovery Mode by following the above instructions and do the following:

• Turn your PSP off fully.
• Turn your PSP on while holding the R button to enter Recovery Mode.
• Go to 'Advanced > Advanced Configuration'.
• Play around with the two options, enabling one and then trying to load the game, etc.

I have tried the above, but the game still returns an error when I try to load it, what can I do?
Your ISO/CSO may be corrupt, try backing it up again. If you know for sure it isn't corrupt, then try using 'M33 Driver -NO UMD-' as your UMD Mode, it may be that 'SONY NP9660 -NO UMD-' isn't working.

I compressed my ISO, but it hardly changed in size?
Some ISO files have already been compressed either by the developer or, if you downloaded it, then by the person who uploaded it. Remember, a CSO is already compressed, so you cannot compress it even more by converting it back to an ISO, etc.[/FIELDSET]

 

[Adiuvo]

Nice job Moose. Some information on reducing the size of ISOs would be good though, as well as information on how to lower the compression values so they will run better.

 

[Brad]

I used to be able to edit ISO's without re-packaging using simple Winrar. You gotta dummy some files in the process tho. (Not all but some do) Using the simple ISO to CSO convert programs the size change is enough to the point were rip kits/editing out is obsolete.

MS Duo's are so cheap now anyway. For users with smaller MS's tho it may be nice.

 

[Moose]

Added compression tutorial.

 

[Zero]

Nice tut. I recommend using something like YACC, which uses CiSO Plus. With that, you can take out the update section (and other things too) to reduce the .cso size even more. TBH, i never noticed a difference in load times when using lvl 9. Also, for Mac OS X users, you can use PrometeusPro for ISO compression.

 

[Noriyuke]

Thanks for YACC i was going to post on here about the link to iso compressor he had that the domain was no good anymore. But this works just the same. Thanks for the tut! And also, I've never noticed any problems with the csos i compress to lvl 9.

 

[docteh]

Hi, I'm having a bit of trouble with this.

I dropped my iso/cso in the ISO folder on my MS. However, nothing shows up under GAME (No UMD icon). Anyone know what could be causing this?

EDIT: someone helped me, thanks

 

[Blackout]

Besides smaller file size and possible longer loading times, what about frame rates and smoothness of a game? Is it more choppy and laggy in a CSO file compared to an ISO? I've read this argument like a year or so back, I don't remember what the outcome of that was. If theres really no performance difference rather than a few seconds extra on loading times, I might as well convert all my iso files into CSO's

 

[Adiuvo]

A lot of games have problems with CSO compression. Big examples are LCS and VCS, but there's also God of War, Dissidia, and Crisis Core that mess up from it too. Basically, any graphically intense game won't function well with it.