MESEDILLA STUDIOS v9.0

After upgrading to CFW 4.01 last October 12, Dark Alex has once again released Team M33’s latest CFW, 5.00.

It has been released last October 17 but I waited for a while for CFW 5.00 M33 to stabilize. After the initial release, several bugs came out and I wanted it to be fixed first.

CFW 5.00 M33-3 was released last October 23. So far M33-3 is a bit stable. A major bug has been fixed since M33-2.

CFW 5.00 M33 Improvements:

• Sleep Timer – You can now set a timer when playing music.
• USB Auto-Connect – The system automatically changes to USB mode when a USB cable is connected.
• New XMB wave
• Full-Screen keyboard – QWERTY keyboard has been added.
• PlayStation Network
• PlayStation Store
• Several Bug Fixes

I just finished upgrading to CFW 5.00 M33-3 and so far all of my games are working well. No problems whatsoever. My PSP is a Slim Sony PSP ver. 4.01 M33-2. Take note that the instructions are different for the Fat Sony PSP.

This is a step-by-step guide to upgrading your PSP Custom Firmware. I hope this tutorial will help you safely upgrade your PSP to the latest CFW. However, remember that there is a risk involved that you might brick your PSP and render it useless. Just make sure you fulfill all the requirements.

*Warning: Please follow the instructions properly. Do these at your own risk.

Requirements:

1. Sony PSP Slim
2. Custom Firmware (CFW) 4.01 M33-x. (Please do not attempt this on official Sony firmwares. Older CFWs will also not work.) You need at least CFW 4.01 M33-x by Dark-Alex.
3. Wireless network (Wifi). Make sure your PSP Wifi connection is setup properly. You need to connect to the internet to retrieve the latest update files.
4. More than 80% battery
5. At least 30MB memory stick space. The update already takes up 26MB space.
6. You also have to enable the network update of the M33 Custom firmware or you will end up updating to the official Sony firmware.

To check if CFW M33 Network Update is enabled, go to recovery mode:

1. Shutdown your PSP. Make sure it is not in sleep mode.
2. Turn on your PSP while holding the R button.
3. When recovery mode appears, go to Configuration
4. Make sure this is what appears, Use M33 Network Update (Currently Enabled)

Let’s proceed:

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Network Update
3. Select your Wifi connection. You will see the following:
   

   Connecting to the access point.
   Please wait…
   Connection Name
   SSID
   Exchanging Key Information (This might appear depending on your Wifi network setup)
   Obtaining IP Address

4. It will check if there is a firmware update available. If there is, you will see:
   

   Network Update has found a later
   version.
   To download, insert a Memory Stick
   with at least 1 MB free space and press
   the X button.

5. Press the X button to download.
6. It will download the initial update. After that, you will see:
   

   Download completed.
   The update is now available in your
   Memory Stick.
   To install now, press the X button
   To install later, go to [Game]

7. Press the X button to install.
8. This will appear next:
   

   Unpacking… done
   500.PBP doesn’t exist.
   Do you want to download it from the internet? (x=yes, R=no)

9. Press the X button to download.
10. It will again show you the network connection screen, choose your Wifi connection.
11. You will see the following:
    

    Connecting to the access point.
    Please wait…
    Connection Name
    SSID
    Exchanging Key Information (This might appear depending on your Wifi network setup)
    Obtaining IP Address

12. Next you will see:
    

    File Size: 27106965 bytes (26 MB)
    Downloading… 0%

13. After reaching 100%, you will see:
    

    File Size: 27106965 bytes (26 MB)
    Downloading… 100%
    File Saved (size = 27106965 bytes).
    Returning to M33 updater…

14. Then you will see:
    

    Unpacking… done.
    Please wait…

15. Next you will see:
    

    Verifying 500.PBP… ok
    Verifying u235.prx… ok
    Press X to start the update, R to exit

16. Press the X button to continue the update
17. You will then see:
    

    Verifying 500.PBP… ok
    Verifying u235.prx… ok
    Press X to start the update, R to exit
    Starting sce updater. Wait…

18. The PSP Update ver 5.00 screen will appear next, press X to continue.
19. Follow the onsreen prompts, select Accept and keep on pressing the Right Button of the D-Pad until you see the option to press the X button
20. Press the X button to continue the upgrade
21. Next you will see:
    

    Installing…
    Do not turn off the power, disconnect
    the AC adaptor or remove the
    Memory Stick
    0%

22. Once it reaches 100%, you will see this:
    

    Update completed
    Press the X button to restart.
    You can now delete the update data
    from your Memory Stick.

23. Press the X button. You MUST do this, otherwise you’ll end up with a brick.
24. After your PSP restarts, go to Settings
25. Select System Settings
26. Select System Information
27. You should see something like this:
    

    System Software 5.00 M33-3
    Nickname
    MAC Address

There you have it… you have updated your PSP online!

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This is a step-by-step guide to installing PSPRadio to your CFW. I encountered some problems so I’ll be pointing these out later.

Requirements:

• PSPRadio v1.18.1400 – You can download it here
• Slim Sony PSP Custom FirmWare (CFW) by Dark-Alex – I’m using 4.01 M33-2 but I heard some people were able to make it run on 3.80 M33-x. And originally, I think this was meant for Fat Sony PSP 1.50 but I don’t know anyone who has this so I can’t confirm it.
• Wireless network (Wifi) – Make sure your PSP Wifi connection is setup properly. You need to connect to the internet to stream music from Shoutcast.

Procedure:

1. Connect your PSP to your computer via USB
2. Go to Settings
3. Select USB Connection
4. Once connected, you can proceed with the PSPRadio files
5. Extract the RAR file (PSP_Radio_v1.18.1400.rar) on your computer
6. Inside the PSP_Radio_v1.18.1400 folder, you will see the following:
   

   PSP
   PSP_Radio_PLB.zip

   PSP_Radio_PLB.zip is the playlist maker for PSPRadio. I can’t seem to make this run. No worries. For the meantime, we’re focusing on the PSPRadio itself.

7. Go inside the PSP folder and you will see the following:
   

   GAME371

8. Go inside the GAME371 folder and you will see the following:
   

   PSPRadio

9. Copy the PSPRadio folder to your PSP in the following directory:
   

   PSP\GAME150

10. In your PSP, this is how it should look like:
    

    PSP\GAME150\PSPRadio

    When I first installed PSPRadio, I encountered a folder error. In the RAR file PSPRadio resided under folder PSP\GAME371. I noticed that folder GAME371 did not exist in the PSP folder. So I created the folder GAME371 and copied the PSPRadio folder under it just like the RAR directory structure. However, I couldn’t find PSPRadio under the Game > Memory Stick menu. And when I moved the PSPRadio folder into GAME150, I could see it. Just take note of this.

11. Once done, you can disconnect your PSP from your computer
12. In your PSP, go to Game
13. Select Memory Stick
14. Select PSPRadio
15. It should start up and try to connect to your wifi. However, when I first ran PSPRadio, I encountered an error. It said:
    

    Error Starting Network

    And when I checked the error log (PSPRadio.log) I saw this:

    ERROR – WLANConnectionHandler : sceNetApctlConnect returned ‘0×80110601′

    This simply means it cannot connect via wifi and you need to check your settings.

16. To check your settings, click on the Start button
17. In the WiFi setting, you should choose your wifi connection name. If you don’t see your wifi connection name and instead you see this:
    

    WiFi: Off ♪≡i♂

    Then you need to delete your wifi connection settings and create a new one. I don’t know why this happens but this means PSPRadio can’t read your existing wifi connection.

18. Once you’ve recreated your wifi connection, try running PSPRadio again. This time, it should automatically detect your wifi connection.
19. Just use the Triangle (▲) button to navigate between pages and select your radio station. Use the X button to play and the Square (■) button to stop.
20. I tried creating playlists with the included playlist maker (PSP_Radio_PLB) but it had some errors. I explored using Winamp playlists and it produced the same playlist format (PLS). I simply uploaded the playlist in the Playlists folder inside PSPRadio.

That’s it for now. Happy music streaming!

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It’s been a while since I checked on the firmware updates for my PSP. I just found out that CFW 4.01 has already been released since June 28, 2008.

I just finished upgrading my PSP to ver 4.01 M33-2. I have also updated my tutorial in upgrading via Network Upgrade.

*Warning: Please follow the instructions properly. Do these at your own risk.

This is a step-by-step guide to upgrading your PSP Custom Firmware. I hope this tutorial will help you safely upgrade your PSP to the latest CFW.

However, remember that there is a risk involved that you might brick your PSP and render it useless. Just make sure you fulfill all the requirements.

I was using a Slim Sony PSP ver 3.90 M33-3 to upgrade to 4.01 M33-2. I used to have a ver 3.80 M33-5 custom firmware and I upgraded it via network upgrade (Check previous post). I think the instructions are different for the Fat Sony PSP.

Requirements:

1. Sony PSP Slim
2. Custom Firmware (CFW) 3.80 M33-x. (Please do not attempt this on official Sony firmwares. Older CFWs will also not work) You need at least CFW 3.80 M33-x by Dark-Alex.
3. Wireless network (Wifi). Make sure your PSP Wifi connection is setup properly. You need to connect to the internet to retrieve the latest update files.
4. More than 80% battery
5. At least 30MB memory stick space. The update already takes up 25MB space.
6. You also have to enable the network update of the M33 Custom firmware or you will end up updating to the official Sony firmware.

To check if CFW M33 Network Update is enabled, go to recovery mode:

1. Shutdown your PSP. Make sure it is not in sleep mode.
2. Turn on your PSP while holding the R button.
3. When recovery mode appears, go to Configuration
4. Make sure this is what appears, Use M33 Network Update (Currently Enabled)

Let’s proceed:

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Network Update
3. Select your Wifi connection. You will see the following:
   

   Connecting to the access point.
   Please wait…
   Connection Name
   SSID
   Exchanging Key Information (This might appear depending on your Wifi network setup)
   Obtaining IP Address

4. It will check if there is a firmware update available. If there is, you will see:
   

   Network Update has found a later
   version.
   To download, insert a Memory Stick
   with at least 1 MB free space and press
   the X button.

5. Press the X button to download.
6. It will download the initial update. After that, you will see:
   

   Download completed.
   The update is now available in your
   Memory Stick.
   To install now, press the X button
   To install later, go to [Game]

7. Press the X button to install.
8. This will appear next:
   

   Unpacking… done
   401.PBP doesn’t exist.
   Do you want to download it from the internet? (x=yes, R=no)

9. Press the X button to download.
10. It will again show you the network connection screen, choose your Wifi connection.
11. You will see the following:
    

    Connecting to the access point.
    Please wait…
    Connection Name
    SSID
    Exchanging Key Information (This might appear depending on your Wifi network setup)
    Obtaining IP Address

12. Next you will see:
    

    File Size: 25643269 bytes (24 MB)
    Downloading… 0%

13. After reaching 100%, you will see:
    

    File Size: 25643269 bytes (24 MB)
    Downloading… 100%
    File Saved (size = 25643269 bytes).
    Returning to M33 updater…

14. Then you will see:
    

    Unpacking… done.
    Please wait…

15. Next you will see:
    

    Verifying 401.PBP… ok
    Verifying u235.prx… ok
    Press X to start the update, R to exit

16. Press the X button to continue the update
17. You will then see:
    

    Verifying 401.PBP… ok
    Verifying u235.prx… ok
    Press X to start the update, R to exit
    Starting sce updater. Wait…

18. The PSP Update ver 4.01 screen will appear next, press X to continue.
19. Follow the onsreen prompts, select Accept and keep on pressing the Right Button of the D-Pad until you see the option to press the X button
20. Press the X button to continue the upgrade
21. Next you will see:
    

    Installing…
    Do not turn off the power, disconnect
    the AC adaptor or remove the
    Memory Stick
    0%

22. Once it reaches 100%, you will see this:
    

    Update completed
    Press the X button to restart.
    You can now delete the update data
    from your Memory Stick.

23. Press the X button. You MUST do this, otherwise you’ll end up with a brick.
24. After your PSP restarts, go to Settings
25. Select System Settings
26. Select System Information
27. You should see something like this:
    

    System Software 4.01 M33-2
    Nickname
    MAC Address

Congratulations! You have updated your PSP online!

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Background:
My iPod Nano 3G had some problems with its clickwheel. I can’t seem to adjust the volume or the clickwheel sometimes simply refuses to work.

I checked on some forums and saw that other people had similar problems. Their clickwheel also stopped working after a few months or so. Mine lasted for 10 months before I encountered this problem.

Some people suggested the common “reseting” of the iPod. This involved holding down the center button and the top button for around 3-5 seconds. But this didn’t help.

Someone also suggested that when you turn on and off the hold switch, the clickwheel adjusts itself so don’t hold it for 3-5 seconds. Still this didn’t help.

My last resort was to bring it to Digital Walker in Greenhills because it was still in warranty. Unfortunately, they told me something was wrong with their connection to the Apple Service Center and I had to wait for two weeks to find out if my iPod Nano 3G needs replacement. Then I still have to wait for another two weeks for the actual replacement.

I felt I needed a second opinion. And since my warranty was covered in all Apple Service Centers, I brought it to Power Mac Center in Megamall. I was impressed with the following:

• They immediately told me that it was up for replacement.
• They asked permission to delete everything. They said it was for my security to protect my invested contents. Nice!
• They will give me a text message to inform me if the replacement iPod arrives in two weeks. At least this time I was informed immediately that my iPod will be replaced.

To my surprise, I got a text message after 6 days from Power Mac Center informing me that my replacement iPod Nano 3G can now be claimed. 6 Days?!!! Wow! I’m impressed with Power Mac Center!

However, I don’t know if it was a good thing or not but my new iPod came with 1.1.3 firmware. Usually it was supposed to be a good thing to have the latest firmware. Unfortunately, I noticed that my new iPod would crash or reset whenever I browsed through the Cover Flow or any of the Playlists. Good thing this didn’t happen for Videos and Photos.

I looked around forums and saw people complaining about the 1.1.3 firmware as well.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=529865

Now this made me want to try “downgrading” my iPod from 1.1.3 to 1.1.2. The process might be simple but it worked.

Downgrading from 1.1.3 to 1.1.2 firmware:

*Warning: Please follow the instructions properly. Do these at your own risk.

This is a simple step-by-step guide to downgrading your iPod Nano 3G Firmware. I hope this tutorial will help you safely downgrade your iPod. But please remember that there is a risk of voiding your warranty.

Procedure:

1. You need your old 1.1.2 firmware. You can check if you still have it by going to your User Folder.

   For Windows XP, you can usually find it in: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPod Software Updates\

   If you don’t have a copy of your old 1.1.2 firmware, you can get it from this link shared by one of the Apple forum members.

2. Remove or move to another location any other existing files and firmwares and leave two files:
   • iPod_26.1.1.2.ipsw
   • iPod_26.1.1.2.ipsw.signature
3. Turn off your internet connection. This prevents the automatic update of iTunes.
4. Just to make sure it looks for the 1.1.2 firmware, restart your iTunes.
5. Click on Restore. Now with the internet connection gone, it will prompt you if you want to use the old 1.1.2 firmware.
6. Proceed with the restoration and wait for it to finish.

There you have it you now have a downgraded iPod Nano 3G.

For me, I don’t really use iTunes for syncing music. I use Winamp (+ml_ipod). But that’s another story. Perhaps I’ll make another post about using Winamp (+ml_ipod) as an alternative to iTunes. The only reason I installed iTunes was to downgrade my iPod.

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*Warning: Please follow the instructions properly. Do these at your own risk.

This is a step-by-step guide to upgrading your PSP Custom Firmware. I hope this tutorial will help you safely upgrade your PSP to the latest CFW.

However, remember that there is a risk involved that you might brick your PSP and render it useless. Just make sure you fulfill all the requirements.

I was using a Slim Sony PSP ver 3.80 M33-5. I’m not sure if the instructions are the same for the Fat Sony PSP.

Requirements:

1. Custom Firmware (CFW) 3.80 M33-x. (Please do not attempt this on official Sony firmwares. Older CFWs will also not work) You need at least CFW 3.80M33-x by Dark-Alex.
2. Wireless network (Wifi). Make sure your PSP Wifi connection is setup properly. You need to connect to the internet to retrieve the latest update files.
3. More than 80% battery
4. At least 30MB memory stick space. The update already takes up 25MB space.
5. You also have to enable the network update of the M33 Custom firmware or you will end up updating to the official Sony firmware.

To check if CFW M33 Network Update is enabled, go to recovery mode:

1. Shutdown your PSP. Make sure it is not in sleep mode.
2. Turn on your PSP while holding the R button.
3. When recovery mode appears, go to Configuration
4. Make sure this is what appears, Use M33 Network Update (Currently Enabled)

Let’s proceed:

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Network Update
3. Select your Wifi connection. You will see the following:
   

   Connecting to the access point
   Exchanging Key Information (This might appear depending on your Wifi network setup)
   Obtaining IP Address

4. It will check if there is a firmware update available. If there is, you will see:
   

   Network Update has found a later
   version.
   To download, insert a Memory Stick
   with at least 1 MB free space and press
   the X button.

5. Press the X button to download.
6. It will download the initial update. After that, you will see:
   

   Download completed.
   The update is now available in your
   Memory Stick.
   To install now, press the X button
   To install later, go to [Game]

7. Press the X button to install.
8. This will appear next:
   

   Unpacking… done
   390.PBP doesn’t exist.
   Do you want to download it from the internet? (x=yes, R=no)

9. Press the X button to download.
10. It will again show you the network connection screen, choose your Wifi connection.
11. You will see the following:
    

    Connecting to the access point
    Exchanging Key Information (This might appear depending on your Wifi network setup)
    Obtaining IP Address

12. Next you will see:
    

    File Size: 25654469 bytes (24 MB)
    Downloading… 0%

13. After reaching 100%, you will see:
    

    File Size: 25654469 bytes (24 MB)
    Downloading… 100%
    File Saved (size = 25654469 bytes).
    Returning to M33 updater…

14. Then you will see:
    

    Unpacking… done.
    Please wait…

15. Next you will see:
    

    Verifying 390.PBP… ok
    Verifying u235.prx… ok
    Press X to start the update, R to exit

16. Press the X button to continue the update
17. You will then see:
    

    Verifying 390.PBP… ok
    Verifying u235.prx… ok
    Press X to start the update, R to exit
    Starting the updater. Wait…

18. The PSP Update ver 3.90 screen will appear next, press X to continue.
19. Follow the onsreen prompts, select Accept and keep on pressing the Right Button of the D-Pad until you see the option to press the X button
20. Press the X button to continue the upgrade
21. Next you will see:
    

    Installing…
    Do not turn off the power, disconnect
    the AC adaptor or remove the
    Memory Stick
    0%

22. Once it reaches 100%, you will see this:
    

    Update completed
    Press the X button to restart.
    You can now delete the update data
    from your Memory Stick.

23. Press the X button
24. After your PSP restarts, go to Settings
25. Select System Settings
26. Select System Information
27. You should see something like this:
    

    System Software 3.90 M33-3
    Nickname
    MAC Address

Congratulations! You have updated your PSP online!

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