Since many of you have been asking about how to put a hard drive in the PS2, I decided to make a tutorial about it. I will not take responsibility for any damage that might be incurred to your PS2 as a result of the following procedures. I can guarantee you that they work, I CANNOT guarantee, however, that you do them properly.
Here's what you need:
1 PS2 (Obviously 
)-
1 Network Adaptor (There are other companies that make network adaptors, but only the Sony brand one works)-
1 PC Hard Drive (For compatible Hard Drives check below)-
1 HDAdvance or HDLoader Program (check below to see where they can be purchased)Here's How to install the Hard Drive into the PS2:
1) Remove the plastic cover of the expansion bay on the back of the PS2.
2) Make sure the hard drive is set to Master. To see how to do that, check the hard drive box or manual.
3) Attach your hard drive to your Network Adaptor.
4) Slide the network adaptor in ALL the way. Make sure of this or it will not work.
5) Screw the network adaptor in place.You're almost done so hang in there. Now you need to format your hard drive. If you have a Sony one, it is already formatted. If you have a PC one, then you need to use HDAdvance or HDLoader to format it. Just start up your PS2 with the program disc in and it will ask you if you want to format it.
Compatible Hard Drives:HDAdvancePS2 HD ListTo purchase the HDAdvance:Click Here
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After using HDadvance to copy DVD games that I had in my PS2 onto the hard drive, I found out that it damaged the lens (It caused too much strain on it). So, I began a search, and as a result (and with a little help from Oesu) I learnt about HDL DUMP. Its a program that lets you play downloaded PS2 games off the internet on your PS2 using HDadvance. But because now you are not burning the ISO from the DVD and instead are getting it off the internet, its a safe way to use HDadvance. Here's what you will need to get this up and running:
1) PS2
2) PS2 compatible hard drive
3) HD advance (This is tested with 2.0, however version 3.0 is recommended)
4) PC with a torrent client (tested with Azureus)
5) Network adapter for PS2 (necessary to connect the hard drive to the PS2)This tutorial was created with amateur PC knowledge in mind. I will try to "dumb it down" as much as possible so that anyone can get this up and running.
Here's what to do:
1) Pop the hard drive into your PS2. Boot up HDadvance. A pop-up will appear asking you to format the hard drive. Go ahead and format it. (NOTE: the hard drive needs to be set as MASTER in order to be detected)
2) After it is formatted, you will need to connect it to the PC. What you wanna do is open up the computer. If you have one hard drive, then connect the PS2 hard drive to the second connector on the IDE cable. Make sure it is set as SLAVE. If you have more than one hard drive, you will want to remove the one that is set as slave and replace it with the PS2 HD.
3) Next you wanna send the ISO to the PS2 HD. The comp wont recognize it because it is not formatted by windows. There are a few programs that will detect, and these are the programs that will send the ISO to the PS2 HD. There are numerous programs out there, and they all do the job equally well. Here is a list of the ones I use: *HDL DUMP/ HDL DUMB *Lord Bogami's HDL DUMP GUI 2.1
Both of them perform the same functions, and both come with the DOS version. They do have different interfaces however, and it really depends on your preference. Both work fine though.
4) The ISO you download is generally in two different formats:* ISO file (usually comes with a text document)* Multiple .rar files. (usually numbered like so: "nameofgame.part001.rar. Also comes with a text document)You want the extracted game to be in ISO format. If you download an ISO file, then your work is done. If you have multiple .rar files however, you will need to extract them. Just click on any one of them, and extract it. It will combine the data from all the files into an ISO file. NOTE: You dont need to extract every single .rar file. Clicking on any one of them will extract the information from all of them.
5) Once you have the ISO isolated, you will want to transfer it to the PS2's HD. Make sure your PS2 HD is in the PC. Next open the HDL DUMP GUI program. I will be using Lord Bogami's. When you double click a small pop-up will appear. Click the first button that says "Work on PC --> PS2." A new window will open. Now you want to click on the second button that says "ISO --> PS2 ***." You will want to make sure that the "local" option is selected in the top right corner. If your PS2 HD is not formatted or not connected properly, you will not be able to detect in the drop-down box. Next you will want to browse for the ISO on your comp. Once you find it, hit open. Leave the compatibility boxes UNCHECKED. Also, don't mess with the default startup info. If you want you can change the info under the "Application Name." That will change the name you see when you start up HDadvance. Then hit start job and the transfer will begin.
6) When the transfer is complete, put the HD back into the PS2. Make sure it is tightly put in place. Start up the PS2 with the HDadvance disk. You will come to menu that you will show you the games you have on the HD. Select the one you just transferred and begin playing. Thats it!*** You may choose to transfer an ISO from the original game disc itself if you have it on the comp, or make an ISO out of it that you want to put on the comp. You can do so by clicking the other options at the top.
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Well, it seems that there is a way to use an external HD with the PS2 and PStwo. Here is the info courtesy of SteveoDBGT:
USBeXtreme allows you to convert your PS2 games to USB HDD and run directly from the USB HDD connected to your console.USBeXtreme differs from HDAdvance in that you must use a PC to format the hard drive and install games to itThe USBeXtreme disc itself runs in your PS2 and allows you to play games on the hard driveRequired: An external USB hard driveFeatures:Excellent Compatibility. USBeXtreme can be compatible with ALL PS2 Console.Load your PS2 games onto your hard drive and then run them without the hassle of swapping discs.The only software to support the slimline PSTwoUser Friendly Graphical Interface.Simple and intuitive multi-lingual user interface allows easy navigation and selection of files stored on your Hard drive.Support 40G to 200G HDD.Just launch USBextreme and select the game you wish to play.Supports All Versions of PS2.No Modification made to your PS2 Console.No warranty issues - console remains completely intact.USB Plug & Play.
SteveoDBGT also found this: http://www.ps2nfo.com/usbfaq.html***I have not personally tried out USBextreme. I do not doubt that it works, but I will mostly likely not be able to answer any questions regarding it.
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FAQ:
Q)Can I put a hard drive in my PStwo(slimmer version of the PS2)?
A)No, there is no expansion bay for that. You can, however, use an external hard drive.
Q)What is the differnce betweent the HDAdvance and HDLoader?
A)Nothing, they are identical. However, the newer version of HDAdvance(2.0) can support a HD that is up to 200 GB. The HDLoader is a maximum of 120 GB.
Q)Where can I buy the HDAdvance or HDLoader From?
A)The HDLoader is no longer being made, so its rare to find one. You can download the program off Bittorrent. As for the HDAdvance, click HERE.
Q)Do HDAdvance or HDLoader support DVD-9 games?
A)No, if you try to install a DVD-9 game it will say that the installation is complete, but you will not be able to run the game. The problem with DVD9 games is that they are double sided, and when burning, HDadvance can only read one side. Some people usually released fixed DVD9 game ISO's so that they fit on a regular size disk. That comes at a cost however, as they have to cut some of the content out such as cutscenes and whatnot.
Q)Do I need a modchip for this?
A)No.
Q)Are HDAdvance and HDLoader compatible with a modchip?
A)Yes.
Feel free to PM me with any corrections, questions, comments, or concerns.By bravepotatoThe tutorial is pretty much done. Maybe later i will change the color of some of the font and put in pics. Depends on whether i find the time or not.
Edited by mr.chya, 22 January 2013 - 05:09 AM.
