Cogswap Ps2 Iso
Check which of your orig. PS2 game disx has a high LBA boot file (around 1.000.000 or higher needed, you can check the LBA value out with Isobuster), That files starts with SLUS or SLES ending by a number. I used a DVD-Rom but it should work with PS2-CD also. That file should be 120 Kbytes or larger and I'm shure it is almost every time. Create ISO Image (a usual one, 2048 bytes per Sector) of that disk with Isobuster etc. Extract the above mentioned boot file with Isobuster.
Cog Swap Ps2 Download
Open ISO and bootfile with hexeditor, search the ISO for ELF and compare if it has really the bootfile hex values. Open cogswap.elf with hexeditor, select all and copy/paste the data over the original boofile data in the ISO. You can overwrite the remaining orig bootfile data with zeroes (hex values), but I guess it works even if you leave them there. Burn the Iso with lower speed for better reading quality, use DVD-R or CD-R the same as the original disk is. Mark it as 'cogswap disk'. Now edit the Iso again, but this time copy/paste launch.elf (120 KBytes) over the bootfile alias now cogswap data. Burn ISO and name it as 'launch disk'.
Cog Swap Ps2
Now the 'Real working PS2 Slim Swap Trick' can begin: First you need to have disabled the sensors, but only the back ones. Use for the one near the on-off button a little plug of gum which sticks good in the little hole, but you also can pull it out easily. Insert the original disk and power on - watch the laser. If you use DVD-Rom you can see the laser through the surface.
Download PS2 Hackpack • Tools @ The Iso Zone • The Ultimate Retro Gaming Resource. Check which of your orig. PS2 game disx has a. Instructions for a real working PS2 Slim. Over the bootfile alias now cogswap data. Burn ISO and name it as.
Exactly at the moment the laser moves back (to the outside of the disk), wanna reading the bootfile, swap it with the 'cogswap disk'. Now it's important you interrupt the reading of that file for short, so the laser can't move back inside without any break. Simple stop the CD for a short while or lift it up and put it back immediatly. When the laser's going back to the inner side, swap it back to the original disk so it can read the protection code from the lead-in for a second time. If it's done right - the timing here is really important (best swap directly as the laser is moving inside, be very fast here), you can recognise that the disk starts spinning with the doubled speed and on the TV some sort of sub-browser screen appears. Choose the golden CD icon and press X.
You mastered the complicated part, Congratulation! Now the laser again searchs for the boot file data, so swap the orig.
CD a second time with your 'cogswap disk'. Now just wait for the right moment until the laser wants to go back, checking a third time the PS2 protection ($ony, how paranoid, and it's circumvented neverthless.), so swap in the original. 'Playstation 2' appears on the screen. For a third time the little game: Put again back the 'cogswap disk' when the laser moves back to look for the data and swap it with the original disk when it returns near the inner circle of the disk. Now the Cogswap Screen appears - I used v.1. But because the PS2 slim is special protected you have to do the following: You can see already the cogswap screen but you can't press X yet.
Leave the original disk in the PS2 slim but remove and pull back the gum-plug of the front sensor for a short while. Now press the X Button of the controller and wait until 'use CogSwap' appears on the screen. Now swap the original disk with your 'launch disk', press X again and after a short while the screen will turn black and a little menu will appear. This menu is a bit tricky so here a short manual: Press select button - you will see another menu.
Move one step back (D-Pad down) and press the circle. Now it's the question where the PS2 elf file is you wanna start. Cdfs:/ ist the CD-drive and mass:/ is USB-Stick or USB-harddrive (FAT32 formatted). If you have a usb-drive move down so its grey marked and press circle again. You should see now the folders and the ELF files. Select elf file and press circle again. The screen switches back automatically - move down (or up) until the arrow shows at OK and press circle.
If you now press circle for the last time, the PS2 elf file (as example FREEMCBoot.ELF) will be executed. You also can select cdfs:/ and you can press the square button so it lists all the files, as ex. The original boot files on PS2 disks) Last but not least: Congratulations, you did it!
But all the credits and a big thanx goes to 11Ai11 too (see his post on page 15 of this thread 4th december 07). You also can create the special boot disks with his method (Isobuster, CDGen and Alcohol 100%). I tried to swap it directly with disx edited with launch.elf or freemcboot.elf but only cogswap worked. I used a 'Lord Of The Rings' DVD-Rom were the bootfile has a LBA of 1.000.000.
Tested with PAL 70004 (v13).