I've done research, but I'd like some clarification on the HD Loader, please.

[bileanddecay]

So I've browsed a few topics in the CG forums, and from what I understand:
- HD loader is a peripheral that allows you to load PS2 game data onto the HD
- it costs about $30
- it allows loading of domestic PS2 games whereas its hacked cousin (HD advance) allows imports as well.
- it's in a legal pickle because of the opportunity to pirate games.

So, I'm assuming that the HD loader is an accessory to the PS2 HDD, correct?

I'd like to kill some of my load times. GTA:SA load times are killing me. Load times in general are killing me.

So for me to rectify this distaste for load times, I would need (in addition to my PS2 of course) an HDD and the HD loader?

Also, where could I get an HD loader?

Thanks in advance for your help, friends.

[zewone]

You can use any (well not any, but a lot of different ones) HDD, not just the official Sony one. I'm not sure where you can get a HD Loader now, because I bought mine when they first came out from consolesource.com, but they stopped selling them.

[thestuff]

Well, you cant forget about the network adapter you need also.

And I think consolesource.com is still selling them, although I hear they are priated versions. But, I'm not completly sure on that....

[Indiana]

I think Sony made them quit producing this device. Good luck finding one now.

[CaseyRyback]

I also would like to know if it would load import games on a US PS2. There are a lot of import games I would like to get, but I do not want to mod or purchase a second PS2.

[scf038]

My understanding is that only the first layer of dual layer DVD's get loaded onto the HD. Unless it's intalled by putting a HD loader formatted drive into a computer. San Andreas and The Guy Game are both dual layer and I have them both on the HD (installed without the computer). They both work for the moment but at some point I'm sure I'll come across a point in the game where it needs to read the second layer.

[zewone]

GTA: SA isn't dual layered. And Casey, imports will work I believe if you load them from your PC.

[guyver2077]

yea gta isnt dual layered but guy game is......

[bileanddecay]

I just checked www.consolesource.com and it looks like they are still selling the HD loader, alone and in packages with Maxtor drives.

So I need the network adapter as well? What for?

[guyver2077]

cuz how else are u gonna connect the harddrive....u need it

[zewone]

I just checked www.consolesource.com and it looks like they are still selling the HD loader, alone and in packages with Maxtor drives.

So I need the network adapter as well? What for?

You need the network adapter to connect the HD to your PS2. Beware that the HD loaders on there are probably bootlegs now.

[dratsacras]

Seriously, you bought The Guy Game? Did you not know that there's real pr0n available on the internet?

[bileanddecay]

Thank you guyver and zewone. Sorry, I'm a little green behind the ears. I never thought I'd want or ever need the HD functionality.

Thank you all for the information.

[Eh? What?]

You should check out the HD Loader Compatibility List (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/casey.miller/HD%20Loader%20Compatibility.htm) if you haven't already.

[jetblac]

I'm up on this myself. I just got HDAdvance 2 yesterday. Load times are way better. HDA lets you install Imports with the swap trick. Haven't done that one yet. What's Crazy to me is that I am just getting into this stuff meanwhile It's been out for sooo long now. Now all I need is a 300giger!

[Tromack]

I'm 50-50 on the HD Loader. I want one because some PS2 games have horrendous load times, but I'm not sure if it is worth that kind of money to me.

[guardian_owl]

Hmm, that $124.99 package is awful tempting to me, this a pretty decent deal or can I get a fairly better price if I purchase the drive separate from somewhere else like newegg.com?

[basketkase543]

What do you guys mean when you say to connect it to the pc? I have my ps2 right next to my pc so would I be able to take more advantage of an hdloader? Also, does anyone know if HDADvance has more or less compatibility with games than Hdloader? Thanks.

[RaekwonThaChef]

i bought the HD Loader a while back from console source (and yeah like that other guy said i think it may be pirated :( ) and then i got a cheap ass 60gb
hd from compusa when they were on sale for $30. So you could get a better deal than that if you look around. Also, be careful with Western Digital HD's...a lot of them won't physically fit with the network adapter.

[zewone]

What do you guys mean when you say to connect it to the pc? I have my ps2 right next to my pc so would I be able to take more advantage of an hdloader? Also, does anyone know if HDADvance has more or less compatibility with games than Hdloader? Thanks.

You can hook it up your computer by either installing it like you would any other computer or hooking it up to your PC using a hard drive enclosure. Then you can use a program called WinHIIP to install games through your PC. This is away to install dual layered and import games, since you can't do that with just a PS2.

[Jaket]

w00t off topic:

is ratchet and clank UYA HD loader compatible?

[dratsacras]

From what I hear, the HDAdvance is a Hong-Kong pirated version of the HDLoader disk, with "subtle" changes (like swapping the "Play" button for a "Run" button.) Also, HDAdvance comes on a cd (for cd-based PS2 games) and a DVD (guess what for) while HDLoader is just one disc for either. I've heard that sometimes it takes 3 or 4 tries to get HDAdvance to load. Finally, for reasons which elude me, HDAdvance costs about five bucks MORE than HDLoader.

All things considered, I'd opt for the HDLoader. Which is exactly what I did about two weeks ago, and I'm glad I did.

[basketkase543]

What do you guys mean when you say to connect it to the pc? I have my ps2 right next to my pc so would I be able to take more advantage of an hdloader? Also, does anyone know if HDADvance has more or less compatibility with games than Hdloader? Thanks.

You can hook it up your computer by either installing it like you would any other computer or hooking it up to your PC using a hard drive enclosure. Then you can use a program called WinHIIP to install games through your PC. This is away to install dual layered and import games, since you can't do that with just a PS2.

Hey thanks Zewone. Can you elaborate a little more on the actual connection? So if I want to install a game through my pc to play through my ps2 what would be the exact steps required? Do I install the Hdloader program on my pc and my ps2? What exactly is connecting my ps2 to my pc? A cable? Sorry about my ignorance, I'm still a little confused. Thanks for your help.

[zewone]

What do you guys mean when you say to connect it to the pc? I have my ps2 right next to my pc so would I be able to take more advantage of an hdloader? Also, does anyone know if HDADvance has more or less compatibility with games than Hdloader? Thanks.

You can hook it up your computer by either installing it like you would any other computer or hooking it up to your PC using a hard drive enclosure. Then you can use a program called WinHIIP to install games through your PC. This is away to install dual layered and import games, since you can't do that with just a PS2.

Hey thanks Zewone. Can you elaborate a little more on the actual connection? So if I want to install a game through my pc to play through my ps2 what would be the exact steps required? Do I install the Hdloader program on my pc and my ps2? What exactly is connecting my ps2 to my pc? A cable? Sorry about my ignorance, I'm still a little confused. Thanks for your help.

Install WinHIIP to your PC, connect the HD in your PS2 to a HD Enclosure which hooks up a internal HD to be like a external HD to your PC's USB port. From the program WinHIIP you install stuff. You don't have to install anything to the PS2 except the hard drive back again.

[swetooth9]

w00t off topic:

is ratchet and clank UYA HD loader compatible?

also wondering this...although no one i asked tried every mode combo, etc...the ones they DID try, did not work for them :(

[DreamSymphony]

Also, keep in mind that the ps2 can only read 137 GB of a harddrive... so getting anything over a 160 GB HD is pointless.... There is really no difference between the pirated version of the HD Loader and the "official" one, they both work exactly the same way.

[epobirs]

DreamSymphony is correct. The Ps2 uses an ATA100 interface, which has a maximum partition size of 137 GB. More drive capacity could potentially be supported with additional partitions but this involves a lot of additional effort that nobody thus far has wanted to do.

The other big feature that would really be useful would be support for file transfers to and from memory cards. I don't need it to work within games, I just want to avoid buy more memory cards when HD space is orders of magnitude cheaper.

Fry's currently has a Seagate 160 GB drive for $55 after rebate.

[Alpha2]

Zewone, so what you;re saying is all you have to do is copy the game to your HD via the computers DVD drive and the correct application then use it on the PS2 with the Loader...

This will bypass the need for a import chip?

[zewone]

Zewone, so what you;re saying is all you have to do is copy the game to your HD via the computers DVD drive and the correct application then use it on the PS2 with the Loader...

This will bypass the need for a import chip?

Thats what I've read and heard, but I haven't been able to try it myself. But yes thats right.

[DreamSymphony]

I heard that about imports as well, but have none to try it on...

[Alpha2]

Man If it dose work that would be the one reason to try grab an HDloader for me... Now if I could just find a copy of Phase Paradox...

[jesus020]

you can get it on the internet....you can get anything on hte internet. Just goto www.Froogle.com and search HDLoader.

[basketkase543]

Zewone, so what you;re saying is all you have to do is copy the game to your HD via the computers DVD drive and the correct application then use it on the PS2 with the Loader...

This will bypass the need for a import chip?

Thats what I've read and heard, but I haven't been able to try it myself. But yes thats right.

Is there any confirmation on whether this works? Anyone tried it? Thanks again Zewone.

[dratsacras]

The HDLoader disc does NOT let you play imported games by itself. It doesn't alter the game code in any way, including the region setting.
However, if your system has been modded to play imports, then it should be able to play the image of an imported game off of the hard drive.

[zewone]

Check out these forums: http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/tt.asp?forumid=65

All they talk about is the HD Loader. You can play imports by PC installing. Any questions you have will be better answered there since they have actul experience doing it, while all I've done is read FAQ's.

[guardian_owl]

Check out these forums: http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1003851785/code-w/section-games/

All they talk about is the HD Loader. You can play imports by PC installing. Any questions you have will be better answered there since they have actul experience doing it, while all I've done is read FAQ's.
...Linky goes to a product page for the English version of Half-life.

[zewone]

:oops: Oops, your right. Wrong link. Fixed it now.

[ArthurDigbySellers]

The HDLoader disc does NOT let you play imported games by itself. It doesn't alter the game code in any way, including the region setting.
However, if your system has been modded to play imports, then it should be able to play the image of an imported game off of the hard drive.
From all that I have read, if you use WinHIIP to install the image of an import PS2 game onto your HD directly, you will not need a modded PS2 to play it. Several people in other forums have run Winning Eleven and Beatmania (both Japanese versions) without a modded PS2.

The only issue with WinHIIP is that you need to keep removing the HD from your PS2 and putting it in an enclosure or directly into your PC to work with it. The creator of the software is working on allowing your PC to connect to the HD directly in the PS2 by using the network adapter.

[dratsacras]

From all that I have read, if you use WinHIIP to install the image of an import PS2 game onto your HD directly, you will not need a modded PS2 to play it. Several people in other forums have run Winning Eleven and Beatmania (both Japanese versions) without a modded PS2.

Fair enough; I haven't experimented with installing downloaded warez onto my PS2 hard drive, so all I could go by was the HDLoader FAQ and a friend who bought an import PS2, network adaptor, HDloader and all just to play Japanese games.

[zewone]

From all that I have read, if you use WinHIIP to install the image of an import PS2 game onto your HD directly, you will not need a modded PS2 to play it. Several people in other forums have run Winning Eleven and Beatmania (both Japanese versions) without a modded PS2.

Fair enough; I haven't experimented with installing downloaded warez onto my PS2 hard drive, so all I could go by was the HDLoader FAQ. I based my statement on a friend who bought an import PS2, network adaptor, HDloader and all just to play Japanese games.

It's because the HD Loader is recognized by the PS2 as the US version of Crazy Taxi. Once it gets past the load up part is has bypassed the region lockout. But like I said only through PC install.

[blackjaw]

i bought an HD advance from consolepoint.com plus a slide card for putting import games on my HD

i havent had any problem with HD advance yet, san andreas loaded and my import copy of Rez loaded fine

[ArthurDigbySellers]

From all that I have read, if you use WinHIIP to install the image of an import PS2 game onto your HD directly, you will not need a modded PS2 to play it. Several people in other forums have run Winning Eleven and Beatmania (both Japanese versions) without a modded PS2.

Fair enough; I haven't experimented with installing downloaded warez onto my PS2 hard drive, so all I could go by was the HDLoader FAQ and a friend who bought an import PS2, network adaptor, HDloader and all just to play Japanese games.

Well you wouldn't have to use warez, you could buy a legitimate import game and rip it to an iso and then install it onto the HD with WinHIIP. I haven't done this yet myself b/c I don't want to have to go through the trouble of taking out the HD each time I want to install a game.

Another benefit of WinHIIP is that you are taking the stress off the PS2 DVD-ROM by transferring the game using your PC.