This guide will illustrate how to make a working Magic Stick and JiKick Battery all from a homebrew enabled PSP that uses the 3.xx kernels.

Hellcat's Pandora Installer was created for those who upgraded to 3.71 M33, and don't have the 1.50 kernel addon installed to run Pandora. (Slims, Phats on 3.71 M33 pre 1.50 kernel)
All this app does is do everything from formatting, to writing the ipl and converting your battery. All from the PSP. This should take only a couple of minutes. (More on older memory sticks.)

Requirements

PSP with 3.71 M33. (Doesn't matter Slim or Phat)
A real MS you want to convert. Pandora rules apply. PRO DUO sticks higher than 32MB, and less than 8 gigs. (4 gigs work)
Phat or Slim PSP Battery. (Phat batteries are recommended. Slim batteries are tested to work)
Some Phat to use as a testbed
A program that can handle .rar archives (7-Zip ; WinRar)

Once you gathered all of these, you will need to backup any data you want to keep.

Installation

1)Backup all data you want to keep.
2)Download the Pandora Installer
                       1.50 UPDATE EBOOT

3)Extract the Pandora Installer to your desktop, and open the extracted folder. Once you do that, you will see a folder named 'pan3xx'. Move that folder to X:/PSP/GAME. Open up the 1.50 EBOOT archive, and extract it to the root of your memory stick. Rename it to 'UPDATE.PBP' (Keep the .PBP extension)

4)Last chance to backup the data.

5)Launch the program from GAME>MemoryStick. Once, it loads, you will be greeted with this screen:



6)You want to repartition and format memory stick for Pandora. Press R + X at the same time to choose the option. You will get the final warning that you will repartition and reformat your memory stick. You want to do this, so press L + R + X, to start the process. After you reformat, you will be instructed to shutdown your PSP, and reboot. It will also say to re add the app, and the 'UPDATE.PBP' Press X to shutdown, and manually reboot.



7)Your MS will be fresh now. Activate USB Mode, and transfer the files back over. You will have to manually create the 'PSP' and 'GAME' folders. Once done, disable USB Mode, and relaunch the app from XMB.

8)Once the app boots, press X to install the 1.50 firmware files, as well as Pandora. This will take a while, as everyone knows. Newer memory sticks will finish this in like seconds. Older ones can take a while. Be patient, and whenever it is done, it will be done.

9)After you install the firmware files, you will be booted into the XMB. Relaunch the installer.

10)Now here comes the tricky part. This is where Pandora gets made, and this is where we backup the EEPROM, serial, and everything else. Ok, enough with the dramatic entrance. If you want to make a Pandora Battery, and have no regard whether you want the EEPROM to restore it, just press 0.

Note/Warning:Be careful though, if you use a Phat battery, it will and should convert with no problems. If you are going to use a Slim battery, take precautions. Some people who converted a Slim battery have done so with success, and others without. Personally, I have converted my Slim battery with no problems. (I can boot into UL, and run DCv3 ) However, always take precautions.

10b)IF you care about the serial/EEPROM, you will need to do this step. Press R+0 to write battery serial to file. (Backup serial). Then, press 0 to convert battery to Pandora.

Note: I accidentally converted my Slim battery. I think this app has an auto-backup serial function. However, I'm not sure on that one. I was able to get it back using the restore feature.

11)After you have done the proper steps and converted your battery, it's time to write the ipl to the memory stick. Press L + X to write the ipl. When it is done, the app will exit. From here on, you have a Magic Stick, and a Jikick battery.

Usage

If you're new to Pandora, then this is simple. Find that testbed PSP. Take out the battery and MS from that PSP, and replace it with your Magic Stick and JiKick Battery. (Doesn't matter which order) From there, the Wifi, MS, and power light will illuminate. The MS, and Wifi light will turn off leaving the power light on.

You will be greeted with the Pandora Menu. Plug in the charger (AC Adaptor), and verify that your PSP is charging. (Amber power light). Then, press X to begin the downgrading process. Pandora will run some checks on your Idstorage keys, among other things to make sure you can get the safest downgrade possible. If you are on the TA-082/086 motherboard, you will be asked to patch your motherboard. Do so by pressing X.

Now, the actual downgrading process begins. Press X. Pandora will format your flash drives, build the ipl, and write the files to the MS. Let Pandora work. If all goes well, Pandora will tell you to shutdown your PSP, and reboot with a normal battery inserted.

Exchange the batteries/MS again, and reboot. Hopefully, you will be booted back onto a 1.50 firmware.. Have fun.

What now?

Now, you know Pandora works. You can do a lot of things. If you did this on a testbed PSP, boot one of them with the charger, and then insert the battery. To convert the battery to normal, you will have to get the Pandora Installer again, and press R + [] (Square) to convert it back.
Insert the Magic Stick, and reformat it with the PSP. This will get rid of the Pandora files and the ipl.

From there, install custom firmware, Devhook or whatever.

FAQ

Q: Pandora doesn't work for me. Even after I installed everything.
     A:Reboot the app, and press L + X to write the ipl.

Q: After writing the ipl, my memory stick is unreadble.
      A:You have a fake memory stick. Pandora cannot work with fake memory sticks. Get a real one instead.

Q: When I boot Pandora, I get a solid green light. No Wifi, or MS, or menu.
      A:Make sure you converted the battery. Make sure the ipl is written.

Q: When downgrading, Pandora runs into erros.
      A:First of all, panic. Second of all, it depends where the error comes from. If it comes from the ipl, you haven't written the ipl. If it comes from not having an 'UPDATE.PBP' on the root, there's no file there.

Q: There's problems with updating to Sony's OFW, after downgrading.
      A:Get Chilly Willy's KeyCleaner and run it. Patch your keys, and then unpatch them.

Q: Can I subsitute the 1.50 'UPDATE.PBP' for any other firmware?
      A:You sure can. I never tried it myself, but with some thinking, it should work.

Q: After downgrading, I can't reboot my PSP. It gives me the bricked look.
      A:Remove the battery, and the MS, and boot with the charger. Format the Magic Stick, and revert the battery changes.

Q: The PSP keeps booting to the service menu.
      A:Boot with the charger.

Q: Any more questions?
      A:I hope not, but feel free to ask.

Credits

Hellcat: Pandora Installer
Team C + D : Pandora
Everyone Else who contributed to Pandora I guess.. :p

Enjoy the guide.

P.S. I know its in the Help section. I'll get it moved to Tutorials.

Last edited by Demonchild (2008-01-25 16:08:12)