[Tutorial] 4.01/5.00 M33/5.50 GEN Custom Themes Installation (Flash0)

[Oyabun]

Here's an easy to follow tutorial for installing custom themes on your 4.01/5.00 M33/5.50 GEN PSP.

Flashing themes on 4.01/5.00 M33/5.50 GEN


Important Note:

Before you flash any files, make sure you have backed up flash0 and upgraded to 3.71 M33-2 or later, as you will corrupt flash0 with previous releases.


Inadvertently writing incorrect RCOs or PRXs to flash0 will result in a semi-brick.

Never touch the contents of the KD Folder. Inadvertently deleting or modifying files from this folder will result in a full brick.

If this is your first time flashing files on 4.01/5.00 M33/5.50 GEN:

In Windows, go to:

Tools ➡ Folder Options ➡ View:

Make sure show hidden files and folders is ticked, and hide protected operating files is unticked:




You can also use this flash0 unlocker to show all of the flash0 files. Just put it in your flash0 backup folder on your PC and run it.

Alternately you can enter recovery, toggle usb flash0, and drop it in flash0 root and run it from your PC to unlock and unhide all files on your PSP:

➡ unlocker.bat


➡ Mirror


Here are the steps for backing up flash0:

The first thing you want to do is to create a folder on your computer, and name it: flash0

Connect your PSP through USB to your computer. Hold up on the power switch to shut your PSP down. While holding the right trigger, turn your PSP back on to enter recovery mode.

Click on Advanced, then click on Toggle USB (flash0).




On your computer, click on: Open folder to view files in Windows Explorer




A new window will open, showing you all of the folders in flash0:



Copy the entire contents of flash0 from your PSP, and Paste it into the flash0 folder you created on your computer.

Remember to COPY and PASTE the files to your computer.

If you decide you only want to install certain parts of the theme,
here’s a list of basic RCOs and PRXs, their function, and there location.

Found at flash0: \vsh\resource:

1. topmenu_icon.rco - Main XMB Menu Icons
2. topmenu_plugin.rco- XMB Text Data
2. impose_plugin.rco - Volume Bar
3. system_plugin_fg.rco - Battery icon
4. photo_plugin.rco - Photo loading icon & folders
5. savedata_plugin.rco - Save data loading icon
6. system_plugin_bg.rco - Background waves
7. opening_plugin.rco - Word/Bootwave (When you turn your PSP on)
8. system_plugin.rco - XMB click sounds
9. sysconf_plugin.rco - System config icons/USB slide bar, Theme Preview
10. game_plugin.rco - Game loading icon/corrupt icon
11. visualizer_plugin.rco - Images used in Visualizer
12. 01-12.bmp - Month theme colors
13. gameboot.pmf - Short video clip when you start a game or homebrew app
14. msvideo_main_plugin.rco - Video column icons
15. htmlviewer.res – Custom click sounds in web browser (To match XMB)



Found at flash0: \vsh\module:

1. vshmain.prx - Icon position/XMB Font color
2. paf.prx - XMB Icon transitions, Icon spacing, Submenu font & line color, scrolling speed.
3. lftv_plugin.prx - Custom Reboot PRX
4. opening_plugin.prx - Bootsound


Found at flash0: font:

1. ltn0.pgf - This is the font that displays in the XMB and Web browser.


Before writing a custom theme to flash0, you are going to have to free up some flash space.

Step 1:

Open your font folder in flash0:



Copy and paste ltn0.pgf to your desktop.




Rename it to gb3s1518.bwfon

Drag gb3s1518.bwfon back into the font folder overwriting the original.



Step 2:

Dummying or deleting the dic folder. Delete the folder entirely,
Or open each file with notepad, delete the contents and put a 0:






Completing these two steps will free up enough flash space to install your custom theme.


If you are having problems or prefer not to complete the above process yourself, here's the dic folder (dummied) and gb3s1518.bwfon (dummied). Just copy and paste gb3s1518.bwfon into the font folder on your psp, and copy and paste the contents of the dic folder into the dic folder on your psp:

Dummied Font Files: sendspace | mediafire


Writing the custom theme to flash0:

Important Note: When replacing RCO and PRX, NEVER delete the files from your PSP's flash0. Always copy and paste the files to there proper folders and confirm overwrite.

Most of the theme packs you download should have the files set up in there proper folders: a vsh folder with subfolders resource and module, and the font folder.



1. Connect your PSP through USB to your computer. Hold up on the power switch to shut your PSP down. While holding the right trigger, turn your PSP back on to enter recovery mode.

2. Click on Advanced, then click on Toggle USB (flash0):



3. Click on the vsh folder:




4: Click on the resource folder:



The majority of the custom theme files are written to the resource folder:






5. Now you want to open the resource folder that came with your custom theme.
Select all of the files, and copy and paste them into the resource folder on
your PSP confirming overwrite.


6. Follow the same procedure for the module folder. Open the vsh folder:



7. Then click on the module folder:




8. Now you want to open the module folder that came with your custom theme.
Select all of the files, and copy and paste them into the module folder on your
PSP confirming overwrite:







9. Follow the same procedure for replacing the font in the font folder.


10. Open the font folder:





11. copy the custom ltn0.pgf that came with your custom
theme into the font folder on your PSP, confirming overwrite:





12. Exit recovery after you have replaced all of the files.

[Mike[dot]420]

GOOD TUT>..

However I think you should add at the very beginning of the tut. To BACKUP the ENTIRE FLASH0, that way if the theme doesnt work, they can just reflash the backup. This will also hopefully cut down on some help topics.

One more topic for the tut I feel should be semi-bricks. Uploaded a bad topmenu or other RCO and results in non functional PSP. This in the end also comes back to the backed up files :)

[Jsamp]

Nice tut. A question.....what file has the info bar in it. You know when you hit triangle on an iso or mp3.

[Oyabun]

Originally Posted by Jsamp

Nice tut. A question.....what file has the info bar in it. You know when you hit triangle on an iso or mp3.

common_gui.prx (focus stretch value, fade in-fade out, text line size) and system_plugin.rco (tex_optionmenu_base)

[clydethemagikbunny]

nice TUT. Pictures for n00bs like me who screw everything up.

[RaiderX]

[vegetano1]

Should be Noob-proof,. but does have alot of info to start with,..
Anyway's best tutoriol i have seen for flashing theme's,.. THX!

@Jsamp infobar's are (when using commengui.prx) system_plugin.rco >>>> tex_optionmenu_base
music_main_plugin.rco>>> music_tex_bar_side1
http://endlessparadigm.com/forum/sho...d.php?tid=1686

[PSdonkey]

I just use Slash N Flash V3. It does everything for me easy way.

[Oyabun]

Originally Posted by PSdonkey

I just use Slash N Flash V3. It does everything for me easy way.

PSdonkey,

Your use of Slash N Flash is irrelevant, and has nothing to do with my tutorial. Plenty of new users don't know what they're doing, and this simple step by step tutorial with images is to show them exactly how to replace files in flash0 manually.

Better that they learn about the PSP's flash and do it manually, instead of using some application that does it for you, and doesn't show you what's happening in the process.

Maybe you should make a Slash N Flash tutorial with detailed images instead of just posting that you use it.

[peps1]

thanks robs1968, really good guide...worked a treat! :D