Updated Unbricking guide using DCv8 (still see below for types of brick)
If your PSP is bricked reinstall cfw using DCv8 - this will install 5.00 M33-4.
If this process completes but your PSP still will not boot (or the installation process fails), from the DCv8 menu select nand operations and then format flash. Leave the default sizes as they are. After you have done this then reinstall cfw using DCv8. Your unit will now boot.
If you have managed to corrupt your idStorage, you can now regenerate your idStorage using DCv8.
As you can see recovering from a brick is now a very simple affair!
Note that this does not currently work for the TA 88v3 mobo or the 3000 series.
Original Post (now superceeded by DCv8 - see above)
I have drafted this assuming that we are trying to restore a slim PSP and therefore will be using Despertar del Cementerio v3 (DCv3). For a fat PSP ONLY you can also use the original Pandora to go back to 1.50.
edit: You can also use DCv4/DCv5 instead of DCv3.
Also, if you do not already have a Nand dump – make one (even though the PSP is bricked).
First of all here’s a little background info:
The Nand is made up of 3 entities:
1. IPL (initial program loader)
2. idStorage (contains the digital Keys that enables the PSP to work properly).
3. lflash (flash0/1/2/3)
lflash is made up of 3 areas – flash0, flash1, flash2, flash3
flash0 contains the operating firmware of the PSP
flash1 contains the registry and all user settings
flash2 contains DRM information that allow games purchased from the Playstation store to function
flash3 contains the 1seg TV program (only used in Japan currently)
These flash areas are separated by partitions. An analogy is a picture frame containing a painting. The frame defines where the painting should go so the artist knows where he has to paint. In this case though the artist is a cfw installer.
Most bricks are caused by deletions/errors/corruption in lflash. The data only could be corrupted or the data and the partitions could both be corrupted.
To fix a brick, the following steps should be taken in the following order:
1. When attempting to fix a brick (unless you know specifically and precisely what is wrong), the first place to start is to assume that just the data in lflash is corrupted. This will usually come about whilst having a “mishap” writing to flash0.
The fix for this is to reinstall cfw using DCv3. If this works you are sorted.
2. If the above process fails and freezes at formatting flash0 or flash1, you also have corrupted lflash partitions. In the previous analogy DCv3 (the cfw installer) cannot find the picture frame (because it is broken/corrupted) and does not know where to paint. Therefore the process stalls causing the freeze. This kind of brick was what was previously referred to as unrecoverable shortly after the slim was launched. Now it is fixable.
To fix this you will need to recreate the lflash partitions. You can do this using Nandtool (see bottom for links) which is run by using Pandora. It is an add on to DCv3 and requires the modification of the MMS and the addition of an elf menu. But the process is quite simple – follow the Nandtool/elf menu readmes carefully.
Within Nandtool there is an option to repartition lflash under “other”. This does not affect idStorage in the Nand.
Once the lflash has been repartitioned, you should then format the partitions (again under the "other" section of Nandtool). You will be able to run DCv3/DCv4 to install cfw (the freeze will now not occur). Sorted.
3. The above 2 methods will fix nearly all bricks. When your PSP boots up you may find that it has limited functionality. UMD won’t work, homebrew/ISOs won’t work, MAC address is missing. If this is the case you also have a corruption of idStorage. Currently there is no way to fully regenerate this without a Nand dump.
If you do have a Nand dump: use Nandtool (write to Nand raw) to restore your idStorage from your Nand dump. There is an option to restore only the idStorage part of your Nand dump. Once you have done this you should be sorted.
If you do not have a Nand dump: in this case you will be able to restore a fair amount of functionality but not all (UMDs will not function but ISOs/homebrew will). ONLY do this if you do not have a Nand dump!
You will need to use Nandtool to dump the KEYS (not the Nand) from a PSP of similar type (i.e. slim to slim – fat to fat). Once you have done this use Nandtool to write these KEYS to the PSP with the corrupted idStorage. Once you have done this you will be able to run ISOs and homebrew again. You can also restore the MAC address by using the MAC address fixer tool by Noobz.
Links:
Nandtool 0.3beta (do not use earlier versions) – read the readme carefully - use the no USB version
http://nds.cmamod.com/2007/12/05/nan...cemm8-03-beta/Elf menu – instructions and download link here - you do NOT need to install the optional USB parts to use this app – do not post any requests for information on Lan.st – it is a developers ONLY forum and you will politely be told to get lost)
http://lan.st/showpost.php?p=9822&postcount=1Noobz MAC address fixer
http://www.noobz.eu/joomla/news/wifi...ess-fixer.html
