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LaunchELF & DMS Format Tool Usage Primer

This guide covers LaunchELF basics, file management and storing/running ELFs from HDD with DMS Format Tool.

@PS_2

Published in

Playstation 2 tutorials

· 10 Oct 2020

LaunchELF and DMS HDD Format Tool Usage Primer

Original Version by BadServo; updated by Cool438

If you wish to jump to a particular section, use the CTRL+F keystroke to search.

You may find both LaunchELF, DMS HDD Format Tool and other files you need at ExploitStation.com.

LaunchELF Usage Primer Contents:

Introduction
LaunchELF Main Menu
LaunchELF Configuration Screen
LaunchELF Screen Setting Screen
Assigning utilities to the Main Menu
LaunchELF Filebrowser
Other LaunchELF tools

DMS HDD Format Tool Contents:

Introduction
DMS HDD Format Tool Main Menu
Creating a new partition with DMS HDD Format Tool

LaunchELF Usage Primer

Introduction

LaunchELF is a Playstation 2 Launcher Applet. With LaunchELF you can assign files to the buttons on your Playstation 2 controller, launch utilities, launch .ELF files, add files, remove files, cut/copy/paste files, and rename folders.

This primer will teach you how to properly use and configure LaunchELF and will not teach you how to exploit your Playstation 2! This primer assumes that you have a working memory card exploit on your Playstation 2 with LaunchELF as the BOOT.ELF in your BADATA-SYSTEM/BEDATA-SYTEM folder on your memory card .

LaunchELF Main Menu

When your insert your PSX Trigger disc, you should be able to see the LaunchELF main screen below. If not, you have not completed the memory card exploit.

LaunchELF & DMS Format Tool Usage Primer

Since there is no other option, press the SELECT button to access the Configuration screen.

LaunchELF Configuration Screen

The picture below shows the LaunchELF Configuration Screen.

From the configuration screen, you can specify a default utility to launch when LaunchELF starts, assign utilities to Playstation 2 Controller buttons, and configure LaunchELF specific settings.

*Note- The controls for the LaunchELF configuration menu are as follows:

O = Confirm
X = Cancel

The DEFAULT: row specifies which utility LaunchELF boots on startup.

Whichever file is placed in this row will be automatically started after a set amount of seconds has passed. To specify the number of settings, move down to TIMEOUT: row and change it to your desired value. If the TIMEOUT: row is set to 0, LaunchELF will automatically load the DEFAULT: file upon startup. There will be a section on how to assign a file to the DEFAULT: row later on.

Example- Say you placed HDLFPP.ELF in the DEFAULT: row. You set it with a TIMEOUT: of 5. The next time you start LaunchELF, it will automatically load HDLFPP.ELF after 5 seconds has passed.

The next couple of rows correspond to the buttons on the Playstation 2 Controller. Whichever utilities are placed in these rows will show up on the LaunchELF Main Menu along with the corresponding Playstation 2 Controller buttons. There will be a section on how to assign utilities to these rows later on.

The next setting is DISC CONTROL:. This setting determines whether or not LaunchELF will attempt to stop the CD/DVD drive motor from spinning when it is loaded, to easier facilitate changing of discs via slide card or fliptop lid. It is recommended to leave this setting on, regardless if you have a slide card or a fliptop as it will save “wear and tear” on your laser.

PRINT ONLY FILENAME: determines whether or not LaunchELF will display the 3 letter extension of files in the Main Menu and within the File Browser.

The SCREEN SETTING: row is described in the next section.

LaunchELF Screen Setting Screen

From this screen, you may adjust the configuration of colors, screen position, and interlacing.

By highlighting a color value, and pressing the X and O buttons, it is possible to customize the background and text colors LaunchELF uses to suit your own taste. SCREEN X: & SCREEN Y: will adjust the alignment of the LaunchELF image on your TV screen along the X & Y axis. "Interlace" simple toggles the Interlaced display on and off. Those using a VGA Box will wish to disable the interlacing.

Assigning utilities to the Main Menu In order for the utilities to appear in the LaunchELF Main Menu, you must assign them to either the DEFAULT: row or one or more of the Playstation 2 Controller buttons. To do this, go to the Configuration screen, highlight the item you want to associate the utility with, and press the O button. The picture below shows the O button being associated.

Once you press the O button on the item you wish to associate, you will be presented with the Device Selection screen. Here you can choose to navigate to either Memory Card Slot, Internal Hard Drive, the inserted disc, a USB storage device (Mass), or use one of LaunchELF's built-in abilities.

If you've just installed the Exploit to your memory card, odds are you've included some applications to run. So select the "mc0" device from the list by highlighting it and pressing the O button. You should be able to see a screen similar to the one below.

When installing an exploit package, files generally always go into the System Folder. You must navigate to BADATA-SYSTEM for US (NTSC) consoles, or BEDATA-SYSTEM for UK (PAL) units. In this example, we are using a US-based machine, and will use the BADATA-SYSTEM folder as an example.

*Note- You may use the SQUARE Button to toggle between viewing .ELF files only and showing all files.

In this example we see two ELF files, BOOT.ELF, and SNES_EMU.ELF. BOOT.ELF is the file used to start LaunchELF initially, so use SNES_EMU.ELF. Highlight the file with the directional pad and press the O button to select it. LaunchELF will now return you to the Configuration Screen.

You can see that LaunchELF filled out the file path next to the chosen item. After you are finished associating utilities, go down to “OK” and press the O button to return to the main menu.

From the main menu, you can launch files by highlighting them and pressing the O button, or by simply pressing the button they were associated with. In this example, pressing O will start SNES Station.

You can repeat the above procedure to set up any number of ELF files. You can also select files from a USB Drive, CD, or internal HDD by selecting the necessary device when you are presented with the device selection screen.

LaunchELF Filebrowser

*Note- This primer will show how to use LaunchELF to transfer files to a hard drive partition called ELFS created with DMS HDD Format tool.

Read on to the DMS HDD Format tool section and come back to this section when you are finished.

To use the Filebrowser, use the same procedure for associating ELF files/utilites, but choose "MISC" at the Device Selection, and then choose "File Browser" as your selected utility. Confirm your options on the Configuration Screen and return to the Main Menu.

*Note- You can exit the Filebrowser at any time by pressing the SELECT button to return to the Main Menu.

If you navigate to your ELF files on the Memory Card in the same fashion as before, you will notice that all files are displayed by default.

Highlight each file that you wish to move to the HDD and press the X button to mark the file. Marking files lets you choose several files to manipulate at once, and is a great time saver when transferring several MP3s, ROMS, or ELFs. As you mark each file, a small * will appear beside it's filename. If you wish to mark all files in a directory, press the SQUARE button.

After you have marked all your desired files, press the R1 button to bring up the

File Manipulation Menu.Using this menu, you can copy, cut, paste, delete, rename, and view file size info for files. You can also create new folders for storage. If you intend to move the files from one place to another, you can choose the "CUT" command. But for the purposes of this tutorial, we want the files to remain in their original location as well as be copied to the new one, so we'll select "COPY" by moving the arrow to it and pressing the O button. As you select commands, information is displayed at the top of the window where the path information is usually presented.

Now that you've copied the chosen files into memory, let's stick em where we want em. Highlight the two dots at the top of the file list and press the O button to go back one level in the file browser. Continue to do this until you've returned to the Device Selection Screen. This time, choose "hdd0."

*Note- LaunchELF will have to load the HDD support libraries the first time you access the HDD each session. This takes only a couple seconds, but you will see a noticeable pause.

Don't Panic!

You will now see a list of LaunchELF compatible partitions.

Select and navigate to the "+ELFS" folder. Note that the + is automatically added when the partition is created. Once inside you will see no files listed. Press the R1 button on the controller and choose the "paste" option. You will see information displayed at the top as the files are copied from the memory card to the HDD. Upon completion, the newly transferred files will be shown in the display.

*Note- LaunchELF saves your settings with a file on the memory card. Deleting this file will result in the loss of your custom settings, colors, and associations!

Other LaunchELF Tools LaunchELF is also able launch the PS2 Browser and games directly from the CD/DVD tray. Simply associate them in the same manner that you did before.

This concludes the LaunchELF Usage Primer.

DMS HDD Format Tool Usage Primer

Introduction

DMS HDD Format Tool is just what its name suggests. It is able to create, rename, remove, and expand partition sizes on your hard drive. It is mostly used to create new partitions for use with .MP3, .ELF, and video game ROM files.

DMS HDD Format Tool Main Menu Use your Playstation 2 Launcher Applet (in the case of this primer use LaunchELF) to load DMS HDD Format Tool. Once loaded, you will be presented with the screen below.

All previously existing partitions created by HDLoader or other HDD-enabled tools will be displayed. From here, you can create, remove, rename, and expand partitions. Go to the next section to learn how to create new partitions.

Creating a new partition with DMS HDD Format Tool

*Note- Most people assume they need to create a new partition for use with HDLoader. Do not use DMS HDD Format tool to make one big partition for use with HDLoader! HDLoader does not install programs into a single partition like Windows, but it installs each game into its separate partition automatically . You may have a hard drive that has both HDLoader partitions and DMS HDD Format tool partitions;

this is normal!

Select "Create" from the sidebar menu. You will be prompted to enter a new name for the partition. This primer will use ELFS as the name.