P1POPStarter DocsRecovered preservation manual
Setup Storage Reference Archive

Advanced Launch Modes

PS1 CD mode, HDDOSD/KELF, legacy partition installs, uLE_kHn boundaries, and other non-default POPStarter launch routes.

Advanced means special-case#

These routes are preserved because they exist in the recovered wiki, not because they should replace the normal USB/HDD/SMB quick starts. Treat them as compatibility, preservation, or legacy-install material.

PS1 CD mode#

PS1 CD mode is described as a native POPS feature that can boot games from the CDVD drive. It is explicitly not the recommended everyday path, and swap-trick use is called out as especially risky. The mode is selected by launching a renamed POPStarter ELF whose name does not collide with an existing VCD or partition.

ELF nameVMC location behavior
GAME.ELFHDD-style save folder under __common/POPS/GAME/.
XX.GAME.ELFUSB-style save folder under mass:/POPS/GAME/.
SB.GAME.ELFSMB-style save folder under the share's POPS/GAME/.
PS1CD.ELF or similar generic nameAll discs launched through that generic name share the same VMC folder.

HDDOSD and POPSTARTER.KELF#

The recovered HDDOSD page documents POPSTARTER.KELF for Browser 2.00 / HDDOSD presentation. It uses the older "one game equals one partition" route, not the shared modern __.POPS partition.

  • Use a parent partition named like PP.<Game> for visible HDDOSD installs.
  • The game image inside that partition is typically IMAGE0.VCD.
  • HDDOSD metadata, icons, and bootability are separate from POPStarter's core game-compatibility behavior.
  • Do not present KELF/HDDOSD installation as the simple HDD setup. Modern OPL-style HDD workflows use __.POPS and __common/POPS.

Legacy partition installs#

Legacy HDD installs can use PP. visible partitions or hidden __. partitions. These are distinct from the shared __.POPS VCD partition. If a source says IMAGE0.VCD, assume a per-game partition route until proven otherwise.

uLE_kHn and direct browsing#

uLE_kHn belongs to the "browse and launch VCDs directly" family. It is useful for avoiding a per-game renamed ELF farm, and it appears in several modern workflows, but it is still a frontend/launcher choice. Per-game support folders, VMC routing, and command files remain POPStarter rules.

Default recommendation#

Use normal USB, HDD, SMB, or POPSLoader fork workflows for regular libraries. Reach for PS1 CD mode, HDDOSD/KELF, and legacy per-game partitions only when preserving or testing those specific historical routes.