Internal HDD Setup - POPStarter Docs

The spelling matters#

Internal HDD setups revolve around two locations: hdd:/__.POPS/ for VCDs and hdd:/__common/POPS/ for common POPS files and per-game support folders. The dot in __.POPS is part of the name.

OPL Apps page: per-game renamed ELF#

This mirrors the USB OPL Apps model, but the game image and POPS files are on APA/PFS paths while the visible app entry is under +OPL/APPS.

hdd:/__.POPS/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.VCD
hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade/
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/Soul Blade/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.ELF
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/Soul Blade/title.cfg

title=[PS1] Soul Blade
boot=SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.ELF

ElOtroLado and PSX-Place support discussion warn that OPL network/BDM/SMB Auto start modes can hang HDD POPStarter Apps launch. Set unused devices to Manual or Disabled when troubleshooting a black screen with the HDD LED stuck.

OPL DB / PS1 page#

This modern OPL/fork path keeps the launcher files in __common/POPS and VCDs in __.POPS.

hdd:/__.POPS/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.VCD
hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK

The local Discord screenshot records hdd0:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF as a working POPStarter path in that user's test. Keep it as user-tested evidence, not as a replacement for every frontend's own path rules.

wLE_kHn on HDD#

wLE_kHn can be installed as a BOOT.ELF target and/or launched through OPL Apps while VCDs remain under __.POPS.

mc0:/BOOT/BOOT.ELF
hdd:/__.POPS/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.VCD
hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/wLE_kHn_20200810/wLE_kHn_20200810.ELF
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/wLE_kHn_20200810/title.cfg

Hugopocked fixes on HDD#

Use the per-game support folder under __common/POPS, not __.POPS:

hdd:/__common/POPS/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade/

Internal exFAT boundary#

The raw notes are explicit: POPStarter core does not support internal exFAT storage for the POPS/VCD side. APA-Jail can be used as a hybrid app-side convenience, but the POPS data remains on APA/PFS paths.

Modern split HDD folders#

The modern HDD launch type keeps VCDs in __.POPS or __.POPS0 through __.POPS9, while common emulator files and per-game support folders stay in __common/POPS.

hdd0:/__.POPS/Soul Blade.VCD
hdd0:/__.POPS0/Crash Bandicoot.VCD
hdd0:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd0:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd0:/__common/POPS/Soul Blade/CHEATS.TXT

Do not create +__.POPS. The leading plus belongs to normal OPL app/game partitions, not this POPStarter VCD location.

Legacy partition-installed games#

Older HDDOSD/PSBBN-style setups can install each game into its own partition. In those workflows every game image inside the partition is named IMAGE0.VCD; the partition name carries the game identity.

Mode	Partition	Image path	What it means
Visible HDDOSD	`PP.<Game>`	`hdd0:/PP.<Game>/IMAGE0.VCD`	Visible partition-install route, commonly paired with `POPSTARTER.KELF` or HDDOSD metadata.
Hidden alternate	`__.<Game>`	`hdd0:/__.<Game>/IMAGE0.VCD`	Hidden per-game partition route, distinct from the shared `__.POPS` folder.

BOOT2 = pfs:/IMAGE0.VCD
VER = 1.00
VMODE = NTSC

APA-Jail hybrid example#

exfat:hdd:APPS/Soul Blade/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.ELF
exfat:hdd:APPS/Soul Blade/title.cfg
apa:hdd:/__.POPS/SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.VCD
apa:hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
apa:hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
apa:hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
apa:hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK