Recovery for Dummies documentation
If Free McBoot is installed as a System Update (OSD Update), it cannot be updated directly. This is because the existing installation must first be uninstalled before the new version can be installed. This requirement makes little sense, even for users with a cross-linked installation (commonly referred to as a “Multi Install”), since the old installation still has to be removed before the new one can be installed. The recommended approach is to back up your save data to another device or another PS2 Memory Card, perform a full format, and then install the new version (see Scenario I).
If you have a PS2 Memory Card with Free McBoot installed, it is your only PS2 Memory Card, and you do not have any other entry point, you probably do not want to risk losing your working setup. Instead, you can safely install the newer configuration, which is designed for mSAS packages, including the new CNF, the BDMA wrapper, and other related components (see Scenario II).
As you can see, this is more of a roadmap or a hub for dedicated guides than a tutorial. Each topic is complex enough to deserve its own guide. Good luck!
If you don’t have any save data that you want to keep, you can skip this step and move on to the next one.
Otherwise, I recommend exporting all save data to the .psu file format. Do not simply copy the save folders (for example, from a memory card to a USB stick). Some games use timestamps to verify save data integrity, and those timestamps can be altered during a regular copy operation. A PSU container preserves all MCFS (the file system used by PS2 Memory Cards) attributes, including the original timestamps.
You can find detailed instructions in the How to Back Up Save Data guide, which describes several methods for creating and restoring backups.
Instead of using Uninstall Free McBoot, Uninstall Multi-Install, or manually deleting files, it is best to format the PS2 Memory Card and completely erase its contents. Use the Full format option instead of Quick. During a full format, any bad blocks that are detected are marked and excluded from the file system. PS2 Memory Cards are now an aging technology, and their NAND flash memory can wear out over time. Identifying bad blocks before installing for example Free McBoot, helps avoid potential issues, including problems with storing save data.
You can find detailed instructions in the How to Format Memory Cards guide, which describes the process.
WARNING: If this is your only PS2 Memory Card, do not turn off or reset the console after formatting. Otherwise, you will no longer have a working exploit or a way to restore it. After formatting is complete, press Select to open the file browser. Navigate to
mass0:/APPS/KELFBinder-mSAS/and run the .elf file located there to continue the installation.
Run KELFBinder-mSAS using any available method and install exploits for all supported models and regions. Detailed instructions can be found in the How to Install System Update Exploit guide.
After completing this step, you will have installed LoadBOOTer as the System Update, PS2 Basic Boot Loader Extended as the Boot Loader, Free McBoot versions 1.8c and 1.966 as OSDSYS patchers, OSDMenu as an additional OSDSYS patcher (yes, all three at once), and wLaunchELF R3Z as the file manager.
The last step is to add additional software, such as game loaders, alternative file managers, and emulators. Start any version of uLE or wLE, then copy usb:/APPS/Save Application System (microSAS)/packages/<category>/*.psu and use psuPaste (Extract PSU in wLE R3Z) to extract them to mc0:/ (1st slot) or mc1:/ (2nd slot). They will automatically appear in the patched OSDSYS menu provided by Free McBoot. (OSDMenu can launch applications from the saves view, so no applications will be pinned to the main menu.)
You can find detailed instructions in the How to Install Applications guide, which describes the process.
Updating the configuration files consists of replacing the contents of the SYS-CONF folder on the PS2 Memory Card. Before doing so, I recommend making a backup of the entire mc0:/SYS-CONF/ directory in case you decide to revert to your previous setup or restore files that are not included in the PSUja project configuration (more information is provided later in this guide), such as IPCONFIG.DAT.
For this, I recommend using wLE R3Z and simply copying the folder from the PS2 Memory Card to a USB stick (usb:/; depending on the wLE version, this mount point may be named mass:/).
The procedure is identical to the one described for installing mSAS packages in the guide: How to Install Applications. The only difference is that, instead of copying applications, you should copy only the usb:/MISC/containers/PSUja/new/System Configuration.psu file and, following the same procedure described in that guide, extract it onto the PS2 Memory Card (Extract PSU; psuPaste in other wLE versions). This will overwrite the existing SYS-CONF folder.
It is worth removing old files and outdated applications that are no longer in use to make space for new ones:
APPS folder, as it is no longer needed. Each mSAS package is extracted into its own folder.BOOT. Some applications have a hardcoded path to mc0:/BOOT/BOOT.ELF, so if you still need this file, keep it together with icon.sys and all *.icn/*.ico files. By default, BOOT.ELF is an old wLE version from one of the early releases (which can additionally be replaced with a newer version).The last step is to add additional software, such as game loaders, file managers, and emulators. Start any version of uLE or wLE, then copy usb:/APPS/Save Application System (microSAS)/packages/<category>/*.psu and use psuPaste (Extract PSU in wLE R3Z) to extract them to mc0:/ (1st slot) or mc1:/ (2nd slot). They will automatically appear in the patched OSDSYS menu provided by Free McBoot if you followed what was described in Step B.
You can find detailed instructions in the How to Install Applications guide.
Berion
2026-07-31
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