PS3 HDD Studio 2.08 Available, Yet Another PS3 HDD Tool

150w ago - I wanted to avoid to release PS3 HDD Studio since I think that every public hack tool will turn into a hole fix if it's fixable.

My opinion is that until we find a definitive hack we should keep our studies private since most probably there would be a fix.

By the way since a similar tool has been released yesterday I think mine could be releases since there is no point into keeping private anymore (the methods used is the same KnightSolidus discovered some time ago).

Download: PS3 HDD Studio v2.08

Below I wrote some note on how this tool should be used, these notes cover few options, I don't have time to write down a good tutorial :P

#GETTING STARTED + NOTES#

• Everytime you install a new version of firmware you should create 2 merged backups of the HDD used to encrypt/decrypt):

• It's suggested to use 2 Hdd, one to be used only to decrypt/encrypt thw dummy and the other one that contains the data you
wants to encrypt/decrypt. You can use 1 Hdd only but it would require more time.

• First of all you have to Prepare your littler Hdd and to create a dummy file. Follow the #PREPARE HDD# section.

#PREPARE HDD#

• 00 The Hdd (use Prepare Hdd section), it's better you use a little hdd to do such operations. Warning, your HDD will be FORMATTED! be CAREFULL to chose the right one!

• Unplug the ethernet connection to avoid receiving network messages if you have the automatic login option enabled.

• Plug the hdd and turn on the console.

• Format the Hdd as requested.

• After the reboot Login with a user (if you have more than one) and always use selected one.

• Disable the Information Board.

• Turn Off the console normally

• Unplug the Hdd and create a merged Image (#FIND & MERGE# section) naming it: MasterImage_To_Encrypt_xxx.bin
(where xxx is the console FW version).

• Create a Dummy file, just leave the default size ad it is (2147483648), browse to your pendrive and click "Create Dummy File".

• Copy the dummy from the pendrive to the PS3 HDD (in Music section) and create a merged Image (#FIND & MERGE# section) naming it:
MasterImage+Dummy_To_Decrypt_xxx.bin (where xxx is the console FW version).

• Open MasterImage+Dummy_To_Decrypt_xxx.bin file in winhex and seek for a dymmy sector: it's easy to understand where dymmy starts,
all the dummy sectors are equals (1 sector = 512 bytes), you just have to seek the whole hdd scrolling it down until you see a repetitive pattern different from the initial one (a fast method is to go at the middle of the .bin file, there should be the dummy).

Note: Set Winhex this way: VIEW > RECORD PRESENTATION: put the 'v' in all 3 checkmarks, then fill these values:

"First Record at offset": 0
"Record size in bytes": 512

Remember to select a good background color in winhex options (Options > General) or you won't notice where a sector starts! This way each sector will be displayed in an alternate color.

• Create a Dummy Data Partlogs using #FIND & MERGE# chosing option "Find all HDD sectors starting with these 16 bytes".
You'll obtain a partlog dummy data, keep it cause it will be needed lot of times.

#FIND & MERGE#:

• This section allow you to create merged images and the related partlogs.

• To create a Merged Image select "Find an HDD sectors containing data different from 0x00, through all the HDD". Select a source disc. Select a partlog and image name. it will create 2 files, a .txt (that's the partlog) and a .bin (that's the merged image).

• To create a Dummy Data Partlogs select "Find all HDD sectors starting with these 16 bytes". fill the textbox with the first 16 bytes of a dummy sector. Select a source disc. Select a partlog name. it will create 1 .txt (that's the Dummy Data partlog)

#DECRYPT#:

• 00 an Hdd (use Prepare Hdd section) different than the one that you use to encrypt/decrypt (so a second one that could be big).

• Format it with ps3 and download the PSN data you want to decrypt (or install a game data package or whatever you want to see decrypted).

• Attach it to PC, go to Find&Merge and use the option "Find al HDD sectors containing dtata different from 0x00" you will obtain a partlog-DataToBeDecrypted.txt and a partlog-DataToBeDecrypted.bin, the last one is the data do be decrypted, already merged.

• Restore the MasterImage+Dummy_To_Decrypt_xxx.bin to an hdd that you will use only to encrypt/decrypt. to restore see the #RESTORE A MERGED IMAGE# Label below.

• In Decrypt Step 1 select the PS3 Hdd where you have just restored MasterImage+Dummy_To_Decrypt_xxx.bin. select the merged file obtained from the operation above (partlog-DataToBeDecrypted.bin) select the Dummy Data partlog obtained in #PREPARE HDD# section. Push Do process, the data will be copied in the hdd in place of the Dummy file.

• Now attach the Hdd that you just patched into PS3, copy the dymmy file from hdd to a Pendrive.

• Now attach the pendrive to the PC and select: "Decrypt Step 2":
browse to the Pendrive Dummy99.mp3. select the same merged file you selected in the step above. chose an output file, it's the decrypted result. select the Dummy Data partlog obtained in #PREPARE HDD# section. Push Do process, you will obtain a merged decrypted file.

#ENCRYPT#:

• Restore the MasterImage_To_Encrypt_xxx.bin to an hdd that you will use only to encrypt/decrypt. to restore see the #RESTORE A MERGED IMAGE# Label below.

• In Encrypt Step 1:
browse to your pendrive root. browse to the merged data to be encrypted. Push Do process, the data will be copied in pendrive whit the right structure

• Now attach the Hdd that you just restore with MasterImage_To_Encrypt_xxx.bin into PS3. copy the dummy file from Pendrive to Hdd using your PS3.

• Turn off PS3 and detach the Hdd, then attach it to your PC.

• In Encrypt Step 2:
Select the Hdd with the dummy file. browse to the merged data to be encrypted. select the Dummy Data partlog obtained in #PREPARE HDD# section. Select the output file name and place. Push Do process, the data will be copied to your PC.

• Restore the Merged encrypted file using #RESTORE A MERGED IMAGE# section-

#RESTORE A MERGED IMAGE#:

• In Expand data:
Select operation: Split parts and write them in a Physical Target Disk (ALL). browse to the merged data. browse to the merged data partlog. select your target disc. Push Do process, the data will be restored (expanded) in the selected Hdd.

NDT ;-)