PS3 Brick-Recovery Procedure from Rogero CFW 4.21 to CFW 3.55

30w ago - Following up on his Rogero CEX PS3 Custom Firmware (CFW) v4.21 release that bricked many PS3 consoles, PlayStation 3 homebrew developer Rogero has now made available a PS3 Brick-Recovery Procedure from CFW 4.21 back to CFW 3.55 using Rogero PS3 NOR Auto Patcher v0.01 as outlined below.

To quote: Brick-Recovery Procedure from CFW4.21 back to CFW3.55

After Testing with some bricked Slim consoles (from updating to CFW4.21) with different friends and testers around the world, I can confirm that Bricked consoles can be recovered back to CFW3.55 even if you didn't have a NOR Dump/Backup.

Requirements are:

1- A Hardware Flasher so you can read/write to the PS3 NOR flash
2- A Dongle with PSgrade payload (any old jailbreak dongle + PSGrade hex will do) used to Enter Factory Service Mode (FSM)
3- Rogero CEX-3.55 CFW V3.7

Recovery Procedure :

1- Dump the current NOR Flash of the bricked PS3 at least 3 times using a hardware flasher (Progskeet / E3 / TEENSY++)
2- Verify that it is properly dumped and you have a valid dump by comparing your dumps or following these steps: Validating_flash_dumps (via ps3devwiki.com/wiki/Talk:Validating_flash_dumps)
3- Patch the dump using Rogero PS3 NOR Auto Patcher: PS3_Nor_Dump_Auto_Patcher_v0.01.rar
3- Flash the Patched Dump back into the PS3 NOR using the Hardware flasher.
4- From this point you can continue as a normal Downgrade Procedure by entering Factory Service Mode using the dongle and Flashing Rogero CEX-3.55 v3.7 from the USB stick.

Notes:

• I didn't receive any Brick report from any FAT PS3 that updated to CFW4.21, so it seems FAT consoles are not being affected by the bug.
  
• Apparently only the last downgradable Slim models are affected (CECH-25xx with Datecode 1A and base FW version = 3.50)
  
• I also know that there are also few Slims that bricked with model CECH-20xx but 90% of the reports were model (CECH-25xx with Datecode 1A and base FW version = 3.50).
  
• The Brick may be caused by the boot-loaders not being written correctly into the NOR during the Update process.
  
• Please note also that all the above info may not be 100% accurate, things are still being worked on so nothing is confirmed at all and I don't promise anything about an updated CFW.
  

• CECH 2504B BRICKABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2501B BRICKABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2501A BRICKABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2511A ACCEPTABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2004A ACCEPTABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2504A ACCEPTABLE Slim - possible bricks
  
• CECH 2011A ACCEPTABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2001A ACCEPTABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2104A ACCEPTABLE Slim
  
• CECH2004B N/A N/A
  
• CECH 2101A ACCEPTABLE Slim
  
• CECH 2004B ACCEPTABLE Slim
  
• CECH-2504A BRICKABLE Slim
  

• CECHJ 04 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  
• CECHL 01 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  
• CECHG 01 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  
• CECHL 11 ACCEPTABLE N/A
  
• CECHK 01 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  
• CECHL 04 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  
• CECHK 11 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  
• CECHH 01 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  
• CECHG 04 ACCEPTABLE Fat
  

Note: This isn't set in stone. Have a hardware flasher or know how to recover even if your console model is acceptable. Make a multiMAN NAND/NOR backup and ensure QA flags are set!!! Hope you have a great time!

Finally, in related news kiwitothemax has released a PS3 Custom Firmware Validator Database followed by MRDOTB releasing an Updated Version 2.0 Rev5 and Updated Version 2.0 Rev7 today with details below.

Custom Firmware Validator Database Update

Instructions:

1. Download the provided XML (odb_ps3_mod).
2. Move the XML into Custom Firmware Validator's 'databases' folder.
Simple. Should the database not load you can manually select it within the program.

Notes: PUPs added to the database - 3.55 DEX downgrader, OFW DEX 4.10/11/20/21, itskamel DEX MFW, _Exceedy_ DEX MFW's, Rogero DEX MFW's, Harryoke DEX MFW.

Updated Version 2.0 Rev5 Changelog:

• added FAKE cfw Nodex
  
• added all CEX CFW up to 4.21
  
• added all DEX CFW
  
• added missing DEX OFW
  
• added missing CEX OFW
  
• added missing Glevand's CFW 3.55 (included test releases)
  
• added missing Rogero's CFW 3.55
  
• added some missing checksums for some firmwares
  
• old, translated databases are moved to ./outdated folder
  

To Do:

• add missing CEX OFW (the ones from BD-ROM)
  
• add missing SEX/DECR OFW
  

PS: For checking if CFW is safe or not please, click on lightbulb icon. There's always brick tag which inform user about danger or not, even if description saying that already.

Updated Version 2.0 Rev7 Changelog:

Another update. To Rev7. Just unpack it and replace folders/files from v2.0 Rev6.

• Added latest CFWs.
  
• Added missing CFWs from kiwitothemax's mod.xml.
  
• Added missing DECR OFWs