How to Unbrick PSP Without Pandora's Battery

By Marshal M. Rosenthal

Updated September 22, 2017

Items you will need

  • PSP memory card

  • Memory card reader

The popularity of the PlayStation Portable has led some owners to try and modify the operating system so it can do things that were not built into it by Sony. The PSP can be rendered unworkable (or “bricked”) if the modification process is done incorrectly. A bricked PSP can be “unbricked” by using special software downloaded from a computer and placed on the PSP’s memory card. You do not need to modify the rechargeable battery into a “Pandora” battery in order to unbrick the PSP.

Remove the PSP memory card from the PSP’s memory card slot. Put the PSP on a table with the disc drive door facing away from you.

Insert the PSP memory card into the slot in the memory card reader. Plug the memory card reader’s USB cable into a USB port on the computer.

Download a PSP recovery program to the desktop of the computer (for example, the 3.0 Downgrader program in "Resources"). Double-click on the file once it has fully downloaded to decompress it to a folder on the desktop.

Double-click on the icon of the PSP memory card that is now on the desktop. Double-click on the “System” folder inside of the window that appears. Double-click on the “Update” folder that is inside of the window that appears.

Rename the eboot file that is inside of the Update folder to “updateppp” without the quotes. Drag the “updateppp” file to the desktop. Close the window by clicking on the “X’ button in the upper right corner.

Double-click on the icon of the PSP memory card again. Double-click on the “Games” folder in the window that opens.

Drag the contents of the Games folder to the Trash icon. Delete the contents.

Double-click on the PSP recovery program’s folder on the desktop to open its window. Drag the contents from inside the PSP recovering program’s folder into the Games folder of the PSP memory card. Wait for the files to copy from one folder to the other.

Right-click inside of the Games folder. Select “New folder” from the pop-up menu. Name the folder “RECOVERY” without the quotes.

Drag the “updateppp” file from the desktop into the RECOVERY folder.

Right-click on the icon of the PSP memory card. Select “Eject” from the pop-up menu.

Remove the USB cable from the USB port of the computer. Remove the PSP memory card from the memory card reader’s slot.

Insert the PSP memory card into the PSP’s memory card slot.

Press in on the right trigger that is at the right top corner of the PSP with your left hand. Hold the right trigger in with your left hand.

Press up on the power switch at the lower right corner of the PSP with your right index finger. Release the power switch.

Release the right trigger when the recovery menu appears on the LCD screen.

Select “Run recovery program eboot” from the menu on the LCD screen. Press the “X” button on the PSP.

Wait for the recovery program to finish running. Press the power switch up to turn off the PSP when told to do so by the recovery program.

Remove the PSP memory card from the PSP memory card slot. Turn on the PSP, which now starts up since it has been unbricked.

Tips

Run the PSP off of the AC power supply to make sure there is power for the duration that the recovery program needs to run.

Warnings

A modified PSP will be refused by an authorized service center for any kind of repair.

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