Introduction
============
ToxicBIOS is a third party flash upgrade for the DMS4 Lite and Pro modchips by
Team Toxic. Our goal is to provide a host of features which DMS4 owners deserve,
but are sadly lacking in the factory default "legal" flash. Thanks to the
superior hardware design of the DMS4 series chips, we have been able to create
a freeware flash replacement which will unlock your modchips full potential
and enable your console to do things you have only dreamed of![smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Current features provided by ToxicBIOS are as follows:
- Auto-detect and non-swap booting of all disc types (PS2, DVD, PSX, etc)
- Support for DVD+R dual layer media
- Compatible with all PS2 models V1-V14
- Dev.olution mode (from memory card and HDD)
- DVD region free, Macrovision removal and green screen fix for the DVD player
- Auto-ATAD patching for HDD-enabled games
- Fast boot mode for PS2, PSX and DVD movies
- Support for the HDD browser upgrade on a non-Sony HDD
- Set default boot mode to: Normal, MC/HDD Dev.olution, Fast Boot
- Playstation 2 game video fix (Colour Carrier, PAL, NTSC, PAL60), with
automatic y-position correction
- Playstation 1 game video fix
- Enable MegaMemory memory cards without the need for the boot disc
- Configuration menu where various settings can be manipulated
- "Toxic" logo displayed at the PS2 logo screen
- When booting from Dev.olution mode or Fast Boot, games use correct language
- Modchip disable mode, for online gaming
- Support for the Codebreaker cheat device
- 100% boot rate
- Much, much more to come!
*****************************************************************************
NOTE: All HDD related features are unsupported on the PStwo (V12) console for
obvious reasons![wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
*****************************************************************************
Detailed Feature Overview
=========================
-> Dev.olution mode
Using Dev.olution mode you can boot applications from either the memory
card or hard disk drive. When booting in MC Dev.olution mode, the ELF file
"mc0:/BOOT/BOOT.ELF" is launched. This ELF file can be anything you want,
such as DMS Explorer, PS2Menu, PS2OS etc. To boot in MC Dev.olution mode
either hold down TRIANGLE on controller 1 while the PS2 is booting, or
set default boot mode to MC Dev.olution in the configuration menu. Currently
the only application which can be launched with HDD Dev.olution mode is
DMS HDD Explorer. Once HDD Explorer is installed, you may boot in HDD
Dev.olution mode by either holding down START on controller 1 while the PS2
is booting, or set default boot mode to HDD Dev.olution in the configuration
menu.
NOTE: From ToxicBIOS v1.2 and up you must use DMS HDD Explorer v1.3 or
greater. Older versions are no longer supported.
-> ATAD auto-patching
When ATAD auto-patching is enabled, you can connect a non-Sony HDD to your
PS2 and use it as though it was an official Sony drive. You will be able
to install and use the HDD browser update (found on the HDD utility disc) on
a non-Sony HDD, and you will be able to partially install some games with
HDD support to improve performance.. even though this is a bit pointless
with the existence of HDLoader![happy ^_^ ^_^](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
-> Fast boot mode
Fast boot mode allows you to skip the redundant "swirling electrons" and
various logo screens and directly load your PS2/PSX game or DVD movie as
soon as you turn on the console, saving valuable time which would be better
spent gaming. To use fast boot mode, either hold down SELECT while the PS2
is booting or set default boot mode to fast boot in the configuration menu.
-> DVD+R dual layer media support
Until now it has been impossible to play DVD9 games backed up onto dual
layer media on the PS2 due to a problem with reading from the second layer
because the data format on burnt DL discs is different than on pressed
discs (burnt = OTP, pressed = PTP). However, we have discovered a software
hack which enables the PS2 to read even burnt OTP discs meaning it is now
possible to make backups of dual layer games such as GT4. ToxicBIOS includes
an "auto-patching" mechanism which applies this patch on the fly. The
auto-patcher is disabled by default, to enable set "DVD+R DL Support" in
the settings menu.
NOTE: Unfortunately due to software restrictions the auto-patching will
not work if you boot your DL backup from the updated Sony browser
stored on the HDD. If you are using the updated browser then in
order to play your DL backups you must boot them with fastboot.
If you are not using the browser update then there are no
limitations regarding how you can boot DL backups.
-> Default boot mode
Using the configuration menu you can set the default boot mode to one of the
following: Normal, Fast Boot, MC Dev.olution, HDD Dev.olution. If you do not
manually specify a boot mode while the PS2 is booting by holding down a
button on controller 1, the default boot mode will be used. For example if
the default boot mode is set to MC Dev.olution, when you turn on the PS2
without holding down any buttons on the controller, your MC Dev.olution
application will be loaded from the memory card. If you then wish to boot
normally (i.e.: boot through standard browser) hold down CROSS on controller
1 while booting to over-ride the default boot mode.
-> Playstation 2 game video fix
There are 4 different modes for the PS2 video MODE fix, as described below:
- Colour Carrier: The colour carrier of the video signal is changed to
match the region of your console.
- Force PAL: Video mode forced to PAL (50hz), regardless of what video mode
games try to set.
- Force NTSC: Video mode forced to NTSC (60hz), regardless of what video
mode games try to set.
- Force PAL60: Video mode forced to PAL60, which is 60hz with PAL colour
carrier.
In addition to the PS2 video MODE fix, you can also enable the PS2 video
Y-POS fix. The y-position fix is used in conjunction with the PS2 video
MODE fix in order to correct the vertical position of the display. For
example, simply focing PAL when a NTSC game is running will generally result
in the display being far off center. The y-position fix corrects this and
centers the display. Please note that the y-position fix is not available
when the PS2 video MODE fix is off or set to Color Carrier, since in these
cases the video mode is not forced so the display position will not need
to be corrected. Please note that the y-position fix feature should still
be considered EXPERIMENTAL and has been known to cause problems with a few
games. If a game isnt working, disable the y-position fix and see if this
helps.
You can configure the PS2 video MODE and PS2 video Y-POS fixes in the
configuration menu.
-> Configuration Menu
The configuration menu is used to manipulate various ToxicBIOS settings, for
example enabling or disabling ATAD auto-patching. The configuration menu also
displays useful information about your PS2 system and DMS4 modchip. To enter
the configuration menu, hold down SQUARE on controller 1 while the PS2 is
booting.
-> Disable Mode
When playing online games it is often necessary to disable the modchip so you
do not get a DNAS error while connecting to the online game server. To
disable DMS4, hold down L1 on controller 1 as the PS2 is booting. You will
see a message saying that the modchip has been disabled. Insert your game and
reset the console - the modchip will not be disabled and will stay disabled
until the PS2 is placed in standby.
-> Codebreaker cheat device support
The more recent codebreaker cheat devices include a protection system which
is designed to detect the presence of modchips and prevent the application
from working on a modified system. ToxicBIOS bypasses this protection and
allows codebreaker to work properly, however you must first set
"Auto Tray Eject" to OFF in the options menu.
Boot-time controller mapping
============================
When the console is booting, holding down certain buttons on controller 1 will
activate certain modes/features. These are listed below:
CROSS - Use standard boot (over-ride default boot mode setting)
TRIANGLE - MC Dev.olution mode
START - HDD Dev.olution mode
SELECT - Fast boot mode
SQUARE - Load configuration menu
L1 - Disable modchip
How to Install
==============
Installation directions vary depending on boot method:
- ELF boot: Simply execute the ELF using your favorite loader application
(PS2Menu, PS2Link, Naplink, PS2OS, LaunchELF etc) and follow the on-screen
directions.
- CD boot: Simply burn the BIN/CUE provided, boot the disc and follow the
on-screen directions.
Notes on V14 support
====================
Currently the PS1 game video fix is not functional while using ToxicBIOS with
a V14 console. This will be fixed in a future release.
To flash ToxicBIOS to a DMS4 NORMAL modchip installed in a V14, a specific
procedure must be used since the factory flash shipped with DMS4 NORMAL modchips
only has partial support for V14 consoles. You will probably not be able to boot
the Toxic upgrade disc so in order to flash the modchip we suggest copying the
upgrade ELF onto a memory card and loading it via Dev.olution mode. This
DOES NOT apply to the DMS4 S.E. modchips which have V14 support included in the
factory flash!
Frequently Asked Questions
==========================
Q: Can I disable the "Toxic" logo displayed under the Playstation 2 logo when
booting PS2 games?
A: Yes. Set "Display Toxic Logo" to NO in the configuration menu.
Q: Why do I get the "TV system doesn't match" error while trying to play a
DVD movie?
A: You will be presented with this error if you attempt to play a PAL movie on
a NTSC console. This is due to a limitation in the DVD player software and
currently there is no way around this. We are looking into ways to fix this
and hopefully a fix will be included in a future ToxicBIOS release.
Q: I have a feature request or bug report for Team Toxic. How can I contact you?
A: We do not provide any contact details such as e-mail addresses etc, however
we do monitor various "scene" forums so if you have a request or a problem
then just make a post and there is a good chance we will see it and take note
of it![smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Q: I have a game which isnt loading or working prorperly. What can I do?
1) Disable y-position fix if it is enabled. This is still experimental and
has been known to cause problems with a few games.
2) Make sure that the game is burnt on good quality media at an appropriate
speed. If your PS2's laser cannot read from your disc, the game will
obviously not work.
Change Log
==========
1.4 Release:
------------
* Added support for the DMS4 S.E. series modchips (thanks to our friends at a certain
webshop for the beta chips - you know who you are![wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
* Added support for the V14 PS2 console.
* Significantly improved stability.
* Fixed problems booting some games from the browser with DVD+DL patching enabled.
* Fixed problems playing some DVD movies from recordable media.
1.3 Release:
------------
* Added support for DVD+R dual layer media, making DMS4 the worlds first
modchip to support dual layer backups.
* Fixed devolution mode with MM16 cards
* Fixed booting PSX games which do not have SYSTEM.CNF
1.2 Release:
------------
* Fastboot can now also load PSX games and DVD movies
* Improved authentication logic which leads to significantly improved boot
rates on consoles with poor lasers
* Codebreaker cheat devices are now supported
* Manual y-position fix toggle and gui enhancements added to configuration menu
* Progressive scan while PS2 video fix enabled is now working
* Added support for DMS HDD Explorer v1.3. Older versions are no longer supported.
* Other minor bugfixes and code cleanup
1.1 Release:
------------
* Progressive scan is now working in games and the DVD player
* Macrovision removal is now working properly
* Fixed problems with some games caused by the y-position fix
* Fixed problem preventing applications being loaded from within DMS Explorer
* Fixed problem preventing some recent games such as Athens 2004",
"Spyro: A Hero's Tail" from working.
* Disable screen is now displayed correctly when using component video cables
Group News
==========
We would like to apologise for the delay with the release of ToxicOS 0.4. Work
on the release was suspended for personal reasons, however now we have now
resumed develoment and the release should follow shortly. Unfortunately the
integrated FTP server will not be included with the 0.4 release due to
stability issues but we hope to have this worked out for the following
release. Hopefully our integrated cheat device will make up for it![smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
For those who dont already know, we have recently launched a Team Toxic
website which will be used by us to post news relating to our releases
and host Toxic flash downloads - http://www.teamtoxic.com.cn/
Miscellaneous
=============
ToxicBIOS may be hosted by anybody, anywhere - PROVIDED that the archive
remains unaltered and that it is not used in ways its not supposed to be!
Oh, and props to the DMS team for making such a nice modchip - even though
the flash they ship with the chip sucks and cant do much of anything![tongue :P :P](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
============
ToxicBIOS is a third party flash upgrade for the DMS4 Lite and Pro modchips by
Team Toxic. Our goal is to provide a host of features which DMS4 owners deserve,
but are sadly lacking in the factory default "legal" flash. Thanks to the
superior hardware design of the DMS4 series chips, we have been able to create
a freeware flash replacement which will unlock your modchips full potential
and enable your console to do things you have only dreamed of
Current features provided by ToxicBIOS are as follows:
- Auto-detect and non-swap booting of all disc types (PS2, DVD, PSX, etc)
- Support for DVD+R dual layer media
- Compatible with all PS2 models V1-V14
- Dev.olution mode (from memory card and HDD)
- DVD region free, Macrovision removal and green screen fix for the DVD player
- Auto-ATAD patching for HDD-enabled games
- Fast boot mode for PS2, PSX and DVD movies
- Support for the HDD browser upgrade on a non-Sony HDD
- Set default boot mode to: Normal, MC/HDD Dev.olution, Fast Boot
- Playstation 2 game video fix (Colour Carrier, PAL, NTSC, PAL60), with
automatic y-position correction
- Playstation 1 game video fix
- Enable MegaMemory memory cards without the need for the boot disc
- Configuration menu where various settings can be manipulated
- "Toxic" logo displayed at the PS2 logo screen
- When booting from Dev.olution mode or Fast Boot, games use correct language
- Modchip disable mode, for online gaming
- Support for the Codebreaker cheat device
- 100% boot rate
- Much, much more to come!
*****************************************************************************
NOTE: All HDD related features are unsupported on the PStwo (V12) console for
obvious reasons
*****************************************************************************
Detailed Feature Overview
=========================
-> Dev.olution mode
Using Dev.olution mode you can boot applications from either the memory
card or hard disk drive. When booting in MC Dev.olution mode, the ELF file
"mc0:/BOOT/BOOT.ELF" is launched. This ELF file can be anything you want,
such as DMS Explorer, PS2Menu, PS2OS etc. To boot in MC Dev.olution mode
either hold down TRIANGLE on controller 1 while the PS2 is booting, or
set default boot mode to MC Dev.olution in the configuration menu. Currently
the only application which can be launched with HDD Dev.olution mode is
DMS HDD Explorer. Once HDD Explorer is installed, you may boot in HDD
Dev.olution mode by either holding down START on controller 1 while the PS2
is booting, or set default boot mode to HDD Dev.olution in the configuration
menu.
NOTE: From ToxicBIOS v1.2 and up you must use DMS HDD Explorer v1.3 or
greater. Older versions are no longer supported.
-> ATAD auto-patching
When ATAD auto-patching is enabled, you can connect a non-Sony HDD to your
PS2 and use it as though it was an official Sony drive. You will be able
to install and use the HDD browser update (found on the HDD utility disc) on
a non-Sony HDD, and you will be able to partially install some games with
HDD support to improve performance.. even though this is a bit pointless
with the existence of HDLoader
-> Fast boot mode
Fast boot mode allows you to skip the redundant "swirling electrons" and
various logo screens and directly load your PS2/PSX game or DVD movie as
soon as you turn on the console, saving valuable time which would be better
spent gaming. To use fast boot mode, either hold down SELECT while the PS2
is booting or set default boot mode to fast boot in the configuration menu.
-> DVD+R dual layer media support
Until now it has been impossible to play DVD9 games backed up onto dual
layer media on the PS2 due to a problem with reading from the second layer
because the data format on burnt DL discs is different than on pressed
discs (burnt = OTP, pressed = PTP). However, we have discovered a software
hack which enables the PS2 to read even burnt OTP discs meaning it is now
possible to make backups of dual layer games such as GT4. ToxicBIOS includes
an "auto-patching" mechanism which applies this patch on the fly. The
auto-patcher is disabled by default, to enable set "DVD+R DL Support" in
the settings menu.
NOTE: Unfortunately due to software restrictions the auto-patching will
not work if you boot your DL backup from the updated Sony browser
stored on the HDD. If you are using the updated browser then in
order to play your DL backups you must boot them with fastboot.
If you are not using the browser update then there are no
limitations regarding how you can boot DL backups.
-> Default boot mode
Using the configuration menu you can set the default boot mode to one of the
following: Normal, Fast Boot, MC Dev.olution, HDD Dev.olution. If you do not
manually specify a boot mode while the PS2 is booting by holding down a
button on controller 1, the default boot mode will be used. For example if
the default boot mode is set to MC Dev.olution, when you turn on the PS2
without holding down any buttons on the controller, your MC Dev.olution
application will be loaded from the memory card. If you then wish to boot
normally (i.e.: boot through standard browser) hold down CROSS on controller
1 while booting to over-ride the default boot mode.
-> Playstation 2 game video fix
There are 4 different modes for the PS2 video MODE fix, as described below:
- Colour Carrier: The colour carrier of the video signal is changed to
match the region of your console.
- Force PAL: Video mode forced to PAL (50hz), regardless of what video mode
games try to set.
- Force NTSC: Video mode forced to NTSC (60hz), regardless of what video
mode games try to set.
- Force PAL60: Video mode forced to PAL60, which is 60hz with PAL colour
carrier.
In addition to the PS2 video MODE fix, you can also enable the PS2 video
Y-POS fix. The y-position fix is used in conjunction with the PS2 video
MODE fix in order to correct the vertical position of the display. For
example, simply focing PAL when a NTSC game is running will generally result
in the display being far off center. The y-position fix corrects this and
centers the display. Please note that the y-position fix is not available
when the PS2 video MODE fix is off or set to Color Carrier, since in these
cases the video mode is not forced so the display position will not need
to be corrected. Please note that the y-position fix feature should still
be considered EXPERIMENTAL and has been known to cause problems with a few
games. If a game isnt working, disable the y-position fix and see if this
helps.
You can configure the PS2 video MODE and PS2 video Y-POS fixes in the
configuration menu.
-> Configuration Menu
The configuration menu is used to manipulate various ToxicBIOS settings, for
example enabling or disabling ATAD auto-patching. The configuration menu also
displays useful information about your PS2 system and DMS4 modchip. To enter
the configuration menu, hold down SQUARE on controller 1 while the PS2 is
booting.
-> Disable Mode
When playing online games it is often necessary to disable the modchip so you
do not get a DNAS error while connecting to the online game server. To
disable DMS4, hold down L1 on controller 1 as the PS2 is booting. You will
see a message saying that the modchip has been disabled. Insert your game and
reset the console - the modchip will not be disabled and will stay disabled
until the PS2 is placed in standby.
-> Codebreaker cheat device support
The more recent codebreaker cheat devices include a protection system which
is designed to detect the presence of modchips and prevent the application
from working on a modified system. ToxicBIOS bypasses this protection and
allows codebreaker to work properly, however you must first set
"Auto Tray Eject" to OFF in the options menu.
Boot-time controller mapping
============================
When the console is booting, holding down certain buttons on controller 1 will
activate certain modes/features. These are listed below:
CROSS - Use standard boot (over-ride default boot mode setting)
TRIANGLE - MC Dev.olution mode
START - HDD Dev.olution mode
SELECT - Fast boot mode
SQUARE - Load configuration menu
L1 - Disable modchip
How to Install
==============
Installation directions vary depending on boot method:
- ELF boot: Simply execute the ELF using your favorite loader application
(PS2Menu, PS2Link, Naplink, PS2OS, LaunchELF etc) and follow the on-screen
directions.
- CD boot: Simply burn the BIN/CUE provided, boot the disc and follow the
on-screen directions.
Notes on V14 support
====================
Currently the PS1 game video fix is not functional while using ToxicBIOS with
a V14 console. This will be fixed in a future release.
To flash ToxicBIOS to a DMS4 NORMAL modchip installed in a V14, a specific
procedure must be used since the factory flash shipped with DMS4 NORMAL modchips
only has partial support for V14 consoles. You will probably not be able to boot
the Toxic upgrade disc so in order to flash the modchip we suggest copying the
upgrade ELF onto a memory card and loading it via Dev.olution mode. This
DOES NOT apply to the DMS4 S.E. modchips which have V14 support included in the
factory flash!
Frequently Asked Questions
==========================
Q: Can I disable the "Toxic" logo displayed under the Playstation 2 logo when
booting PS2 games?
A: Yes. Set "Display Toxic Logo" to NO in the configuration menu.
Q: Why do I get the "TV system doesn't match" error while trying to play a
DVD movie?
A: You will be presented with this error if you attempt to play a PAL movie on
a NTSC console. This is due to a limitation in the DVD player software and
currently there is no way around this. We are looking into ways to fix this
and hopefully a fix will be included in a future ToxicBIOS release.
Q: I have a feature request or bug report for Team Toxic. How can I contact you?
A: We do not provide any contact details such as e-mail addresses etc, however
we do monitor various "scene" forums so if you have a request or a problem
then just make a post and there is a good chance we will see it and take note
of it
Q: I have a game which isnt loading or working prorperly. What can I do?
1) Disable y-position fix if it is enabled. This is still experimental and
has been known to cause problems with a few games.
2) Make sure that the game is burnt on good quality media at an appropriate
speed. If your PS2's laser cannot read from your disc, the game will
obviously not work.
Change Log
==========
1.4 Release:
------------
* Added support for the DMS4 S.E. series modchips (thanks to our friends at a certain
webshop for the beta chips - you know who you are
* Added support for the V14 PS2 console.
* Significantly improved stability.
* Fixed problems booting some games from the browser with DVD+DL patching enabled.
* Fixed problems playing some DVD movies from recordable media.
1.3 Release:
------------
* Added support for DVD+R dual layer media, making DMS4 the worlds first
modchip to support dual layer backups.
* Fixed devolution mode with MM16 cards
* Fixed booting PSX games which do not have SYSTEM.CNF
1.2 Release:
------------
* Fastboot can now also load PSX games and DVD movies
* Improved authentication logic which leads to significantly improved boot
rates on consoles with poor lasers
* Codebreaker cheat devices are now supported
* Manual y-position fix toggle and gui enhancements added to configuration menu
* Progressive scan while PS2 video fix enabled is now working
* Added support for DMS HDD Explorer v1.3. Older versions are no longer supported.
* Other minor bugfixes and code cleanup
1.1 Release:
------------
* Progressive scan is now working in games and the DVD player
* Macrovision removal is now working properly
* Fixed problems with some games caused by the y-position fix
* Fixed problem preventing applications being loaded from within DMS Explorer
* Fixed problem preventing some recent games such as Athens 2004",
"Spyro: A Hero's Tail" from working.
* Disable screen is now displayed correctly when using component video cables
Group News
==========
We would like to apologise for the delay with the release of ToxicOS 0.4. Work
on the release was suspended for personal reasons, however now we have now
resumed develoment and the release should follow shortly. Unfortunately the
integrated FTP server will not be included with the 0.4 release due to
stability issues but we hope to have this worked out for the following
release. Hopefully our integrated cheat device will make up for it
For those who dont already know, we have recently launched a Team Toxic
website which will be used by us to post news relating to our releases
and host Toxic flash downloads - http://www.teamtoxic.com.cn/
Miscellaneous
=============
ToxicBIOS may be hosted by anybody, anywhere - PROVIDED that the archive
remains unaltered and that it is not used in ways its not supposed to be!
Oh, and props to the DMS team for making such a nice modchip - even though
the flash they ship with the chip sucks and cant do much of anything