How to Install Custom XMB Themes

[Bex]

This guide will teach anyone how to install their own custom xmb theme.
Thanks goes to Nephron on PSPCrazy for this guide.

Make sure you have the correct xmb firmware version for your PSP before starting.


Accessing the Recovery Menu

1. Turn on your PSP
2. When its turned on, Hold the power button off untill your PSP completely shuts down
3. Turn your PSP on but hold the R-Trigger Button to access the Recovery Menu
4. Welcome to the Recovery Menu

Accessing Flash0:

1. Now, scroll down to Advanced and make sure you have a usb connected from your PSP to your PC
2. Click on Toggle USB (Flash0)
3. A window on your computer will pop up
4. Welcome to Flash0 (Please do not delete/add anything unless you know what you are doing)

Making a Backup:

1. Create a folder called Original Flash0 on your desktop
2. Access Flash0
3. Select all the folders
4. Right Click and click on Copy
5. Open the folder you made on your desktop
6. Click on Paste
7. Now you have a backup, so if anything goes wrong you will be able to fix it.

Make more space in Flash0 for customizations:

Option 1:
Download this: [Only registered users can see links. ]

1. Extract the FLASH_AGENT folder from the .rar file
2. Put the folder in the PSP/GAME150 folder
3. Launch it
4. Scroll down to Recovery on the main menu
5. Find Remove fonts (Free 2.5mb of Flash0) something like that. It is the last on in there.
6. Press O to go back
7. n the main menu, press on Recheck free flash space
8. It should be around 2500, the more the better
9. When its done, Press Home and then Press yes to exit.
10. You should now have 2.5mb free for flash!

Option 2:
Manually save Flash0 space!
**USE AT YOUR OWN RISK**
I HAVE TESTED THIS MYSELF AND CAN REPORT IT WORKS! Almost 100% chance of not bricking, but of course there is always a slight chance.

1. Make a backup of your flash0 space any method you want!
2. Turn your PSP off if you haven't already.
3. Start your PSP in the Recovery Menu.
4. Plug your USB into your PSP.
5. On your PSP go to Advacned.
6. Then click Toggle USB (flash0)
7. Now on your PC, access your PSP's memory stick, and you can edit all the flash0 files here (this is a good method for when you want to flash your files manually so you can see if you run out of flash0 space.
8. Ok now lets get deleting unwanted files! (The files we will be deleting will not cause a brickage of your PSP)
9. Ok lets start with some big ones:

• gb3s1518.bwfon (1,000 KB) located in flash0:/font can be replaced with a ltn0.pgf (Rename ltn0.pgf to gb3s1518.bwfon
  
  Drag gb3s1518.bwfon back into the font folder overwriting the original.

Or you can try this:

1. Well like some of you know space on the flash is needed and the japanese font isnt helping (cause its like 2mb) well well with the flash agent you can make it smaller BUT what if you can make it 0kb? well its simple all you do is
   1. open notepad, wordpad or any word editor and leave it blank
   2. go to file save as
   3. for file name choose "gb3s1518.bwfon" without quotes
   4. for what it should save it as choose "all files"
   5. if everything goes right you should have a .bwfon on your desktop that should be 0 bytes
   6. now flash that to flash0/font

• jpn0.pgf (1,545 KB) also located in flash0:/font can also be replace with a ltn0.pgf however the following will be missing:
  • arrows at the bottom of xmb "agreement" screens are blank
  • some "tm" signs are blank
  • DNAS icon while authenticating is blank.
  • Arrow to the right of the On Screen Keyboard is missing.

And for the rest if you still need more space...

##Removes/Disables Camera. XMB Icon does nothing.

flash0:/vsh/resource/camera_plugin.rco 168.8KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/camera_plugin.prx 77.6KB


##Removes Update functionality. XMB Icon does nothing. Like you wanted it anyway...

flash0:/vsh/nodule/update_plugin.prx 20.0KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/update_plugin.rco 13.6KB


##Removes RSS apparently. Attempting to add a RSS Channel will cause the PSP to crash.

flash0:/vsh/resource/rss_subscriber.rco 11.0KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/rss_subscriber.prx 10.0KB


##Disable XMB Video Capability. Game Videos still play. XMB Icon does nothing.

flash0:/vsh/nodule/video_plugin.prx 8.8KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/video_main_plugin.prx 162.3KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/msvideo_plugin.prx 10.3KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/msvideo_main_plugin.prx 354.0KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/video_plugin_videotoolbar.rco 78.4KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/video_main_plugin.rco 32.0KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/msvideo_main_plugin.rco 157.1KB


##Disable XMB Audio Capability. Still hear the Click sounds in the XMB. XMB Icon does nothing.

flash0:/vsh/resource/music_main_plugin.rco 177.6KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/music_main_plugin.prx 366.1KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/music_common.prx 72.9KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/music_plugin.prx 10.3KB


##Disables XMB Photo capability. Can still View Pictures on Eboots and Music Album Icons etc.

flash0:/vsh/resource/photo_plugin.rco 124.6KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/photo_plugin.prx 107.8KB


##Disables/Removes Web Browser

flash0:/vsh/nodule/htmlviewer_plugin.prx 25.2KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/htmlviewer_ui.prx 200.3KB

flash0:/vsh/nodule/htmlviewer_utility.prx 18.1KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.fbm 5.2KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.msg 101.8KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.res 8.6KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer.snd 31.8KB

flash0:/vsh/resource/htmlviewer_plugin.rco 4.9KB

Changing your Font:

1. In Flash0 you will see a folder called fonts
2. To change fonts take the fonts you have downloaded usually one or two files called jpn0.pgf and itn0.pgf
3. Drag and drop them in the the fonts folder
4. A message will popup and ask if you want to overide the files
5. Click on Yes
6. Congratulations! Your new fonts have been installed!

Changing your waves:

1. Download a wave that you like
2. If its not already name system_plugin_bg.rco then rename it to it
3. Access Flash0
4. Open the folder VSH
5. Open the folder Resource
6. Take your system_plugin_bg.rco and drag and drop it into the Resource folder
7. Press Yes on Overide message
8. Congratulations! You have installed a new wave!

Changing the background, but make the wave still appear:

1. Download an image with the size 480 x 272
2. Rename it to 01-12.bmp
3. Access Flash0
4. Go to the folder VSH
5. Enter the Resource folder
6. Drag and drop your 01-12.bmp into the folder
7. Press Yes on Overide message

Changing the Gameboot:

1. Download a gameboot that you like
2. Make sure its a .PMF
3. Rename it to GAMEBOOT.PMF
4. Access Flash0
5. Enter the VSH Folder
6. Enter the Resource folder
7. Drag and drop your GAMEBOOT.PMF into the folder
8. Press Yes on Overide message

Changing the Icons:

1. Download icons for your firmware
2. Make sure or rename the file to topmenu_plugin.rco
3. Access Flash0
4. Enter the VSH folder
5. Enter the Resource folder
6. Drag and drop your topmenu_plugin.rco into the folder
7. Press Yes on Overide message

Changing the Battery Icon:

1. Download the file
2. Make sure or rename the file to system_plugin_fg.rco
3. Access Flash0
4. Enter the VSH folder
5. Enter the Resource folder
6. Drag and drop your system_plugin_fg.rco into the folder
7. Press Yes on Overide message

Changing the Volume bar:

1. Download the file
2. Make sure or rename the file to impose_plugin.rco
3. Access Flash0
4. Enter the VSH folder
5. Enter the Resource folder
6. Drag and drop your impose_plugin.rco into the folder
7. Press Yes on Overide message

Changing the system sounds:

1. Download the file(s) (Files include: Game, license, photo, savedata, and system_plugin)
2. Make sure they are name those (ex. game_plugin.rco, photo_plugin.rco)
3. Access Flash0
4. Enter the VSH folder
5. Enter the Resource folder
6. Drag and drop your file into the folder
7. Press Yes on Overide message

Changing your PSP opening:

1. Download the file
2. Make sure or rename the file to opening_plugin.rco
3. Access Flash0
4. Enter the VSH folder
5. Enter the Resource folder
6. Drag and drop your opening_plugin.rco into the folder
7. Press Yes on Overide message

Tips and Tricks

My 01-12.bmp is too big of a file and wont show up on my psp!

1. Get your picture
2. Open it in any image editing program (eg: [Only registered users can see links. ], paint, etc.)
3. Press File -> Save As...
4. Now save it as a .PNG (this will compress it)
5. Save it to your desktop and name it whatever you want (still a .PNG)
6. Now, right click on the picture, lets say its named 01-12.png
7. Click Rename, and rename it to .bmp
8. It should be like this: 01-12.png ---> 01-12.bmp
9. The [Only registered users can see links. ] will read this as a .BMP even though it is compressed as a .PNG
10. Now check the file size

I Cant change my file extension!

1. On the Tools menu in My Computer or Windows Explorer, click Folder Options.
2. Click the View Tab
3. Clear the Hide extensions for known file types check box.
4. Now you will be able to change your extensions!

I have a White background but i can see my icons!

1. Turn on your PSP
2. Go to Settings
3. Scroll down to Theme Setting and select it
4. Press on Themes
5. In the menu there where there used to be green, red, silver, etc, the second box should be white
6. Press on the white box
7. You should now see your background and your waves

My Icons dont show up!

1. That means that they are not for your firmware or something happened to them
2. To fix, either download another one from another site or get another set for your custom firmware version
3. For example, 3.03 OE-C icons wont work on 3.40 OE-A icons.
4. You cand either download another pair or use a converter to convert your icons.

I get a blue screen or i cant enter my XMB

1st way: (Your Backup)

1. Open your backup folder and get the Resource folder
2. Right click on it and select copy
3. Access recovery and Flash0
4. Enter the VSH folder
5. Right click any where there is white space
6. Slect paste
7. A message will pop up
8. Select Overide All
9. If it still continues, do it for the Fonts folder or if you know what the file is, do it for that certain file

2nd wave: (Go back to 1.5, this will fix everything)

1. Download the [Only registered users can see links. ]
2. Go into recovery or XMB and access your usb
3. Put the RECOVERY folder in the PSP/GAME folder which should include the UPDATE.PBP which is the 1.50 update eboot
4. Close ur USB and access your Recovery menu
5. Make sure you have 75% battery left becuase this will flash your psp and format ur flash0
6. Click on Run program at /PSP/GAME/RECOVERY/EBOOT.PBP
7. Do not turn off your psp. Let it go untill it asks for you to restart manually.
8. Check your PSP Settings and you should be back at 1.5
9. Now you have a choice of staying at 1.5 or going back up again to custom firmware.

Where can i get icons, backgrounds, waves, etc.?

• [Only registered users can see links. ]
• [Only registered users can see links. ]
• [Only registered users can see links. ]
• [Only registered users can see links. ]

[QueenB]

Wow, awesome, I love this guide

[PlayaFoSho]

I cant get to the recovery menu

ok i got M33 now. and i put the flash thing in the game folder but i dont know how to launch it without just going to games>>memory>> and launch it and when i do that it says game can not be played or somthing like that

help


Edit: Updated it and got the Game150 folder put it in there and now it works... now i just need to figure out how to play iso's

[killerstorky]

i cant get into my recovery menu

[Bex]

What firmware do you have on your PSP?

[poisonpixel]

Originally Posted by Bexy

What firmware do you have on your PSP?

BTW If you are using this guide to install a theme be sure the theme is compatible with your CFW and you have a backup. When you are doing a backup of your flash0 you need to copy six folders to an area where you can later access them if you do no see six folders they are most likely hidden, to unhide them go to TOOLS>FOLDER OPTIONS>VIEW (tab)> Check show hidden files and folders and uncheck hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
IF you downloaded a theme it usually comes with a read me and all the changed flash0 folders in correct places so you do not need to read the part talking about what each file does and where it belongs although it is helpful.
[Only registered users can see links. ] has lots of neat themes too :3

[Egg]

useful info guide thanx

[DragonRG8]

I can't access my recovery menu either. I have the official 3.93 firmware. Can anyone help?

[blingdude]

M33 Firmware only - you need to use pandora to downgrade

[LNW]

ok I have 4.01 M33-2 and everytime I try to start flash agent it give me the game could not be started error can anyone help?