Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

[NightShayde]

My husband tried doing the update on each of our PS2s last night, but got the dreaded "out of memory" message. Supposedly, the "fix" is doing a clean install, but what does that actually entail?

The disk reader on his PS2 no longer works, so we're not sure what we're going to do about his system. Luckily, he was able to do the update last night on his 360, so he's able to play.

How long does doing a clean install take? What, exactly, do I need in order to do it? I can't access pol's website when I'm at work, so I can't research the issue.

When I started playing, I think we were only as far as Zilart. I seem to remember CoP being something we purchased ... which means I have the Zilart disc as well as the CoP disc (and the ToAU disc). We may even be able to find all three without much searching.

Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

From POL: Regarding an Issue Affecting PlayStation 2 Ver.: Follow-up 2

[How to Perform a Clean Installation]
1. Start the PlayOnline Viewer
2. Insert the PlayOnline/FINAL FANTASY XI disc into the Playstation 2
3. Select "Install" from the left menu of the PlayOnline login screen
4. Select FINAL FANTASY XI as the software that you wish to install
5. Once the FINAL FANTASY XI screen is displayed, select "Start Installation"
6. Once the following message is displayed, select "Yes"

FINAL FANTASY XI is already installed.
Reinstalling this disc will overwrite all existing FINAL FANTASY XI files.
Your character data will not be lost.
However, before you can play, you will have to download all the updates from the PlayOnline servers again.
Begin reinstallation?

7. Once the following message is displayed, select "No"

Preserve user settings file?
Select "Yes" to reinstall with customized settings such as macros and marker data left intact.
select "No" to perform a clean installation that restores default settings.
A clean installation is recommended if you are having problems with the program data.

8. Clean installation will now begin

[NightShayde]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

OK - thanks. I found that same thing on my phone during my lunch break.

Do you happen to know off-hand if you need more than your original game disc? Do I need the discs for CoP, ToAU, WoG (was that even a disc? I can't remember), or does the pol server just "know" what to install?

I read that I'll lose my macros and my map markers, which doesn't please me. I saved macros to the server a while ago -- would I be able to just pop those in again after the clean install, or will I really have to re-do everything?

This is all so annoying.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

You need discs for the original FFXI game, and for every expansion (except Zilart, if NA version). So, yes, all the discs. (Unless there was an ultimate collection or something for PS2, but I seem to recall there is not.)

If you've saved your macros to the server, you can retrieve the version you've saved. If not, well, as I told my sister (who plays on the PS2), it's a good chance to clean up the macro layouts.

By the way, the clean install worked for her, but supposedly not for everyone. Good luck to you.

[NightShayde]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

Oooh - knowing it worked for someone makes me feel a bit less anxious. Thank you! How long did the clean install take her?

I'm going to be ticked if I can't get up and running before Friday evening. That's when our LS does Abyssea exp night & I would SO love to get either to 90WHM, or at least close.

[Elwynn]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

I'm my third PS2 now, trying to get one that reads discs properly. The one I had been playing on wouldn't even notice a disc had been inserted, and the second would read the first part of a disc very slowly and would stop at like 55/75 mins remaining on the install. The fourth one (my original with the warranty sticker intact) has an overheating problem and hangs randomly. It looks like the third time will be the charm for me.

And then there's the download hell for the update. Hopefully it'll only take one night, but I should be able to interrupt it to play in the morning, then start it again when I leave for work.

But the main point is that you can not install the HD on one PS2 and use it on another. If you know how to swap optical drives (which isn't much fun), it could be possible, as it's tied to the motherboard. Sony and SE were gay about that and wouldn't even let a subscription game work on another console, even on the same HD.

If you want to wait for SE to come up with some sort of fix, you can, but it'll probably need a POL update to fix this.

[NightShayde]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

Hubby has the clean install for me running right now. He got on the 360 first to see if my macros were on the server (they are), so I should be able to get those back fairly quickly ... or at least my macro setup from a few months ago when I last saved. Meh - I'll figure the macros out.

We have a friend who used to play -- we'll see if we can get his PS2/HDD from him. Even if we had to do a clean install on that machine from DH's discs, at least we'd have a working machine.

We have a PS3, so playing on that would be an option. We'll have to get a 2nd one when FFXIV comes out for consoles next year. The other option would be getting a 2nd 360. I don't know. We'll figure something out. At least DH can play on his 360 as long as he doesn't try to do anything extensive in crowded areas (the 360 does NOT like campaign battles & I think it's a little dicey on Besieged).

I'm still annoyed at Sony for discontinuing the HDD version of the PS2.

[NightShayde]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

It worked!

I think DH started the install around 5:30pm. The update was still going on when we went to bed -- likely finished somewhere between 3am & 3:30am.

I'm SO relieved.

[NightShayde]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

But the main point is that you can not install the HD on one PS2 and use it on another. If you know how to swap optical drives (which isn't much fun), it could be possible, as it's tied to the motherboard. Sony and SE were gay about that and wouldn't even let a subscription game work on another console, even on the same HD.

Wait - does this mean that we couldn't get a refurbished chunky-style PS2 & attach the HD from the current PS2 to do a clean install? Would we have to get a new HDD if we want to hook it up to a different PS2 whose disc-reader works?

[Elwynn]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

Wait - does this mean that we couldn't get a refurbished chunky-style PS2 & attach the HD from the current PS2 to do a clean install? Would we have to get a new HDD if we want to hook it up to a different PS2 whose disc-reader works?

You can use any PS2 you want, but whichever PS2 installed it on the HD is the only one that can use it. So you can't "borrow" another PS2 to do the install.

[cfancher]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

Ok i have done this clean installation, i am currently doing the install on all discs of expansions. But on ToAU it is not installing saying that i dont have the 8,000 mb to install when i have over 24,000 mb. What is the deal?? had no problems installing CoP.
What is the problem? Anyone know?

[Elwynn]

Re: Clean Install on PS2 - What Does It Entail?

The free space reported in the PS2 dashboard-thingy screens means nothing. FFXI sets a partition size and that's all it's allowed to use.

I don't know how you did a clean install and then couldn't install ToAU, but it sounds like you ran an update before installing all the expansions. Don't do that.

I'm just glad I got the '08 collection when I did.