FreeMCBoot DIY Starter Kit Checklist (No Preloaded Card Needed)
You do not need a preloaded card, a preloaded drive, or a ready-made bundle to start with FreeMCBoot. You need a short list of blank parts, free software you install yourself, and an install route that matches your console. This checklist covers the whole kit in buying order, so you can stop at any point and still have a working setup.
The principle behind the list is simple: pay for hardware, install free software yourself, and use only your own dumps and your own saves. Anything sold as already containing software or games is not part of this kit, and buying it is how people end up with unknown versions and unknown contents.
The core kit: what every setup needs
| Item | Why you need it | Starting point |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 2 console, working | The obvious part: check it powers on, reads discs if your route needs that, and that you know its model and revision | A used console, checked before buying, through a used PS2 on eBay |
| Genuine Sony 8MB blank memory card | The FMCB boot card; see the memory card guide for why genuine matters | A blank PS2 memory card |
| Second memory card for saves | Keeps saves separate from the boot card | Same card listing, bought as a second blank card |
| DualShock 2 controller, tested | Every menu, install step, and game needs a reliable controller | A DualShock 2 controller |
| Video cable or converter for your television | Component if your television has it, HDMI converter if it does not | A PS2 to HDMI adapter |
If you already own a working console, a controller, and a way to connect to a television, the only purchase a basic FMCB install truly requires is the blank memory card. Everything else on this list is either something you already own or a storage choice, not a requirement. Do not let a kit list turn into a shopping list for things you do not need.
Storage: choose one route first
Do not buy every storage option at once. Choose one route, learn it, and add another only if you have a reason:
- USB route: One plain USB 2.0 drive, through a plain USB drive. Simplest to start with, slowest on the console’s old USB ports, and the route most affected by drive pickiness. Test with one game first.
- MX4SIO route: One MX4SIO adapter plus one microSD card, through an MX4SIO adapter and a microSD card. Faster than USB, with an extra adapter to buy and learn. Test card and adapter separately.
- Fat hard drive route: Network adapter, SATA adapter board if needed, and a drive, through a network adapter and a hard drive. Best capacity for a Fat console, most parts to check, and the capacity caveat applies: FHDB supports up to 2TB, but an unmodified HDD OSD probably supports only about 137GB. Confirm the ATAD situation before sizing the drive.
- Network share route: No extra storage hardware beyond your home network, but it needs a network setup you understand. This is the route to choose if you already run a home server, not a reason to buy one.
Each route has its own full guide on this site: Best USB Drive, microSD, and MX4SIO Adapter for PS2, Fat PS2 Hard Drive Kit: Network Adapter, SATA Adapter, and Drive, and Best Memory Card for FreeMCBoot: Official 8MB and Second-Card Strategy.
Install route: match it to your console
Hardware alone does not install FMCB. You also need an entry point — a way to run the installer on your console the first time. The options, in brief, are: an already-modified console, a cheat disc, FreeDVDBoot, or a PC memory card adapter method. Late SCPH-90000 consoles that cannot auto-boot FMCB need the Fortuna-family route instead, with its manual browser trigger.
Check your console revision before choosing a route, and follow one guide end to end from the Tutorials hub at Tutorials hub. Buying hardware for one route and following a guide for another is a common way to waste an evening. If your console is a late Slim, read the Fortuna guide first; if it is an earlier console, the standard FMCB route applies.
For the PC adapter method specifically, the adapter used to connect a PS2 memory card to a PC is available through a PS3 memory card adapter on eBay. As with every part here, buy the hardware blank and install the software yourself.
Free software: what you install, in order
- FreeMCBoot 1.966 from the Download page — the bootloader, installed to the blank 8MB card.
- Open PS2 Loader — the separate application that loads games, updated on its own cycle. See Open PS2 Loader Versions and exFAT Support Explained.
- A file manager such as uLaunchELF — for managing files on cards, drives, and USB storage after install.
- Nothing else until you need it. Add applications when a task requires them, not because a bundle included them.
Keep a note of every version you install. When something breaks months later, that note is the difference between a ten-minute fix and a full rebuild.
Backup: the part people skip
Back up your own saves and your own dumps, and keep the backup off the console’s storage. A memory card, a USB drive, and a hard drive in a twenty-year-old console are all consumable parts, and any one of them can fail without warning. Cloud backup for your own files is available through a cloud backup option and another cloud backup option. The point is not the provider; it is that a second copy exists somewhere other than the console.
Final checklist before you start
- [ ] Console model and revision known, and install route matched to it
- [ ] Genuine Sony 8MB blank card for FMCB, plus a second card for saves
- [ ] Tested DualShock 2 controller and a video connection for your television
- [ ] One storage route chosen, parts bought blank, one game ready to test
- [ ] FMCB 1.966 from the Download page, plus OPL and a file manager to add afterwards
- [ ] Backup plan for your own saves and dumps, separate from the console
- [ ] No preloaded card, preloaded drive, game ISO, or BIOS file in the kit — if one slipped in, remove it from the plan
FAQ
What is the minimum I need to buy to start? If you already own a working console, controller, and television connection, just a blank genuine Sony 8MB memory card, plus a storage route you choose. Everything else is optional or already owned.
Why does this checklist refuse preloaded cards? Because you cannot verify their contents or version, you would be paying for free software, and listings that bundle games should be avoided. Install FMCB yourself on a blank card; it is the only way to know what is on it.
Can I start with USB and move to a hard drive later? Yes. FMCB on the memory card stays the same; only the storage route and the loader configuration change. That is another reason to keep the boot card and the storage separate in your planning.
Do I need a network adapter for a Slim console? No. Slim consoles have no internal hard drive bay. Their routes are USB, network share, or MX4SIO. The network adapter in this checklist is for Fat consoles only.
What should I do if a part I bought does not work? Test it in isolation before blaming the install: test a card in another device, test a drive on a PC, test a controller’s every input. Replace one part at a time, and keep notes, so you learn which part was at fault.
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