Install FreeMCBoot with FreeDVDBoot (No Modchip)
FreeDVDBoot gives you a way to run the FreeMCBoot installer on a stock PS2 without a modchip, by exploiting the console’s DVD player to launch homebrew from a burned disc. In short, you burn a disc that carries the installer, boot it like a DVD, and use that one-time session to write FreeMCBoot to a memory card. After that session, the memory card itself does the work on every boot, and you no longer need the disc. This guide explains when this route fits, what it requires, and how to run it without confusing FreeDVDBoot with FreeMCBoot itself.
The direct answer
If your console is compatible with FreeMCBoot, has a working disc drive, and you have no modified console, cheat disc, or PC adapter available, FreeDVDBoot is a practical entry point. It does not install anything permanently to the console; it only provides the one-time launch that the FreeMCBoot installer needs. Compatibility still follows FreeMCBoot’s own rules, so late SCPH-90000 Slim models and the PS2 TV are not solved by FreeDVDBoot alone, and you should check your model first in How to Check Your PS2 Model, Datecode, and ROM Version.
When this route is the right choice
Choose FreeDVDBoot when your disc drive still reads burned DVD media reliably, you have a computer with a disc burner, and you do not have another entry point. It is a good fit for Fat consoles and for Slim models that are compatible with FreeMCBoot, provided the laser is healthy enough to read the disc. It is a poor fit when the disc drive is failing, when the console is a late SCPH-90000 that cannot boot standard FreeMCBoot anyway, or when you already have a modified console available, in which case running the installer directly is simpler. If your drive is dead, look at the PC adapter route in Install FreeMCBoot from a PC with a PS3MCA Memory Card Adapter instead, since that route does not need the disc drive at all.
What you need
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| A compatible PS2 with a working disc drive | The drive must read the burned disc; a weak laser is the most common failure here |
| A blank DVD-R disc | Use a good quality disc and burn at a low speed for readability |
| A computer with a disc burner | To prepare the FreeDVDBoot disc image |
| A PS2 memory card for the install | An official Sony 8MB card is the most reliable choice |
| A USB flash drive | To carry the installer files, depending on how your disc is set up |
| The FMCB 1.966 installer files | From the download page |
For hardware, start with a blank 8MB card rather than a large third-party card, because card reliability matters more than card size for a launcher. A suitable blank card can be found through this memory card link. Do not buy a card sold with software or games preloaded; the point of this guide is to build your own card with the standard installer.
Step 1: Confirm the console can use standard FreeMCBoot
Before burning anything, confirm the model. FreeMCBoot works on most PS2 consoles except late SCPH-90000 Slim models from the third quarter of 2008 onwards, with boot ROM 2.30 or newer, and the PS2 TV. Datecode 8C is a transition period, so check the ROM version if your console sits in that window. If you discover a late Slim, stop here and read FunTuna and Fortuna for Late PS2 Slim SCPH-9000x instead, because a standard FreeMCBoot install will not boot on its own on that hardware, no matter which entry point you use.
Step 2: Prepare the FreeDVDBoot disc
Prepare a FreeDVDBoot disc following the FreeDVDBoot project’s own instructions for your console’s DVD player version, since the correct disc image depends on that version. The general pattern is to build or obtain the disc image for your DVD player version, burn it to a DVD-R at a low speed, and verify the burn rather than assuming it worked. Use a fresh, good quality disc, and avoid rewriting the same disc repeatedly while troubleshooting, because a marginal burn looks exactly like a compatibility problem. Keep the disc after installation; you may want it again if you ever need to reinstall or help install a card for another console.
Different DVD player versions need different FreeDVDBoot files, so do not copy a disc image made for another console and expect it to work. If the disc fails to boot, the first suspects are the disc image version, the burn quality, and the laser, in that order, before you blame the FreeMCBoot files.
Step 3: Prepare the installer files
Have the FMCB 1.966 installer ready in the form your FreeDVDBoot setup expects, which usually means the installer program on a USB drive or included in the disc setup, depending on the FreeDVDBoot instructions you are following. Extract the archive on your computer with a tool that handles 7z files, and keep the folder layout intact rather than rearranging files into folders of your own. If your security software quarantines the installer file on extraction, see FMCBInstaller.elf Missing, Quarantined, or Archive Won’t Extract before retrying, because repeatedly extracting into a quarantined folder will keep producing the same missing-file result.
Back up any saves on the target memory card before you begin. The installer may offer to format the card, and formatting erases saves. A dedicated card for FreeMCBoot, with a second card for saves, avoids this risk entirely.
Step 4: Boot the disc and run the installer
Insert the FreeDVDBoot disc and boot the console. When the FreeDVDBoot environment loads, launch the FreeMCBoot installer program from wherever your setup places it. Choose the standard install for your own console unless you have a specific reason to use the multi-install or cross-region options, and read each installer screen before confirming. Do not remove the memory card or switch the console off while the installer is writing. When the installer reports success, exit cleanly, remove the disc, and restart the console with the newly written card inserted.
On a successful install, the console should show the FreeMCBoot menu on boot. If it boots normally instead, check the troubleshooting guide for non-booting installs in FreeMCBoot Not Booting or Black Screen on Startup. Common causes after a FreeDVDBoot session are a card problem, a region mismatch, or a console that was never compatible with standard FreeMCBoot in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the FreeDVDBoot disc every time I boot?
No. The disc is only the entry point for installation. Once FreeMCBoot is on the card, the card boots the console on its own, and the disc is only needed again if you reinstall.
Will FreeDVDBoot work if my PS2 laser is weak?
Probably not reliably. FreeDVDBoot depends on the drive reading a burned disc, so a failing laser is a real blocker for this route. In that case, the PC adapter route, which does not use the disc drive, is the better choice.
Can I use FreeDVDBoot on a late SCPH-90000 Slim?
FreeDVDBoot may launch homebrew, but it does not change FreeMCBoot compatibility. A late Slim with boot ROM 2.30 or newer still cannot boot standard FreeMCBoot on its own, so use the Fortuna or FunTuna route for that hardware.
Does the FreeMCBoot installer include Open PS2 Loader?
No. The standard 1.966 package contains only FreeMCBoot’s own files. Open PS2 Loader, uLaunchELF, and ESR are separate programs that you add after the card boots.
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