Before the advent of root keys and such, i created a F.A.Q thread, in order to aid those of you that found the whole Jailbreaking process a little difficult, that thread can be found here, it covered the process of how to Jailbreak and which devices to use.
With the release of the PS3′s keys, we were introduced to CFW(Custom Firmware) for the PS3, thus making the the whole use of dongles, redundant, so i have revised my old F.A.Q for the CFW generation, those of you that read my old F.A.Q will be familiarized with half of it on this new one, as a lot of it still stands, so here it is:
Q.) What firmwares can be modified/Jailbroken/hacked
A.) Firmwares 3.41 and below, can be Jailbroken with a USB Jailbreak device, 3.41 and 3.55 has CFW(Custom Firmware.
Q.) What Firmwares cannot be hacked yet.
A.) 3.56 and 3.60 at the moment are un hackable as are any future firmwares.
Q.) Can i now Jailbreak my PS3 without a Jailbreak dongle, or cell/mobile phone ?
A.) Yes, on firmwares 3.41 and 3.55, you can install CFW, this means you don’t need any jailbreak device and you don’t need to do the power/eject method any more.
Q.) So what are the CFW options ?
A.) For firmware 3.41, you can use Hermes CFW and for 3.55 you can use Kmeaw’s CFW, there are other CFW’s, but the best to stick with, is Kmeaw’s.
Q.) How do i install CFW ?
A.) If you aren’t already on 3.55, you will need to update to the official Sony firmware, then install a CFW via recovery, Pirate wrote a great guide, which you can read here:
http://www.ps3hax.net/2011/01/tutorial-how-to-play-backups-with-kmeaw-cfwpsn-without-risk-of-brick
If you wish to stay on official firmware 3.41, the same method applies, but you will need to grab Hermes CFW.
Q.) I am having trouble getting into recovery, is there an easy guide ?
A.) Yes, check this link:
http://www.ps3hax.net/showthread.php?t=12495
Q.) Ok so i have CFW installed, how do i run homebrew ?
A.) You will see in the game section, you will see “Install Package Files”, you will be able to install all your homebrew and backup managers from there, just a note though, the PKG files that you are installing, need to be on the root of your thumbdrive/external hdd.
Q.) How do i play my backups ?
A.) You will need a backup manager, the following are available:
multiMAN – it seems to be the most popular and the most up to date version can be found here
Open Manager
Rogero BM Manager v8.1
Hermes Manager 1.4 For 3.41
Hermes Manager 1.3a For 3.55
Gaia Manager For Waninkoko v2 CFW
Open Manager v2.1I2 For Waninkoko v2 CFW
Q.) What do i need to do in order to run games of an external HDD?(Thanks pbanj)
A.) The drive needs to be formatted to FAT32, check this link
Q.) Now that i have updated to 3.55 CFW, some Homebrew app’s wont work, is there a list of working homebrew app’s ?
A.) Yes here it is:
Games
BreakoutX
Space Shooter
The Untitled Project
fail0verflow Pintor
Apps
LuaPlayer PS3 2.0
OpenPS3FTP 1.5
DragonFTP 0.25 And Source Code – By DarkHacker
PS3 Messenger by samson (Visit This Thread For More Information)
BBC iPlayer by samson
BootOS 2.01 AKA AsbestOS v2.01 (Installer)
3.56 Spoof by Rebug
Coldboot Installer by Rebug
xReg Plus v1.0 by Rebug
Dev_Blind 1.0
SuiteApp v0.2 – Multi Text Reader For PS3
blackb0x 1.2 FTP Server
Comgenie’s Awesome FileManager
PS3 Model Detection
Comgenies Awesome Filemanager For Waninkoko v2 CFW
Emulators
FBANext Emulator HD r424
VisualBoy Advanced(VBA) – Gameboy Emulator
UAE Emulator (Commodore Amiga 500/1000/2000)
Q.) Now that i am on 3.55, can i install Linux ?
A.) Yes you can, check this thread.
Q.) Sony’s official 3.56 firmware blocks me from accessing PSN, is there any way i can get on PSN without updating ?
A.) Yes, you will need to read this thread
Q.) Sony has stated that they will start banning consoles, that are using hacking devices/methods, if my console gets banned can i access online again ?
A.) You can, you will need to follow this tutorial.
Q.) What are my options for backing up games.
A.) You can install games on the PS3′s internal HDD or use an External USB HDD, which needs to be formatted to FAT32, you can also use a FAT32 USB Thumb Drive, note that with FAT32 you are limited to games with single files under 4GB, if you prefer all your games to be on the internal HDD, you can get up to 1TB 2.5″ HDD, or you can use the Xecuter PS3 HDXT method and have your internal HDD on the outside of the machine, the benefit of this, is that you can use 3.5″ Sata and IDE HDD’s as internal storage.
Some more PS3 HDD Information submitted by ieder-zijn-meis(Thanks again)
- maximum height is 9,5mm (many 2.5″ drives above 640GB are too high too fit inside)
- maximum PS3 filesystem is 1TB (512KB block size)
- maximum FAT32 theoretical size is 8TB, practical limit on the PS3 is 2TB
- 7200rpm can be used, as well as Flashdrives (although the 1/5th lower loadingtime of GTA5 can be considered too low to justify the higher pricetag of SATA Flashdrives.
- SATAII-300 can be used, although it will work on SATA1-150 speed interface.
- If using external 3.5″ drives hooked up to the internal SATA, you’ll need an external powersupply (some drivebays include them).
- If on low budget or you like DIY: use a normal extension (male to female) SATA cable (and make sure it doesn’t get loose) and recycle the case + powersupply of an external USB harddisk (without using the USB connection/conversion).
- Don’t use RAID or SAN drives with (e)SATA interface, just a plain single drive with a bare SATA connector (many controllers don’t work without drivers/software).
- Games can be hardcoded for BluRay speeds (9MB/s) so sticking a 85~220MB/s harddrive inside will not speedup everything/allways (but most do).
- If you plan on exchanging the drive, download the full PUP of your FW you are using and put it on an USB Mass Storage Device formatted with FAT32 in PS3UPDATEPS3UPDAT.PUP and disconnect the LAN before repowering the PS3 (or you’ll bound to end up with the latest (3.55 now) unjailbreakable/undowngradable version).
- Use a good fitting X screwdriver, the screws fitted to the HD<>tray are made of very soft aluminium.
View here
An image of the Xecuter PS3 HDXT.
Q.) Ok, i have downloaded a Backup Manager, that i want to use, how do i install it.
A.) You need to put the PKG on the root of a thumb drive and install, by selecting “Install Package Files” on the XMB, in the games section.
Q.) Ok im fed up with using my thumb drive, is there a way to download apps directly to the PS3.
A.) Yes,you will need to instal “Package Installer”, then you will be able to FTP the apps to the “packages” folder on your PS3, you can find more about that here.
Q.) So i have heard some games will not work, how do i find out, which game does or doesn’t work.
A.) Well i could list each one here, but i wont, instead visit PSJCL(PS Jailbreak Compatibility List), created by Bash, OnePlayer, Chris, Neowarex, Meeplo and xnt14, it is without a doubt, it is the definitive site for PS3 game Backup compatibility information.
Q.) Ok so i have backed up a game, i want to save that game to my computer as an extra backup, or i want to mod the game, how do i transfer it from my PS3.
A.) There are two methods, FTP, there are three of those at the moment:
PS3 FTP Server by CJCP
blackb0x FTP Server by blackb0x
PS3FTP by stoneMcClane
Alternativley you can use
Comgenies Awesome Filemanager
or
Simple Filemanager
if you cant use FTP, or have an External HDD, Comgenies Filemanager is the best choice.
Q.) I want to be able to create my own Homebrew, is it possible.
A.) Yes, using the Open Source PS3 SDK, named PSL1GHT, you can create Homebrew, PSL1GHT was created by AerialX
Q.) I have always hated that annoying boot sound the PS3 makes, when it is turned on, can i change it
A.) You certainly can, gliitch has written a great tutorial here it will show you how to change the sound and make yourown, or you can simply download the sounds made by gliitch and other members
People who deserve thanks and respect, for making this great PS3 Scene what it is, without them, it wouldn’t really exist Mathieulh, RichDevX, GeoHot, The PS Jailbreak Team, KaKaRoTo, Hermes, klutsh, Amon-Ra, marcan, ThatOtherPerson, AerialX, Comgenie , NZHawk, CJCP, blackb0x, MohammadAG, The PSJCL Team, gliitch, Kmeaw, fail0verflow and any other person, who has also created a payload, made homebrew, or contributed to the scene.
The other guys that deserve a big thank you, are the site admins, that work to keep you up to date with news and bring you those all important exclusives, the most important being:
garyopa @ PSX Scene
grandy @ PSGroove
And of course
Pirate , here @ PS3HaX
Also i would like to thank you, the readers, without you this F.A.Q would be pointless, thanks to those that have given me tips, to make this F.A.Q better, like Gonesuper, Spok, ieder-zijn-meis and the guys on IRC.
This F.A.Q is a work in progress, it will be updated and renewed from time to time, if anything is missing, or anything you feel needs added, don’t hesitate to post and let me know, i really hope this helps those of you, just starting out in the PS3 Jailbreaking scene, thanks for reading, your faithful Moderator/News Editor GregoryRasputin 
02-16-2011
03:40 PM
Rogero Manager v8 is out many days now so you should update your post
Good guide though, for absolute begginers :D
02-16-2011
03:44 PM
Thanks, i will do, it isn't as complete as my old one, but given time it will be.
02-16-2011
04:08 PM
Thank you for this!
02-16-2011
04:14 PM
I do think there is one thing you should advise/warn the new users is the possibility of getting baned now (for the time being atleast) if they plan to log onto PSN with a backup game.
As ive read on a couple of sites, people are starting to get banned, and from the looks of it is not just Killzone 3.
02-16-2011
05:12 PM
I am new to all this. I was wondering if you can reverse the jailbreak. And if so, how easy is it to do?
02-16-2011
06:30 PM
jailbreaking(cfw) can be undone by reinstalling ofw 3.55 in recovery mode. if you are doing it with a dongle(which most people have stopped) then it is only jailbroken for the session, ie. when you turn it off it is back to normal.
02-16-2011
10:17 PM
are there pros and cons with using CFW or jailbreak dongle
or is CFW just better?
02-17-2011
08:56 AM
Hi...I'm a noob!
Excellent guide!
02-18-2011
01:49 PM
Thanks for your work guys it's a lot of help for us the new ones :-)
02-21-2011
02:27 PM
Hi Guys,
do I still need to have a blueray inside to run bkps?
Thank you
02-22-2011
08:01 PM
am an absolute noob..
going forward with CFW's..
how do backup's work??
and will i lose blue ray play back?
03-05-2011
11:27 PM
Updated......
03-12-2011
04:44 PM
is it possible to play online on psn with games after jailbreaking?
03-12-2011
04:51 PM
03-13-2011
09:25 AM
very nice FAQ
03-13-2011
09:27 AM
Still a lot to add to it, my older FAQ was more complete.
03-29-2011
11:23 AM
You cant, yet.
03-31-2011
03:51 PM
I just acquired a CECHA01 ps3 with fw 3.21 is there a way to jb it without upgrading to 3.55? if so where can i find a tutorial
thanks
************* [ - Post Merged - ] *************
forgot to add that it is also a store demo model
03-31-2011
03:58 PM
why would you want to stay that low?
http://www.ps3hax.net/showthread.php...ht=demo+unlock
3.55cfw is awesome honestly
04-03-2011
02:42 PM
nice guide..
04-04-2011
06:47 PM
05-03-2011
11:10 AM
Very nice guide! I'm gonna try it as soon as I get in my home.
08-13-2011
04:05 AM
(yeah im a NOOB)
08-13-2011
04:07 AM
08-13-2011
04:12 AM
??????????? can i get the mod chip ??????
08-13-2011
04:23 AM
08-13-2011
04:53 AM
It isn't really a mod chip. It is a hardware flasher for flashing the chip(s) that contain the firmware. It is not an easy task if you are not good with soldering.
08-13-2011
04:55 AM
08-13-2011
05:01 AM
I got it. I will reply back soon.
09-29-2011
07:40 AM
Great guide, thank you!!!!!
09-29-2011
07:48 AM
Thank you, i have a new one though
http://www.ps3hax.net/2011/08/f-a-q-...g-ps3-hacking/
12-12-2011
03:14 AM
does this work on a idu ps3????
03-13-2012
01:36 PM
maybe Someone can help im stuck ive tried everything
Ive flashed my xbox 360, softmoded my wii and modded my dsi but for some reason i cant get this to work
I have the old fat model ps3 firmware 3.41
I dont know much about ps3 jailbreak at all but i have the minimus avr chip which i wrote the hex codes to and jailbroke the ps3 i tried a couple games and no luck nothing but a black screen when i try to play games
I then installed Hermes CFW with payload 4 ive tried open manager, multiman, backup manager,Gaia manager ive also tried rebug update package and 4.00 spoofer
So far the games ive tried are
Grand theft auto 4 - Worked
Tiger woods 2010
silent hill
need for speed hot pursuit
fallout 3
homefront
mortal kombat
Infamous
I only got 1 game to work every other game i load in any backup manager software loads like its supposed to then goes to the ps3 dashboard i then tried loading from game disc icon and the /aap_home/ps3_game icon ive also tried the internal and extrenal hard drives also tried BD Mirror and Permissions
And every time a black screen and system freezes
what am i doing wrong alot of people say to stay on firmware 3.41 but i do here people saying to update to 3.55
is there a patch or something im doing wrong or something i didnt install
Please help
03-24-2012
07:51 PM
^ highroller815 - did you find any info on what you were asking?
i am on the same page as you.
i was away for a while... not sure what is new nowdays.
i have official firmware 3.41 with a tensy dongle. using hermes v4 payload and gaia manager.
latest game i played was uncharted 3.
just wanting to know if there are better methods out there nowdays to play the newer games that i should consider updating from what i currently have...
or if i stick to what i have now will still play newer games?!
thanks!
03-24-2012
07:57 PM
[MENTION=8408]iPostNak3d[/MENTION]
3.55 is the standard for playing games on CFW because most fixes come out for 3.55. As far as playing newer games (3.60+) do a Google or forum search on True Blue USB Dongle.