DVD (SD) Vs. Blu-Ray (HD) Runtimes & Video Formats
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 10:04 PM in Miscellaneous
The following was written by Amazon user Interzone_Records on January 22, 2011 in regards to a review that was posted for the Angelina Jolie film "Salt". I found the information so informative, that I thought it best to archive a copy here.
I rented the standard disc [of the Angelina Jolie film "Salt"] from Netflix. It contains all three versions, but the times are nowhere near what Senor Zoidbergo mentions in his review. This is probably due to the difference in the encoding speed of Blu-Ray, which runs at 24 frames per second, and NTSC format, which runs at 29.97 frames per second. The difference between the PAL and NTSC versions of films is 4%. So the speed difference between the US NTSC standard DVD format and the Blu-Ray is probably closer to 5%.
On the standard[-definition] U.S. [DVD], the actual times are:
Theatrical Version: 1:39:56
Unrated Extended Cut: 1:40:58
Unrated Director's Cut: 1:43:59
Senor Zoidbergo lists the following times for the three versions on the Blu-Ray disc
Theatrical: 1:35:54
Extended: 1:36:56
Director's Cut: 1:39:48
This is a difference of about 4 minutes on each version. Some time ago, I asked the owner of the Masters of Cinema label, in England (the UK equivalent of a Criterion specialty label), about the difference between NTSC and PAL and Blu-Ray. Here is his reply:
"The encoding format of HD material on Blu-ray has nothing to do with either PAL or NTSC. The 'problem' of these two competing DVD formats (NTSC and PAL) evaporates with Blu-ray, where the HD material is in 1080p resolution at 24 frames per second, not the standard definition 480p (NTSC 29.97fps) or 576p (PAL 25fps) resolution of "old TV".
In this respect, because of the increased resolution of 1080p HD Blu-rays *and* the fact that the material is now running at 24 frames per second (the exact same speed as film projected in a cinema) - Blu-ray is a stunning global format in which to view films as they should be seen.
Confusingly, a Blu-ray can also hold standard definition PAL or NTSC format encodes as well, but this will look exactly the same as it would on a DVD disc. It will remain standard definition. Thankfully, Blu-rays are being used to hold HD 1080p material, rather than as repositories for huge amounts of standard definition DVD footage."
I rented the standard disc [of the Angelina Jolie film "Salt"] from Netflix. It contains all three versions, but the times are nowhere near what Senor Zoidbergo mentions in his review. This is probably due to the difference in the encoding speed of Blu-Ray, which runs at 24 frames per second, and NTSC format, which runs at 29.97 frames per second. The difference between the PAL and NTSC versions of films is 4%. So the speed difference between the US NTSC standard DVD format and the Blu-Ray is probably closer to 5%.
On the standard[-definition] U.S. [DVD], the actual times are:
Theatrical Version: 1:39:56
Unrated Extended Cut: 1:40:58
Unrated Director's Cut: 1:43:59
Senor Zoidbergo lists the following times for the three versions on the Blu-Ray disc
Theatrical: 1:35:54
Extended: 1:36:56
Director's Cut: 1:39:48
This is a difference of about 4 minutes on each version. Some time ago, I asked the owner of the Masters of Cinema label, in England (the UK equivalent of a Criterion specialty label), about the difference between NTSC and PAL and Blu-Ray. Here is his reply:
"The encoding format of HD material on Blu-ray has nothing to do with either PAL or NTSC. The 'problem' of these two competing DVD formats (NTSC and PAL) evaporates with Blu-ray, where the HD material is in 1080p resolution at 24 frames per second, not the standard definition 480p (NTSC 29.97fps) or 576p (PAL 25fps) resolution of "old TV".
In this respect, because of the increased resolution of 1080p HD Blu-rays *and* the fact that the material is now running at 24 frames per second (the exact same speed as film projected in a cinema) - Blu-ray is a stunning global format in which to view films as they should be seen.
Confusingly, a Blu-ray can also hold standard definition PAL or NTSC format encodes as well, but this will look exactly the same as it would on a DVD disc. It will remain standard definition. Thankfully, Blu-rays are being used to hold HD 1080p material, rather than as repositories for huge amounts of standard definition DVD footage."
Audio Format Sound Qualities
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:58 PM in Miscellaneous
I made this little table for my own personal use, but I thought I'd add it to this page in case anyone else might find it useful.
Xbox 360 Stuff
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:32 PM in Miscellaneous
This is a list of software programs and external links to be used with Xbox 360 video game save files. I did not write any of these programs, so don't ask me any questions about them. Please don't link directly to any files on this page; just link to this page itself. Thanks. You will need to use Horizon to resign my game saves in order to use them on your system, as per this information. Also, all saves are for the U.S. region unless otherwise stated, and "virgin save" means the save puts you at the start of the game with very little to no progress made, but with cheats added.
- Horizon - (offline download, 13 Mb) (old versions: LINK BROKEN - This program lets you resign Xbox 360 game saves, as well as add/extract files from within them. It also lets you do a few other things, but most of the features require registration and payment. If you want to know what you can do for free, block it from going online with your firewall, and put up with the "can't connect to server" and "offline mode" nags at program start. It seems that the older version v2.2.2.0 lets you do more for free (and it doesn't require installation), so you want want to grab that one instead. Also, do note that the official site only provides an online installer, but I found a link to an offline installer which, I hope, will always work and provide the latest version.
• NOTE: Doesn't give option of where to install. Installs to: C:\Program Files\Daring Development\Horizon\Horizon.exe
• As of v2.9.0.0, these are the offline features that are completely free to use:
- GAME MODDERS: Dead Space 3, Forza Horizon 2, Saints Row: The Third
- PROFILE MODS: Account Editor
- TOOLS: Device Explorer, Gamercard Viewer, Package Manager, Theme Creator, Title ID Finder
- QUICK FIX: Quick Fix - Game Save: Aventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations - 1. Before using radio before Case 5. Go to the left to the treehouse steps, and choose to go up. In the bedroom, the radio is on the desk in the background. Go up to it and use it three times. The "Radio Starchie" achievement will likely pop after the first time.
- Game Save: Aventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations - 2. Before getting last snail in Case 5. The snail is to the left of Flame Princess. You can't miss it. The "Snail's Pace" achievement will pop after you get it.
- Game Save: Aventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations - 3. Before final Grayble quiz. Watch the cutscene and answer "The Emotions" when asked what the theme is. The "Flimpin' The Diode" achievement will pop after the cutscene (before the end credits).
- Game Save: Barbie and Her Sisters: Puppy Rescue - 1. All Kennels Bought (set up for "Take Me Home")
- Game Save: Barbie and Her Sisters: Puppy Rescue - 2. 25 Puppies Rescued & Played With, 10 Tricks Done, 15 Fleas Removed, 20 Teeth Brushed, 10 Puppies Vaccinated, 20 Obstacle Courses Cleared.
- Game Save: The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 - Beginning of Chapter 2. If you fail to get the "Drunken Master" achievement, use this save to re-load and try again.
- Game Save: The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 - End of Chapter 5/game. Can be used to get the "To The Bitter End" and "Rescued" achievements if you missed them.
- Game Save: Iron Man - Start of game, no progress or anything. This save is being provided for use with THE INCREDIBLE HULK game, which requires an Iron Man save to unlock the Hulkbuster Iron Man Skin, the Shell-Head feat, the Shell-Head achievement, and possibly the Patron Of The Arts achievement.
- Game Save: Lego Movie, The - 100% completion.
- Game Save: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - 82.4%, one minikit left.
- Game Save: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - 89.0%, one gold brick left.
- Game Save: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - 100% completion.
- Game Save: Monster High: New Ghoul In School - One item left to buy in the shop.
- Game Save: NCIS (Ep3) - The GPS game at the end of Episode 3 is ridiculously HARD. This game save is placed at the interrogation right *after* that GPS game. You could use it to "skip" the GPS game and finish episode 3, and obtain the "NCIS Agent" achievement that pops shortly there after.
- Game Save: NCIS (Ep4) - Other than the GPS game at the end of Episode 3, most of the GPS minigames are more of an annoyance than a real problem. Still, I think most people would like to be able to skip past them. This game save is placed right after the second GPS game in Episode 4. Specifically, this places you as Gibbs on the side of the building for the final part of the game. Complete this part, and you will obtain the final two achievements: "NCIS 1, Terrorists 0" and "Very Special Agent".
- Game Save: Portal Still Alive - Complete cheat save that gives God Mode, No Clipping, and Place Portals Almost Anywhere, so you can literally fly through the levels.
- Game Save: Skylanders Swap Force - This save places you in the Woodburrow town hub after the Chapter 5 boss fight, right at the Message of the Day sign post. It's the sign post at the bottom of the screen to the left of the bridge, directly opposite from Rufus (the guy you're talking to at the fountain). The sign post also has a conversation speech bubble above it. You can't miss it. Just go up to the sign, press the interact button, read the message and close it. That's all there is to it. Make sure that you're online and logged in, of course. You do NOT need an Xbox Live Gold (Paid) account to read the Message of the Day and get the achievement.
- Game Save: Sonic Adventure - Light Speed Shoes & Crystal Ring upgrades obtained, after the sewers. A lot of people have trouble getting out of the sewer after getting the shoes. This will help them. (I think the issue is that people don't realize that you need to hold down the charge button until Sonic says "Ready" and glows blue, then release it.) To continue the game, go to the casino. I'm not sure if it matters, but I made this save with the "DX Director's Cut" applied to my game, which is from the Dreamcast Collection disc.
- Game Save: WWE Legends of Wrestlemania - Tremendous help for Wrestlemania Tour mode. See the readme inside for details.
Nintendo Wii Stuff
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:32 PM in Miscellaneous
This is a list of software programs and external links to be used with the Nintendo Wii video game console. I did not write any of these programs, so don't ask me any questions about them. Please don't link directly to any files on this page; just link to this page itself. Thanks. I don't know how to clear my gamertag/console data out of the Wii game saves. You'll have to figure out how to resign the save with your info in order to use it. (If you know of a way to do it with a Windows program offline, please let me know. Also, all saves are for the U.S. region unless otherwise stated, and "virgin save" means the save puts you at the start of the game with very little to no progress made, but with cheats added.
APPLICATIONS
In order to use anything listed in this section, you will need to install The Homebrew Channel on your Wii console.
THE HOMEBREW CHANNEL
The Homebrew Channel allows users to load homebrew applications without having to run an exploit every time. Once installed, users can access the channel from the Wii System Menu just like any other Wii channel. It can launch or install homebrew applications from an SD or SDHC card or via TCP/USB Gecko using Wiiload.
There are several different versions of The Homebrew Channel, but since we're at a point where Nintendo isn't updating the Wii system software anymore (the last version of the Wii system software is v4.3 from 2010), we don't need to worry about Nintendo patching any exploits used to install it. On v4.3, the Letterbomb version is probably the ideal version to use because it doesn't require you to own any specific games to run it. All you need is your Wii's MAC address to download and install it. You can find you Wii's MAC address by going into your Wii System Settings, Page 2, Internet, Console Information. Once you have that information, go to The Homebrew Channel Letterbomb Download page, type in your Wii MAC address across the six entry fields, and press the "Cut The Red Wire" button. It may or may not be necessary to bundle the HackMii installer with it. You don't need to install HackMii, that's for sure, but I don't know if it's needed for the exploit to run.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. A SD or SDHC card formatted as FAT16 or FAT32.
2. System Menu 4.3 (anything lower will not work).
3. Your Wii's WiFi MAC Address (available from your Wii's system settings). This is needed because the Wii will only accept messages addressed to its specific MAC address.
4. A way to copy the files from your PC to the SD card (card reader, printer, etc.)
5. Some homebrew software to load. Although this isn't necessary, it's highly recommended. The exploit will attempt to load "boot.elf" (or "boot.dol" if it can't be found) from the SD card root directory.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put your SD card into your reader and insert it into your computer. My multi-card read goes into a USB port on my computer.
2. Access the SD card contents in Windows Explorer (or any other file manager). If there is a folder titled "private" on your SD card, rename it to "privateold" If you have gamesaves on your card, you will have a "private" folder because that's where the Wii puts its saves.
3. Extract the contents of the LetterBomb download, with folder structure intact, to your SD card. This will recreate the "private" folder, and put several more folders in it. It will also put a file named boot.elf in the ROOT of your SD card. The other TXT files it adds can be safely deleted or ignored.
4. Remove your card reader and SD card from your computer.
5. Put your SD card in your Wii and turn it on.
6. Go into the Wii Message Board and navigate to today, yesterday, or even two days ago to find the unique red letterbomb envelope. (I found it dated two days prior). Click on it and prepare for the hacking glory. You only need to install the Homebrew Channel. You do not need to do anything with the BootMii option.
NOTE: Once installed, you can put the SD card back into your computer, delete the "private" folder and "boot.elf" that The Homebrew Channel created, and rename your "privateold" folder back to "private" so you can access your game saves again.
UNINSTALL - Removing The Homebrew Channel can be done by simply deleting it with the channel management in the Wii system software.
HOMEBREW APPLICATIONS
In order to make an application appear in the Homebrew Channel, the following steps must be taken:
1. Make a folder on the root of your SD card called "apps".
2. In the folder "apps", create a folder for the application (for this example, ScummVM will be used).
3. Copy the files for the application into its folder (e.g. apps/scummvm/).
4. Find the executable file (either .elf or .dol) and rename it to boot.elf (or boot.dol if it was a .dol file) if it is not already named that (e.g. apps/scummvm/boot.dol). If the app comes with these files, copy the icon.png and meta.xml files into this folder.
Now the application will appear in the Homebrew Channel. However, if the application did not come with icon.png or meta.xml, its appearance on the menu is ugly, and difficult to distinguish from other applications. To fix this, text and an image can be added, as per these instructions. While the Homebrew Channel is installed to the console, applications are not. They are run from the SD card. Below is a list of applications that I personally find useful. The applications needed for cheating are listed in the Cheating section of this page, and a more complete list of homebrew applications is found on WiiBrew.
CHEATING
You don't need an Action Replay, Game Shark, or Codebreaker cheat device to cheat in your Wii games (or GameCube games, if you have an original Wii model). All you need to do is install The Homebrew Channel (see other section) and use it to run these two applications.
HOW TO CHEAT
First, download TXT files containing Gecko/WiiRdcheat codes from the Gecko Codes website. Rename them to have the game name in the file name, as that will make them easier to use in the Cheat Manager.
COMPLETE U.S. WII CHEATS DATABASE DOWNLOAD - Since no more Wii games are being produced, and it's likely that no more codes will be made either (I'm sure all of the hackers have moved on to better things), I opted to download every single U.S. cheat code TXT file available on the Gecko Codes website. I did this for my own personal use, but then realized that zipping up the collection and uploading a copy here (46 Kb, 62 games) would be great for back-up purposes. No infringement or disrespect is meant to anyone at the Gecko Cheats site, or any of the hackers. That said, I put in a LOT of work to rename every TXT file by game name, and made numerous name and gramatical corrections. All credits were left intact.
Put your SD card in your computer, and create a "txtcodes" folder on it. Put all of the TXT files into this folder. Also, make sure you have a "codes" folder on the root of your SD card, otherwise you'll have problems. If you don't have it, create that folder.
Now, place the SD card in the SD card slot on your Wii. Power the Wii on and start The Homebrew Channel. Then start the Cheat Manager app, which hopefully you have installed on your SD card by now.
Once Cheat Manager is running, you should see a list of files inside the "txtcodes" folder.
Choose the text file you are looking for with the A button. You'll see a list of the codes in that text file.
To activate the code you want, press the Plus button (+) on your Wii Remote. To deactivate a code, press Minus (-). Codes that you want to be active will be marked with [+], and deactivated codes are marked with [-].
VERY IMPORTANT - Your changes will not be saved until you generate a GCT file, the actual cheat file that GeckoOS will read. When you are done choosing what codes you want activated, press the 1 button on your Wii Remote.
All done! Press any key to go back to the code list. You can repeat this entire step if you want to set up GCT files for other games (with a TXT file full of codes), but if you are all finished, press the Home button to return to the Homebrew Channel.
Once back in the Homebrew Channel, search for the GeckoOS application. If you haven't already, insert the game disc. Now press A while highlighting Launch Game, and away you go! If everything went according to plan, you should see the text "SD Codes Found. Applying." as the game disc boots up.
If the codes do not work, you have either typed them in incorrectly or Ocarina may not be enabled in GeckoOS. To see if Ocarina, the cheat engine itself, is activated, go down to Config Options in GeckoOS, and move down to SD Cheats, making sure it is set to YES.
You can remove the SD card after launching the game, but will need to put it back in if you want to cheat in another game. While the Homebrew Channel is installed to the console, apps are not. They are run from the SD card.
NOTE: If you don't download TXT files with codes from the Gecko Codes website, you can still make your own, as per these instructions (this page is also the source for the text you just read above).
CHEATING IN GAMECUBE GAMES
The original model Wii had backwards compatibility with GameCube games. There's even GameCube controller and memory card ports hidden behind a panel on the left side of the unit (if laying horizontally). I believe that these ports and the backwards compatibility was removed in later models. If you want to cheat in your GameCube games on a Wii, you don't need an Action Replay or any other cheat device. All you need is this appplication:
COMPLETE U.S. GAMECUBE CHEATS DATABASE DOWNLOAD - Since no more GameCube games are being produced, and it's likely that no more codes will be made either (I'm sure all of the hackers have moved on to better things), I opted to download every single U.S. cheat code TXT file available on the Gecko Codes website. I did this for my own personal use, but then realized that zipping up the collection and uploading a copy here (70 Kb, 66 games) would be great for back-up purposes. No infringement or disrespect is meant to anyone at the Gecko Cheats site, or any of the hackers. That said, I put in a LOT of work to rename every TXT file by game name, and made numerous name and grammatical corrections. All credits were left intact.
(NOTE: I'M STILL WORKING ON THIS AS I DON'T HAVE GAMECUBE GAMES YET, SO INFO BELOW IS NOT COMPLETE)
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Download loader.dol (rename it to boot.dol), meta.xml, and icon.png. Put all three files on your SD card in the /apps/Nintendont/ folder.
2. Put your cheat code files on your SD card in the "txtcodes" folder.?????? might be in different place to keep them separate from Wii cheats, and because a different program is reading them.
3. Put your SD card in your Wii and start The Homebrew Channel.
4. Select Nintendont.
GAME SAVES
I don't know if saves need to be resigned, and a lot can be found on GameFaqs.
In order to use anything listed in this section, you will need to install The Homebrew Channel on your Wii console.
THE HOMEBREW CHANNEL
The Homebrew Channel allows users to load homebrew applications without having to run an exploit every time. Once installed, users can access the channel from the Wii System Menu just like any other Wii channel. It can launch or install homebrew applications from an SD or SDHC card or via TCP/USB Gecko using Wiiload.
There are several different versions of The Homebrew Channel, but since we're at a point where Nintendo isn't updating the Wii system software anymore (the last version of the Wii system software is v4.3 from 2010), we don't need to worry about Nintendo patching any exploits used to install it. On v4.3, the Letterbomb version is probably the ideal version to use because it doesn't require you to own any specific games to run it. All you need is your Wii's MAC address to download and install it. You can find you Wii's MAC address by going into your Wii System Settings, Page 2, Internet, Console Information. Once you have that information, go to The Homebrew Channel Letterbomb Download page, type in your Wii MAC address across the six entry fields, and press the "Cut The Red Wire" button. It may or may not be necessary to bundle the HackMii installer with it. You don't need to install HackMii, that's for sure, but I don't know if it's needed for the exploit to run.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. A SD or SDHC card formatted as FAT16 or FAT32.
2. System Menu 4.3 (anything lower will not work).
3. Your Wii's WiFi MAC Address (available from your Wii's system settings). This is needed because the Wii will only accept messages addressed to its specific MAC address.
4. A way to copy the files from your PC to the SD card (card reader, printer, etc.)
5. Some homebrew software to load. Although this isn't necessary, it's highly recommended. The exploit will attempt to load "boot.elf" (or "boot.dol" if it can't be found) from the SD card root directory.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put your SD card into your reader and insert it into your computer. My multi-card read goes into a USB port on my computer.
2. Access the SD card contents in Windows Explorer (or any other file manager). If there is a folder titled "private" on your SD card, rename it to "privateold" If you have gamesaves on your card, you will have a "private" folder because that's where the Wii puts its saves.
3. Extract the contents of the LetterBomb download, with folder structure intact, to your SD card. This will recreate the "private" folder, and put several more folders in it. It will also put a file named boot.elf in the ROOT of your SD card. The other TXT files it adds can be safely deleted or ignored.
4. Remove your card reader and SD card from your computer.
5. Put your SD card in your Wii and turn it on.
6. Go into the Wii Message Board and navigate to today, yesterday, or even two days ago to find the unique red letterbomb envelope. (I found it dated two days prior). Click on it and prepare for the hacking glory. You only need to install the Homebrew Channel. You do not need to do anything with the BootMii option.
NOTE: Once installed, you can put the SD card back into your computer, delete the "private" folder and "boot.elf" that The Homebrew Channel created, and rename your "privateold" folder back to "private" so you can access your game saves again.
UNINSTALL - Removing The Homebrew Channel can be done by simply deleting it with the channel management in the Wii system software.
HOMEBREW APPLICATIONS
In order to make an application appear in the Homebrew Channel, the following steps must be taken:
1. Make a folder on the root of your SD card called "apps".
2. In the folder "apps", create a folder for the application (for this example, ScummVM will be used).
3. Copy the files for the application into its folder (e.g. apps/scummvm/).
4. Find the executable file (either .elf or .dol) and rename it to boot.elf (or boot.dol if it was a .dol file) if it is not already named that (e.g. apps/scummvm/boot.dol). If the app comes with these files, copy the icon.png and meta.xml files into this folder.
Now the application will appear in the Homebrew Channel. However, if the application did not come with icon.png or meta.xml, its appearance on the menu is ugly, and difficult to distinguish from other applications. To fix this, text and an image can be added, as per these instructions. While the Homebrew Channel is installed to the console, applications are not. They are run from the SD card. Below is a list of applications that I personally find useful. The applications needed for cheating are listed in the Cheating section of this page, and a more complete list of homebrew applications is found on WiiBrew.
- WiiXplorer - A multi-device file explorer for the Wii with several additional features to execute various of filetypes like on an actual explorer.
- PieChart - A Pac-Man clone featuring 21 levels.
- WiiX-Ball - A Wii port of the Breakout clone DX-Ball for the PC. The controls are very simple - just point the Wii remote at the screen to move the paddle and press A or B to fire the ball. Features a plethora of level boards and power-ups, (up to) 4 player control, and classic DX-Ball graphics. (List of Power-ups, more info)
You don't need an Action Replay, Game Shark, or Codebreaker cheat device to cheat in your Wii games (or GameCube games, if you have an original Wii model). All you need to do is install The Homebrew Channel (see other section) and use it to run these two applications.
- Cheat Manager - Generate a custom GCT file for use with Gecko OS.
- GeckoOS - Cheat code engine for the Wii. Also allows the running of import game discs (games from regions other than your Wii's native region).
HOW TO CHEAT
First, download TXT files containing Gecko/WiiRdcheat codes from the Gecko Codes website. Rename them to have the game name in the file name, as that will make them easier to use in the Cheat Manager.
COMPLETE U.S. WII CHEATS DATABASE DOWNLOAD - Since no more Wii games are being produced, and it's likely that no more codes will be made either (I'm sure all of the hackers have moved on to better things), I opted to download every single U.S. cheat code TXT file available on the Gecko Codes website. I did this for my own personal use, but then realized that zipping up the collection and uploading a copy here (46 Kb, 62 games) would be great for back-up purposes. No infringement or disrespect is meant to anyone at the Gecko Cheats site, or any of the hackers. That said, I put in a LOT of work to rename every TXT file by game name, and made numerous name and gramatical corrections. All credits were left intact.
Put your SD card in your computer, and create a "txtcodes" folder on it. Put all of the TXT files into this folder. Also, make sure you have a "codes" folder on the root of your SD card, otherwise you'll have problems. If you don't have it, create that folder.
Now, place the SD card in the SD card slot on your Wii. Power the Wii on and start The Homebrew Channel. Then start the Cheat Manager app, which hopefully you have installed on your SD card by now.
Once Cheat Manager is running, you should see a list of files inside the "txtcodes" folder.
Choose the text file you are looking for with the A button. You'll see a list of the codes in that text file.
To activate the code you want, press the Plus button (+) on your Wii Remote. To deactivate a code, press Minus (-). Codes that you want to be active will be marked with [+], and deactivated codes are marked with [-].
VERY IMPORTANT - Your changes will not be saved until you generate a GCT file, the actual cheat file that GeckoOS will read. When you are done choosing what codes you want activated, press the 1 button on your Wii Remote.
All done! Press any key to go back to the code list. You can repeat this entire step if you want to set up GCT files for other games (with a TXT file full of codes), but if you are all finished, press the Home button to return to the Homebrew Channel.
Once back in the Homebrew Channel, search for the GeckoOS application. If you haven't already, insert the game disc. Now press A while highlighting Launch Game, and away you go! If everything went according to plan, you should see the text "SD Codes Found. Applying." as the game disc boots up.
If the codes do not work, you have either typed them in incorrectly or Ocarina may not be enabled in GeckoOS. To see if Ocarina, the cheat engine itself, is activated, go down to Config Options in GeckoOS, and move down to SD Cheats, making sure it is set to YES.
You can remove the SD card after launching the game, but will need to put it back in if you want to cheat in another game. While the Homebrew Channel is installed to the console, apps are not. They are run from the SD card.
NOTE: If you don't download TXT files with codes from the Gecko Codes website, you can still make your own, as per these instructions (this page is also the source for the text you just read above).
CHEATING IN GAMECUBE GAMES
The original model Wii had backwards compatibility with GameCube games. There's even GameCube controller and memory card ports hidden behind a panel on the left side of the unit (if laying horizontally). I believe that these ports and the backwards compatibility was removed in later models. If you want to cheat in your GameCube games on a Wii, you don't need an Action Replay or any other cheat device. All you need is this appplication:
- Nintendont - A Wii homebrew project to play GameCube games on the Wii and the vWii on Wii U. Also can play retail GameCube discs on any Wii, with WiiRd cheat code support.
COMPLETE U.S. GAMECUBE CHEATS DATABASE DOWNLOAD - Since no more GameCube games are being produced, and it's likely that no more codes will be made either (I'm sure all of the hackers have moved on to better things), I opted to download every single U.S. cheat code TXT file available on the Gecko Codes website. I did this for my own personal use, but then realized that zipping up the collection and uploading a copy here (70 Kb, 66 games) would be great for back-up purposes. No infringement or disrespect is meant to anyone at the Gecko Cheats site, or any of the hackers. That said, I put in a LOT of work to rename every TXT file by game name, and made numerous name and grammatical corrections. All credits were left intact.
(NOTE: I'M STILL WORKING ON THIS AS I DON'T HAVE GAMECUBE GAMES YET, SO INFO BELOW IS NOT COMPLETE)
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Download loader.dol (rename it to boot.dol), meta.xml, and icon.png. Put all three files on your SD card in the /apps/Nintendont/ folder.
2. Put your cheat code files on your SD card in the "txtcodes" folder.?????? might be in different place to keep them separate from Wii cheats, and because a different program is reading them.
3. Put your SD card in your Wii and start The Homebrew Channel.
4. Select Nintendont.
I don't know if saves need to be resigned, and a lot can be found on GameFaqs.
- list will go here eventually
PlayStation 3 Stuff
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:32 PM in Miscellaneous
This is a list of software programs and external links to be used with Sony PlayStation 3 video game save files. I did not write any of these programs, so don't ask me any questions about them. Please don't link directly to any files on this page; just link to this page itself. Thanks. All saves provided here on Spook Central have been "BLANKED" in Brute Force Save Data so that they are not tied to any specific account. However, some games refuse to load blank saves, so you may need to resign them to your own profile using Bruteforce Save Data or some other such resigning program in order to use them. Also, all saves are for the U.S. region unless otherwise stated, and "virgin save" means the save puts you at the start of the game with very little to no progress made, but with cheats added.
- Ghostbusters PlayStation 3 System Theme - available on the Ghostbusters 2009 Blu-ray page.
- Game Save Downloads (Modded) - PS3Cheating.net (archive), PS3Hax.net.
- Game Save Downloads (Original) - GameFaqs (My Saves), GameFaqs, SaveMyGame.fr, MassEffect2Saves.com (PC ONLY?).
- Game-Specific Save Editors - PS3Cheating.net (archive).
- Bruteforce Save Data (BFSD) (official site req. log-in to view) - Ver. 4.7.4 [with cheats database v6.6 (12/9/2014)] - Cheats Database v6.8 (1/7/2015) - It finds the keys of several PlayStation 3 games in seconds and let you re-sign your game saves, so you can use saves downloaded from the internet. A wide selection of cheats for over 500 titles is available ready to be applied to the saves. The program also has additional features for use with a PS3 that has custom firmware on it: Re-sign trophies or saves, preview images of trophies, direct FTP download/upload saves or trophies from/to PS3, unlock saves/trophies to work on any PS3 account, unlock saves/trophies with fake account ID, support for Game Genie cheats, and more. Multiple saves can be resigned in a single step.
• The installer includes several programs: Bruteforce Save Data, PARAM.SFO Editor, BSD Patch Creator, HxD Hex Editor, and PS3 Save Portal (now useless, as it was for downloading saves from the now-closed PS3Cheating.net).
NOTES:- I've found that the best way to re-sign saves is to press the blue "Rebuild" button on the far right above the data window, and select "Yes" when asked to rebuild with your profile. You will need to give BFSD the PARAM.SFO file from one of your own saves first. Just copy over any save from your PS3 to a USB device, then open it in BFSD when asked for your console's profile. You can also click on the "Profile" text in the top middle of the program and an "open file" box will appear allowing you to open your param.sfo file.
- The program checks for cheat updates at start. To disable this, remove the check mark from the option "Check updates on start up" found next to the Download button of the update window.
- To manually check for cheat updates, click on the PS3 logo and a menu will pop-up. Select the option "Update entire repository of Cheats from PS3Cheating.net" (second option from the bottom) to bring up the update window.
- The title "Bruteforce Save Data" changes to "Save Data Manager" when you hover the mouse over it.
- Borderlands 1 Save Editor (WillowTree#) (the "experimental" version gives errors, get the stable one from the browse all files depository) - A save editor for Borderlands (the first one, not 2 or Pre-Sequel) that can read, edit, and convert savegame files from PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the Borderlands game. Allows easy access to all parts of the save data, including quests, weapons, items, echo logs, ammo pools, visited locations, and more. It has a storage locker that can be used to transfer items between characters.
• NOTE: Use the WT icon in the upper left corner to open and save files. There will be no warning if you close the program without saving your changes first.
• NOTE: Before using on your game system, delete the .BAK files it creates in the save directory. This might screw up the save when the PS3/X360 tries to read it.
• NOTE: You use New-U Stations to Fast Travel to different locations. In Borderlands, it will be the menu tab with the rabbit icon. Fast Travel is unlocked in the Dahl Headlands area after playing the "Powering The Fast Travel Network" mission. However, using the SAVE EDITOR, Fast Travel can be unlocked at the start of the game by adding any location other than Fyrestone to the Visited Locations list on the General Info tab. If you want to access your DLC early, add any of those locations (Jakobs Cove, The Underdome, T-Bone Junction, Tartarus Station). The other three locations will be automatically listed.
• NOTE: If you level up your character to the maximum of 69, and all eight levelling trophies will pop when you load your game.
• NOTE: Do NOT level up your gun proficiency to the max. Set them all to 9, and let the game bring you to 10 so you can get that trophy.
• NOTE: Use the Class option to change your character and his/her class. This, along with a high character level, will give you their action skill to use right away. You get a trophy will killing 15 characters with each skill. If you kill every bandit with the skill at the start of the game (run away and give it time to recharge, if necessary), you will get each kill trophy at the spot where the bandits shoot down Claptrap while on the Skags mission.
• NOTE: The save editor can be used to "finish" missions (or set to "ready to turn it"), which will cheat you through the game and all missions. This will ruin the game for you, so I only suggest you do this if you're on a particularly hard mission that you can't otherwise pass. Of course, with a max levelled up character and other edits, you shouldn't have any mission problems.
• NOTE: No matter what you have the money set to, the trophy for earning over 1,000,000 won't pop for quite some time.
• NOTE: Use the gear calculator to calculate weapon attributes. - Borderlands 2 Save Editor - Allows editing of all sorts of stats and inventory. Works on PS3, PC, and Xbox360 saves.
• NOTE: Need to decrypt save first with BFSD, then encrypt with it after editing.
• NOTE: Set it to Level 49 for trophies to pop (trophies don't pop when set to Level 50). The character will actually end up as Level 50 and four trophies will pop: Not Quite Dead (reached level 5), Better Than You Were (reached level 10), Always Improving (reached level 25), and Capped Out...For Now (reached level 50).
• NOTE: The skill points option may not work. I had set both General & Specialist Skill Points to 999, but still only had 46.
• NOTE: The Experience Points attribute is actually how high your Health is. Mine is set at 36419.
• NOTE: None of the options gives you Badass Tokens. You'll have to earn these in game. • NOTE: Use the gear calculator to calculate weapon attributes.
• NOTE: Like WillowTree#, you can edit the status of a quest. However, unlike WillowTree#, it's not out in the open and not intuitive (no quest names are given). To learn how to do it, read this tutorial (mirror). - Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Save Editor - Allows editing of all sorts of stats and inventory. Works on PS3, PC, and Xbox360 saves.
• NOTE: Need to decrypt save first with BFSD, then encrypt with it after editing.
• NOTE: Set it to Level 49 for trophies to pop (trophies don't pop when set to Level 50). The character will actually end up as Level 50 and four trophies will pop: Space Rookie (reached level 5), Lunar Lieutenant (reached level 10), Moon Master (reached level 25), Space Lord (eached level 50).
• NOTE: After decrypting the save, when you choose to open it in the editor "PC Save Files (*.Sav)" will be selected by default which will give you an error. You must always be sure to manually select "PS3 Save Files (*.Sav)" in the bottom right corner of the "open" box (or Xbox if that's your system). • NOTE: Since it's from the same author as the Borderlands 2 Save Editor, most of the notes written for that apply here. - Dead Island Save Editor (DISE) - Game-save editor for the game Dead Island. Supports PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. Tool for easier modding of PS3 sames.
• NOTE: PS3 saves are copy-locked, so you'll need to find an unmodded virgin save online if you want to use this tool. It's probably better to get the modded save listed further down this page. - Grand Theft Auto IV PS3 Save Editor by Red-EyeX32 - Edit Grand Theft Auto 4 game saves to modify the health, armor, money, and weapon attributes, without needing a JB/CFW (jailbroken/custom firmware) PS3. This program will work for all GTA 4 episodes: GTA IV, The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony. Tutorial Video.
• NOTE: Works for all episodes. I got max [not infinite] money (max health & armor presumably), not sure if ammo maxed out [it's certainly not infinite].
• NOTE: The "100% completion" mod might be good for getting the "Key To The City" trophy, which requires 100% completion. - Grand Theft Auto V Save Editor by Pink1 - Edit cash, cars, skill levels, ammo & attachments, who your current character is, and give him Max Armor/Health or Infinite Health for your current character. There are optional car images for the car editor (some still need to be renamed).
• NOTE: Need to decrypt save first with BFSD, then encrypt with it after editing.
• NOTE: Save this line of text as "key.txt", as the save editor will need it:
GTAV=1685FFA38D010F0DFE661CF9B5572C500D802648DB37B9ED0F48C57342C022F5
• NOTE: Supposedly, if you use Infinite Health, sharks and falling will still kill you. I couldn't get Infinite Health to work - I got "wasted" from a fist fight!
• NOTE: When editing money, be sure to edit the earned/spent money, too. If you sync your save with the Rockstar Social Club, your stats will be copied to Rockstar's servers, and I think they'll have some doubts about the legitimacy of your save if they see something like "earned money: $10,000,000 ; spent money: $10,000,000,000". - Game Save: Lego Dimensions - All levels 100% complete, all red brick cheats bought. See the readme file for more info. Do note that you need to own all of the necessary figures required for playing in each adventure world.
- Game Save: Lego Dimensions - 973 out of 1016 Gold Bricks. If you'd like to help out and do all of the races and arcade dock, to make this a 99% save (DON'T DO THE DC WORLD JUKEBOX), feel free to play off of this and send it back to me. E-mail me first. See the readme file for a full list of what needs to be done. Do note that you need to own all of the necessary figures required for playing in each adventure world.
- Game Save: Mass Effect 2 - Completed save, USED FOR MASS EFFECT 3 IMPORTING. Male (can't change to female, but can change appearance), Level: 28, Level Up Points: 55, Name: Solomon Shepard, Time Played: 62h.06m, Last Played: 02/08/2011, 9:02 PM, Killed the rachni queen, Rescued Ashley Williams on Virmire, Chose to sacrifice the Counsil, Saved Maelon's data, Has Wrex die on Virmire, Destroyed the Collector Base, Survived the suicide mission with 9 squadmates, Did not romance anyone before ME2, Romanced Tali in ME2.
• NOTE: Need to convert from EU to US in BFSD. - Game Save: Murdered: Soul Suspect - Complete save set by KarbonItami, which I reorganized (and also converted to Xbox 360 saves).
- Game Save: Red Dead Redemption - Start of game with Online Multiplayer (ONLY) at Level 50 5th Prestige, and all Golden Guns. NOT REALLY A VIRGIN SAVE AS MANY CHALLENGES WERE COMPLETED.
• NOTE: Automatically unlocked two trophies while on multiplayer loading screen: "How The West Was Won" (reach the top rank for the multiplayer experience) and "Legendary" (reach level 50 and pass into Legend). - Game Save: Resident Evil 6 - Start of game (right after prologue) with new "Training" skill that gives infinite health & ammo/no reload for every weapon; also max skill points, shoot one serpent emblem to get them all, and complete the game in any difficulty and still get the "Leave It To The Pro" trophy (and presumably the other difficulty-based trophies).
- PlayStation Eye Windows Driver (CL-Eye Driver) (v5.3.0.0341, 5.2 Mb) -
Lets you use your PlayStation Eye camera to stream and capture video and audio in VirtualDub, Skype, and other Windows applications. (Additional Info) Installation is simple:
1. Install driver and test program.
2. Plug in the PS3 Eye camera into one of your computer's USB ports.
If the Add Hardware Wizard runs and asks for a non-existent installation disc,
select OK, and then point it to this folder: C:\Program Files\Code Laboratories\CL-Eye Driver\Driver
3. You can now use the camera and microphone to in various Windows applications.
PlayStation 2 Stuff
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:32 PM in Miscellaneous
This is a list of software programs to be used with Sony PlayStation 2 video games and cheat devices. (For files to be used with the PC versions of the "Grand Theft Auto" series of game, go to the PC Gaming Stuff page.) A few of the documents I've written at GameFaqs require programs listed on this page. I did not write any of these programs, so don't ask me any questions about them. Please don't link directly to any files on this page; just link to this page itself. Thanks.
The Codebreaker cheat device uses codes that modify positions in the PlayStation 2's memory. You can enter these codes into the Codebreaker manually with the controller, or using a USB drive and a .CBC file (aka a "Day 1" file). A CBC file contains all of the codes for a single game.
It used to be that there was no one program that would allow the reading/writing/editing of CBC files. There was a program that wrote unsigned/v7 files (CBCMaker), and a command-line program that read them (CB2Util). Advances in CB2Util have allowed it to write unsigned/v7 (and possibly signed, with a modded Codebreaker?) CBC files. However, I have not been able to get a working batch-convert script made, and being that CBCMaker has a GUI, it's still the ideal program to use to create CBC files.
Both programs are listed below, along with some info about CBCMaker from the old CodeTwink.com website (which used to be the official Codebreaker site when it was called CMGSCCC). To make matters worse, the Code Twink site is now the official Game Genie site, and the CBC files were deleted when the changeover was made (probably because the Game Genie PS3 game save editor doesn't use the CBC files). So now you'll DEFINITELY need to make your own CBC files! In an effort to help, I am also providing the entire 1,114 file set of official Codebreaker CBC files converted to plain text files.
Since the Codebreaker and the CBC files are no longer being made/supported, I think it's about time the digital signature for the CBC file format was released so the people who still own Codebreakers can make digitally-signed CBC files compatible "as is" with Codebreaker versions 8+, so that the update.bin file isn't needed. I really have no idea why the CodeBreaker folks never released a program for their users that reads/writes/edits the CBC files. It's not like the CBC files could be used with any other cheat device. This added user-ability would have resulted in more people buying CodeBreakers (since the competition didn't have such tools). At least that's what I think.
CodeTwink Cheats Site 5/23/2012 (7-zip file) - The entire CodeTwink.com cheats section as of May 23, 2012. Just the html files and nothing else. Will give you cheats for PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy/GBC. The PS1 codes are for Action Replay and Game Shark, PS2 is for CodeBreaker, I have no clue about the rest but likely Action Replay or Game Shark (of CodeBreaker if it was made for non-PS2 systems) as those were the two well-known devides for those old systems. This file is the one created by root670 (zip, 7-zip), which was a mirror he made of cheats.codetwink.com with Offline Explorer. There are over 19,000 html files (each named default.htm), each in its own folder. I deleted all of the extraneous/garbage files, leaving just all html files and one css file. I'm sure this could be fixed up better, but it works, and that's the point. Wes Castro put up a live backup of the site that is worth checking out if you want to find a code now, and don't want to download the whole site. Of course, the original site is still live at CodeTwink.com. This is just a backup in case that site is down, or closes at some point.
Official Codebreaker Code Files: CBC v7 Format [GoodCBC r3] (with upgrade.bin) - The entire 1,113 file set of official Codebreaker CBC files decrypted into unencrypted raw hexidecimal format. This should cover all games that aren't already listed on the Codebreaker disc - excluding any games from circa 2008/2009-present for which no official codes were ever created (e.g. Ghostbusters). The file set was originally archived and converted by Bfoos at GameHacking.org.
CBCMaker v1.01 (with upgrade.bin) - Used to write/create Codebreaker .cbc/Day1 files. These contain a list of codes for a game, which can be transferred to your CodeBreaker if you have a USB pen drive. This program writes .cbc files, but it CAN NOT READ OR EDIT them. Use CB2Util to "read" .cbc files.
NOTE #1: The .cbc files this program creates do not contain the digital signature that is required in order for CodeBreaker v8+ to read/see them. These .cbc files can be natively used in Codebreaker v7, but in order to use them in v8.0, v8.1, v8.2, v9.0, v9.1, and v9.3 (does NOT work on v9.2, v10.0, v10.1), you need a special update.bin file that removes the signature check (that file and the program are both available on that page - along with a tutorial on how to use the program).
NOTE #2: The Upgrade.bin file must stay on your USB drive and be in your PS2 when the CodeBreaker loads everytime you want to add unsigned Day1 files, otherwise the CodeBreaker won't see the unsigned Day1 files.
NOTE #3: From my experience, when writing a description of a code, 54 characters is the maximum amount that will fit onto a TV screen. Anything longer will trail off the edge of the TV screen. You experience may vary if you have a larger TV.
CB2Util v1.7 with batch convert script - homepage - Extract (and optionally decrypt to unencrypted hexidecimal format) and compile all cheats from/to CodeBreaker code files (.cbc), encrypt or decrypt PCB files, convert PCB files into ELF files, and check digital signature on CBC and PCB files. The program supports unsigned (V7) and signed (V8) Day1 code saves (.CBC), PCB files (upgrades/homebrew/etc), and more formats in the future.
NOTE: This is a command-line program, and thus does not have a graphical user interface. Once you're in the command prompt and have navigated to the directory containing the program, you can then pass commands to it. Here are a few common examples:
• Extract the contents of a v7 code file to a text file (for v8, remove the "-7" part):
cb2util.exe cbc -7 gta3.cbc > gta3.txt
• Extract and decrypt (to unencrypted hexidecimal format) the contents of a code file to a text file:
cb2util.exe cbc -d -7 gtavcs.cbc > gtavcs.txt
• Compile the codes in a text file to a v7 code file (for v8, remove the "-7" part):
cb2util.exe cbc -c -7 gta3.txt gta3.cbc
NOTE: I have created a .reg file that will allow you to do batch conversions from CBC to TXT from the Windows Explorer right-click menu. You can download it with the program file above. A readme file and an uninstall file are included.
• Old Versions: v1.0 with batch convert script - this version can't write CBC files; also, it uses different command parameters:
• Extract the contents of a code save file to a text file:
cb2util.exe gta3.cbc > gta3.txt
• Extract and decrypt (to unencrypted hexidecimal format) the contents of a code save file to a text file:
cb2util.exe -d gtavcs.cbc > gtavcs.txt
Back in 2006, on the now-defunct official Codebreaker website, were two emulators that allowed you to play SNES and Genesis game ROMs on your PlayStation 2 via your Codebreaker cheat device (v7.1 and higher). These were emulators that were modded by the Codebreaker crew to be bootable by the Codebreaker and run on a PlayStation 2. I saved these files, and am archiving them here on my website for others to enjoy. I'm including what little notes I had typed up about them. I make no guarantees that any of these will work for you, and, of course, you'll need to find your own game ROM files.
• SNES Station - v0.2.4 HDD (818 Kb) - SNES Emulator.
Now-Defunct Official Homepage: http://snes-station.gamebase.ca
• PGEN - v1.4 (1.3 Mb) - Genesis Emulator. (MAY NOT WORK)
Now-Defunct Official Homepage: http://www.gamebase.ca/pgen/
WHAT YOU NEED:
• CodeBreaker PlayStation 2 Cheat Device v7.1 Or Higher
• USB Flash Device/Pen Drive.
HOW TO USE:
1. Transfer the pelican.bin file to your USB drive's root folder. Also put your game ROMs on there, too.
2. Insert your USB drive into your PlayStation 2 and boot up the CodeBreaker.
3. Soon after you see the CodeBreaker logo, it should start reading the USB drive, and then boot up the emulator instead of the CodeBreaker main menu.
To go back to the CodeBreaker, you simply just boot the CodeBreaker without the USB drive plugged in, or delete the pelican.bin from your USB drive. In no way does the emulator modify anything on your system to stop you from using the CodeBreaker.
PAUL'S NOTES:
• The CodeBreaker can be very temperamental and sometimes won't read a valid .bin file with no rhyme or reason as to why. The only consistent way to get it to work, I think, is to extract the .bin file directly to the USB drive from your hard drive.
• Apparently you can only use one emulator at a time as the files probably each need to be named "pelican.bin".
• Put game ROMs on the USB drive with the emulator file, as I would see no other way to play them.
- Joker Commands (archived website) - Just put checkmarks in the boxes for the buttons you want to use to trigger your code, and get the four digit value from the column in the middle. Of course, you actually need a joker code for your game in order for these digits to be useful (you put the four digits into the last four spots in your game's joker code). The Grand Theft Auto games used the Reverse Joke Hex digits. This site is not recommended for novices. You need to, at least, have a basic understanding of codes, as I am not providing any technical support for this site.
- ADXUtil - Ver. 2.2.1 (Win32/GUI version) (230 Kb) - Take ADX audio files on PS2 game discs (usually stored in AFS files) and convert them to wav and mp3 files (mp3 encoding requires lame_enc.dll). It can create and extract AFS archives; add, delete and order streams on existing AFS archives; batch encode/decode; and encode/decode "on-the-fly" when adding or extracting files on AFS archives. It should be noted that it doesn't give the true file names of the ADX files (it renames them based upon the order they are in the AFS file), but usually this doesn't matter anyway.
- AFS Explorer (Ver. 3.7) - Browse and extract the contents of the AFS files on PS2 game discs (usually graphic and audio files are contained in them).
- GTA Censor Remover (Online Version) - Allows you to remove the censor in GTA: San Andreas and unlocks the removed 'Hot Coffee' interactive scene found after a successful date with one of your girlfriends. It can also be used to change the region of your Xbox save. This program supports PS2, Xbox and PC saves. Please note, this program is only compatible with the original version of the game. It will NOT work on the re-released "Special Edition."
- GTA: San Andreas Gallery Viewer - View and save your Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas gallery pictures on your PC. You must first use PS2 Save Builder to extract the GALLERY.DAT file from your save so you can use it in this program.
- MFAudio - Ver. 1.1 (60 Kb) - Take a variety of audio files on PS2 game discs and convert them to wav files (or just play them).
MFAUDIO BATCH FILES FOR MY AUDIO EXTRACTION GUIDES- Grand Theft Auto III
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
- WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It
- OmniConvert (v1.1.1) - Can encrypt and decrypt codes for all commercially available cheat devices available in North America, and most (if not all) cheat devices available in Europe and Asia. That includes all encryption formats for CodeBreaker, Game Shark, Action Replay Max, and Xploder; and unencrypted hexidecimal format, of course. The converted codes can be outputted to one of these file types: Text, Action Replay Max (.bin), CodeBreaker (.cbc), and Xploder/Game Shark (.p2m). This program is the successor to MAXConvert and also replaces CB2Crypt.
NOTE: The .cbc files this program creates do not contain the digital signature that is required in order for CodeBreaker v8+ to read/see them. These .cbc files can be natively used in Codebreaker v7, but in order to use them in v8.x, v9.1, and v9.3, you need a special update.bin file that removes the signature check (see the CBCMaker section above).
AR2v2 KEY CODES: I don't know very much about code converting, but a while back I picked up this information on converting to and from Game Shark/Action Replay v2 format. For the most part, anytime Action Replay 2 version 2 (aka Game Shark 2 version 2) codes are involved you will need to use a key code. It doesn't matter if you converting to or from, you need a key code. Here are the three different Action Replay 2 encryptions, so you'd know which key codes to use for which codes. In OmniConvert, you can change the key code by going to Options - Set AR2 Key Code.
Encryption: 1456E7A5
Key Code: [not needed]
Codes that use this encryption method usually have a one line Master Code (Enabler/Must Be On/M Code), which looks like this:
xxxxxxxx 14xxxxxx
Example:
Final Fantasy X-2 (JAP)
M Code
EC879A34 142F7D74
Encryption: BCA99B83
Key Code: 1853E59E
Codes that use this encryption method usually have a two line Master Code (Enabler/Must Be On/M Code), which looks like this:
0E3C7DF2 1853E59E
xxxxxxxx BCxxxxxx
Encryption: F8FCFEFF
Key Code: 1645EBB3
Codes that use this encryption method usually have a two line Master Code (Enabler/Must Be On/M Code), which looks like this:
0E3C7DF2 1645EBB3
xxxxxxxx F8xxxxxx
You can also convert Action Replay 2 Master Codes to any other format, just like it was a regular code. Note: If you're converting Action Replay 2 Master Codes, you do not convert its keycode.
Example Final Fantasy X-2 M Code 0E3C7DF2 1853E59E <- DO NOT CONVERT THIS EE8EE582 BCD845DA <- Convert This
EE8EE582 BCD845DA <-> FA767F87 32AC4CB8 <-> F010190C 002FAA57 (Action Replay 2), (Code Breaker), , (Hexidecimal)
Thanks to Azagthoth0666, Tommy24, and anyone else who wrote the reference material I used to put this together. - PS2 Cheat Code Encryption Look-Up - Find out what encryption your cheat device codes are in. Only does one line codes. Doesn't handle CBv7+, GSv3&4 (new encryption), and GSv5. (As of 4/26/2006, they put v1 back on the site, in place of v2 [81Kb].) I'd love to find a new program that does what this one does, but has been updated more recently to include ALL formats.
- PS2 Save Builder - Create, extract, and convert between many popular game save formats (AR Max, CodeBreaker, nPort, XPort, Sharkport, and more).
USEFUL INFO: You can even use this program to delete and rearrange saved games in your GTA: Vice City save file, since the game makers left out a Delete option. You could probably also use it to rearrage the saved games (change the number in the title of each save to something from 1 through 8) in GTA3 and San Andreas as well (both of those games have a built-in delete option, so you don't need this program to do that). - Puyo Tools - Ver. 2.0.4 - A collection of tools and libraries used to access the contents of various game files. Although its main focus is to handle files used in Puyo Puyo games, it can handle files used in other games as well. Supported Formats:
* Compression: CNX (Read-only), COMP (Puyo Puyo Chronicle), CXLZ, LZ00, LZ01, LZ11, LZSS/LZ10, PRS.
* Archives: ACX, AFS, GNT, GVM, NARC (Partial read-only support. Use another app such as Narchive to handle these archives.), PVM, SNT, MRG (Puyo Puyo Fever 2), ONE (Sonic Storybook series), ONE (Sonic Unleashed for Wii & PS2) (Read-only), SPK (Puyo Puyo Fever 2), TEX (Puyo Puyo Fever 2), TXD (Sonic Storybook series).
* Textures: GIM, GVR, PVR, SVR. - San Andreas Radio - Do audio extraction from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (presumably for all PlayStation 2 versions). Be sure to follow the instructions in the program's Help menu. This program will not work on the PC version of the game.
- SFD to MPG Converter - As the name implies, lets you convert .sfd video files into standard .mpg video files.
Codebreaker .CBC/Day 1 Code Files
The Codebreaker cheat device uses codes that modify positions in the PlayStation 2's memory. You can enter these codes into the Codebreaker manually with the controller, or using a USB drive and a .CBC file (aka a "Day 1" file). A CBC file contains all of the codes for a single game.
It used to be that there was no one program that would allow the reading/writing/editing of CBC files. There was a program that wrote unsigned/v7 files (CBCMaker), and a command-line program that read them (CB2Util). Advances in CB2Util have allowed it to write unsigned/v7 (and possibly signed, with a modded Codebreaker?) CBC files. However, I have not been able to get a working batch-convert script made, and being that CBCMaker has a GUI, it's still the ideal program to use to create CBC files.
Both programs are listed below, along with some info about CBCMaker from the old CodeTwink.com website (which used to be the official Codebreaker site when it was called CMGSCCC). To make matters worse, the Code Twink site is now the official Game Genie site, and the CBC files were deleted when the changeover was made (probably because the Game Genie PS3 game save editor doesn't use the CBC files). So now you'll DEFINITELY need to make your own CBC files! In an effort to help, I am also providing the entire 1,114 file set of official Codebreaker CBC files converted to plain text files.
Since the Codebreaker and the CBC files are no longer being made/supported, I think it's about time the digital signature for the CBC file format was released so the people who still own Codebreakers can make digitally-signed CBC files compatible "as is" with Codebreaker versions 8+, so that the update.bin file isn't needed. I really have no idea why the CodeBreaker folks never released a program for their users that reads/writes/edits the CBC files. It's not like the CBC files could be used with any other cheat device. This added user-ability would have resulted in more people buying CodeBreakers (since the competition didn't have such tools). At least that's what I think.
How to Make Your Own Day 1 Files Using CBCMaker
Written by Pyriel on January 7, 2009
Here's what you need:
- An official copy of CodeBreaker.
,
- Currently, only versions 7.x, 8.x, 9.0, 9.1, and 9.3 can be used.
,- You will not be able to use versions 9.2, 10.0, and 10.1 for this purpose.
,- A PS2 console capable of booting CodeBreaker normally, and that the CodeBreaker can use USB with. Any "fat" PS2 will work, but if you have a slim PS2 it may not. In the US any PS2 model 75001 or higher has USB hardware that the CodeBreaker cannot communicate with.
- A USB drive that is compatible with CodeBreaker.
- A copy of CBCMaker v1.01 with the upgrade.bin file. The upgrade.bin file must be placed on either the memory card in slot 1, or on a USB drive. This media must be present when the CodeBreaker is loaded, so that it can retrieve the upgrade file.
- You may need the files in MFC71.zip to run CBCMaker. If you receive an error about missing DLLs when you try to run it, just unzip the contents of MFC71.zip into the directory where CBCMaker.exe resides (or to a folder in your system path, such as the system32 directory in your Windows folder).
If you meet the requirements, and once you have everything setup, all you need to do is start pasting codes. Your input should look something like what follows.
The prefix tags can be used to explicitly identify a line as a code ($), as a green divider (!), or as a comment (//), but they are not required. Generally the tool does a good job determining what is a code, and what is a divider based on context.
CodeTwink Cheats Site 5/23/2012 (7-zip file) - The entire CodeTwink.com cheats section as of May 23, 2012. Just the html files and nothing else. Will give you cheats for PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy/GBC. The PS1 codes are for Action Replay and Game Shark, PS2 is for CodeBreaker, I have no clue about the rest but likely Action Replay or Game Shark (of CodeBreaker if it was made for non-PS2 systems) as those were the two well-known devides for those old systems. This file is the one created by root670 (zip, 7-zip), which was a mirror he made of cheats.codetwink.com with Offline Explorer. There are over 19,000 html files (each named default.htm), each in its own folder. I deleted all of the extraneous/garbage files, leaving just all html files and one css file. I'm sure this could be fixed up better, but it works, and that's the point. Wes Castro put up a live backup of the site that is worth checking out if you want to find a code now, and don't want to download the whole site. Of course, the original site is still live at CodeTwink.com. This is just a backup in case that site is down, or closes at some point.
Official Codebreaker Code Files: CBC v7 Format [GoodCBC r3] (with upgrade.bin) - The entire 1,113 file set of official Codebreaker CBC files decrypted into unencrypted raw hexidecimal format. This should cover all games that aren't already listed on the Codebreaker disc - excluding any games from circa 2008/2009-present for which no official codes were ever created (e.g. Ghostbusters). The file set was originally archived and converted by Bfoos at GameHacking.org.
CBCMaker v1.01 (with upgrade.bin) - Used to write/create Codebreaker .cbc/Day1 files. These contain a list of codes for a game, which can be transferred to your CodeBreaker if you have a USB pen drive. This program writes .cbc files, but it CAN NOT READ OR EDIT them. Use CB2Util to "read" .cbc files.
NOTE #1: The .cbc files this program creates do not contain the digital signature that is required in order for CodeBreaker v8+ to read/see them. These .cbc files can be natively used in Codebreaker v7, but in order to use them in v8.0, v8.1, v8.2, v9.0, v9.1, and v9.3 (does NOT work on v9.2, v10.0, v10.1), you need a special update.bin file that removes the signature check (that file and the program are both available on that page - along with a tutorial on how to use the program).
NOTE #2: The Upgrade.bin file must stay on your USB drive and be in your PS2 when the CodeBreaker loads everytime you want to add unsigned Day1 files, otherwise the CodeBreaker won't see the unsigned Day1 files.
NOTE #3: From my experience, when writing a description of a code, 54 characters is the maximum amount that will fit onto a TV screen. Anything longer will trail off the edge of the TV screen. You experience may vary if you have a larger TV.
CB2Util v1.7 with batch convert script - homepage - Extract (and optionally decrypt to unencrypted hexidecimal format) and compile all cheats from/to CodeBreaker code files (.cbc), encrypt or decrypt PCB files, convert PCB files into ELF files, and check digital signature on CBC and PCB files. The program supports unsigned (V7) and signed (V8) Day1 code saves (.CBC), PCB files (upgrades/homebrew/etc), and more formats in the future.
NOTE: This is a command-line program, and thus does not have a graphical user interface. Once you're in the command prompt and have navigated to the directory containing the program, you can then pass commands to it. Here are a few common examples:
• Extract the contents of a v7 code file to a text file (for v8, remove the "-7" part):
cb2util.exe cbc -7 gta3.cbc > gta3.txt
• Extract and decrypt (to unencrypted hexidecimal format) the contents of a code file to a text file:
cb2util.exe cbc -d -7 gtavcs.cbc > gtavcs.txt
• Compile the codes in a text file to a v7 code file (for v8, remove the "-7" part):
cb2util.exe cbc -c -7 gta3.txt gta3.cbc
NOTE: I have created a .reg file that will allow you to do batch conversions from CBC to TXT from the Windows Explorer right-click menu. You can download it with the program file above. A readme file and an uninstall file are included.
• Old Versions: v1.0 with batch convert script - this version can't write CBC files; also, it uses different command parameters:
• Extract the contents of a code save file to a text file:
cb2util.exe gta3.cbc > gta3.txt
• Extract and decrypt (to unencrypted hexidecimal format) the contents of a code save file to a text file:
cb2util.exe -d gtavcs.cbc > gtavcs.txt
Codebreaker Bootable Emulators
Back in 2006, on the now-defunct official Codebreaker website, were two emulators that allowed you to play SNES and Genesis game ROMs on your PlayStation 2 via your Codebreaker cheat device (v7.1 and higher). These were emulators that were modded by the Codebreaker crew to be bootable by the Codebreaker and run on a PlayStation 2. I saved these files, and am archiving them here on my website for others to enjoy. I'm including what little notes I had typed up about them. I make no guarantees that any of these will work for you, and, of course, you'll need to find your own game ROM files.
• SNES Station - v0.2.4 HDD (818 Kb) - SNES Emulator.
Now-Defunct Official Homepage: http://snes-station.gamebase.ca
• PGEN - v1.4 (1.3 Mb) - Genesis Emulator. (MAY NOT WORK)
Now-Defunct Official Homepage: http://www.gamebase.ca/pgen/
WHAT YOU NEED:
• CodeBreaker PlayStation 2 Cheat Device v7.1 Or Higher
• USB Flash Device/Pen Drive.
HOW TO USE:
1. Transfer the pelican.bin file to your USB drive's root folder. Also put your game ROMs on there, too.
2. Insert your USB drive into your PlayStation 2 and boot up the CodeBreaker.
3. Soon after you see the CodeBreaker logo, it should start reading the USB drive, and then boot up the emulator instead of the CodeBreaker main menu.
To go back to the CodeBreaker, you simply just boot the CodeBreaker without the USB drive plugged in, or delete the pelican.bin from your USB drive. In no way does the emulator modify anything on your system to stop you from using the CodeBreaker.
PAUL'S NOTES:
• The CodeBreaker can be very temperamental and sometimes won't read a valid .bin file with no rhyme or reason as to why. The only consistent way to get it to work, I think, is to extract the .bin file directly to the USB drive from your hard drive.
• Apparently you can only use one emulator at a time as the files probably each need to be named "pelican.bin".
• Put game ROMs on the USB drive with the emulator file, as I would see no other way to play them.
PC Gaming Stuff
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:23 PM in Miscellaneous
This is a list of various programs used for various purposes with different PC video games.
MISCELLANEOUS
GRAND THEFT AUTO
This is a list of my favorite mods and trainers for the 3-D "Grand Theft Auto" series of games for the PC. I will not cover the original top-down series of games. For anything relating to the PlayStation 2 series of games, go to the PlayStation 2 page. Being that I also run a Ghostbusters site, I am listing the Ghostbusters mods.
Let me make this perfectly clear. I am not the author of any of these mods, trainers, or patches. Do not e-mail me asking for help or support because I can't give you any. Check out the forums of any of the sites in the External Links section, as they could probably help you there. I take no responsibility should any of these mods mess up your game or your computer. I have tried to test out everything listed on this page, but what works for me, may not work for you. Always backup your game files before you modify anything. That way if the mod doesn't work, you can restore your original game files and have your game working as it did before.
Utilities
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
External Links
- DDS Converter v2.1 (1.2 Mb) - A handy program to allow you to easily convert to/from DDS, BMP, PNG, JPG, JIF, PSD, and TGA image formats. The program is no longer under development; it has not been updated in many years. There are some bugs, and it's not the cleanest interface, but it gets the job done. On the positive side: Images can be converted in batch mode by selecting multiple images, and it remembers the last directory processed and settings used. If you hate the stupid transparency of the program window, set the slider in the lower left corner to 99, or edit the .ini file in Notepad and change the setting to "0" to disable it altogether.
- Dragon UnPACKer - A game archive unpacking tool. It is plugin based, which makes it easier to add new archive file formats. It has a convert ability and a raw search function for known material (audio, video and pictures).
NOTES- You can extract all files and folders by right-clicking on the root folder.
- When right-clicking on folders in the folder tree, you will be presented with two extraction options. "Extract sub-directories..." extracts all files in the selected folder to the folder you select in the hard drive. "Extract sub-directories to [folder name]..." extracts all files AND the selected folder to the folder you select in the hard drive.
- Tools -> Create Entry List is how you can extract a file list to text, html, or xml. This feature uses templates, which you can modify if you'd like to change the output. You can find the templates and how to make new ones in the utils\templates folder of Dragon Unpacker. The resulting UHT files must be placed in the data folder (not the utils\data folder) of Dragon Unpacker.
- Highlight text in the log, right-click and select "copy log to clipboard" to copy the selected text to the clipboard. If you use that feature with no text selected, the entire log will be copied to the clipboard.
- Zero byte files are not shown on the file list or the number of /media/tcp/entries when you right-click on the root folder. The correct number of files will only be displayed in the log when you open a file (so make sure you keep it visible at the bottom of the screen), where it will tell you the filenames of the missing files - but ONLY if you have the Options -> Basic -> Execution Log -> Verbose Level set to High. For example, Ghostbusters: The Video Game PC "language.pod" shows:
Retrieving 514 entries...
Skipped entry: world\en\whitebox_slimetest.txt (Size equal to 0)...
Skipped entry: world\en\whitebox_enemyai.txt (Size equal to 0)...
Skipped entry: world\en\aitest_ghostbuster.txt (Size equal to 0)...
Skipped entry: world\en\0slimertest.txt (Size equal to 0)... 16ms
This is why it says 514 entries/files in the log, but only 510 when you right-click on the root folder and/or extract all files.
- You can extract all files and folders by right-clicking on the root folder.
- Ghostbusters TEX Converter - A command-line program that converts the Ghostbusters: The Video Game .tex texture files to .dds format. In regards to how to use it, the author says, "Just put the exe somewhere and drop .tex files on it. The output will go into the same folder as the .tex file." As I'm usually converting a lot of files at once, I find it much easier to do the following: To batch convert an entire directory, put the .tex files and the two program files in the same directory and run this command:
for %%f in (*.tex) do start/wait "Tex2DDS" "tex2dds.exe" "%%f"
You can also add that line of text to a .bat Batch file, which will run the command when you double-click on it. This copy of the program that I'm providing on Spook Central has a readme file and a convert.bat file that I personally made. The original only came with the other two files. The reason I uploaded a copy to Spook Central is because the only site where the program can be found requires you to login to download it.
• Note: There are a lot of .tex files out there for many games, but this is the only program I found that could read the Ghostbusters .tex files. However, I would have preferred that it was able to convert them into a common image format instead of .dds. Since we're forced to convert them into .dds, you'll have to use DDS Converter (listed above) to convert the .dds files into a common image format. - Vgmstream - Ver. r937 with all external dlls and a 'convert all smp' batch file (388 Kb) - A command line tool to convert various audio formats used in video games to wav files. Works perfectly on the Ghostbusters: The Video Game .smp files (PC version only, the PS2's .smp files don't convert). Requires libvorbis.dll, libmpg123-0.dll, and libg7221_decode.dll (259 Kb).
- Xpadder - Allows you to use your controller to play PC games with poor or no joystick support (including DOS games in a Windows DOS box and Shockwave/Java internet games), by simulating keypresses and mouse movements using a gamepad. NOTE: Version 5.3 is the last freeware version. As of 4/29/2009, v5.4 is available for a fee, and v5.3 is no longer available for download on the official website.
PROGRAM FILES
• Ver. 5.3 (1/13/2009) (680 Kb) (with supposed relaxed Win2k check) - Contains program exe and 12 language files.
• Controller Images & Game Profiles (10/19/2008) (9.8 Mb) - 125 images and 83 profiles.
• Xpadder Unofficial Manual by Ronald D. Hillberg Jr. - Four PDF files which are useful for those uncertain about how to correctly set up Xpadder.
• Full History Package (38 Mb, self-extracting 7zip) - Contains v5.3 program exe, 12 language files, 125 controller images, 83 game profiles, 92 background themes [background images for the program interface], and ALL 151 PREVIOUS COPIES OF THE PROGRAM EXE FROM v1.1 TO v5.3.
MY PLAYSTATION 2 CONTROLLER GAME PROFILE FILES
I have the EMS USB2 device, which lets me connect one or two PlayStation 1 or PlayStation 2 controllers into one of my computer's USB ports. The game profiles below were made using this setup, but they may work with other controllers that have the same button layout as the PlayStation 2 controller, or with PlayStation 2 controllers connected via other devices. These files are what I use, and I thought I'd share them with all of you. If you can use them... great! If you can't... oh well. Each file below contains the PlayStation 2 controller config file and the specific game profile file, along with a readme and a program screenshot showing what the config should look like on screen.
• Ghostbusters: The Video Game (185 Kb)
• Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime (185 Kb)
This is a list of my favorite mods and trainers for the 3-D "Grand Theft Auto" series of games for the PC. I will not cover the original top-down series of games. For anything relating to the PlayStation 2 series of games, go to the PlayStation 2 page. Being that I also run a Ghostbusters site, I am listing the Ghostbusters mods.
Let me make this perfectly clear. I am not the author of any of these mods, trainers, or patches. Do not e-mail me asking for help or support because I can't give you any. Check out the forums of any of the sites in the External Links section, as they could probably help you there. I take no responsibility should any of these mods mess up your game or your computer. I have tried to test out everything listed on this page, but what works for me, may not work for you. Always backup your game files before you modify anything. That way if the mod doesn't work, you can restore your original game files and have your game working as it did before.
- IMG Tool v2.0 - Most mods require this.
- Alci's SAAT GUI FrontEnd v1.0 Final - The San Andreas Ecto-1 siren mod requires this.
- Official v1.1 Patch - Updates your game from v1.0 to v1.1.
- Peter Venkman skin by PGV - Here are Venkman files (without proton pack). You have to rename the file peter.dff into player.dff and peter.txd into player.txd, then open gta3.img (.../GTA Vice City/models) using IMGTool, remove from there player.dff and player.txd and add the new ones. Put the bmp skin in the skins folder and when you open the game in the menu go and select the new skin for your player before starting game.
- Hot Coffee v2.1 (alt url) - Yes, the infamous mod that unlocks the hidden sex scenes. If you're old enough to play an M-rated game, such as San Andreas, then you're old enough to use this mod. As an alternative, you can use the GTA Censor Remover found on the PlayStation 2 page.
- Ecto-1 vehicle mod by Liam247 (2.4 Mb) - Replaces the Romero hearse.
- Videos Of Ecto-1 Car & Sound Mods In Action - Video #1, Video #2, Video #3, Video #4, Video #5, Video #6.
- GTA-Downloads.com - has complete storyline game saves for all three games, plus some original backed up files (in case you installed a mod without backing up your original game files first).
- GTAGarage
- GTAForums.com
- GTAGaming.com
Windows Software
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:08 PM in Miscellaneous
Here are some useful Windows programs that are either no longer bring developed, or are needed for a guide I have on GameFaqs. I have archived the old programs here for all to enjoy. I have tested all of these programs in 64-bit Windows 7, so they should work in newer versions of Windows, too, but I make no guarantees. Registration information and patches is provided with the programs that were originally shareware in order to enable all features, as there would be no point in preserving this software otherwise. Some of these "registration patches" my trigger your anti-virus program, but that is a false positive. Everything here is clean of viruses.
Please note that I did not write any of the programs listed on this page, so please do not contact me for program support. Everything listed here is provided AS IS, with no support whatsoever. Many of the software developers are no longer in business.
• FileGrab - Ver. 1.0 (150 Kb) - When you drop files from Windows Explorer (or any other drag-and-drop capable app) onto the FileGrab window, you get a usable list of filenames rather than the files' contents. You can then save the list to disk, print it, or copy it into the clipboard for pasting into another application.
• Gallery Wizard - Ver. 2.0 (573 Kb) [Custom No Installer] - Lets you create html image galleries with thumbnails for your website.
* NOTE: The original installer version would not run in 64-bit Windows, so I zipped up the installed files from a 32-bit copy of Windows. That version runs fine in 64-bit Windows. For more information on the program, visit the archived copy of the official website.
• GlueIt - Ver. 1.06 (21 Kb) - It will take a series of single images and pastes them side-by-side as a single image. Great for taking an image split into parts and joining it back together as one image. Inputs PNG and BMP, outputs PNG, BMP, and JPG. Unfortunately, it can only assemble the images from left to right, and not top to bottom. (Requires Microsoft .Net 2.0)
* INSTRUCTIONS: Follow each of the four steps in order. The program will not auto-glue images. It only pieces them together when you press the big "GlueIt" button under Step 2. There are no scrollbars in the Preview window that pops up (also shown when you select "Preview - Preview Glued Image" from the menu), so you probably won't be able to see the entire glued image, rendering the preview rather useless. Ignore "Step 3 - Preview" as it doesn't really show you the glued image all that well. Do note that you can only piece together one image at a time. For more information on the program, visit the archived copy of the official website.
• JewlLinr - Ver. 2.6 (281 Kb) [Custom No Installer] - Prints and saves liners for CD Jewel boxes.
* NOTE: The original installer version would not run in 64-bit Windows, so I zipped up the installed files from a 32-bit copy of Windows. That version runs fine in 64-bit Windows. For more information on the program, visit the archived copy of the official website.
• L View Pro - Ver. 1.D2 (313 Kb) - View, edit and convert many picture formats inc: JPG, GIF, BMP, PCX and more. You can also acquire images from Twain compliant scanners and do batch conversions.
• Tile Merger - Ver. 1.1.0 (39 Kb) - This application takes a folder full of image files and merges them into a single tiled image. It can assemble the images from left to right, or from top to bottom, and you can set the number of tiles per row or column, depending on the tiling direction. The image size is automatically calculated based on the source images. Images are sorted by their filename, so it is suggested to use a numeric prefix naming scheme such as "lamp01.png", "lamp02.png", "lamp03.png", etc.; or "001 tree01.png", "002 table.png", "003 chair.png", etc., in order to predictably position images. (Requires Microsoft .Net 2.0) For more information on the program, visit the official website. (This program is still in production, so check the homepage for the latest version.)
* INSTRUCTIONS: Since it works on an entire folder of images, and assumes that all in that folder are part of the same image, a temporary folder needs to be created in which each set of image parts needs to be placed. After the program joins them, they can then be deleted (sent to the recycle bin) and the next set of image parts can be put into that temporary folder. Repeat until done.
* NOTE: This is better than GlueIt in that it can go from top to bottom, instead of just left to right.
These are a few add-ons (aka extensions) for the SeaMonkey browser that I have had to modify so they could be installed with the current version of the browser.
• Linkification - v1.3.9 modified - This extension converts text links into genuine, clickable links.
• Open Multiple Locations - v0.5 modified - This extension adds a "File" menu option to open multiple locations at a time. Just input a list of urls and it'll open them all at once in separate tabs. (A not-quite-as-elegant alternative is to use this webpage to open multiple tabs.)
• User Agent Switcher - v0.7.3 modified - This extension adds a menu to switch the user agent of the browser. It is designed to provide functionality similar to the "Browser Identification" feature of Opera and allows configuration of the list of user agents to display in the menu. With this extention you can let a website think you're using another browser, which can be handy in some cases. (alt homepage)
Please note that I did not write any of the programs listed on this page, so please do not contact me for program support. Everything listed here is provided AS IS, with no support whatsoever. Many of the software developers are no longer in business.
• FileGrab - Ver. 1.0 (150 Kb) - When you drop files from Windows Explorer (or any other drag-and-drop capable app) onto the FileGrab window, you get a usable list of filenames rather than the files' contents. You can then save the list to disk, print it, or copy it into the clipboard for pasting into another application.
• Gallery Wizard - Ver. 2.0 (573 Kb) [Custom No Installer] - Lets you create html image galleries with thumbnails for your website.
* NOTE: The original installer version would not run in 64-bit Windows, so I zipped up the installed files from a 32-bit copy of Windows. That version runs fine in 64-bit Windows. For more information on the program, visit the archived copy of the official website.
• GlueIt - Ver. 1.06 (21 Kb) - It will take a series of single images and pastes them side-by-side as a single image. Great for taking an image split into parts and joining it back together as one image. Inputs PNG and BMP, outputs PNG, BMP, and JPG. Unfortunately, it can only assemble the images from left to right, and not top to bottom. (Requires Microsoft .Net 2.0)
* INSTRUCTIONS: Follow each of the four steps in order. The program will not auto-glue images. It only pieces them together when you press the big "GlueIt" button under Step 2. There are no scrollbars in the Preview window that pops up (also shown when you select "Preview - Preview Glued Image" from the menu), so you probably won't be able to see the entire glued image, rendering the preview rather useless. Ignore "Step 3 - Preview" as it doesn't really show you the glued image all that well. Do note that you can only piece together one image at a time. For more information on the program, visit the archived copy of the official website.
• JewlLinr - Ver. 2.6 (281 Kb) [Custom No Installer] - Prints and saves liners for CD Jewel boxes.
* NOTE: The original installer version would not run in 64-bit Windows, so I zipped up the installed files from a 32-bit copy of Windows. That version runs fine in 64-bit Windows. For more information on the program, visit the archived copy of the official website.
• L View Pro - Ver. 1.D2 (313 Kb) - View, edit and convert many picture formats inc: JPG, GIF, BMP, PCX and more. You can also acquire images from Twain compliant scanners and do batch conversions.
• Tile Merger - Ver. 1.1.0 (39 Kb) - This application takes a folder full of image files and merges them into a single tiled image. It can assemble the images from left to right, or from top to bottom, and you can set the number of tiles per row or column, depending on the tiling direction. The image size is automatically calculated based on the source images. Images are sorted by their filename, so it is suggested to use a numeric prefix naming scheme such as "lamp01.png", "lamp02.png", "lamp03.png", etc.; or "001 tree01.png", "002 table.png", "003 chair.png", etc., in order to predictably position images. (Requires Microsoft .Net 2.0) For more information on the program, visit the official website. (This program is still in production, so check the homepage for the latest version.)
* INSTRUCTIONS: Since it works on an entire folder of images, and assumes that all in that folder are part of the same image, a temporary folder needs to be created in which each set of image parts needs to be placed. After the program joins them, they can then be deleted (sent to the recycle bin) and the next set of image parts can be put into that temporary folder. Repeat until done.
* NOTE: This is better than GlueIt in that it can go from top to bottom, instead of just left to right.
SEAMONKEY BROWSER EXTENSIONS
These are a few add-ons (aka extensions) for the SeaMonkey browser that I have had to modify so they could be installed with the current version of the browser.
• Linkification - v1.3.9 modified - This extension converts text links into genuine, clickable links.
• Open Multiple Locations - v0.5 modified - This extension adds a "File" menu option to open multiple locations at a time. Just input a list of urls and it'll open them all at once in separate tabs. (A not-quite-as-elegant alternative is to use this webpage to open multiple tabs.)
• User Agent Switcher - v0.7.3 modified - This extension adds a menu to switch the user agent of the browser. It is designed to provide functionality similar to the "Browser Identification" feature of Opera and allows configuration of the list of user agents to display in the menu. With this extention you can let a website think you're using another browser, which can be handy in some cases. (alt homepage)
NOTE: User Agent Switcher ver. 0.6.11 is the last version that will store its settings in the browser's prefs.js file. Later versions store their settings in a UserAgentSwitcher subfolder (in the browser's profile folder). Also note that the program *isn't* supposed to retain the user agent after closing - normally or forced. To retain the user agent, go into about:config and set useragentswitcher.reset.onclose to "false" (if not present, add as a new boolean item). It will stay set to a different user agent whether closed normally or forced/crash. Of course, this setting configuration is unsupported. You may experience a bug in SeaMonkey where it will keep the user agent even though the about:config settings is set to true. If you don't want the settings retained, switch it to false then back to true.
Miscellaneous Links
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 9:00 PM in Miscellaneous
THESE LINKS ARE FOR MY OWN PERSONAL USE. I DO NOT ACCEPT OR EXCHANGE LINKS.
COMPUTER RESOURCES
- Hosts File Blocking (if you need a HOSTS file to start you off, you can download the extensive one at MVPs.org)
- Printer Inkjet Cartridge Refill Instructions: Refill Instructions
- Printer Inkjet Cartridge Refill Instructions: Universal Inkjet Refill Kit (discontinued by original manufacturer OnTel Products, now owned by The Brand Network, Inc.)
- Show Your Current IP Address - CmyIP
- Show Your Current IP Address - MyIPAddress
- Speed Test - DSL Reports
- Speed Test - Fast.com (powered by Netflix)
- Speed Test - Speak Easy
- Speed Test - Speedtest.net by Ookla
- Start-Up - Windows Startup Programs Database Search - A list of programs (only) that run at startup, as compiled by Paul "Pacman" Collins.
- Windows Annoyances
- Windows Services Configuration - for Windows 7, Windows XP.
GREETING CARDS (ONLINE, FREE)
- 123 Greetings - Lets you pre-date your card.
HOME VIDEO & AUDIO (VHS/DVD/BLU-RAY/CD)
- Blu-Ray.com
- CD Database (FreeDB) - Track listings and times for virtually every CD ever made.
- Template Covers/Liners For DVDs & Other Media: Dupe Shop
- Template Covers/Liners For DVDs & Other Media: Print DVD Cover
- Covers/Liners For DVDs & Other Media: Covers.box.sk (alt url)
- Covers/Liners For DVDs & Other Media: Cover Century
- Covers Scans (Back & Front) For DVDs & Blu-Ray: DVD Empire - Yes, I know this is an online retailer and not a cover scan site, but they're the only retailer who usually has back cover scans for the DVDs and Blu-ray discs that they sell. So although I prefer to buy from Amazon, I always check this site for the back covers so I can get details about a DVD or Blu-ray before I buy it.
- Customer Service Phone Numbers & Email Addresses - Retailers and movie studios.
- DVD Compare / Rewind - Comparisons of DVD releases of the same title, so you'll know which one is the best one to buy.
- DVD Talk Forum
- Hidden Features & Easter Eggs (Hidden DVD Easter Eggs)
- Hidden Features & Easter Eggs (Blu-ray: High-Def Digest)
- Home Theater Forum
- VHS Wasteland - High resolution scans of rare, strange, and forgotten VHS covers.
JAVASCRIPT/DHTML ARCHIVES
LANGUAGE TRANSLATORS
- Google Translate (has options for translating Text, Images, Documents, Websites)
MISCELLANEOUS
- Online PDF Unlocker - https://smallpdf.com/unlock-pdf
This one gets around tough AES256-locked files, but it ONLY WORKS ON PDF FILES UNDER 100MB! (You have to pay if you want to use it with a larger file.) To bypass the "twice a day" limitation, simply clear your browser cookies! Yes, it's that simple. Since my browser clears cookies when I close it (only a select few are retained), just closing my browser and reopening it resets the limit :-) - Company Contacts
- Dictionary & Thesaurus - Dictionary.com
- Dictionary & Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster
- Google Maps
- Internet Archive Wayback Machine - Archived Webpages
- Long Island Herald - top stories from around Nassau Country
- MapQuest - Map Maker
- Nassau County Public Libraries
- Nassau County Public Library Collection Search (outdated search)
- SpellCheck.net - Free Online Spell Checker
- Unscramble.net - Unscramble, find, rhyme or define that word! Find or unscramble the word you need to complete that puzzle.
- U.S. Postal Holiday Schedules (Official)
- U.S. Postal Holiday Schedules
- Village of Valley Stream, New York
- Voice Chasers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - Sacred Heart Church, Island Park, NY (White Elephant Sale May-Aug., San Gennaro Feast in Sept.) (WEEKLY BULLETIN PDF ON LEFT MAY HAVE SCHEDULE)
- St. Anthony's Church, Oceanside, NY (St. Anthony's Parish Feast in June)
- Valley Stream Lions Club (Pool Parking Lot Flea Market in Sept.)
- Valley Stream Community Fest (Rockaway Ave Street Fair in Sept. or Oct.)
- The Church of the Ascension, Rockville Centre, NY (Friendship Fair in Oct. - only on odd-numbered years!)
- Valley Stream Chabad Calendar (Giant Menorah Lighting every November/December)
MOVIES
- Bad Movies
- Film Reference - A good source(?) for celebrity mailing addresses, such as Mae Whitman.
- Flubs of Jurassic Park, The
- Internet Movie Database
- Movie-Censorship.com - comparisons between rated, unrated, and other alternate versions of movies.
- "Movie Mistakes" videos on YouTube
- Nightmare On Elm Street Companion, A
- Spider-Man Movie World Trade Center Teaser (1:50, 480x260, 20 Mb, .mov zipped) (archive). Do note that a lower quality streaming version also exists.
MUSIC
- Amazon.com - Free MP3s
- Music Copyright Infringement Resource (USC Gould School of Law)
- Weird Al Yankovic's Official Site
- Who Sampled - Exploring the DNA of Music
ONLINE TOOLS - MISCELLANEOUS
- BugMeNot - Provides login information for websites that require FREE registration, such as the New York Times. They will not provide login information for pay sites. Use this service when you want to view a website, but don't want to go through the hassle (and privacy problems) of registering for it.
NOTE: It only displays the five most recent and/or working logins for a particular site.
NOTE: There is a 40 character limit on the "Other" field when submitting new login info. - Code Converter - HTML-to-BBCode (multiple formats)
- Code Converter - HTML-to-BBCode
- Code Converter - BBCode-to-HTML
- Dr. Watson - Performs numerous checks out your web pages.
- HTML Forums (Webmaster Help Forum)
- Link Checker - W3C
- Logo/Title Graphics Generator
- Markup Validation Service - W3C
- Picture Resizer - The quality of the resized images are as good as what Paint Shop Pro does. In fact, it actually resamples the images, not resizes them, which is better. The Sharpen filer they have SUCKS! It sharpens the images TOO MUCH.
- Transparent Gif Maker
ONLINE TOOLS - FILE HOSTING
When using services like these, be sure to have an Ad Blocker installed in your browser, and always be aware of deceptive links to pay services. These sites like to hide the free ("slow") download links.
- FileDropper
- 1Fichier - no login needed, fast (500 KB/sec), files kept for 30 days after last time downloaded; UPLOADS: No upload progress bar.
- SendSpace
- DropBox (req. account) (2GB free) (recommended for permanent file hosting)
- MediaFire (req. account) (10GB free) (recommended for permanent file hosting)
ONLINE TOOLS - IMAGE HOSTING
- ImageBam
- Imgur (use "New Post" to upload an image, convert video to animated gif, or make a meme)
- Share.pho.to
- Fotki (req. account)
- ImageShack (req. account)
ONLINE TOOLS - PUBLIC/DISPOSABLE E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Public one-way e-mail addresses for when a website or a person wants your e-mail address, but you don't want to get any messages from them in your real mailbox. All mail sent to this address can be read on the website by ANYONE (so don't use it for personal information) who either knows that name or decides to use that name for their own SPAM prevention. Accounts are created when mail arrives for them. No signup, no personal information, and when you're done - you can walk away. The messages are automatically deleted for you after a few hours.
- MyTrashMail (***VERY GOOD***)
- Discard.email
- Guerrilla Mail
- Jetable
- Mailinator (not so good anymore because most sites have it blocked the domain)
- Spam Gourmet
- 10 Minute Mail
- Trash-Mail (in German)
ONLINE TOOLS - URL SHORTENERS
Take a long webpage address and instantly turn it into a tiny one, perfect for posting on message boards or in e-mails. Since you can't edit the tiny addresses you create, this isn't suggested to use as a permanent way for people to access your own website (if you move your site, your tiny address would be useless and you'd have to create a new one).
- Bit.ly (***VERY GOOD***)
- TinyURL (***VERY GOOD***) (good because you can choose text to use in place of the random code)
- SnipURL (good because you can choose text to use in place of the random code)
SEARCH ENGINES
- Dentist Search (American Dental Association)
- Telephone Area Decoder
- Telephone Prefix Location Directory
- TinEye - A reverse image search engine. You can submit an image to TinEye to find out where it came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the image exist, or to find higher resolution versions. TinEye is the first image search engine on the web to use image identification technology rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks.
- ZIP Code Lookup (United States Postal Service)
SHOPPING (ONLINE RETAILERS)
- Amazon.com - Books, CDs/Cassettes, DVD/VHS, Video Games, Toys, etc. (Free Shipping [$35+])
- Deep Discount - DVDs, CDs, Books, Video Games, and more. (No NY Tax, Free Shipping [$25+], PayPal Accepted)
- eBay - Various items, ships individually from various sellers, auctions mostly. (Free Shipping [some sellers], PayPal Accepted - eBay now charges Tax, which goes to them NOT the seller)
- Hamilton Book (Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller Company) - Books, Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs at closeout prices. Most are the same titles I found in the past at Big Lots, Dollar Tree, and Rite Aid. ($4.00 Shipping Per Order, PayPal Accepted)
• ITEM NOTE: Of the 33 Blu-rays and DVDs I ordered, only one DVD (Comic Relief) had a promo cut through the UPC code on the back. All items were brand new and sealed in plastic, though some may have been re-sealed (The Jeffersons box was a little dirty under the plastic).
• PAYPAL NOTE: Orders are usually processed the next business day. When using PayPal, note that they set up a PayPal autopay, and bill PayPal the day the order is processed, with the money taken from your bank the next day. For safety reasons, I suggest deleting the PayPal autopay on PayPal's site after your order is processed. It will be recreated the next time you place an order. - Target - Various types of items. (Free Shipping [$25+], PayPal Accepted)
- Walmart - Various types of items. (Free Shipping [$35+], PayPal Accepted)
• NOTE - HORRIBLE RETURN POLICY: If paying with PayPal, do NOT return the item to a physical Walmart store as they will try to give you a gift card instead of a Paypal or Cash refund (like Target does). Do a return through the mail, using their free pre-paid return label. The refund won't be instant, of course, but it's your only option if you want your money back and not "store credit". Ironically, this actually costs Walmart more since they have to pay for the return postage. - WRESTLING: Highspots - Autographed photos and other wrestling memorabilia. (No NY Tax, PayPal Accepted)
- WRESTLING: Ringside Collectibles - Wrestling figures and other collectibles. Located in Freeport, New York, hence why they charge New York sales tax. (5% off with code FIGURES, Free Shipping [$60+ with code SHIPFREE60], PayPal Accepted)
SOFTWARE
TELEVISION
TRADING CARDS
- Garbage Pail Kids: Barren Aaron's Garbage Pail Kids Reference Guide (alt url)
- Garbage Pail Kids: GeePeeKay.com
- Garbage Pail Kids: GPK Central
- Garbage Pail Kids: Wayne's Garbage Pail Kids References
- Jeff Allender's House Of Checklists
- Vintage Wrestling Card Archive
- Wacky Packages: Lost 1992 Series
- Wacky Packages: Lost Wackys
- Wacky Packages: Wacky Packages Website
- WrestlingTradingCards.com
VIDEO GAMES
- GameFaqs
- GamePressure Guides
- Games Database (use the X360 site below for games on that system)
- Ian Albert's Video Game Maps
- GTA Forums - A message board for every Grand Theft Auto game ever made. Lots of useful info here, some mostly geared towards the PC version.
- MobyGames
- Video Game Museum, The
- Xbox 360 Game Title ID Database
- CODES: User-Created PS2 CodeBreaker Codes (for a modest amount of games)
- CODES: Action Replay Official Site - United States (Code Junkies)
- CODES: CodeTwink Network: Cheats, Saves
Formerly known as Code Master's Game Software Code Creator's Club, and then as the official site for the CodeBreaker cheat device, the site is now an archive of Game Shark (PS1) and CodeBreaker (PS1 & PS2) codes (and for some other devices and other systems) created up to early November 2008.
NOTE: Do NOT submit game saves to them. You will lose ownership of your saves if you do it, and they will modify it to replace the game's icon with their own. If you later request that they delete your save from the site, your request will be denied. You should submit them to GameFaqs (link below), where you will retain ownership of it, and they will post it without modifying it. - CODES: Game Genie.Com - click on Enhancers for classic Game Genie and Game Shark codes.
- CODES: Game Shark PS1 Codes (archive)
- CODES: GFCC, The (archive) - Creators of many great Action Replay/Game Shark v1&2 codes for the Grand Theft Auto series of Playstation 2 games.
- TROPHIES: PlaystationTrophies.org
- TROPHIES: True Trophies
- ACHIEVEMENTS: XboxAchievements.com
- ACHIEVEMENTS: True Achievements
- SAVES (PS3): Next Gen Update - Forum
- SAVES (PS3): Next Gen Update - Master Index
- SAVES (X360): The Tech Game
Requires free registration. Search function searches ALL files, not just for that category. Saves were taken from other sites, including some of mine from GameFaqs, which is not cool.
WRESTLING
- NEWS: 24Wrestling
- NEWS: Lords Of Pain
- NEWS: Pro Wrestling Scoops
- NEWS: Rajah
- All Elite Wrestling (AEW)
- CompleteWWE.com - A Major WWF & WWE History Resource (alt url)
- Impact Wrestling (formerly Total Nonstop Action [TNA])
- Online World Of Wrestling: Profiles - Everything you always wanted to know about ANY wrestling personalities from ANY era. (formerly known as Obsessed With Wrestling)
- Pro Wrestling Wiki
- World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
- Wrestlecrap
Calculators & Converters
By Paul Rudoff on Jan. 1, 1999 at 8:49 PM in Miscellaneous
- Time Difference Calculator - Useful for calculating the scene lengths using DVD start and end time codes.
- JavaScript-only Time Calculator - To subtract times, enter the larger time, then on another line, enter the other time as a negative number.
- Military Time chart - Useful for quickly converting eBay time to regular time.
- Pixel to Inches Converter (and vice versa)
- PayPal Fee Calculator
- eBay Fee Calculator
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by CSG Network Our JavaScript Calculator has a limitation of the accuracy of your browser, usually 18 digits. The calculator will handle conversions from that number size to Roman Numerals, but the display would be as long as your desk. we suggest that you limit your decimal entry to 5 digits. The generally accepted maximum for display of a Roman Numeral is 4,999. We are not restricting you to that, but in the strictest acceptance of the guidlines of Roman Numerals, that is the cap. Enter a number (from 1 to unlimited?, such as 26) or a Roman Numeral (such as XXVI), and click the Convert button. You may clear the result field by clicking on Clear Result. You may also click on Convert another time and the result should be your initial entry. |