This guide will require you to have a modified play station 2, either a chip in it to play international or copied games or a boot disk like Swap Magic. If you don't have either one I will tell you how to get them, otherwise skip the first paragraph.
This guide is only for “backing up” your PS2 games you already own, do not use this information for piracy. If you choose to use it for piracy it is your choice, but I don't take any responsibility for it.
If you want to back-up your PS2 games you will need a mod chip or a Swap Magic disk. You will need to find someone who can install the chip for you if you want to use a mod chip, I suggest you search on the internet till you find a dealer who sells and installs mod chips for you. Note that your PS2 may lose its warranty if the chip is installed, so choose to do this if you're sure you won't need warranty anymore.
Swap Magic is another option if you don't want to lose your PS2 warranty, I don't know much about this option but I guess you will be able to buy this over the internet. What it does is it tricks the PS2 into thinking the copied game is the original disk. All PS2s have a signal reading system that only lets original games play, this disk will make the PS2 skip that stage and then you quickly swap to your copied disk. There are some procedures you have to do that I'm not really sure of but you can find that out on the internet.
I strongly recommend a mod chip because it's far easier, all you have to do is install it and you can play any copied game you want on your PS2. It completely cancels out the reading system to make your PS2 play both copied and original games.
If you want to copy your PS2 games you obviously need a computer with a DVD burner, this is because most PS2 games are recorded on DVDs. Many of the really old games are recorded on CDs though so if you want to copy them your burner should be CD burner compatible, which normally are if you can burn DVDs on your burner.
Make sure you buy good quality DVDs because some DVDs may not work on your PS2; I recommend Sony, Verbatim, Teac or LG DVDs. Other DVD brands may also be good but these ones are the best. I use these and they never let me down. Also make sure your original copy of the PS2 game you wish to back-up has a clean surface, because your burner will pick up an error saying that the disk cannot be read.
Burning software is obviously needed to burn DVDs or CDs. The software I use is Nero 6, which is fairly old now but it still does the job. I also use Alcohol 120% which is very good for burning PS2 games, but the software can be quite expensive to buy. If the PS2 game you wish to back-up is a CD then I would recommend you use a software called Easy CD Clone, this is the best software for copying CDs. You may use whatever burning software you have but these are what I recommend and what I use.
I also recommend you use the lowest speed possible for burning your game, because it will be easily read by your PS2 so the game runs smoothly and it will help stop read errors coming up during the burning. You may use a labelling kit to label your newly copied game or you can write the title on it with a fine marker. If you write it on be sure not to write to close to the edge or your PS2 won't read the DVD or CD.
Now to play it follow the procedure for Swap Magic or if you have a mod chip just put it in, it may take a few tries but it will work eventually.
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