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How to Enter the Root Key for PS3

Sony protects its PlayStation 3 game console from unauthorized modifications with the use of a "key." Hackers have had success modifying the PS3 by using a special USB dongle to run software such as the open-source operating system Linux and "homebrew" their consoles to play PS One and Nintendo games. Sony, however, released firmware patch 3.42 on September 6, 2010, to counter this type of modification, according to an article on pcmag.com by Mark Hachman. But the 27th Chaos Communication Congress announced that the root key had been obtained, giving hackers full access to the console.

Things You'll Need

Sony PlayStation 3 with 3.55 firmware
USB flash drive formatted to FAT32

Instructions

- 1
  Download the jailbreak zip file to your computer's desktop (see Resources).
- 2
  Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your computer. A pop-up menu should appear, giving you access to the drive. Create a folder called "PS3." Double-click on the PS3 folder. Create a folder called "UPDATE," making sure to use all capital letters. Open the UPDATE folder.
- 3
  Double click the jailbreak zip file to extract it. A file called "ps3update.pup" should appear on the desktop. Drag and drop the ps3update.pup file to the UPDATE folder on the flash drive. Remove the flash drive from the USB port on the computer.
- 4
  Insert the flash drive with the ps3update.pup file into a USB port on the PlayStation 3.
- 5
  Navigate to the "Settings" tab on the PS3 using the controller.
- 6
  Select "Update via Storage Media." The PS3 should confirm that it has found an update version named "3.55-jb." Click "X" on the controller to start the update. Accept the license agreement.
- 7
  Turn off the PS3 if it doesn't turn off automatically after the update is completed. Turn on the PS3.

PlayStation 3