Aug 27 / Karol Krizka

Error 80020321 When Lauching an PSP ISO Game

Many PSP users that have a homebrew enabled firmware, like the M33 edition, like to dump the contents of their games from the UMD to the memory card. This will save the file as an ISO, allowing them to backup the games or play them without having to carry any UMD disks around. I do the same thing, but suddenly it stopped working today. I tried to launch “Mind Quiz” to take daily test, but I was greeted with the following error: “The game could not be started. (80020321)”.

After a lot of tinkering, I found my problem. To play any ISO games, you need to have an UMD game disk in your PSP. It does not matter what game it is of. In my case, I was running a little experiment with a UMD video disk that came in my PSP starter pack. After I finished, I forgot to take it out of the PSP. Well, at least I learned that it has to be an UMD game disk, and not a UMD video disk.

If the above solution does not work for you, you might also try to upgrading to the latest M33 firmware. I found that with Dungeon Maker: Hunting Grounds, I had to have version firmware version 3.40 or greater. If this is the case, you might want to check out my M33 upgrading tutorial.

Another way is to use the No-UMD mode that is configurable in the recovery menu, but it is not compatible with all games. To get into this menu, you have to fully shut off your PSP, and turn it on again while holding the R button. When you load the recovery menu, navigate into the Configuration section and select the “UMD Mode” option. Press the X button until you see “currently: M33 driver -NO UMD-”. Navigate back into the opening menu, and exit. This will restart your PSP, and you are ready to roll.

97 Comments

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  1. XpanD / Oct 2 2007

    Works perfectly :)

    Thanks :)

    • Mario / Aug 13 2008

      Many thanls, it worked…!!!
      I spent hours trying to set it up, and many more hours to download the game!!! (by the way, is it always soooo slowww to download a psp torrent game??).

      Well, thx again man! and happy gaming.

      mp.
      PS: How do i do when I wnat to play a game from the umd, do i have to change it again, or is it automatically??

  2. mozo / Oct 6 2007

    i tried your suggestions on the 8002..error msg…and its work…thank bro…cheers

  3. CY / Oct 31 2007

    thanks alot it really works for the 80020321 error in my psp. But would this setting affect the normal psp configuration?

  4. wais / Nov 5 2007

    hi man thanks it works now but i did’t want to put a umd in my psp every time i wanted to play a iso game so i took the recovery menu thing u said now i’am evey happy play iso games with no-umd thanks

    • tk / Dec 3 2007

      thank you very much.

  5. Tyler / Dec 7 2007

    SWAT TL won’t load causes error. The game could not be started (80020148).

  6. donald / Jan 25 2008

    man your so good at this!!!everytime i encounter a problem from my psp..all your solutions help!!thank god for giving us karol krizka..good work bro

  7. Michele / Jan 27 2008

    hey guys
    i have a problem with my psp while running games which are formattted in iso format in memory stick duo but when i try to play my game NBA 08 it says the game cannot be started 80020148

    I am just dieingggggggggggggggg
    pls helllllllpppppppppppppp

  8. Julio T / Feb 3 2008

    THANK YOU!
    YOUR POST SAVE MY LIFE!

  9. a1989inc / Feb 11 2008

    Dude u rock.. thanks a lot for the post..

  10. Deathrow / Apr 14 2008

    I tried to update and it says this!? Do you know why?

  11. AsaAdetimirin / May 3 2008

    thxs..this helped so much
    =]

    • karlernest / Dec 8 2008

      thanks a lot I thought my psp is broken. you’re a true genius! May God bless you

  12. snaprell / Jul 9 2008

    tnx bro…. it works smoothly

  13. CODEBLUE / Jul 11 2008

    I cant figure it out i know i might sound dumb but the damn message appeared just this morning and ive got no umd option when i do the start up thing with the r button can you help please anyone roadhog34340@hotmail.com

  14. CODEBLUE / Jul 11 2008

    this man is a genius let me expand on this procedure tho go to configuration settings change the kernal setting to 3.5xx or 4 xx depending on your make and model and umd mode is right below it thanks man you saved my life

  15. shanil / Jul 13 2008

    thanks it did work for error 8008
    i appreciate it

  16. ali / Aug 4 2008

    thank you it works for me too it help me a lot

  17. keyblademumu / Aug 7 2008

    u rock!!! it workd!!!

  18. Sheela / Aug 9 2008

    Thank you so much!

  19. mid / Aug 23 2008

    3.71M here.No this way doesnt work for me:( Also in m33 mode i keep getting the 80020148 error.I tried everything i saw in net but no luck.I have 5 iso games and only one works.I dont know what else to do.Anyone have an idea?

  20. Abhinav / Aug 23 2008

    Yes changing to no-umd mode from the recovery mode really did the trick.
    Thanks a lot.

  21. harby / Aug 31 2008

    Hi, I’ve tried your method of turning into no umd mode but then my psp just stayed in the black screen after i open the iso game. do you know what the problem might be?

  22. Alex / Oct 1 2008

    Great! :) it works Thanks and i wish you the best!

  23. jerny / Oct 14 2008

    it did work using the M33 recovery Menu, but when im playing the games they all in slow motion, what should i do?

    • Mac-J / Nov 3 2008

      Speed up the CPU.

  24. mac / Oct 18 2008

    hey…buddy this trick really work thats the wonderful…. thanks to post this things online……thanks lot…

  25. marcus / Oct 21 2008

    Hi Karol,

    I want to extend my gratitude for saving me! I semi-bricked my PSP and used Hellcat’s Recovery Flasher to install 4.01 m33 firmware. It worked but I can’t play any of my games!! Until I found out your post. :)

    Really great work. :)

    Many Thanks!!!

  26. karliboe / Oct 21 2008

    Thanks alot! i was searching for 3 hours on my psp, finaly found it :)

  27. Anghell / Oct 22 2008

    Thanks very match,you help me.now I am playing again)))!

  28. GensanBoy / Oct 24 2008

    Thanks very much for this tip, I would have brought my sons psp to the store to have it fixed but with your tip, it saved me money. It took me only a few minutes to fix it. My son is very happy now. Mabuhay!

  29. Kael / Nov 9 2008

    It worked for me! Thanks so much, your tip was a saviour. :D

  30. Alex HK / Nov 12 2008

    thx very much, you save my life

  31. WaT3ver3t3rnitY / Nov 15 2008

    Thanks dude you saved my ass back there =D
    keep it up !

  32. edric / Nov 30 2008

    thanks a lot.. I thought my psp is doomed..

  33. Kirati / Dec 9 2008

    Thank you (. im realy greatful, ^___^ thx again

  34. munix1 / Dec 17 2008

    thank you so much it worked …
    :D

  35. Alvin / Dec 26 2008

    Thank you! thank you! thank you!, my daughter now is playing again…..

  36. Johan / Jan 2 2009

    Thank you, i thought i had to buy a new one :-)

  37. Blade / Jan 4 2009

    You are so freaking good, Thanks Bro YOU FREAKING ROCK GOD BLESS!!

  38. josef / Jan 14 2009

    thanks alot…………ur the best

  39. ryan_boi / Jan 15 2009

    tanks Zero Hawk ur the men… ur comment is very useful…

  40. Anthony / Jan 15 2009

    Dude, I though it was me. Haha. Your’s was the first post I found on how to fix this. Thanks!

  41. raushan / Jan 31 2009

    YOU SAVED ME§§§§ wow…dude thnx alot, my bro was almost gonna kill me cause of this! u saved my ass thnx

  42. ElvenMan / Feb 11 2009

    Thanks :)

  43. Art Live / Feb 18 2009

    thx dude ur a life saver!!!!!!!! thx ALOT!!

  44. Gizelle / Mar 4 2009

    Hi Karol! The same error message (80020321) happened to my nephew’s PSP. I found your page and followed the steps on tweaking the UMD mode in the Configuration section and it worked in a breeze. Thanks a lot! :)

  45. jann / Mar 8 2009

    much love tnx

  46. Engel ver.25 / Mar 9 2009

    hey, thank you so much for this, you save my day!! xD

  47. fussion / Mar 19 2009

    Thank you

  48. mehrdad / Apr 4 2009

    it works, I changed to m33 driver and my game played as well….
    thanks all

  49. mike / Apr 10 2009

    thanks dude, ur the best

  50. Oscar / Apr 14 2009

    Thanks man, was going crazy over this:P
    (Y)

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  1. Accessing the Recovery Menu on PSP | Karol Krizka
  2. 80020148 - PSPMod.com - Sony PSP Mod & Hacks Forums
  3. PSP Error 80020321 « C H E E S E C A K E
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