If you don’t use any home brew firmware then you’ll enjoy downloading the regular new releases of firmware updates for your PSP.

Sony is always releasing these updates to let your PSP do more things by adding new features. Some recent updates have included cool things like the ability to play AAC files, download video through RSS and, for anyone with a PlayStation 3, you can now download and play PS1 games.

Of course, if you do use firmware, you shouldn’t install the upgrades because then you won’t be able to play home-brew games anymore. The choice is yours…..

Here’s how to upgrade your firmware in 6 quick and easy steps.

1. First, before anything, you’ll need to be able to get your PSP connected to the internet. In the next step you will connect so it will be pointless if you don’t have internet connection. After making sure you can connect to the web, scroll all the way left on your home screen then all the way to the top of the menu. Select Network Update and press ‘X’ button.

2. Select the name of the connection you want to use and press the ‘X’ button. The PSP will connect to the Internet and tell you if an update is available.

3.  If no update is found to be available, then you can stop and go back to what you atre doing. If there is an update available, you can move on and download the update. You’ll need to make sure your memory card has around 21Mb or so free space (update sizes vary a little). If you do, press ‘X’ to continue and download.

4. The update will begin downloading straight away. This may take a while, depending on your internet connection. Just be sure you DON’T switch your PSP off. Leave your PSP on and it will finish the download automatically.

5. Once the download is complete, press ‘X’ to continue and begin installing the update. Your PSP will reset itself and reload with the new updated program.

6. Once it resets, you’ll be prompted to go through the update install and accept the licence agreement, so Press ‘X’ to start the update then press ‘right’ on the D-Pad a couple of times to accept the licence agreement. Read what’s in the update and press ‘right’ one more time. Press ‘X’ to begin updating. It is vital you don’t unplug or turn off your PSP until the updating process is complete; or you could be in big trouble!

Once it’s done, you’re finished …until the next update is released! Congratulations! You’re free to enjoy gaming in the world of no homebrew restricted garbage!

Stu - www.PSPspecs.com

Q. My UMD is all messed up. The outer plastic cover that has “UMD universal media disc” written on it keeps bending in on the top.

A. I highly suggest you get a new UMD case for your game or movie. The umd case can get worse and worse and may even mess up the umd drive if a piece breaks off.

To put your old messed up game/movie in a new case, all you need to do is put the good disc in a good umd case. Take the demo umd that comes with the psp and use a knife to pry it open carefully. You will see a little opening on the side. Gently pry it open and moved along it to the top. Do the same for the messed up umd. Swap over the discs in the casings and you’re ready to start playing again!

Q. I have alot of scratches on my psp. How can I remove them?

A. This is a very easy, useful and cheap fix! To do this you’ll need the following materials ans a few minutes:

• 1 can of Brasso or Silvo (Both work just fine, but I use Silvo due to how much I use it for everything else in my house).
• 2 rags or other type of lint-free cloth.
• A few LCD cleaning wipes or alcohol wipes.

All you do is take the rag and put a few drops of polish on it. Then rub it in a circular motion in the clear area of the faceplate. Do this until about half of the scratches aren’t noticeable, then rub the other direction.

Once all the scratches have disappeared, wipe the polish off the PSP using the clean cloth. Be sure to wipe up, away from the buttons, or you’ll have a dust problem with the dried polish getting inside the PSP around the buttons.

Once you’ve polished out all the scratches out and cleaned it up with the clean cloth, allow the residue to dry and clean it up further with an alcohol wipe. Now you know how to remove scratches from your PSP and its all shiny clean like new.

Q. Every time I switch on my psp after completely turning it off, it always boots my UMD automatically at first. Is their an easy way I can stop the UMD from booting?

A. There is a way to bypass the automatic UMB boot. You have to go into your Privacy settings and set the parental control to level 1 and set the Password to something easy to remember like 0000.

Then whenever your psp boots up it will ask for your password rather than boot the UMD/game and all you have to do is press circle. Or you can get 2.71 SE-B.

Q. My psp battery seems like its not giving out any charge or I can’t seem to charge with the AC adapter.

A. Get 2 thin pieces of steel/copper wire and connect the first and third golden slot on your psp battery. Don’t worry, you will not get an electric shock due to the low amp. Touch the 2 wires together and you might see a very little spark (possibly). Put the battery back in your psp and try switching it on again.

This often happens due to damp weather or high humidity in the air, and that your psp had a short circuit. By doing this, it gives the battery new life similar to jump starting the car battery. If this method fails to give your psp battery new life, then its time for a new battery I’m sorry to say.

Q. My analog stick/nub is messed up. It wont go back to the middle and its hard to move.

A. This usually happens if you have a larger analog stick/nub on the psp, for instance the ps2 one. All you have to do is move the analog stick around with force a few times. Believe it or not it works.

Q. One of my buttons on my PSP isn’t working. I have to press it really hard for it to work. What do I do?

A. For this fix you have to open up your psp. You just have to get rid of the dust around that button or part. It works every time and requires little effort. Use a toothpick or earbud for really small places to remove the dust and crap build up.

Q. I just dropped my PSP into water! What do I do?

A. It depends on how long it was in the water. If you took it out immediately then you have a great chance of saving you’re psp. Just don’t plug in anything and don’t turn it on right away!

You can open it and blow dry the inside. If you don’t feel safe opening you’re psp then you can just leave it and let it dry out for about a day in a warm room. When when you think its been long enough turn it on.

On the other hand, if it feel and you didn’t take your PSP out of the water fast enough, say until about 20 seconds after, then you’re probably screwed.  I would suggest not touching that bad boy for a week and a half.

Q. I have dust on my psp’s LCD screen. How can I remove it?A. The best solution for this is to get compressed air (in a can). Blow into any crack or opening you can get into. Usually around the buttons is the best place.

Wiping the inside with a lint free cloth works too but not as well as compressed air and for that you need to take off the front cover of your PSP.