Boot system software

01At a glance

Precondition

Firmware installed; version in About

Pass

System menu reaches idle, no error dialog

Evidence

Boot log names the failing stage

Next

Index your library

02Procedure

Precondition: firmware installed per Install firmware.

1. Launch Meridian and choose Boot → System Software. Wait — first boot builds caches and is slower than later boots.
2. Confirm the system menu reaches idle with no error dialog. That is the pass condition; anything else is a diagnosed stop, not a flake.
3. If it stops, read the last 30 lines of the log before changing anything. The log names firmware, Vulkan, or runtime as the stage — each maps to one fix page.

03Failure map

• Firmware stage: About shows no version. Repeat Install firmware with a fresh official PUP.
• Vulkan stage: update GPU drivers and re-run Vulkan check.
• Runtime stage: install Microsoft's official Visual C++ 2015–2022 x64 runtime per Missing runtime.

Report only after one clean retry per fix. Include build number, firmware version, and GPU driver — see Compatibility methodology.

04After first boot

Continue to Index your library with one owned Stable title. New install? Begin at Download Meridian and work forward.

05Questions

06Related pages

Protocol

The ordered setup path: install, firmware, boot, index, controller — with fixes attached.

Install firmware

Fetch Sony's official PUP, then File → Install Firmware. No firmware ships with Meridian.

Vulkan check

Vulkan 1.3 with current drivers on the discrete GPU. Fail this and nothing else can pass.

Missing runtime

Missing DLLs mean the Microsoft VC++ 2015–2022 x64 runtime is absent. Install it from Microsoft.

Index your library

Point the indexer at stable folders of owned dumps. One title first, then the shelf.