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HDD Upgrade Guide (+ How to: Back up & FAT32 Format)


Vuule

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Too many movies? Installed too many games? Than this guide is what you need. In the next couple of steps, I’m going to explain to you how to replace your PS3’s HDD (Hard Drive Disk), how to backup your data and if needed, how to format your external HDD to FAT32 for the PS3 to recognize it for your backup.

 

Don’t worry. This is really simple to do. Even if you haven’t done this kind of thing before, it should only take about 10 minutes!

 

Before asking any questions, please see the

FAQ / Troubleshoot page.

 

>> Replacing your PS3 HDD won't void the warranty! <<

 

Requirements

  • New Hard Drive
  • Small sized crosshead screwdriver
  • Optional: USB flash drive with the latest firmware (Go to the official Playstation website for your region to download the latest firmware.)
  • Optional: External FAT32 HDD. (Has to be bigger than the total file size you want to back up.)
    • Note: Just to be safe, use a USB 2.0 HDD for this. Even though USB 3.0 is backwards compatible, it seems that people are having trouble with the PS3 to recognize them.

 

What kind of HDD will work?

  • 2.5" (Must be a 2.5 inch! Which is your standard Notebook HDD.)
  • SATA 1 (1.5 Gb/s) or SATA 2 (3.0 Gb/s)
  • 5400RPM or 7200RPM
  • The tray that holds the HDD supports a HDD up to 9.5mm in depth. (Most HDD's will fit, but be careful with bigger HDD's such as 1TB HDD's.)

 

Optional: Back up

If you don’t feel like downloading all your games again and transferring all those files to your new HDD, you can simply back up all your data at once, or do a partial backup.

 

Note: This will not back up your trophies. Sync your trophies before upgrading your PS3’s HDD!

 

1: Partial backup

If you only want to back-up a select few of your files, you can do the following.

 

USB Flash Drive

  • Insert a USB Flash Drive or External HDD (must be FAT32)
  • Go to Photo, Music, Video or Saved Data Utility (PS3) depending on what you want to restore.
  • Press :triangle: and choose Copy (Multiple).
    • If you want to copy all your files at once and choose to copy multiple, make sure you don't have the files placed in group content. You can (de)activate group content with :square:.

    [*]Select USB Device (Flash Disk)

 

Note: Some save files can’t be copied because they're copy protected. For more info on copy protection and the save files you can't copy, see Terminator's Locked Game Saves thread. The only way to back up these save files is by using the PS+ Online Storage as explained in the next step or by doing a full back up.

 

Online Storage (Can only be done with an active PS+ subscription.)

  • Go to Saved Data Utility (PS3).
  • Find the save file you want to backup.
  • Press :triangle: and choose Copy (Multiple).
    • If you want to copy all your save files and choose to copy multiple, make sure you don't have save files placed in group content. You can (de)activate group content with :square:.

    [*]Select the Online Storage.

 

2: Full backup

If you want to back up your entire HDD.

 

  • Insert an External FAT32 HDD with a storage size bigger than the total file size you're going to copy.
  • Go to System Settings > Backup Utility > Back up.
  • Select your External HDD.

 

The preparation can take a few minutes. Afterwards it will back up all your data which can take a few hours, depending on the total size of data.

 

Formatting your HDD to Fat32

You can check whether your External HDD is FAT32 or not by connecting it to your PC. Go to Computer, right-click on the drive and choose properties. At the top of the new opened window it'll mention the Filesystem, which should be FAT32. (The PS3 doesn't recognize any other filesystem, such as the mostly used NTSF filesystem.)

 

If your External HDD isn’t FAT32, you can easily format it to FAT32 by using this website: FAT32 GuiFormat. It will only take a couple of seconds. WARNING! Formatting your External HDD to FAT32 will delete everything on it!

 

I have used this myself and successfully formatted my 500GB Seagate External HDD to FAT32 within seconds.

 

Replacing your HDD

First of all, back up everything you need and sync your trophies. Turn off the system, then turn it off completely by using the switch at the back of the PS3 and unplug all the cables afterwards.

 

Remember! To tighten a screw, you turn to the right (clockwise). To loosen a screw, you turn toward the left (counter clockwise). You don't want to end up with a stripped screw. -- Lefty loosy, righty tighty.

 

Fat PS3 systems

Taking out the old HDD

  1. On the left side of the PS3 you will find the HDD cover. Gently pull it off with your hands. (If it doesn’t work, carefully use a flat screwdriver.)
  2. Remove the blue screw.
  3. Note: There are 2 possible types of HDD trays. Refer to either step 3A or B.
    • 3A. Grab the handle and gently move it to the right and pull it out.
      http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3760/9222692526_1a855545e6_o.png
    • 3B. Grab the handle and pull it out.
      http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3764/9222692514_32163c3116_o.png

[*]Unscrew the 4 screws.

[*]Slide the HDD out of the tray.

 

Inserting the new HDD

  1. Slide the new HDD in the tray. Place it the same as the old HDD.
  2. Screw back in the 4 screws.
  3. Put it back in the PS3 as it was.
  4. Screw back in the blue screw and put the HDD cover back on the PS3.

 

Slim PS3 systems

Taking out the old HDD

  1. Turn the PS3 upside down.
  2. You'll see 2 small black covers at the top. Simply open the right cover.
  3. Remove the blue screw.
  4. Now on the front of the PS3, push and slide the cover to the right.
  5. Grab the handle and pull it out.
  6. Unscrew the 4 screws.
  7. Slide the HDD out of the tray.

 

Inserting the new HDD

  1. Slide the new HDD in the tray. Place it the same as the old HDD.
  2. Screw back in the 4 screws.
  3. Put it back in the PS3 as it was.
  4. Put the HDD cover back on the PS3.
  5. Screw back in the blue screw and put the small cover back on the PS3.

 

Super Slim PS3 systems

Taking out the old HDD

  1. Put the PS3 vertically, with the PS3 logo on top, facing you.
  2. Push and slide the black cover gently to the left.
  3. Remove the blue screw.
  4. Pull out the tray with the HDD.
  5. Unscrew the 4 screws.
  6. Slide the HDD out of the tray.

 

Inserting the new HDD

  1. Slide the new HDD in the tray. Place it the same as the old HDD.
  2. Screw back in the 4 screws.
  3. Put it back in the PS3 as it was.
  4. Screw back in the blue screw
  5. Put the HDD cover back on the PS3.

 

Now plug back in all the cables and boot up your PS3. Follow the instructions on your screen. The PS3 will ask you to update to the latest firmware. You can either connect your USB Flash Drive with the latest firmware, or you can skip this part and format the HDD. The PS3 will update itself to FW1.9 afterwards. When it’s done, connect your PS3 to the internet or use a USB Flash Drive with the latest firmware to update your PS3.

 

Make sure you put the firmware update file (PS3UPDAT.PUP) in a folder called UPDATE, and put the UPDATE folder in a folder called PS3. Storage device > PS3 > UPDATE > PS3UPDAT.PUP. Must be in all caps!

 

Restoring your backup

Now it’s time for the final step. Plug back in all the cables and boot up your PS3. It will ask you to format the HDD. It will only take a couple of seconds.

 

1: Partial backup

 

USB Flash Drive

  • Plug in your USB Flash Drive.
  • Go to Photo, Music, Video or Saved Data Utility (PS3) depending on what you want to restore.
  • Select the USB Flash Drive.
  • Select any file.
  • Press :triangle: and choose Copy (Multiple).
    • Note: If it doesn’t show any data, highlight the USB Flash Drive, press :triangle: and choose to show all.

 

Online Storage (Can only be done with an active PS+ subscription.)

  • Go to Saved Data Utility (PS3).
  • Go to Online Storage
  • Select any save file.
  • Press :triangle: and choose Copy (Multiple).
    • If you want to copy all your save files and choose to copy multiple, make sure you don't have save files placed in group content. You can (de)activate group content with :square:.
    • Note: Some save files can only be downloaded from the Online Storage every 24 hours.

 

2: Full backup

  • Plug in your external HDD with the Backup.
  • Go to System Settings > Backup Utility > Restore > Select your External HDD > Select the backup data. (The backup data should look like this: 201106151018 (Year/Month/Day/Time).

Now it’s going to restore everything which should take a couple of seconds. Once it’s done, it’s going to restart the PS3 and will restore all your data afterwards. Again, this can take several hours depending on the total size of data.

Edited by Vuule
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FAQ / Troubleshoot

 

Q: Can I install a SSD instead of a HDD

A: Yes. But just like with a HDD, make sure it has the correct dimensions etc.

 

Q: Do I need to deactivate my PSN account before replacing the HDD to prevent having 2 active accounts?

A: No. That info isn't stored on your hard drive. (You can check the amount of activated devices here. Log in and go to 'Devices' at the top.)

 

Q: Can I insert my old PS3's HDD in a new PS3 and keep all my data?

A: No. Your new PS3 will see the old HDD as new and format it.

 

Q: Can I insert my old PS3's HDD back in my original PS3 -after having installed a new HDD- and keep all my data?

A: No. Your original PS3 will see the old HDD as new and format it.

 

Q: Should I go with a 5400RPM or 7200RPM?

A: Read some test results about speed and heat difference between the two here (Please note, the test results are from 2008): 7200rpm vs 5400rpm HDD for the PS3

 

Q: What will the Full Backup, Backup?

A: Everything. (Except trophies as explained before. Sync them before upgrading your HDD.)

 

Q: Why did my trophy list reset to 0%/Why do I unlock trophies I've already earned?

A: Playing games after you've upgraded your PS3's HDD, your trophy lists might reset to 0% and unlock trophies you've already obtained before. Don't worry! Simply sync your trophies once it does and you'll have all your original trophies back. Your original trophies might not appear immediately though. Once synced to the server, you can't lose your trophies!

 

Q: Why did I lose space on my HDD?

A: This is based on how data is calculated. The PS3 itself also needs a certain % of your HDD for system files. For a more detailed answer, see this post.

 

Q: Where did my Online Storage save files go?

A: It can take a while for the Online Storage to properly sync with your system. You can also try to upload a save file to the Online Storage and then try to retrieve it from the Online Storage afterwards. This can trigger the Online Storage synchronization. (Be careful not to overwrite any important save files!)

 

Q: Why do I need to purchase a new license for video content I bought?

A: This may happen with purchased video content. (E.g. movies, not free trailers and such.) Unlike games which can be active on 2 PS3 systems at the same time, purchased video content can only be activate on 1 system. While upgrading your HDD doesn't increase the number of active systems, it does seem to affect purchased video content. In order for you to playback the content again, you'll need to phone Sony support and get them to re-authorize the content. (Thanks eddieM)

 

I get a "Cannot start. The appropriate system storage was not found." error.

This means the HDD isn't properly connected. You'll have to open it up again and see if it was properly placed into the tray, or if the tray itself with the HDD was put back in correctly. It may also be that there's some dirt/dust blocking the connectors. Blow some air on the HDD and/or PS3 connectors to get rid of it.

Edited by Vuule
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  • 1 month later...

Nice guide. I can't believe this is sitting who knows how many pages in with no replies while that one about modding the HDD tray so you can fit a 1TB drive in that also does not include complete instructions for the back-up, restore, and instructions for a slim swap is stuck. Not that the other guy didn't write a good set of instructions, but it's instructions for a very specific thing rather than this which is useful to everyone who wants to swap their HDD.

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This should be stickied.

 

On another note: damn I hate that crappy blue screw.

 

This thread should be stickied. Much better than the 1TB-guide. :)

 

Thanks :)

 

Changed the layout a bit. Should add somewhere in the guide that it's possible you might start to earn trophies you already have. Which is fixed by syncing your trophies again.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Nice guide! I've been thinking about upgrading the HDD in my PS3 "fat" 80Gb model. I've seen a bunch of different instructions, but I like that you included steps for backing up and even formatting the external drive to Fat32.

 

I do have a question that I thought about when reading through the guide. When doing a Full backup (and later restore), does it copy settings information like the Wi-Fi set up? Or do you need to set that up again? Just wondering.

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Nice guide! I've been thinking about upgrading the HDD in my PS3 "fat" 80Gb model. I've seen a bunch of different instructions, but I like that you included steps for backing up and even formatting the external drive to Fat32.

 

I do have a question that I thought about when reading through the guide. When doing a Full backup (and later restore), does it copy settings information like the Wi-Fi set up? Or do you need to set that up again? Just wondering.

 

I'm pretty sure it will also copy all your PS3 settings. Not sure though, it might just be stored on the PS3 itself somewhere other than the HDD, but then again, you're using the same PS3. When I upgraded my HDD, I didn't have to change anything, was as if I never touched it :)

Edited by Vuule
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  • 5 weeks later...
I would never, ever, ever recommend going with a 1TB drive in your PS3. The file system in question is going to be a walking time bomb. Prepare to corrupt the fuck out of your HDD, which also effectively lost a good 30% of its capacity right out of the box to begin with.

 

This is your answer unfortunately :(.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Question. I have already upgraded my hard drive to 500GB. At the time I upgraded it I only had a 60GB so I just used my iPod as the external hard drive to back up my files. After my old PS3 YLOD I am thinking of getting a a new slim PS3. I will want to use my 500GB hard drive in the new PS3. It is now well over the 80GB my iPod can store so I will need a new external hard drive to back up my data. Does anyone have any recommendations on an external hard drive? It only needs to be either 250GB or 320GB.

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Ok so I have the fat 80gb ps3 I upgraded it to a 500gb easy, but now I have a 160gb hard drive from one of my old laptops and want to put all the movies and tv shows onto my 160gb and use that as an external.

The problem is that the 160 wasn't in FAT32 and I tried to convert it using a swiss knife program on my computer. I don't know what I did, but I think that I wiped the drive of what ever it was and now my computer won't recognize the drive as a drive and I can't convert it to FAT32.

What can I do, short of buying a new hard drive, to get this so I can use it with my ps3.

 

Any thoughts would be helpful.

I'll try to keep up with the thread otherwise send me a pm.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you restore a backup then you won't have to re-install anything as the Backup Utility will handle it all for you. When I restored a backup after I upgraded my HDD, the entire restore process took about 5-5 1/3hrs which is a lot faster that manually re-installing/re-downloading everything :).

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i have a question about gameshared games...do these games also get transfered to the new HDD (same PS3) if i use the Backup/restore utility? And what about DLCs that was gameshared?

 

Also when you said we have to de-activate/reactivate, does it matter if i deactivate before backup or after backup? Is deactivation the last thing i should do before switching the actual hdds?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

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