ps3 HD upgrade

[laruso]

apologies if there is already a thread (i couldnt find one) - pls delete if so.

Im looking at upgrading the 40GB HD to a 320GB one (ive run out of space already). does anyone know if i have to back up the current drive or can i literally put my game saves on a memory stick, then swap drives, reinstall games one by one, re-download all my psn titles etc and copy my game saves off the memory stick.

i dont have an external drive available to temporarily back everything up on.

anyone else done this or changed their hd drive?

[Number45]

You should just be able to transfer saves, as long as you don't mind going to the hassle of re-downloading everything (Including patches).

[briareos_kerensky]

My new PS3 HDD is turning in tomorrow, just few minutes ago I've backed up everything (not really that much...contacts, a PS3 savegame and a couple of PS1 savegames) on a compact flash. Took mere minutes and once you've swapped the HDD you hit "restore" under the same menu. I think it will all go well.

[KusoGaki]

I swapped my 20gb for a 120gb hdd this saturday, just flung all my save files onto an ipod shuffle and reinstalled all the games again afterwards. (20+minutes for devil may cry 4 !! )

All my other account login details seemed to remain on the system, didn't have to reenter login details or anything.

[Number45]

I think the account information itself is stored separately, away from the HDD.

[Ian(not Ian)]

I think the account information itself is stored separately, away from the HDD.

Indeed it is.
Swapped to a 320GB this weekend, but then I did have a fat32 USB drive to backup the system before swapping drives.
Once swapped, and before I restored the system, the PS3 had still retained the profiles elsewhere, flashrom I expect.

[capcom_suicide]

Indeed it is.
Swapped to a 320GB this weekend, but then I did have a fat32 USB drive to backup the system before swapping drives.
Once swapped, and before I restored the system, the PS3 had still retained the profiles elsewhere, flashrom I expect.

If I use Ubunto to make my external USB disk Fat32 and >60GB, does this "Backup/Restore" take care of everything? No extra tweaks or hassle, just backup to the external disk, and then restore in the same way?

[Number45]

That's what I'm planning on doing personally when I get a new HDD (Which should be soon).

http://www.compuapps.com/Download/swissknife/swissknife.htm

You can use that for the formatting if you don't have another OS handy by the way.

[Dazzyman]

Some games are locked though and you cant rip the save off the hard drive. I did this yonks ago with my JPN 20gig model and shoved at the time a big 160gig 7200rpm drive. Its even easier if you have a PSP as you can just dump back and forwards. Downloads you just go to your history at store and redownload them (I had around £100-£150 worth of RB tracks what I had to redownload recently that took hours) your account details will be stored on the actual PS3 not the HDD so you wont have to worry and if you ever switch machines you just recover it.

Installation will take more time to take the screws out than putting the drive in, its a couple of mins job tops.

[briareos_kerensky]

That's what I'm planning on doing personally when I get a new HDD (Which should be soon).

http://www.compuapps.com/Download/swissknife/swissknife.htm

You can use that for the formatting if you don't have another OS handy by the way.

Doesn't the PS3 take care of formatting the HDD from scratch? From what I've read on the web and on the user manual it appears so.

[Ian(not Ian)]

PS3 will format the new drive at first boot after you install it.
The PS3 System backup appears to move all your saves, installs, demos, virtual memoty cards, music, videos et all when you perform the system backup.

^^ whatever a virtual memoty cards is

[laruso]

ive ordered the 320GB hd from play.com :
http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/-/2148/14...archtype=genre

bargain price at ?59.99!

i reckon im gonna use a back -up drive, prob the one i use for time machine on my mac. gonna format it, back up ps3 etc. then reformat it and backup the mac again afterward. just hope i dont have some kind of mad hard drive crisis in the middle of it all!

[briareos_kerensky]

Done it in less than half an hour.
Removed the old HDD from the console and put in the new one (320gb Western Digital Scorpio), plugged the PS3 and turned it on. Console asked to connect the pad via USB cable and provide an USB device with the 2.42 system update; I think it first re-updated the new part of the system to the latest version and then formatted the HDD.
Had to reinput all date, language and user data and then restored the previous backup.
Completely trouble free, the only real problem could be a blackout while updating or formatting.

[laruso]

Console asked to connect the pad via USB cable and provide an USB device with the 2.42 system update;

so do you need to have the firmware on a usb device to complete the hd change?

should i download that from sony's site ready before i start?

[briareos_kerensky]

I've updated the PS3 to v 2.42 before and backed up all data via the utility in System Settings.
Then, what I've done, step by step:

* unplugged the PS3 (video, audio, power, ethernet)
* removed the plastic cover on the left side of the console (you don't even need a screwdriver)
* removed the HDD caddy and unfastened the HDD
* placed new HDD into caddy, fastened screws and placed caddy back into PS3.
* placed plastic cover
* plugged PS3 back in.
When turned on the PS3 asked me to connect the pad via USB and press the PS button, warning me that the HDD was unreadable; it asked me to connect an USB mass storage device with the 2.42 update on it - the PS3 is cut off from the internet at this point, so you need to have the firmware on something and being able to plug it into the PS3 (I had the firmware on a Memory Stick and used a USB card reader plugged into the second port).
Once everything has been plugged in, the PS3 reads the USB device for a while, restarts and asks you to format the HDD.
Then you have to enter basic system info (language, date, time zone, user, video and audio settings) just like the first time you've turned on the console.
After that, I restored my previous backup. Before restoring the PS3 formats the drive again and then restores all savegames and virtual memory cards.

Really, it's done in less than 30 minutes. The hardest part is to unscrew the original HDD from the caddy.