PS3 hdd failure

JOSman

Guys,

My little fellows ps3 hdd failed (?) and I bought a replacement drive but didn't have a back up of the original hdd.

I've replaced the drive with a new one but that didn't work, so I download one of his friends ps3 hdd. This didn't work either.

Where can I go from here?

New HDD. Totally raw.

Where am I going wrong?


Thanks for your hep.


J

Varik

JOSman wrote: »

Guys,

My little fellows ps3 hdd failed (?) and I bought a replacement drive but didn't have a back up of the original hdd.

I've replaced the drive with a new one but that didn't work, so I download one of his friends ps3 hdd. This didn't work either.
Where can I go from here?
New HDD. Totally raw.
Where am I going wrong?
Thanks for your hep.
J

Are you getting the "Cannot Start. Correct hard disk not found" error or why do you think it's the HDD.

Can you post exactly what HDD you bought, if you can I'd suggest either buying a HDD enclosure or installing the HDD into a PC to check if it's working or if it's the PS3 or if you're doing something odd during the installation.

You're lucky the his friends HDD didn't work as the HDD are encrypted, if it had work you'd need to have wiped his HDD fully.

chopperbyrne

Did you format the new HDD as FAT32 first?

DeFinch89

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Did you format the new HDD as FAT32 first?

You do not need to format a HDD before it goes into the PS3, the PS3 has a feature that installs and formats it AFTER the new HDD has been fitted.

The backup external memory is what needs to be formatted to FAT32 using a PC before backing up the old HDD.

What im thinking is OP didnt select the option on the PS3 XMB menu to format the HDD after he fitted it, which may explain why its not working.

Please post a link of new HDD spec (if its not the friends other original PS3 HDD)

mtb nut

I had this problem when i upgraded my hdd. Problem i had was that the firmware wasnt there so had to put firmware on a Usb stick inserted into port when starting up for first time. I could be that the ps3 hasnt the firmware still intact so will not start due to lack of software.Download the firmware version from sony directly onto a usb stick and that should solve the issue's.

JOSman

That's what's coming up, no AP software. Will try that first.

Thanks

JOSman

Hi MTB Nut,

Where do I find the operating software? I trolled through the Sony site and didn't find what I was looking for.

Can you help as to where I should be looking and what I should be extracting (if necessary).

What the screen is telling me "no application data". I assuming this means no OS. I have now recovered the data from the old hdd but am unable to install this on the new hdd, the ps3 keeps telling me no application data.

Thanks

Varik

http://ie.playstation.com/ps3/support/system-software/detail/item541669/Update-features-%28ver-4-31%29/

This is the file you want.

Make a folder called "PS3" and then a folder called "UPDATE" in that folder, not put the file you downloaded from the site above in the update folder.

\\PS3\UPDATE\PS3UPDAT.PUP

Not sure how you've recovered or how you're put it on the new HDD, but the PS3 file storage system is proprietary and encrypted.

JOSman

Hi all,

The biggest problem I'm having at the moment is the external drives I own are too big . I tried to format my external drive using dos but it failed (160 Gbit).

Anyway, the initial attempt it would appear that the drive was not formatted properly. I had a second really old external drive with separate power supply. This is also too big for FAT32.

I'll try again in the next couple of days, providing the kids don't drive me totally nuts.

Thanks for your help.

F1ngers

What exactly are you trying to do?
Your OP implies that your PS3 HD is busted, but your last post mentions an external HD.

These are two different problems.

mtb nut

I used "HP usb disk storage format tool" to format my 1.5tb external and 640 gig internal drives so i could use them with the ps3. Think this is the link to it,but it was along time ago when i downloaded it.

http://download.cnet.com/HP-USB-Disk-Storage-Format-Tool/3000-2094_4-10974082.html

Hopefully this helps you out.

Varik

You don't need to format the internal drive, the PS3 does that and it's a proprietary format and it's encrypted to each PS3.

Dravokivich

Varik wrote: »

You don't need to format the internal drive, the PS3 does that and it's a proprietary format and it's encrypted to each PS3.

The are on about the external drive that the restore file is picked up by the PS3 from, no?

JOSman

Varik wrote: »

Are you getting the "Cannot Start. Correct hard disk not found" error or why do you think it's the HDD.

Can you post exactly what HDD you bought, if you can I'd suggest either buying a HDD enclosure or installing the HDD into a PC to check if it's working or if it's the PS3 or if you're doing something odd during the installation.

You're lucky the his friends HDD didn't work as the HDD are encrypted, if it had work you'd need to have wiped his HDD fully.

Hi Varik,

I bought a HGST, 500 Gb sata drive from a well known electronics store in town. It's one of the drives (with spec) recommended for the PS3.

It now appears that the lads were just shutting down the ps3 without doing it properly. As I have purchased a large drive I would like to replace the smaller one.

The smallest external drive I have is 160 Gb. This seems to be to large to format. I have a friend who may have a smaller external formatted in FAT32. I'm going to give him a buzz later today.

Thanks for your help.

J

rhonin

JOSman wrote: »

Hi Varik,

I bought a HGST, 500 Gb sata drive from a well known electronics store in town. It's one of the drives (with spec) recommended for the PS3.

It now appears that the lads were just shutting down the ps3 without doing it properly. As I have purchased a large drive I would like to replace the smaller one.

The smallest external drive I have is 160 Gb. This seems to be to large to format. I have a friend who may have a smaller external formatted in FAT32. I'm going to give him a buzz later today.

Thanks for your help.

J

I used this to format my 320GB external hard drive for backing up my PS3.

Taltos

Hi OP

sounds like 2 things here then.

1. Internal new drive.
This should just slot right in and when you power up the PS3 it should start the installation process.
However - when I recently tried this I got an error (cannot remember it now) - per the above advice I had to download some software from the Sony site - google your error to learn what it is you need.
> Put this software on a USB memory stick using the folders above - the system will pick it up automatically and will then proceed to format your drive.
If you had a backup from your original you can recover it during this process.

2. External drive.
Just make sure it is the right format. Unfortunately until 1 above is complete you won't be able to do much with this. This drive is normally used just for music / movies / photos. It has nothing to do with gaming...

Hope this helps - the error above is easily fixed - just make sure you pull down the right file and have the folders named correctly, not sure about case but name them exactly as Sony require.of us
If you still cannot find it - put up the exact error here and one of us can help direct you again to where the file is and the naming, many of us have replaced these drives and the key thing is always to just take your time.

<Never ever test with someone else's harddrive - if that had worked for you - you would have wiped ALL of their data... HDDs are paired to the PS3 they are put into - 1st step is to format... >

ufc pro

i had this problem with an old ps3 i had, took a long time to fix, i took the ps3 hdd out hooked it up to an external case put it in my laptop formatted it and then put i back in the ps3, then the ps3 will format it, then i downloaded the latest official sony firmware went into recovery mode and updated and it finally worked, the problem was it lost power during an update and it got cought in limbo, this is worth a go, if not try another ps3 drive!
hope this helps!

JOSman

Hi Taltos,

Thanks for your help. I'll try that later.

Just to clarify something, it was a back up from my sons friend that I tried to use as a recovery and not his hdd. I'd be afraid to use somebody else's hdd in case I broke it.

Guys thanks for all your help.

J

Taltos

Ah - well you can't use the backup on an external HDD on a new internal until the internal is paired with the PS3.

Best of luck later.