Comments on: How to upgrade your PS3 internal hard drive

By: Marney Louis

Marney Louis — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:49:38 +0000

to BLT:

xmb stands for xross media bar
just the front main menu page on your PS3, silly acronyms

By: mark

mark — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:51:58 +0000

hi what can i use to backup my dater

By: Greystoke124

Greystoke124 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:54:24 +0000

I am trying to inatall a WD250g hdd into my PS3. The hdd is in the ps3, I have the update on a flashdrive (formatted to FAT32) in a PS3/UPDATE directory. The PS3 just asks me to hit PS on the controller then START & SELECT. It scans the flashdrive then tells me that it can’t find the media. I have hit START & SELECT over and over. At no time has the PS3 seen the new hdd to reformat it.

So what am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!

By: birdseye

birdseye — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:13:16 +0000

my hard drive is corrupt. can i just change my hard drive with a new one? i phoned sony and they wanted me to send my old ps3 in and they said they would send me a reconditioned ps3 for £128. putting a new hard drive in sounds alot cheaper.

By: AL83

AL83 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:00:14 +0000

I purchased a 500GB Hard drive, I stored all my data to an external hard drive including latest firmware. However my PS3 won’t format, it goes through the process asking me to insert a controller and a media storage device with the firmware, which I do but my it says there is no device even though my external device has the data.

By: Neil32

Neil32 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:27:45 +0000

A big thankyou to Janner66. Without that advice I would have been stuck. Thankyou.
Neil32

By: jake

jake — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:11:55 +0000

I just bought a 640gb internal hard drive will it work in my ps3?

By: Janner66

Janner66 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:13:57 +0000

“i have the newer version of the ps3, the HDD has been rotated through 90 degrees, and the seperate flash memory for the OS has been scrapped, so I had a shock when I power up and found my PS3 was a brick!!

Thanks to bombardiers post i was able to figure out how to install the OS again…

Maybe some could update the how to to include the new type PS3 with end on trays, coz lots of ppl are going to get a nasty shock following the how to and also finding this problem.”

“For all those having trouble with the drive not being recognised and the PS3 asking for a drive with a system update on it, download the official system software from Sony, and put it on a USB memory stick (or external HD). It needs to go in:

F:\PS3\UPDATE\

F:\ just needs to be whatever the letter of your external drive / USB stick is.

Put the stick/drive in to the USB slot and power up, your new internal drive should now be recognised.”

I take it these are the instructions to replace the HDD in a new slimline PS3?

By: Janner66

Janner66 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:48:31 +0000

Hi,
I have just bought a 120gb slimline PS3. Are the instructions the same for this console?

By: Richie

Richie — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:39:38 +0000

Hi Guys,
Just installed a 500GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS 2.5″ SATA 5400rpm HDD.

Well after watching the video’s on U-Tube on how to install a new hard drive, i thought of getting my hands dirty and doing it myself coz it looked really easy….

So i backed up all my data on my External HD which was formatted in FAT32, Incase u are using XP on your computer u will notice tht u cannot format a hard drive to FAT32 anymore, only NTFS!!!
Unless you have installed some formatting utilities….

But luckily i had a hard disk which was in the FAT32 format, so just transfered data from that to my computer and then used the External HDD to back up my saved data on my PS3 via USB.

Make sure u sync your TROPHIES on your PS3 with the server, just go to Trophies and choose Option & then click on ’sync with server’.

After all that was done, i replaced the Old 40GB internal 2.5″ SATA HDD with the new 500GB, connected the cables back and switched it ON.

If you have installed the latest UPDATE on ur PS3 ie UPDATE3.0.1 then you are gonna have some problems which was not covered in any video on U-Tube or else where…

It will ask you to connect your PS3 Remote via cable & PRESS the PS button on your remote.

Then it will tell you that you have to install the new update 3.0 or higher version or else it will not WORK, even if you press the SELLECT & START button together,its only going to search for a file that is not there on the SYSTEM……

So what you need to do is simple & easy,

1 Just go to your regional PS3 website

2 After you finished backing all your DATA from your PS3 to the EXTERNAL HDD, just connect it back to your computer, you will see a folder called ‘PS3′ created by your PS3 system, open the folder and create a NEW FOLDER called ‘UPDATE’

3 On the PS3 website go to the new system updates to download via your computer….

4 You will see a new version 3.0.1, just click on download and save it to the FOLDER ‘UPDATE’ that you created.

5 Now connect your EXTERNAL HDD to your PS3, PRESS the SELLECT & START button together, then just follow the instruction on screen…

6 Then you will get to the screen where it will ask you to enter your USER name etc… Just skip all that…. Go to your BACKUP UTILITY and click on RESTORE….. IT will Format your new HDD again (I think it does it 3 times in total from the time you start the installation).

7 VALA!!! All your DATA is restored back on your PS3 along with your saved game files etc…

Out of the 500GB, i got only 375GB to use…. Wonder what happened to the 125GB??????

GOOD LUCK….

By: paddymcb

paddymcb — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:15:23 +0000

thank u so much for this information. was very helpful. just upgraded my ps3 from a 40gb to a 500gb for £60. very happy

By: Sanjog

Sanjog — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:05:42 +0000

To Don W:

You cannot purchase a ps3 without a hard drive However, if one is available on ebay without one, then yes any 2.5 inch SATA hard drive will work with your ps3.

By: Don W

Don W — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:12:18 +0000

If I buy a ps3 without a hard drive, will I need a special hard drive for soley the ps3? or will any hd work as long as it has fat32…
Thanks
Don W
a Granpa

By: steve

steve — Mon, 25 May 2009 02:43:51 +0000

Hi theri just upgraded my ps3 with a 500gig hard disk only to discover
That when recording or viewing while recording the picture just
Stutters or breaks up. It’s not the tv signal as all is fine when you stop
Recording. Any ideas how to fix?
It’s a seagate momentus 5400.6r

By: sb

sb — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:13:39 +0000

a friends 60gb ps3 has died,if he brought a new ps3 40/60/80gb can he put the hd from the 60gb into the new machine to keep his saved games…thank you

By: dan.b

dan.b — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:03:22 +0000

In reply to mix master ices post very helpful. Spent hours last nite trying to install new hard drive with no result. I hope your advice works.

By: jonnywombat

jonnywombat — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:13:29 +0000

Thanks bombardier, you saved my life…

i have the newer version of the ps3, the HDD has been rotated through 90 degrees, and the seperate flash memory for the OS has been scrapped, so I had a shock when I power up and found my PS3 was a brick!!

Thanks to bombardiers post i was able to figure out how to install the OS again…

Maybe some could update the how to to include the new type PS3 with end on trays, coz lots of ppl are going to get a nasty shock following the how to and also finding this problem.

Thanks

Jonny

By: Ali

Ali — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:51:04 +0000

hi
I would just like to know if this hard drive in the link below would work with my PS3 if i format it to a FAT32 filesystem.
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Hard+Drives/External/Buffalo+500GB+DriveStation+TurboUSB+With+Power+Saving+Mode+USB2.0+External+Hard+Drive+?productId=33949#rqc

Many Thanks.

By: major k

major k — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:36:40 +0000

Hi great tutorial before i buy the hdd i want as i want to go for the 7200 but as ive read above about the heating issues i was wondering if i did go for the 7200rpm would a ps3 cooler work enough to stop any major overheating?

thanks in advance.

By: JMC2543

JMC2543 — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:51:47 +0000

Just a note for the ones asking if replaceing the hard drive will void the warrenty. No it will not. Only opening the case and messing with internal items (boards, ect.) would void the warrenty. Sony intended on the HDD to be upgradable, hense the reason it is so easily accessable.