[HELP] Replacing ps3 hdd guide

NewCat

Forum Noob
As title, is there any guide somewhere on how to replace my hdd with ssd ?
I found a few guides saying I can use cloning software to do so, but when I plug my ps3 hdd and new ssd in for cloning it doesn't work because ps3 hdd isn't initialized (thank god I didn't do so).
After some more googling I can only find random advices like dumping NAND/NOR for backup before doing anything (which I also don't know how from HEN) and how to physically replace the drive, and not how to clone/make it so that my ssd can be read by ps3 like the old hdd.

If anyone can throw me a link or gather a step-by-step it would be amazing. Didn't know there're this many technical huddles to get through just to get rid of the disc.

you should start a new thread for this topic. you can only use the ps3's built-in tool to copy to a drive of the same size. but there are other ways to do it.

BTW you do not need to back up the flash memory (nand/nor) to change hard drives. nor will require you to install you firmware pup file again. nand will not need pup install.

I tried to put in the new ssd (I can't find any other instruction) and it says I have to connect storage media that contain update data then press START and SELECT at the same time so I'm a bit confused. Do I just follow this and put an usb with PS3/UPDATE/PS3UPDAT.PUP in ? My ps3 is now using ps3hen with 4.84.2 hfw.
 
Boot linux from usb (live cd), connect both drives, find the correct drive path for old and new drive (use utilities like fdisk, google it) and then run "dd if=/dev/(your old drive path like sdb) of=/dev/(your new drive path like sdc)" and execute, for example: dd if=/dev/sdb of=/dev/sdc

If you don't care about your old data, just put the pup with same system software version and it'll reinstall everything.
 
On Windows, make sector by sector image by DMDE or HDD Raw Copy Tool (on Linux dd). And the same tools for writing it back.

However, PS3 assigning disks so after You put disk back, You will be forced to format it, so write image back after formatting because in this process it will also be assigned. Cloning each sectors means also target HDD/SSD cannot be smaller but equal or larger than source disk (if larger, You will not gain more storage than on old storage because partition table and partitions are for old capacity and there is no tools to change that).

Also take in mind to be not fooled by disk size in GiB, while producers counting it in GB.

As title, is there any guide somewhere on how to replace my hdd with ssd ?
You don't need a guide. Just take of old and put in new. If You want change alone.

I found a few guides saying I can use cloning software to do so, but when I plug my ps3 hdd and new ssd in for cloning it doesn't work
Cloning is not possible if we stick strictly to this name meaning. For various of reasons, eg. custom unknown for those apps partition table, unsupported file systems like eg. UFS2, and cherry on the top, encrypting whole shit so for them it is empty drive.
because ps3 hdd isn't initialized (thank god I didn't do so).
Indeed. :D

If anyone can throw me a link or gather a step-by-step it would be amazing. Didn't know there're this many technical huddles to get through just to get rid of the disc.
How to change HDD is described by Sony in console manual. :P

For NAND consoles, You don't need update file. For NOR and eMMC You need, and for this role use HFW.
 
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Boot linux from usb (live cd), connect both drives, find the correct drive path for old and new drive (use utilities like fdisk, google it) and then run "dd if=/dev/(your old drive path like sdb) of=/dev/(your new drive path like sdc)" and execute, for example: dd if=/dev/sdb of=/dev/sdc

If you don't care about your old data, just put the pup with same system software version and it'll reinstall everything.
By the way does this apply even if the new hard drive is larger than the old one?
 
On Windows, make sector by sector image by DMDE or HDD Raw Copy Tool (on Linux dd). And the same tools for writing it back.

However, PS3 assigning disks so after You put disk back, You will be forced to format it, so write image back after formatting because in this process it will also be assigned. Cloning each sectors means also target HDD/SSD cannot be smaller but equal or larger than source disk (if larger, You will not gain more storage than on old storage because partition table and partitions are for old capacity and there is no tools to change that).

Also take in mind to be not fooled by disk size in GiB, while producers counting it in GB.


You don't need a guide. Just take of old and put in new. If You want change alone.


Cloning is not possible if we stick strictly to this name meaning. For various of reasons, eg. custom unknown for those apps partition table, unsupported file systems like eg. UFS2, and cherry on the top, encrypting whole shit so for them it is empty drive.

Indeed. :D


How to change HDD is described by Sony in console manual. :P

For NAND consoles, You don't need update file. For NOR and eMMC You need, and for this role use HFW.
Thank you. In my case it's a bit unusual as my ssd is smaller than my hdd, so I guess I would just replace it instead.
 
@Berion sorry I got another issue all together, after replacing my hdd and reinstall HEN with hfw 4.84.2 it says I have to sign back in my psn account, but when I do so it says I have to update.
Is there any way I can sign in psn without updating? I want to stay at 4.84 since there're ways to install cfw other than bgtoolset, just in case it's gonna take a while to come back.
 
@Berion sorry I got another issue all together, after replacing my hdd and reinstall HEN with hfw 4.84.2 it says I have to sign back in my psn account, but when I do so it says I have to update.
Is there any way I can sign in psn without updating? I want to stay at 4.84 since there're ways to install cfw other than bgtoolset, just in case it's gonna take a while to come back.
You cannot sign in with an old firmware version on OFW / HFW.
You can either wait for bgtoolset to come back or use the old method, which works only on 4.85 (which you can update to), supposed to be safe but is a lot less user-friendly. Once you have CFW installed you can fake your FW version or just update to Evilnat's 4.89 based CFW.

Please note that whether you use CFW or HEN, playing on PSN with a modded console is never safe.
 
I didn't know much about those (commonsense) practice, that's why I asked for a full guide :confused3:
The old data is still on my old hdd so guess it's fine though. I can just leave this here until bgtoolset is back.
 
As title, is there any guide somewhere on how to replace my hdd with ssd ?
I found a few guides saying I can use cloning software to do so, but when I plug my ps3 hdd and new ssd in for cloning it doesn't work because ps3 hdd isn't initialized (thank god I didn't do so).
After some more googling I can only find random advices like dumping NAND/NOR for backup before doing anything (which I also don't know how from HEN) and how to physically replace the drive, and not how to clone/make it so that my ssd can be read by ps3 like the old hdd.

If anyone can throw me a link or gather a step-by-step it would be amazing. Didn't know there're this many technical huddles to get through just to get rid of the disc.



I tried to put in the new ssd (I can't find any other instruction) and it says I have to connect storage media that contain update data then press START and SELECT at the same time so I'm a bit confused. Do I just follow this and put an usb with PS3/UPDATE/PS3UPDAT.PUP in ? My ps3 is now using ps3hen with 4.84.2 hfw.
theres no point using a ssd bottlenecking the ssd by 400mb unused cuz most ssds are sata 3 and are around 5 to 600mbs.. buy a 7200rpm 2.5inch hardrive can find them in laptops, i have one and its basically perfect for the ps3 or a sshd almost maxes out the ps3 sata speeds which is 150mbs, or get a sata 2 hardrive but still bottlenecking 150mbs out of it but should max out the ps3s bandwidth.
 
@larry12222 The point is with SSD You getting significantly less time access to block in compare to time access to sector on HDD. Besides that, lower a bit temperature and none mechanical device which can be moved from one place to another, especially during work.

@NewCat Full guide for replacing HDD is in Sony manual, full guide for backup and restore data is in my tutorial. You cannot expect a guide which covering different stuff mixed together because this doesn't have sense, however You could expecting from me that I would point You to this. And I'm sorry that I forgot about this.

You cannot use this HDD in PS3 without formatting it. So now You can only access data to it and copy it to target storage

Since You have fw 4.84, You can use hardware flasher to patch fw allowing install CFW. Old method but reliable if You reading carefully what is showed on a screen. ;) Actually this was the last firmware for which this was developed.
 
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