PS3 Ps3 wants to rebuild database. Can I back it up first?

J

JaPOWGer

Member
So I have a PS3 superslim with the latest HEN installed as well as the latest multiman and webman. Recently, the ps3 had been disconnecting from the access point which caused it to constantly disconnect from PSN. I thought no big deal as long as nothing gets deleted. Then earlier today, I went to turn on my PS3 like I always did, and then it said that it wanted to rebuild the database. I decided to put it in safe mode and restore the file system just in case it was an error, but the same old message regarding wanting to rebuild the database keeps coming up. I haven't tried restarting ps3 (option 1) or restoring default settings (option 2) via safemode yet. As I understand, I think I read online that the only thing that gets deleted are PSN messages and maybe like some photos or something. The good news is that I backed it up a few months ago, so the only PSN messages I lose are mainly from one PSN account on there and like a couple from another.
I'm thinking of taking out the sata drive and inserting it in my PC like I did one time with XBox 360 hard drive and back it up before I rebuild the database. As I understand, unlike Xbox 360 drive, I would likely have to reformat PS3 drive before PC can read it. Or perhaps I should cut my losses and just go straight to rebuilding database like PS3 wants me to do.
Is there any way to back up my PS3 data before I rebuild the database? What is all that I lose if I were to just simply go straight to rebuilding database?
I already gave Sony a call, and unsurprisingly they aren't much help because they don't really have support for the PS3 anymore. He did say though that nothing really gets lost when rebuilding PS4 database, not even PSN messages. What should I do?
 
devwiki says "Deletes messages, playlists, changes made on "Information" screens, trimming information for pictures in "Photo", video thumbnails, video playback history and video resume information. Will also "unregister" your PSN account with your system - anything that needs your PSN information to run correctly, like trophies or games that require trophies with a PSN account to be linked, will not work. To fix, either sign in to PSN or for systems </=3.55, edit the xregistry.sys to have your PSN email and password. This operation may take a long time depending on the type and number of data items."
 
Coro said:
devwiki says "Deletes messages, playlists, changes made on "Information" screens, trimming information for pictures in "Photo", video thumbnails, video playback history and video resume information. Will also "unregister" your PSN account with your system - anything that needs your PSN information to run correctly, like trophies or games that require trophies with a PSN account to be linked, will not work. To fix, either sign in to PSN or for systems </=3.55, edit the xregistry.sys to have your PSN email and password. This operation may take a long time depending on the type and number of data items."
Click to expand...

Does it delete any photos and/or videos that's saved on my system? As long as I reregister my PSN account to PS3 after rebuilding database, will my trophies be safe?
Also, do you think I could stick my PS3 hard drive into my PC? I've stuck an xbox 360 drive into my pc before and got some data off of there and even later transfered it to the PS3. I know that the ps3 is a different file system, but what if I just took PS3 hard drive and put it into my pc?
 
photo/video will be fine. trophies should be okay AFAIK.

ps3 hdd is encrypted. you need key from your ps3 to read it on pc (no writing AFAIK). windows will ask to "initialize" the drive but that will make ps3 think that it is empty.
 
Rebuild Database removes databases used by XMB, replacing by empty and filled by found contents during scan. It deletes ONLY "folders" view settings and miniatures.

If You have HEN, You cannot backup databases because You cannot boot to VSH normally, right? And You cannot read ERK so You don't have access to HDD outside PS3. So then You have no choice anyway.
 
Coro said:
photo/video will be fine. trophies should be okay AFAIK.

ps3 hdd is encrypted. you need key from your ps3 to read it on pc (no writing AFAIK). windows will ask to "initialize" the drive but that will make ps3 think that it is empty.
Click to expand...

If I windows were to ask to "initilaize" the drive, what would happen to all that PS3 data? Would it be deleted? Could i simply insert ps3 drive into another PS3 first instead? Or was I supposed to do that previously with Fat32 drive before PS3 asked to rebuild database?
Is there a way to "steal" the key from the PS3 to use on the PC? (I'm just coming up with all sorts of thoughts. I sadly just don't know how to quit.)

Berion said:
Rebuild Database removes databases used by XMB, replacing by empty and filled by found contents during scan. It deletes ONLY "folders" view settings and miniatures.

If You have HEN, You cannot backup databases because You cannot boot to VSH normally, right? And You cannot read ERK so You don't have access to HDD outside PS3. So then You have no choice anyway.
Click to expand...
I guess your saying that I should just go straight to rebuilding PS3 database, right? You sure I can't "steal" the key from my ps3? When I did that backup a few months ago, all the games, game saves, videos, photos, and PSN messages that were there at the time got backed up, right? I can certainly tell you that this few-months-ago backup took up up way more GB on my Fat32 drive than the very first backup I did! LOL!
Why is it only the PSN messages that get wiped away when rebuilding database and not like games, game saves, photos, etc?
 
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JaPOWGer said:
If I windows were to ask to "initilaize" the drive, what would happen to all that PS3 data?
Click to expand...
it would still be on the drive, but ps3 can no longer see it.

JaPOWGer said:
Could i simply insert ps3 drive into another PS3 first instead?
Click to expand...
no. ps3 will format any drive that it does not recognise.

JaPOWGer said:
Is there a way to "steal" the key from the PS3
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not from hen. cfw can get the erk.

JaPOWGer said:
When I did that backup a few months ago, all the games, game saves, videos, photos, and PSN messages that were there at the time got backed up, right?
Click to expand...
yes. however the ps3 backup utility is crap. we usually just copy files to usb or use ftp. much better have the files instead of encrypted backup.
 
JaPOWGer said:
If I windows were to ask to "initilaize" the drive, what would happen to all that PS3 data? Would it be deleted?
Click to expand...
Then Windows will overwrite PS3PT by MBR or GPT. Which means You will loose everything because PS3 will no longer know where partitions are (physically all UserData still be there but PS3 will be unable to determine where; imagine a book from which You rip out an index). This can be fixed on all models up to and include CECH-25xx but few people reported that fix doesn't work on CECH-3xxx (no reports about CECH-4xxx). Fix is very time consuming to do and You can find how to do it in tutorial section. :P

Windows is aggressive and danger to use due to doing many things without users knowledge, and not always those things are what users needed at the time. ;}

Could i simply insert ps3 drive into another PS3 first instead?
Click to expand...
Another PS3 will be unable to decrypt logic structure because each PS3 have unique keys for that.

Is there a way to "steal" the key from the PS3 to use on the PC? (I'm just coming up with all sorts of thoughts. I sadly just don't know how to quit.)
Click to expand...
Of course, but on CFW. Not on HAN and HEN.

I guess your saying that I should just go straight to rebuilding PS3 database, right? You sure I can't "steal" the key from my ps3? When I did that backup a few months ago, all the games, game saves, videos, photos, and PSN messages that were there at the time got backed up, right?
Click to expand...
You have no choice, so You must if console not booting normally.

If You talking about System Backup archive making on USB (FAT32 on MBR), then it is encrypted by IDPS which You can read also no HEN (or even not, bgtoolset can display it for You). However, sysbup doesn't contains all data (i.e trophies) and cannot be restored on different PS3 because IDPS is also unique. So only not protected archives be restored, while protected by IDPS will not (licenses, games, saves with Copy Prohibited parram etc.).

Because of above, on PS3, sysbup is useless shit. On PS4 is quite fine, because only thing which cannot be restored on another console from such official backup way are trophies and licenses.

Don't misleading internal HDD which is encrypted by ATA and VFlash keys (calculated from ERK and seeds) with sysbup on external HDD on USB. Two totally different things.

Why is it only the PSN messages that get wiped away when rebuilding database and not like games, game saves, photos, etc?
Click to expand...
I don't understand question.

VSH doesn't reading data in real time, to make piss off normal users and to speed up loading resources microscopically faster than reading them in real time from media, :P everything which uses PARAM.SFO is written to databases (saves, trophies, games, cache, dlc, patches, vm1/vm2/vme) plus few other data like eg. custom XMB views. But since databases are fragile and can be easily corrupt, Sony added possibility to remove them and create anothers, and that's why and what this scan doing.

To remove settings, accounts, games and all stuff at once, there is Restore PS3 System option in recovery.
 
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JaPOWGer said:
Why is it only the PSN messages that get wiped away when rebuilding database and not like games, game saves, photos, etc?
Click to expand...
games, videos, etc are on the hdd as real files. database is just an index.(or table of contents). maybe messages are kept directly inside a database. that would be my guess. :)
 
Berion said:
Then Windows will overwrite PS3PT by MBR or GPT. Which means You will loose everything because PS3 will no longer know where partitions are (physically all UserData still be there but PS3 will be unable to determine where; imagine a book from which You rip out an index). This can be fixed on all models up to and include CECH-25xx but few people reported that fix doesn't work on CECH-3xxx (no reports about CECH-4xxx). Fix is very time consuming to do and You can find how to do it in tutorial section. :P

Windows is aggressive and danger to use due to doing many things without users knowledge, and not always those things are what users needed at the time. ;}


Another PS3 will be unable to decrypt logic structure because each PS3 have unique keys for that.


Of course, but on CFW. Not on HAN and HEN.


You have no choice, so You must if console not booting normally.

If You talking about System Backup archive making on USB (FAT32 on MBR), then it is encrypted by IDPS which You can read also no HEN (or even not, bgtoolset can display it for You). However, sysbup doesn't contains all data (i.e trophies) and cannot be restored on different PS3 because IDPS is also unique. So only not protected archives be restored, while protected by IDPS will not (licenses, games, saves with Copy Prohibited parram etc.).

Because of above, on PS3, sysbup is useless shit. On PS4 is quite fine, because only thing which cannot be restored on another console from such official backup way are trophies and licenses.

Don't misleading internal HDD which is encrypted by ATA and VFlash keys (calculated from ERK and seeds) with sysbup on external HDD on USB. Two totally different things.


I don't understand question.

VSH doesn't reading data in real time, to make piss off normal users and to speed up loading resources microscopically faster than reading them in real time from media, :P everything which uses PARAM.SFO is written to databases (saves, trophies, games, cache, dlc, patches, vm1/vm2/vme) plus few other data like eg. custom XMB views. But since databases are fragile and can be easily corrupt, Sony added possibility to remove them and create anothers, and that's why and what this scan doing.

To remove settings, accounts, games and all stuff at once, there is Restore PS3 System option in recovery.
Click to expand...

So using System Backup is pointless if my PS3 is about to die? My PS3 works as good as new now, but once it gets gray and old, you're saying I should copy and paste everything instead if I were to use a new ps3? What good is a new PS3 if I can't preserve the data on my old PS3? The PS3 user manual says I can use like an ethernet cable to transfer PS3 data directly into another PS3, but how do I preserve my old ps3 data until I get a hold of another PS3 just in case shit suddenly hit the fan?
If I were to initilize PS3 drive using windows, what part of tutorial section in PSXPlace should I read to fix PS3's inability to read internal hard drive?
Did my digital downloads make it in the system backup? Did my PSN messages get preserved in System Backup?
Does rebuilding database remove PSN messages? Does it remove trophies?
Let me get this straight: first I would have to get the key and then windows will ask to initialize the drive, right? Since I'm not using CFW, I guess I would go straight to rebuilding database. Is there anything else I should do before I go through and rebuild my PS3 database?
 
Pointless and almost useless. On different PS3 it will restore only normal saves, themes and accounts and settings if I remember correct.

Yes. Copy data by hand. Restoring data by hand. That's the best solution on hacked PS3s.

DTU removes data from source console and restores everything on target console.

Look for tutorial called Fixing disk initialization. ;]

All (except trophies) is preserved, not all will be restored.

You will not get ERK, You have HEN and Your console model cannot have CFW currently. You can get IDPS only.

You can do nothing Jon Snow. ;)
 
Berion said:
Pointless and almost useless. On different PS3 it will restore only normal saves, themes and accounts and settings if I remember correct.

Yes. Copy data by hand. Restoring data by hand. That's the best solution on hacked PS3s.

DTU removes data from source console and restores everything on target console.

Look for tutorial called Fixing disk initialization. ;]

All (except trophies) is preserved, not all will be restored.

You will not get ERK, You have HEN and Your console model cannot have CFW currently. You can get IDPS only.

You can do nothing Jon Snow. ;)
Click to expand...

Well, if I can take my system backup and be able to restore normal saves, themes, and accounts and account settings to a new and fresh PS3, that to me doesn't sound pointless.
Can you give me a link towards "Fixing disk initialization"? There's so many threads that it's like finding a needle in the haystack.
All except trophies is preserved, but what do you mean by "not all will be restored"?
When you say I can do nothing, you mean I should just go straight to rebuilding database, right? Why are you calling me Jon Snow?
Also, in the previous message, why did you bring up the idea of restoring my PS3? You know that I'm trying to preserve my data, not delete my data! LOL! Were you trying to troll me? LOL!
Any last words before I go rebuild the database? BTW, I held down the button to turn off my ps3 and pulled the power plug. When I go reinsert the powerplug, should I use PS3 controller to turn it on or press the ps3 power button to turn it on or hold down the ps3 power button to go to safe mode or what?
 
If not pointless for You after all what I said, then enjoy system backup. :)

Go to tutorial section of PS3 or use search. You didn't even goes there because it is on first page...
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/tutorial-fixing-windows-disk-initalization.27599/

Because after making backup, one day You want to restore it, right? :| Restoring backup, not using option in Recovery called Restore PS3 System...

Doesn't matter.
 
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JaPOWGer said:
Why are you calling me Jon Snow?
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I'm sorry but this genuinely made me lol. It's a Game of Thrones reference, with the quote slightly altered. "You know nothing, Jon Snow" is the original. And by "you can do nothing" is likely to a reference to the PS3's in-built backup facility being very limited compared to manually backing up everything, via Ethernet over FTP.

Berion's linked guide above (and here again) is a complete practical how-to on manually backing up your PS3 for use on another console/hard drive.
 
Coldheart2236 said:
I'm sorry but this genuinely made me lol. It's a Game of Thrones reference, with the quote slightly altered. "You know nothing, Jon Snow" is the original. And by "you can do nothing" is likely to a reference to the PS3's in-built backup facility being very limited compared to manually backing up everything, via Ethernet over FTP.

Berion's linked guide above (and here again) is a complete practical how-to on manually backing up your PS3 for use on another console/hard drive.
Click to expand...

As of December 7, 2023 1:12 P.M., I think that both you and Berion have watched too many TV shows.
 
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