Restoring my "corrupted" HDD

1

123ducky123

Forum Noob
Hi there! I've found a few useful threads here that are somewhat related to my issue, but my situation's a little bit specific, so I'm wondering if any of you knowledgable people might be able to help me out!

A couple weekends ago my OFW PS3 YLOD'd out of the blue on me mid-game. I sent it off to a guy to fix it for me, and I just got it back the other day! However, upon booting my PS3, it goes through the typical HDD check after being unexpectedly shut off, and it craps out at 40%, informing me that the HDD needs to be formatted. :(

There's no way I was going to let hundreds of hours of save files go down the drain, so I did some researching, and found people facing a similar problem as me had success restoring their HDDs with HDD Regenerator. I connected my HDD to my PC, and ran a scan, but unfortunately it found no bad sectors. I plug it back into the PS3, and it still refuses to get past 40%.

I wondered since the HDD is not damaged if I might be able to extract the data off my HDD, so I did some more research, and found out about PS3 HDD GUI. Unfortunately, in order to read the HDD, I'd obviously need the eid_root_key, which I didn't have because I'm running this system off OFW. I then decided to plug in another HDD I had lying around, install CFW and extract my eid_root_key that way! With that, I was finally able to access my old HDD on my PC. It opened up just fine, and all the files were there! I have no idea why my PS3's unable to read it.

But this is where I'm at a bit of a loss for how to proceed. I'm currently in the process of backing up my entire HDD's contents via PS3 HDD GUI. I would like to restore everything, but the important part is that I want to ultimately have the PS3 on OFW and be safe to log into PSN and everything. On the one hand, I don't want to lose all my saves on my old HDD, but on the other hand, I don't want to have my PSN account banned for messing around with my data.

What are my options? Am I able to FTP all my files from my PC to my new HDD, and then overwrite the CFW with OFW? Would that be safe?
Or could I perhaps use psxport to create a system backup from the files I backed up off my old HDD, and then restore that in OFW?

Looking at other threads around here, in order to restore my saves and have them tied to my profile like they were on my old HDD before I got YLOD, I'd need to have backed up my xRegistry.sys file. Is there any way for me to access dev_flash2 via my PC, because of course I'm unable to access the HDD through my PS3 (otherwise I wouldn't be in this mess :P).

I know this is ridiculous and rambly, but I already have a dedicated PS3 for CFW, and I want to have this PS3 dedicated for OFW, legitimate purchases, syncing trophies and logging into PSN without needing to jump through any hoops or without any worries.

I'm really hoping somebody will be able to rescue me here! I feel like I'm so close! Any help would be greatly appreciated! If there's any other details I've failed to leave out, please let me know. Thanks, and sorry for the longwinded explanation.
 
The xregistry.sys is like the microsoft windows registry... if you take the registry from a PC and then use it in a different PC there could be lot of problems, and probably is not even going to work

What you can do now you have the eid_root_key is to "update" the savegames with the info of the new PS3, and remove the "copy protection" flag from them
This way you can copy them in a USB and "import" them from XMB

Edit: i never tryed this though... but i guess it should work
 
I'll be using it with the same PS3, so it should be alright, shouldn't it? If it's possible, I was thinking I could copy the old xregistry over to the new hdd, and then perform a Rebuild Database from Safe Mode. At least, that's what it looked like others had to do for their cases.

The problem is I want to keep all my data, but revert to OFW and make sure it's completely safe to log back into PSN without any worries. But when looking up how to safely go back from CFW to OFW, everybody suggests to format the HDD, which I don't want to do... :S
 
1. Take out Your HDD from the console
2. On PC, for just in case, made sector by sector copy of it (if apps doesn't let You doing it, use tool which allow replacing on the fly bad sectors by i.e zeros, such program is i.e gddrescue)
3. Put to the console another HDD (just to make her operable).
4. Dump EID Root Key.
5. Read on PC data from old HDD via Windows app called HDD Reader (this is why You have need ERK).

You already a little short this way, so... read from xRegistry.sys Your NP Account ID and User Number ID. Put data to proper user dir and edit registry.

If You want restore this data on OFW, You must forge System Backup archives and restore them on console with OFW. The problems is, You must somehow get IDPS of that console.
 
Thanks for your reply!

EDIT: Unfortunately, I don't have xRegistry.sys. Is there a way to get it off my HDD? It seems that ps3 hdd gui only gives me access to dev_hdd0 and dev_hdd1. Apparently xRegistry is on dev_flash2? Hmm...

Ahh, I see! Do you know how I could make a System Backup archive? Could I make one from scratch with PS3xport? And is it possible for me to get the IDPS the same way I did with the eid_root_key? I already put CFW on a second HDD to get the e_r_k. :)

Sorry for all the questions, and thank you so much for your help!
 
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Assumptions:
a. console with OFW is different than You are currently using with CFW
b. SEN accounts on both are the same
c. user numbers on both are the same

1. Install newest OFW and log into SEN account
2. Make System Backup (it will contain xRegistry.sys with everyting setuped)
3. Get IDPS on it (it's still possible by PS3Xploit on OFW 4.82 AFAIK, but this window will cloase in near future!)
4. Edit sysbup by ps3xport
5. Restore edited sysbup.

PS3 doesn't support backuping trophies but maybe allow to restore them.
 
As I remember, You cannot create sysbup archive, only edit (but read the documentation, maybe I'm wrong).

On CFW getting IDPS is even easier but on OFW it require exploiting.

Use CLI version and it allow You to read dev_flash'es (also disc image as I remember).
 
Hi again, thanks for your help!
Okay, cool! That's all very useful!
I tried to use the command line version but I kept getting the "no ufs2 superblock found" error. I couldn't find any clear way to fix it online.

I read that mounting the hdd in linux is better, and I read the Mounting HDD on PC page on the psdevwiki but I am such a novice when it comes to linux, I can't understand it. :S

Is the IDPS tied to my console, like my e_r_k was? If so, I'll get that with the temporary CFW HDD I set up.

Okay, so if I can only edit a sysbup, I'll install OFW on my temp CFW HDD, make a sysbup from there and then completely edit it.
All I need to do is get the IDPS and xRegistry.sys! :)

Thanks so much for your help! I feel like I'm really close, but the last few hurdles are driving me insane, haha!
 
Ahh thanks, that's good to know! That should be easy enough to grab, then. Now I've just gotta get that xRegistry file off my old HDD...
 
123ducky123 said:
I read that mounting the hdd in linux is better, and I read the Mounting HDD on PC page on the psdevwiki but I am such a novice when it comes to linux, I can't understand it. :S
Click to expand...

This page is a little mess, needs to be clean and ordering IMHO. I was trying do it myself but needed kernel module doesn't compile on my systems and ultimately I shamefully gave up since I no longer need -rw on my PS3 HDD. I have in plans those days making install scripts with compiled binaries working on dedicated distributions (Mint 17.3/Ubuntu 16.04). Another thing is not enough clear description how to create HDD key from ERK, seeds, using OpenSSL for slims and fats (algos is different).

However, on OFW, there is no way to get ERK so also no way to decrypt/encrypt it. This would be the best solution if we can get the key.

Is the IDPS tied to my console, like my e_r_k was?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is unique per every mother board.

Okay, so if I can only edit a sysbup, I'll install OFW on my temp CFW HDD
Click to expand...

Firmware is installing on NAND/NOR Flash, not on HDD. On HDD there is only some configs, swap etc.
 
Yeah, I did manage to find a tutorial for mounting PS3 hdd on newer Linux kernels (I can't post the link, it seems), but it seems to be specifically for slim hdds. My PS3 is a far 40GB model (NOR), with a 1TB HDD.

Anyway, I have already got the e_r_k of my PS3, because I was able to get my YLOD fixed, so I installed CFW with a spare HDD I had, and backed up the erk. With that, I used ps3 hdd gui for windows to backup all of dev_hdd0. For some reason, ps3 hdd gui works, but not ps3 hdd reader. :(
(And sorry for the mistake about where the firmware was installed. I thought because you have to reinstall the firmware when you swap out an HDD on a NOR console, it was installed on the HDD. Whoops!)

At any rate, because my PS3 is working, I should be able to get my console's IDPS, too!
The last step is just to get my xRegistry.sys off of my old HDD.
I tried to look up how to resolve that "no ufs2 superblock found" error on ps3 hdd reader for windows, but I've not had any luck. I've found other people online who have had that same problem, but no way to fix it... Maybe it doesn't work on Windows 10?
 
Windows 10 sucks in a lot of scenarios; this is first Windows which I really hate it. I'm still on Seven, afraid of future without drivers. ;p Anyway... Try admin rights, place it on a partition in root and do not connect PS3HDD via any adaptors. Should work (anyway, it is strange that GUI see it, and CLI not as GUI contain and using the same CLI version).

As we know, there is only two algorithms used in two (now maybe there are three, but who knows) chasis family. Problem is with this cursed kernel module (as I remember: bswap16.ko) which I cannot compile and I'm to noob in programming to make needed changes, simultaneously I don't want use any other distro like i.e Arch just to one task... ;) And another problems is the algo which I don't know how to generate keys but this is resolvable by test trials.

If You plan install OFW on the same console, why You even bother of fighting with system backup? As I mentioned, I don't know if trophies can be restore from it. And to restore anything from protected by IDPS area, must be protected by the same IDPS as console with OFW because anything from it in case of mismatch will be ignored. This is pure shit, not backup utility so... I was before thinking that You have one console with CFW and one with OFW, and want safely transfer data to it from CFW environment.
 
Yeah, I don't blame you! I wish I had a Windows 7 computer handy... :( That's a good idea, though! I'll try plugging my PS3 HDD into the PC without an adaptor and see if that makes a difference.

Oh, sorry for the confusion. Yes, I do have two PS3s, one OFW PS3 and one CFW PS3, but I'm only using my OFW PS3 in this situation.
I temporarily installed CFW on my OFW PS3 in order to get the erk and the IDPS from the system, but I want to reinstall OFW afterwards.

The only reason I was trying to restore via system backup is because I thought it was the only way to restore all my data from my old HDD and keep it on OFW.
Do you know of any easier ways to restore my old data? The only thing that is important to me is that in the end I am on OFW, and I am completely safe to log into PSN and won't get my account banned.
One idea I had was to USB or FTP all my old data to a new HDD while on CFW, and then install OFW afterwards. The only reason I was worried about this is because whenever somebody asks about going from CFW to OFW, people suggest to format the HDD clean so that any lingering CFW files disappear, but obviously, I don't want to format the HDD again, haha! Any ideas? :S

Thanks so much for your help. You are very knowledgable!
 
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Thanks for that! Seems I have to jump through a lot of hoops, and even still, it still seems quite risky.

Hmm... Well since I've made a backup of all my data on my HDD, would it be easier to just resign all my saves? Is it possible to resign saves for a new profile on OFW? Would I still be able to unlock trophies?
 
Definitely not easier, it's annoying as hell and in case of trophies not proper. You need SecureFile ID and Disc Hash Key keys to do that, I don't remember now but probably also IDPS and of course Your NP Account ID and User Number.

Saves doesn't unlock anything. Trophy system monitoring changing values in memory. In example: if game unlocking trophy for i.e collection 1000 gold, and You read save with 1000+n gold, You don't unlock it - but if You read save with 999 and in game and by playing get additional 1+n, game will tell trophy system to unlock it. That's one of the reasons why I keep backup of some saves with something hard as hell to achieve right before required event (i.e last possible save in Dead Space on hardest difficulty; well... just in case :D).
 
Yeah, doesn't seem like there's any easy way to do what I want to do, haha!

I did some further investigating, and it seems I was using an out of date version of the CLI ps3 hdd reader. Turns out fat ps3 hdds are only supported by v1, which I couldn't find anywhere on the internet (all were dead links), except for this one German forum, haha! Anyway, the CLI version finally reads my HDD! However, when I try to do "ps3.exe hdd dev_flash2 copy /etc/xRegistry.sys" it says:

0 [main] ps3 5696 exception::handle: Exception: STATUS_INTEGER_DIVIDE_BY_ZERO
561 [main] ps3 5696 open_stackdumpfile: Dumping stack trace to ps3.exe.stackdump

It can read dev_hdd0 perfectly fine, but it's not seeming to want to open dev_flash2 :S
Curses, foiled again!

...Any ideas? I really appreciate your help! :)
 
Why do You need xRegistry.sys in the first place? If You have CFW You can just go there and copy it to USB or via FTP. If You need to know lost NP Account ID, it's written in plain text in all saves in PARAM.SFO.

I have one debug build of HDD Reader which I using with my CECHL (as I remember offer some unique features) but You must ask the author himself if he let me publish it (well, we don't like each other, because of some stupid misunderstanding, but still, unwritten rules are rules and this is not my app ;]).

Versions which I have (MD5):
  • 09DE5E9CF416D788C9436B3EFD4D41BD (probably last, came with HDD GUI v1.3)
  • 5D6EFB69B855B285C093936351419079
  • 0C95090D408D08C215FC29DCDB733F95
  • 09DE5E9CF416D788C9436B3EFD4D41BD (debug)
As I remember, newest support both Slims and Fat. Only first versions support only Slim models.

BTW: debug additional syntax:
Code: 
hdd print <sector number>
hdd dump <start sector> <sector count> <dump file name>
 
Dev Flash is on the NOR flash Memory, which is only accessable via a flasher (e3 progskeet or PS3Xploit) but I believe you need to be running CFW to mess with the dev flash, and the dumps made by flashers can't be opened in those specific programs.

I do not believe that the firmware is installed on the nor, because with nand consoles the hdd can be swapped freely, and my belief is that all of the firmware is on the nand, and none on the hdd, so hdd swaps don't effect the firmware. Where as the NOR models nor flash chips only have 16Mb worth of space, so if the firmware was installed on the 16Mb nor flash chip, the PS3 would have to have some insane compression tools to handle fitting a nearly 256Mb file (or only the vital parts of it) in only 16Mb worth of space.

AFAIK there's no compression that makes a file, when compressed, 6.25% of the original file size, which would be a 93.75% compression ratio. assuming the PUP is exactly 256Mb and the nor has Exactly 16Mb of space left, fitting 256Mb into 16Mb would mean exactly 93.75% compression, but since the latest REBUG PUP file is 202Mb roughly that would need a 92.80% compression ratio, which I believe to still be impossible.

Basically I believe it's the fact that the firmware is specifically installed on the HDD, that makes it require a FW update upon HDD swap, as it would no longer have all the necessary files (e.g. kernel) to boot, but this is just speculation on my part.
 
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