New HDD

[AntoniHallman]

I upgraded my 40GB HDD to a 320GB yesterday after reading that the back up utility saves all save game data without needing to back up to an external storage device so I thought that was great because I don't have an external drive big enough to store 40GB worth of game data.

I went to the back up utility and proceeded turning down the option to back up externally. I then replaced the HDD with the new one and performed the 'full format'. When trying to restore the data from the back up utility it asked to connect the external device so I though, **** I have just lost all my data.

I didn't format the old HDD before taking it out so the data should still be on there, correct?

If so, is there a cable i can get to connect the old drive to the usb?

If not, is there something else I can do now to get all my data back?

I know I'm a bit of a tit but any help will be much appriciated, thanks

 

[kendoll]

I upgraded my 40GB HDD to a 320GB yesterday after reading that the back up utility saves all save game data without needing to back up to an external storage device so I thought that was great because I don't have an external drive big enough to store 40GB worth of game data.

I went to the back up utility and proceeded turning down the option to back up externally. I then replaced the HDD with the new one and performed the 'full format'. When trying to restore the data from the back up utility it asked to connect the external device so I though, **** I have just lost all my data.

I didn't format the old HDD before taking it out so the data should still be on there, correct?

If so, is there a cable i can get to connect the old drive to the usb?

If not, is there something else I can do now to get all my data back?

I know I'm a bit of a tit but any help will be much appriciated, thanks

You can put the original drive back in the PS3 and then use the backup utility again to back it up to an external drive.

There is no way to back it up 'internally'.

 

[AntoniHallman]

I did think about that but won't the hard drive automatically format when I put it back in? and will I have to do another full format when I put the new one back in?

 

[kendoll]

I did think about that but won't the hard drive automatically format when I put it back in?

No it won't as it is already 'paired' with that PS3.

and will I have to do another full format when I put the new one back in?

nope, same thing. It is already paired with your PS3. You can swap between them as long as you don't wipe either drive/put it in another PS3.

 

[AntoniHallman]

That's great, thanks Kendoll you're a data saver

apologies for the bad joke

 

[kendoll]

That's great, thanks Kendoll you're a data saver

apologies for the bad joke

no worries.

 

[AntoniHallman]

Hello again, I now have an external storage device, the Seagte Expansion Portable Drive to be precise, but when I plug it into the playstation nothing shows up. The light comes on the external drive when its plugged in but the playstation doesn't seem to recognise that it's plugged in.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hyphen]

Hello again, I now have an external storage device, the Seagte Expansion Portable Drive to be precise, but when I plug it into the playstation nothing shows up. The light comes on the external drive when its plugged in but the playstation doesn't seem to recognise that it's plugged in.

Any thoughts?

The PS3 only recognises external hard drives that are FAT32 formatted. So my guess is that this isn't the case with your Seagate drive, so you will need to format it to FAT32.

LINK - I use this to format my external drives to FAT32.

 

[AntoniHallman]

Ok thanks for the link, how do I do it?

 

[thesaint02]

Ok thanks for the link, how do I do it?

You need to identify your external hard drive (very important!!!) and format it.
I haven't used that formatter(I use EASEUS partition manager), but they are all much the same.

 

[kendoll]

I'd recommend googling fat32format.exe and using that. But as has been said they are much of a muchness.

 

[AntoniHallman]

Thanks guys appriciate it, all done now

 

[AntoniHallman]

If I use the 'Backup Utility' will it backup the save data files from all of the accounts on the PS3? Or do I have to go onto each account and back up seperately?

 

[kendoll]

It will back up everything accross all profiles provided it isn't protected i.e. the content that you cannot copy between profiles.

From memory you will also need to do the trophy sync for each individual account.

 

[AntoniHallman]

Yeah it did back up everything and did the trophy sync across all profiles just incase lol

Thanks, much appriciated

 

[dancingmatt]

It will back up everything accross all profiles provided it isn't protected i.e. the content that you cannot copy between profiles.

From memory you will also need to do the trophy sync for each individual account.

The copy-protected saved games are what's worrying me. Will the PS3's Backup utility copy them over and allow me to Restore them onto the new drive?

I've got a new drive to put in my 80GB fat PS3, currently on v3.56 or whatever it is. With all the problems going around v3.61 causing YLOD and overheating (whether or not it is Sony or LA Noire's fault, there do seem to be lots of people having the same problem), I thought I might as well get on with the new drive install now and back the PS3 up to an external drive as it is, put the new drive in and then update, keeping the backup should the update cause a problem.

I know I have quite a few saved games that are copy-protected (Assassins Creed 2, Guitar Hero 5, some others too) which I haven't been able to backup to a USB stick before. I just want to be sure they'll get backed up and restored to the new drive, otherwise I don't know what to do.

Has anyone replaced their HD with Assassins Creed 2 on it and can they please confirm their saved game still works on the new larger hard drive?

 

[PhilipPhilop]

The copy-protected saved games are what's worrying me. Will the PS3's Backup utility copy them over and allow me to Restore them onto the new drive?

I've got a new drive to put in my 80GB fat PS3, currently on v3.56 or whatever it is. With all the problems going around v3.61 causing YLOD and overheating (whether or not it is Sony or LA Noire's fault, there do seem to be lots of people having the same problem), I thought I might as well get on with the new drive install now and back the PS3 up to an external drive as it is, put the new drive in and then update, keeping the backup should the update cause a problem.

I know I have quite a few saved games that are copy-protected (Assassins Creed 2, Guitar Hero 5, some others too) which I haven't been able to backup to a USB stick before. I just want to be sure they'll get backed up and restored to the new drive, otherwise I don't know what to do.

Has anyone replaced their HD with Assassins Creed 2 on it and can they please confirm their saved game still works on the new larger hard drive?

DO NOT UPDATE YOUR HARD DRIVE WHILST ON FIRMWARE 3.56.

The original 3.56 firmware will kill your PS3 if you change the hard drive. It can be recovered as long as you have your original PS3 hard drive as it was when you took it out of the PS3 (do not format). If you didn't have your original hdd, then it would actually permanently knacker your console, & there is still no know fix. There was an updated 3.56 that was fixed, but I don't know which version you have, do you?

There's nothing wrong with firmware 3.61. L.A. Noire in my opinion is just a processing heavy game . Makes my 80GB PS3 fan notch up faster than any other game I've got. If you've got an old PS3 that's full of dust, & is already noisy, then potentially L.A. Noire is one of those games that could push it over the edge. I had to strip my 2+ year old PS3 down to it's individual components a few months ago due to excessive noise. It was full of dust. Cleaned it, & renewed the thermal compound. It's been quiet as new until I put L.A. Noire into it. The fan is still not excessive, but it's 1 speed up from any other time it's used. If I hadn't have cleaned it, I suspect it would either be screaming it's backside off, or knackered. I am 99.9999% sure that if your PS3 is clean & the cooling is dust free, quiet, & efficient you would have no problems with L.A. Noire. 3.61 has made no difference to the noise level or performance of my PS3. I just think it's coincidence that 3.61 & L.A. Noire released at a very similar time. Also note that apparently L.A. Noire is rumoured to be killing Xbox 360's as well.

As for the protected game saves. It does actually back them up on a full backup to an external drive, & as far as I'm aware it will restore them all to the "same" PS3. At least it did when I put a 320GB into my 80GB PS3. The other option is to wait until the store is back up, get your free PSN+ for 30 days, & use the cloud save feature to backup your save files before replacing the hard drive. The cloud save will backup any save files, including protected ones (apparently).

It's a case of either they copy, or they don't. As long as you can get the save game file to copy across, then Assassins Creed will be fine.

Whatever you do, please update your firmware before you change the hdd. Even if it's to an intermediate firmware edition like 3.60.

Hope all this helps.

 

[dancingmatt]

Wow. Thanks Kaden101, for taking the time to write that detailed response.

I have no idea which 3.56 firmware I've got, the System Info page just says 3.56. I read there were 2 versions, I also think the "good" one was only installed if you manually searched and downloaded 3.56 a 2nd time which I haven't.

Hmm. Either I put the PS3 back online, install 3.61 and then use the Cloud save feature of PSN+(which I had also thought of), or install 3.6 and do the backup again first. We've been given Lego Pirates of the Caribbean and that needs 3.61 to play, so maybe it's time to go straight to it.

Does anyone know when PSN+ and our free 30 days will be available?

Thanks again Kaden101, I'm glad you posted that!

 

[PhilipPhilop]

Does anyone know when PSN+ and our free 30 days will be available?

I imagine when the store comes back up. They've said they're still aiming for the end of May, but if it does miss, it'll only be by a couple of days.

That's the last information I found, & I saw that yesterday evening.

Regarding the backup. Personally, I'd update to 3.61, do a full backup to an external drive. Install your new hdd & restore the backup to it. If by chance you lose your protected saves, they'll still be on your old hard drive. You can stick any hard drive that's already been paired to a PS3 back into "that" PS3 & it will just load up how it was before your removed it. You could then slap in your old hard drive when PSN+ is up & running, copy those save files that didn't work to cloud, swap hard drives back to your new one & copy them back from cloud onto your new drive.

The only downside is that "if" your protected saves don't go across, you won't be able to use those save games on your new hard drive until you can do the whole cloud thing.

If you're really struggling for space right now, that's a solution. If you've got enough space on your current drive to last another week or two, then I'd hang fire for now.

 

[dancingmatt]

Thanks Kaden101, I had been thinking of much the same thing re. the PSN+ cloud save thing. So I've done the 3.61 update to sync trophies, when the freebie PSN+ deal comes along I'll stick the saves there, then swap the drives. I can manage without swapping for now, I've got hardly any free space so new games will have to wait.

PSN Store is up, now where's the freebies....!

 

[PHOTOSHOP KID]

Just bought a samsung 640gb drive for my ps3, just one question, I have downloaded a few games from the psn, if I do a backup to external hdd will all my downloaded games be copied,?

I dont want to have to download them again, takes forever.

 

[thesaint02]

Just bought a samsung 640gb drive for my ps3, just one question, I have downloaded a few games from the psn, if I do a backup to external hdd will all my downloaded games be copied,?

I dont want to have to download them again, takes forever.

Yes they will.

 

[Wingsurfer]

I'm not so sure about this. I think when I changed out the HDD in my old ps3 game updates & DLC/downloaded games weren't copied & transfered back by the backup facility.

 

[PhilipPhilop]

Yes they will.

I'm not so sure about this. I think when I changed out the HDD in my old ps3 game updates & DLC/downloaded games weren't copied & transfered back by the backup facility.

I'm with Wingsurfer on this...kind of. Some of my PSN downloads didn't work, & had to be redownloaded, & some of them worked fine. I believe there's also something in account control about de-activating your account & then re-activating it that gets some stuff working.

To be fair, I can't remember exactly as it was a good while ago that I upgraded my hdd. I just know I had some issues with the PSN list of games I had, but it wasn't too difficult to sort out.