How to back-up PS3 HDD contents?

[refuseamen]

I want to change my 60GB harddrive to a 120GB harddrive, but was wondering how I'd backup all the stuff on my 60GB drive to my 120GB drive. I know I can copy over music, photos, etc., but what about games that I've already downloaded that cost money (i.e. flOw)?

[GrandpaHomer]

A) In the system menu of PS3 is a Backup utility which will backup and then restore to new hard drive the whole content of your current drive including all games / demos / downloads / game saves etc.

But keep it mind that you can't restore it to another PS3 - only the same one (although with different hard drive).

B) You can download any purchased games from the store as many times as you want on the same PS3. Limit of 5 downloads applies when downloading to different PS3s using the same account (in case you have in each room one ... :tongue2).

[gr00ved]

Best way is to use the built in backup utility as suggested.

If you can get your hands on an external USB hard drive which is 32gig or less, connect it to your PC and format it as FAT32 - then you can plug it into the PS3 and back up onto that. Once you fit the new drive you use the backup utility to restore from the USB drive.

I did this before I had to format the PS3 drive and partition it to install Linux - works a treat. Keeps all your downloaded games, media, settings, saved games, etc...

[B4tm4n]

It doesn't have to be 32 GB or less, I use a 400GB USB drive and it works great. It does have to be FAT32 formatted though, as gr00ved said above.

[gr00ved]

Originally Posted by B4tm4n It doesn't have to be 32 GB or less, I use a 400GB USB drive and it works great. It does have to be FAT32 formatted though, as gr00ved said above.

My bad... confusing myself with the old Windows 98 imposed limit of 32gig on FAT32 volumes. Also the fact that my crappy USB 2.5" hard drive adapter seems to not want me to format the full 40gig drive as FAT32 - oh well, a problem for another day there!

[GrandpaHomer]

Originally Posted by gr00ved My bad... confusing myself with the old Windows 98 imposed limit of 32gig on FAT32 volumes. Also the fact that my crappy USB 2.5" hard drive adapter seems to not want me to format the full 40gig drive as FAT32 - oh well, a problem for another day there!

The problem is not in the USB adapter but in the Windows itself! It will simply not create partition bigger than 32 GB directly so you need either to use FDISK from W98 bootdisk or some third party partition utility. Then it could be formated / read & written without any problems ... ;-)

[Wonderkik]

i have a 400g usb hdd too formatted in fat32 but my ps3 wont recognize it... how comes? i see the round thingie meaning it detected something,but then it stops and nothing happens... anybody with an idea? id like to format to install ydl.

[GrandpaHomer]

Originally Posted by Wonderkik i have a 400g usb hdd too formatted in fat32 but my ps3 wont recognize it... how comes? i see the round thingie meaning it detected something,but then it stops and nothing happens... anybody with an idea? id like to format to install ydl.

Are you sure it's in FAT? What does it say in Windows under disk properties?

[B4tm4n]

Originally Posted by Wonderkik i have a 400g usb hdd too formatted in fat32 but my ps3 wont recognize it... how comes? i see the round thingie meaning it detected something,but then it stops and nothing happens... anybody with an idea? id like to format to install ydl.

Are you trying to install YDL on the USB drive ?
I don't think thats possible.

[gr00ved]

Originally Posted by GrandpaHomer The problem is not in the USB adapter but in the Windows itself! It will simply not create partition bigger than 32 GB directly so you need either to use FDISK from W98 bootdisk or some third party partition utility. Then it could be formated / read & written without any problems ... ;-)

Yeah, I kinda suspected that after I posted - fired up PartitionMagic and sorted it out. Thanks anyway