Use any HDD in PS3 without formatting help?

[lele0o0o]

hello guys, i have question about replace HDD of ps3. i have 2 ps3 one on 3.55fw with 40 GB and anther one on 4.20fw with 500GB if i use HDD of 4.20 FW (500GB) THAN PUT IT ON ps3 with 3.55 FW by use this way. then make some edata file by reactPSN than back 500GB HDD to ps3 with 4.20 FW. my question:

1- this way will brick anyone of ps3
2- can this way complete with out format anyone of this HDD

[niwakun]

HDD swaps on downgrade consoles only works on 256MB NAND console afaik, as there's no firmware files reside on HDD.

Did this many times on my console, upgrade from 4.20 then go back to 3.55, works just fine, only in 256MB NAND consoles, 16MB NOR asks me to format the entire drive.

[lele0o0o]

how can i know my ps3 is 256MB NAND or 16MB NOR

[niwakun]

if Im going to look at a first glance. A PS3 with 4 USB ports are usually 256MB NAND consoles. else, 2 USB slots are 16MB NOR.

[racer0018]

What is your model number. It should be Cech something. Thanks

[JW117]

Do you mean upgrade to 4.20 then downgrade to 3.55 with a flasher or just a hdd swap?

[niwakun]

JW117 Well you do need to swap it if you are going to downgrade or else, the downgrader will format it for you.

But once you downgraded your console, you can replace the HDD again and swap firmwares from it, no HDD swap needed this time even if you switch back to 4.21 - 3.55 or 3.55 - 4.21.

[dyceast]

Are you talking about with a e3 flasher or progskeet on the "upgrade from 4.20 then go back to 3.55"? This can confuse the OP the way you have it written? Sounds like you can upgrade/downgrade just by switching HDD's...

By the sounds, the OP wants to put his OFW ps3 HDD into his CFW ps3, activate some DLC's or put edat/rap files on, and then put the HDD back into his OFW ps3 and then use the edats to activate his demos to full...

I am pretty certain, if you change a hdd with a different Firmware, it will ask you to format the HDD before it can be used in another PS3 with a different firmware...

I have changed different HDD's with a Nand console and i know it doesn't format and works straight away, if they are on the same firmware, but i'm pretty sure if they are not the same, it says to format before you can do anything?

Once he puts the 4.20 firmware HDD into the 3.55 i'm pretty sure it will ask him to update?

Also to the OP... If you want to get data from CFW to OFW, the best and easiest way is to data transfer!...

Not all edat files work though, so trial and error.