Installing a New PS3 Hardrive.

So my 60 Gig was filling up. Ended up Deleting a bunch of my PS2 saves and alot of the demos I had to make space for actual games. So I figured it was time to expand my hardrive. Now me and technology don't get along too well. I am like a dumptruck trying to work with Nasa's Super computer. Its just not going to happen.

But I watched a couple of videos online and it seemed super simple. Sheesh, I can do that. AT first I was going to get help, but after watching the videos, pfft, I can do that. or at least I hoped I could.

But even with the videos, there were little things that they left out, one major, others a pain in the butt. So I will tell you the little things that I came across that will help you in this wonderful task. First thing the videos all say, "This is easy and fast". Well there half right, the actually taking out and putting back in of the hardrive is easy. Its the parts that happen before it and during and after that are long and annoying.

So lets begin with What happen to me.

1) I went and got a laptop hardrive , 2.5-inch, SATA 5400 RPM. I got a 250 Gig from future shop. The guy there was first trying to sell me a PC tower hardrive. They are all idiots.

2) Got home and had to back up all my PS3 data on an external hardrive. I had 48 gig to back up, so no thumbdrive was going to work. Luckily I have a external 200 Gig harddrive. Make sure that it is FAT 32. I don't know what that means, all I know is that mine was.
If you don't have a external hardrive...kinda makes the process a little...well its not gonna happen.

3)I connected the external and went to systems and choose backup. It then game me a time estimate of 1 hr and 30 min. So I went and watched Jeeves and Wooster.

4) After that was done. I turned off the PS3, flicked the switch on the back and unplugged all the chords on the back.

5) Take a screw driver and flip the little flap on the left side of the PS3 where the HD lettering is. In side you see a little blue screw. A Phillips screw driver. This screw is a little tight, but get a screw driver that fits and it shouldn't be a problem.


6)You can then pull the tab, like pulling the tab up on a can of sardines before you pull back to open them. Slide the hardive to the space that is empty. Watch the video, its pretty easy for this part.

7) Here is what gave me the problems. The screws that hold the hardrive in the case that slides into the PS is held there with GOD SCREWS. These fuckers won't budge. I spent 15 min, shredding the fuck outta one screw, to the point that all was left was a screw head with a round hole in it.

8)All the while I am doing this, a electric screw driver is sitting across from me. This made the world of difference. The other 3 screws came out like butter. The problem being is, when you are using the screw driver that fits the screw. The handle of the screw driver is so small, you can't get any leverage. No matter how hard I pushed on the thing, its just slide around and destroyed the screw head.

9)So now I have 3 screws out and one fucked up one still stuck. So I get needle nose pliers and use the sides of them to pinch what was left of the screw head and twist it out. It took some time, but it FINALLY came out. So what you need is a electric screw driver or a screw driver that fits the screw but with a long enough handle to get good grip. (this all seems very sexual some how)

10)So now I slide out the old hardrive and slide in the new one. I don't know anything about hardrives, so the new one had a sticker on a place where the old one didn't. So I wondered if that sticker needed to be removed. There was nothing saying it had to be removed in the instructions, so with a quick phone call to a friend. The sticker stayed.


11) Then slide the hardrive back into the slot, replaced the screws and pushed it back into place on the PS3. I didn't hear a click like the videos said. But It seemed to be firmly in place.

12) I reconnected all the chords on the back and turned it on. The PS3 detects the new hardrive and ask if you want to format. You say yes, and yes again and in seconds, it is done. That's the part that the videos tell you, "Look, its easy" Of course dumbass, you left out all the nasty parts.

13) I then hooked up external hardrive and went to systems on the PS3, and choose, restore. It then gave me a time of 2 hrs and 30 min to restore all my stuff. This didn't make sense to me, why it takes longer to put back on then to take off.

14)So it gets to 30 min left. I go watch a episode of south part and come back and it says, 20 min left. WHAT??!!But that was 30 min ago. So I come back in 20 min, and it says 11 min left. I come back in 15 min and it says 5 mins left. I don't know what time systems the PS3 works on, but its fucked. So finally, its done.

15) I go and check my data and everything is restored except my trophies. So I have a quick little panic attack. Then remember that it was said that they are backed up online. So I quickly connect to the internet and upload my trophies and all is well.

I started this endeavor at 8:00pm and I finished at 2:30 Am. Mainly because it takes forever to back up and restore your date. The videos just talk about the hardrive itself with no data. I had 48 Gig to restore, so don't be fooled about the time it takes.

The other thing was the trophies. If I hadn't done research about this, I would never have known about the trophies. What if I was a guy who didn't play online all that often. So when I did replace my hardrive, I would have lost all trophies up to the point where I was last online. So make sure you go online and sync your trophy info before doing this.

So after all that, it seemed to have work. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't blow up at some point. But if I can do it, than any fool can do it. But at least now you have a little more info to help you along the way.