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How to Replace a HDD on a PS3

The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) has an internal 2.5-inch SATA hard drive that is conveniently located in a HDD bay accessible on the left side of the console. Since this is a standard hard drive size, used by all sorts of electronics such as external hard drives and laptops, you can easily swap it out for a new one. This allows you increase the storage capacity of your PS3 so you can download and save more content from the PlayStation Store.

Things You'll Need

Phillips screwdriver
2.5-inch replacement SATA hard drive

Instructions

- 1
  Shut down your PS3, flip off the power switch on the back of the console, and remove the power cord.
- 2
  Snap off the HDD bay cover on the side of the console. The HDD bay cover will be labeled with a sticker that says, “Detach this cover when removing the hard disk."
- 3
  Unscrew the blue screw with the Phillips-head screwdriver.
- 4
  Pull out the little metal handle and slide the hard drive out of the HDD bay.
- 5
  Unscrew the four screws on the hard disk that attach it to the metal frame. You can now remove the hard drive out of the metal frame.
- 6
  Attach the metal frame to your new hard drive and screw back in the four Phillips screws.
- 7
  Insert the hard drive back into the HDD bay on the PS3.
- 8
  Flatten the metal handle and screw back in the blue Phillips screw.
- 9
  Snap the HDD bay cover back into place.
- 10
  Plug in the power cord and power on your PS3. You will be prompted to start the initial setup. Select the option to format the hard drive to reinstall the system software.

PlayStation 3