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How to Format a Terabyte Drive to a PS3

Regardless of the size of the stock hard drive in your Sony PS3, it is not difficult to fill it up with new games, demos and HD videos. Unless you want to start deleting data from your PS3 drive, you must upgrade to a larger disk to keep adding media. The PS3 uses a standard 2.5-inch drive, which makes upgrading it relatively simple. Modern hard drives come in sizes of one terabyte and above and can increase the storage of your PS3 considerably. Before installing a new terabyte drive, though, you must first back up your old data and format the new drive for use in the console.

Things You'll Need

USB flash drive or external hard drive
Phillips #2 screwdriver

Instructions

Back Up Game Data
- 1
  Connect the USB flash drive or external hard drive to a USB port on the PS3 console. Power on the PS3 console. Use the controller to navigate to and open the "Saved Data Utility" on the PS3 menu screen.
- 2
  Scroll to and select the USB flash drive or external hard drive you connected to the PS3 on the "Select the Destination" screen. Press the "X" button to back up your game data to the external device.
- 3
  Disconnect the USB flash drive or hard drive from the PS3 console. Power off the PS3.
Remove Old Drive
- 4
  Disconnect the AC power adapter and all cables from the PS3 console. Position the console so that the "HDD" label on the side of the PS3 faces you. Use your fingers to remove the plastic "HDD" cover plate from the side of the PS3.
- 5
  Use the Phillips screwdriver to remove the blue screw that secures the hard drive underneath the plastic cover you removed. Pull the hard drive tray out of the PS3. After you remove the hard drive tray, remove the four screws that secure the PS3 hard drive in the tray. Remove the old PS3 hard drive from the tray.
- 6
  Insert the new terabyte hard drive into the PS3 hard drive tray and align the screw holes. Reinsert the screws into the PS3 drive tray and the new terabyte drive and tighten them.
- 7
  Slide the hard drive tray into the side of the PS3 and firmly push it until the pins on the hard drive seat with the connector in the bay completely. Re-insert the blue screw into the drive tray and tighten. Replace the plastic "HDD" cover on the side of the PS3.
- 8
  Reconnect the AC power cable to the PS3, and then all other controller and A/V cables.
Format the New Terabyte Drive
- 9
  Power on the PS3 console. The PS3 recognizes the new drive when you restart the console.
- 10
  Press the "X" button on the controller when prompted to start the format process. Wait for the console to format the new drive. Because the terabyte drive is so much larger than the original hard drive, the format process might take a couple of hours.
- 11
  Restart the PS3 after the format finishes. Connect the USB flash drive or external hard drive to the PS3 and open the "Saved Data Utility." Follow the prompts to copy the backed up game data to the new terabyte hard drive.

PlayStation 3