Home >> Internet Games >> PlayStation 3

How to Launch a PS3 Backup

Owners of a PlayStation 3 might decide the want to back up the hard drive of the gaming system as a data protection measure or to install a new hard drive on the console. The process is fairly simple, and the PS3 does much of the work. Sony designed the PS3 with an upgradable hard drive and it is common for someone with an earlier version of the PS3 -- one with a smaller hard drive of 80 GB or less -- to upgrade to a larger capacity 2.5 inch hard drive.

Things You'll Need

External USB hard drive or flash drive

Instructions

Creating the PS3 Backup
- 1
  Turn on the PS3 console.
- 2
  
  A high-capacity USB flash drive can be used for PS3 backups.
  
  Plug the USB hard drive or flash drive into one of the PS3's front-loading USB ports.
- 3
  Select "Settings," "Backup Utility" and "Back Up" from the XMB -- the PS3's sliding menu bar.
- 4
  Follow the onscreen instructions to select your USB device and complete the backup process.
Launching the PS3 Backup
- 5
  Turn on the PS3 console.
- 6
  
  External hard drives are ideal for a PS3 backup.
  
  Connect the USB hard drive or flash drive with the data backup files to one of the PS3's front located USB drives.
- 7
  Select "Settings," "Backup Utility" and "Restore" on the XMB.
- 8
  Select the external drive with the stored backup from the list and follow the onscreen instructions while the system runs the restore.

PlayStation 3