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How to Fix or Replace a Disk Error in the PS3

Your PlayStation 3 is basically a specialized computer -- and as with any computer, pieces can fail. If the hard drive in your PS3 is on the fritz and you want to repair it on your own, you have two options: to reformat the existing hard drive in an attempt to repair any corrupt data, or to completely replace your old hard drive with a new one. Both the slim and fat models of the PS3 have easily accessible hard drives, and replacing the hard drive does not void your warranty. Reformatting your hard drive will remove all save data, though trophy data should be synced to your PlayStation Network account.

Things You'll Need

Screwdriver
2.5" SATA hard drive

Instructions

Reformatting Your Hard Drive
- 1
  Turn off your console. Press and hold the power button and wait for three beeps. The first beep is when the PS3 first powers on, the second occurs five seconds later, then the third will come after another five seconds. The console powers off.
- 2
  Press and hold the power button again. The PS3 will power on and beep, then beep after five seconds, as in Step 1. The third noise will be two beeps in rapid succession. Let go of the power button. You screen should tell you to connect a controller via USB cable. Do so and click the PS button.
- 3
  Choose your restore option. PlayStation recommends first trying the "Restore Default Settings" option to see if that fixes your problem. They then recommend trying "Restore File System." If that doesn't work, try "Rebuild Database." If nothing else is repairing your PS3 file system, select "Restore PS3 System" to format your hard drive.
Replacing the PS3 Hard Drive
- 4
  Purchase a new or used 2.5" SATA internal hard drive.
- 5
  Turn off the PlayStation 3 and let it cool down before proceeding. Once the PS3 has cooled down, unplug it and remove all the cables.
- 6
  Pop the hard drive panel off the left side of the fat PS3 models. On the slim models, turn the console upside down and slide the small screw cover open. Remove that screw, and slide the hard drive cover off to the left.
- 7
  Remove the blue screw from the hard drive in a fat PS3 model and pull out the metal loop. In the slim models, just pull the handle up. In both cases, slide the hard drive out directly.
- 8
  Remove the four screws holding the hard drive into its metal frame, and pull out the old hard drive. Set aside the old hard drive, and screw the new hard drive into place in the frame.
- 9
  Slide the metal frame back into your PS3 console, and screw it back into place. For the fat models secure the blue screw into the hard drive, close the metal lever, and replace the hard drive panel. For slim models flatten the metal lever, slide the hard cover in place, and replace the screw on the bottom of the console. Slide the screw cover closed.
- 10
  Reconnect the cords and restart your console. Follow the on screen prompts for installing the PS3 software on your new hard drive.

PlayStation 3