Home >> Internet Games >> PlayStation 3

How to Restore a PlayStation 3 Hard Drive

Sony's PlayStation 3 console includes a high capacity internal hard drive, but just like computer hard drives, it can become corrupt or damaged. If this has happened to your PS3 hard drive, you will need to restore it. Restoring a hard drive in the console is also useful if you need to quickly remove all the data or downloaded content from your PS3, or if you are upgrading the hard drive to a higher capacity. It is a simple process that requires no more than five minutes.

Instructions

- 1
  Turn on your PlayStation 3 console, and once the home menu appears, scroll across to the "Settings" icon, and press the "X" button on your controller.
- 2
  Scroll down to the "System Settings" option, and press the "X" button on your control pad. In the next menu, scroll down to and select "Format Utility."
- 3
  Choose between "Full Format" and "Quick Format." "Full Format" is a longer process, but it more safely removes data from your PS3 console's hard drive than "Quick Format." Confirm that you want to restore the system, and wait for the process to complete.
- 4
  Enter all your PS3's information once the console has restored the hard drive. This includes your language, network settings and time and date settings.

PlayStation 3