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PSP Hard Drive Problems

The Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a standalone gaming and media device capable of playing widescreen resolution games, music and video through its universal media disc (UMD) or Sony memory card duo. There are also several manufacturers who produce an external hard drive and battery pack combo that greatly extends the capacity of the PSP as a media device. However, Sony does not officially support any hard drive solution or modification to the PSP.

Hard Drive Not Spinning
- Hard drive solutions really make the PSP into a mobile media giant that exceeds even the iPod series of products. Probably the worst error that can occur is the hard drive no longer spinning. If this occurs, you will need to remove the hard drive modification from the PSP. Inspect the hard drive for leakage from its battery or for scorch marks. As long as there is no physical damage, reattach the hard drive as instructed and allow the PSP to charge for at least 60 minutes. This will allow the PSP hard drive to fully recharge before use. If you detect physical damage, or this does not reactivate the hard drive, you should contact the peripheral manufacturer for support.
Hard Drive Making Grinding Noises
- You can easily modify a PlayStation Portable to fit a laptop hard drive. These modifications, widely available on the Internet, allow you to fit up to a 200 GB laptop hard drive to your PSP. As with all physical drives, they can be damaged through violent motion or bumping. The hard drive is composed of several magnetized discs layered between a set of controllers that monitor the rotation of the drive. These laptop drives are very fragile without supporting structures, which usually are not available in devices as small as the PSP. If your PSP hard drive begins to make grinding noises, turn off the device and immediately remove the hard drive. Exposing a hard drive to particles outside of a controlled lab environment will usually destroy its ability to record data, but either way the damaged drive must be replaced.
Hard Drive Skips
- Whenever a hard drive makes unusual noises, this is a sign of a serious problem. Hard drive modifications typically lack proper support to counteract the motion of the drive spin, which can result in numerous problems such as skipping. When selecting a hard drive to add to your PSP, it is usually best to go with a complete kit, such as one from Datel Manufacturing, instead of using a hack to attach a laptop hard drive. If you do choose a laptop hard drive, choose one with a lower speed at 5,400 rotations per minute or less to minimize vibration.

Sony PSP