Back It Up!
Just had to replace our loyal PS3 which succumbed to the YLOD (the dreaded Yellow Light Of Death). Didn't worry overmuch about my data, because I would just take out the HDD and slap it into the new unit, right?
WRONG! Point of fact- Each PS3 encrypts it's data so that it can only be accessed by the original PS3 unit. Placing your old hard drive into the new PS3 you get a prompt to format the disk...no other choices. The ONLY way to back up to a new PS3 is by doing so from the ORIGINAL PS3...which if you just got YLOD, your out of luck because the system won't even turn on, much less get you to the backup utility.
There are no work arounds. There are no tricks. The data cannot be read by the new PS3, even if you get a SATA to USB adapter and try to connect it to the new one (two reasons for this-1. External recognition requires FAT32, internal hard drive is not formatted thusly, 2. Even if it did recognize it, it can't read it because it's encrypted by the old PS3)
So, yepper, lost well over a hundred hours of Burnout Paradise, multiple Dragon Age playthroughs, Fallout 3 saves, my Mass Effect 2 saves, all my unlocked weapons/cars/etc from all my games. Everything. Poof. Gone.
Fortunately, as stated before when I installed the new HDD in the ol' PS3, all games/DLC purchased from PSN is saved on PSN, so I don't have to rebuy anything...but it HURTS to lose all that data.
SO, word of WARNING to EVERYONE out there...BACK UP YOUR SAVES! It doesn't take a lot of space. When we transferred saves for our hard drive swap, it only took a couple of 4 gig memory sticks for both of us. (Note: The 'required hard disk space' you see on the back of games is usually referring to mandatory installed data, not your saves, so don't freak out...it's not going to take 4 gb just to back up your Arkham saves) Get a thumb drive. Back up EVERYTHING that you've put a ton of hours into. You'll be happy you did if the YLOD comes calling...or, in the case of the Xbox 360, the RRoD (Red Ring Of Death).
NOTE on PS3 Slim- Yes, it lacks all the bells/whistles of original(ie. 2 USB instead of 4 and no SD/MS/CF slots) but can be remedied with USB 4 port hub and USB card reader. Backwards compatibility is lost, but we still have our PS2 anyway. One BIG plus is how quiet this thing runs. No more beepbeepWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSH on start up.
RIP PS3
2008-2011
WRONG! Point of fact- Each PS3 encrypts it's data so that it can only be accessed by the original PS3 unit. Placing your old hard drive into the new PS3 you get a prompt to format the disk...no other choices. The ONLY way to back up to a new PS3 is by doing so from the ORIGINAL PS3...which if you just got YLOD, your out of luck because the system won't even turn on, much less get you to the backup utility.
There are no work arounds. There are no tricks. The data cannot be read by the new PS3, even if you get a SATA to USB adapter and try to connect it to the new one (two reasons for this-1. External recognition requires FAT32, internal hard drive is not formatted thusly, 2. Even if it did recognize it, it can't read it because it's encrypted by the old PS3)
So, yepper, lost well over a hundred hours of Burnout Paradise, multiple Dragon Age playthroughs, Fallout 3 saves, my Mass Effect 2 saves, all my unlocked weapons/cars/etc from all my games. Everything. Poof. Gone.
Fortunately, as stated before when I installed the new HDD in the ol' PS3, all games/DLC purchased from PSN is saved on PSN, so I don't have to rebuy anything...but it HURTS to lose all that data.
SO, word of WARNING to EVERYONE out there...BACK UP YOUR SAVES! It doesn't take a lot of space. When we transferred saves for our hard drive swap, it only took a couple of 4 gig memory sticks for both of us. (Note: The 'required hard disk space' you see on the back of games is usually referring to mandatory installed data, not your saves, so don't freak out...it's not going to take 4 gb just to back up your Arkham saves) Get a thumb drive. Back up EVERYTHING that you've put a ton of hours into. You'll be happy you did if the YLOD comes calling...or, in the case of the Xbox 360, the RRoD (Red Ring Of Death).
NOTE on PS3 Slim- Yes, it lacks all the bells/whistles of original(ie. 2 USB instead of 4 and no SD/MS/CF slots) but can be remedied with USB 4 port hub and USB card reader. Backwards compatibility is lost, but we still have our PS2 anyway. One BIG plus is how quiet this thing runs. No more beepbeepWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSH on start up.
RIP PS3
2008-2011