Forum • Gaming • PS3

Changing HD & protected save HELP

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  • half 6 Jun 2011 13:23:34 37 posts
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    UPDATE: Strange double post when correcting typos? Sorry.

    Hi, I‘m down to the last few gig of space on my HD (alas a rather small pathetic 40gb original FAT PS3 hard drive). But I’ve been finding a lot of conflicting info on forums and the web. So I’m hoping by being on here will give me better results. I've been on other forums and haven't had anything back.

    My questions are below:

    1. What’s the best procedure to upgrade my HD, is there an up to date guide for this?     (I’ve seen various things but very old ones, so this may have changed with the new update 3.61) I have a 500gb HD to put in.

    2. I have the odd protected game saves, such as Fat princess and Heavy Rain which I want to keep playing and keep earning those trophies. Do these saves get transferred properly from the back-up I do onto my portable external USB hard drive? I don’t have an option to copy then when I try to do it manually.


    3. If I do a disc-image of the back-up on my PC does this help with the protected saves I have?     Can I restore from it.

    4. Does my PSN profile copy over as well as my game profiles for Little Big Planet 1 & 2 without getting the so called ‘copied save warning message’ that I’ve seen from other people online?

    5. Is PS+ (ok it’s free for 30 days due to the PSN outage) the only way to unlock my protected saves?
  • Flying_Pig 6 Jun 2011 13:44:57 8,626 posts
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    I'm no expert on this, and am happy to be corrected, but my thoughts/views:

    1. Existing thread here. The process would not have changed, so you should be OK following the guides linked in it.

    2. AFAIK - protected saves don't copy across, so if you change your HDD, you lose them. There's no way around it.

    3. Makes no difference

    4. Yes - that's all saved on Sony's servers.

    5. I don't think you can access Cloud saving if you've only got the 30 day trial. No idea whether it works on protected saves... EDIT: I stand corrected :)
  • RNX-Lanky 6 Jun 2011 13:50:39 275 posts
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    Protected saves - You are able to put them on the cloud, but you have to have a valid PSN plus subscription to be able to access them. Use this free period as a window to back things up. Dont forget can also just dump your saves on a memory stick too (the unprotected ones at least).

    PSN Profile is stored online on the servers, as Pig motioned.
  • preacherman69 6 Jun 2011 13:53:59 175 posts
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    As mentioned take advantage of the free plus month and backup protected saves to cloud
  • X201 6 Jun 2011 14:02:51 12,966 posts
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    half wrote:
    UPDATE: Strange double post when correcting typos? Sorry.

    Hi, I‘m down to the last few gig of space on my HD (alas a rather small pathetic 40gb original FAT PS3 hard drive). But I’ve been finding a lot of conflicting info on forums and the web. So I’m hoping by being on here will give me better results. I've been on other forums and haven't had anything back.

    My questions are below:

    1. What’s the best procedure to upgrade my HD, is there an up to date guide for this?     (I’ve seen various things but very old ones, so this may have changed with the new update 3.61) I have a 500gb HD to put in.
    First synchronise your trophies.
    Use the PS3's back-up routine onto a USB drive that is formatted for FAT32.
    Remove old PS3 drive and insert new one.
    *For this stage it will be useful to have the latest firmware on ready and waiting on a USB stick.*
    Download it from here
    And follow these instruction before copying to your Memory Stick
    Use your PC to create a folder named 'PS3' on the memory stick. Within the folder, create a folder named 'UPDATE' (This folder name is case sensitive and must appear in all capital letters). Once the UPDATE folder has been created, download the PS3 system software update to this location.

    Use PS3 Restore routine to copy from back-up drive.

    2. I have the odd protected game saves, such as Fat princess and Heavy Rain which I want to keep playing and keep earning those trophies. Do these saves get transferred properly from the back-up I do onto my portable external USB hard drive? I don’t have an option to copy then when I try to do it manually.
    USe PSN+ Cloud


    3. If I do a disc-image of the back-up on my PC does this help with the protected saves I have? Can I restore from it.
    Just get an external HDD that is formatted for FAT32 and use the backup routine
    4. Does my PSN profile copy over as well as my game profiles for Little Big Planet 1 & 2 without getting the so called ‘copied save warning message’ that I’ve seen from other people online?
    PSN profile will be fine.
    5. Is PS+ (ok it’s free for 30 days due to the PSN outage) the only way to unlock my protected saves?
    Use the PSN+ Cloud

    Additional thing to be careful of on early fat models is THE BLUE SCREW OF DEATH :D
    Be careful with this little sod as it is in really tight and it is very easy to strip the head. Apply downward pressure into the screw and increase the twisting pressure slowly, the thing will let go with a heart stopping 'crack'. :)
  • SlapDashDapps 6 Jun 2011 14:17:49 13 posts
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    @Half what 500gb hd did u pick up and from where ? looking to order one today also
  • Deleted user 6 June 2011 14:31:57
    how'd you use cloud. it says to select the save and use the copy option, but the copy option isn't there? :s

    its stupid having locked saves. :/ i can move saved game data all i want on the 360, talk about nanny sony! :p
  • X201 6 Jun 2011 14:51:35 12,966 posts
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    DcP729UK wrote:
    how'd you use cloud. it says to select the save and use the copy option, but the copy option isn't there? :s

    its stupid having locked saves. :/ i can move saved game data all i want on the 360, talk about nanny sony! :p
    Press triangle on the save file that you want to upload.

  • Deleted user 6 June 2011 14:55:42
    the copy is greyed out. :/

    why you can't move saves, i'll never truely understand tbh.
  • X201 6 Jun 2011 15:03:17 12,966 posts
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    If you're signed in to PSN and have a current PSN+ subscription, then there shouldn't be a problem.

  • Deleted user 6 June 2011 15:09:20
    i am and i have that free month of ps+
    no point keeping game progress on the ps3 if you can't move save files about easily without all this messing about. :/
    /yearns for ps2 days!
  • disusedgenius 6 Jun 2011 15:09:35 4,810 posts
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    Wouldn't a linux dd copy over the save files intact, or is there some kind of id attached to the HDD?
  • half 6 Jun 2011 16:02:08 37 posts
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    SlapDashDapps wrote:
    @Half what 500gb hd did u pick up and from where ? looking to order one today also
    Wow thanks everyone, surprised at the amount of feedback. I have a 500gb WD Scorpio Blue WD5000BEVT.

    I'll be doing it later this week once PSN has calmed down. Downloaded Infamous and Dead Nation and now I have no space to install Infamous :( I haven't activated my PS+ yet but I will do. Dam download only took a lightening fast 7 hours plus to download (that's me being sarcastic).

    Didn't know about the blue screw of death :D

    UPDATE
    Back to doing my Little Big Planet 2 level now. I'm so impressed with the amount of responses that I may actually advertise my level on here when it's done.
  • half 6 Jun 2011 16:30:13 37 posts
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    DcP729UK wrote:
    how'd you use cloud. it says to select the save and use the copy option, but the copy option isn't there? :s

    its stupid having locked saves. :/ i can move saved game data all i want on the 360, talk about nanny sony! :p
    I hear you. Is it just me or does everything seem so much easier when it comes to my Xbox 360. Hope all this and more gets sorted by the time the PS4 comes about.
  • Faceman 6 Jun 2011 16:38:25 739 posts
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    disusedgenius wrote:
    Wouldn't a linux dd copy over the save files intact, or is there some kind of id attached to the HDD?
    Nah I think it uses some proprietary partition format so it would just copy across the original partition and then you'd be limited to 40GB.
  • half 6 Jun 2011 17:07:45 37 posts
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    I don't use Linux so no need for me to do it. I think I read somewhere that protected saves are tied to your console ID or something.
  • Deleted user 6 June 2011 17:11:37
    yes. utter stupidness.
  • half 6 Jun 2011 18:08:54 37 posts
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    DcP729UK wrote:
    yes. utter stupidness.
    Ha ha yes may be. BUT I don't agree with things being taken away that were advertised as part of a product that you buy. Not good for customer service. Even though I don't use it or need to. They really should have done more testing before allowing it in the first place. Or even hired hackers to test it out before exploits were found. BUT that's sort of off topic so...

    Once I've done my HD upgrade I'll post back.
  • kingcrowbar 6 Jun 2011 20:01:52 741 posts
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    You don't need PS+ Cloud, the full system backup WILL copy protected saves, I did it a couple of weeks ago.

    Just be prepared to be without the PS3 for a while. My backup/restore was about 10 hours. Delete as much of the installed stuff from the Disc games as you can, especially GT5 with its millions of files.

    And don't be shocked when your 500GB drive ends up about 420GB. On top of the usual HDD manufacturer disc size nonsense, Sony reserves 10% of the space regardless of the actual size of the HDD so that is where the extra 45GB will disappear.
  • Bombonera 7 Jun 2011 03:03:31 344 posts
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    I honestly think the online storage is the best thing about Playstation Plus. Much quicker and easier than doing a system backup. It's brilliant, even works with copy protected saves. Take advantage of it while it's free.
  • half 8 Jun 2011 10:56:52 37 posts
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    Well I'm going to use the PS+ cloud anyway to be on the safe side and so there's another area I can use incase something does happend to my data. Since it's free from when I activate my 30 days I may as well use it. Yes it wouldn't surprise me if my 500gb ended up being less, same with other devices there always a percentage that gets reserved or used up by the system.

    I've had better responces here then other forums.

    Anyone know how to use PS+ cloud? When I restore my protected games saves from the PS+ cloud ontop of a save does it just overwrite the save from my restore? Just wondering. I've seen a few posts about corrupt saves and copied save warning messages. No biggy, I'm sure it will tell me what to do on screen anyway.
  • kosigan 8 Jun 2011 14:13:58 392 posts
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    Protected saves ARE included in a full backup, but will only be restored back to the console that they came from.
  • half 9 Jun 2011 13:57:15 37 posts
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    kosigan wrote:
    Protected saves ARE included in a full backup, but will only be restored back to the console that they came from.
    Yeap I thought so, think it has something to do with it being tied to your console ID. That's why people that get a new/another PS3-it's best to use the cloud to unlock them since they're going to another PS3 which will have a different ID.

    Thanks.
  • Deleted user 9 June 2011 14:00:44
    Can the online saves be done automatically?
  • SlapDashDapps 9 Jun 2011 14:47:04 13 posts
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    no but im hoping sony can really offer this is a future update as well as for the vita
  • kingcrowbar 9 Jun 2011 14:56:17 741 posts
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    If you are getting an additional console, there is an ethernet data transfer option to move from the old to the new. It catches most stuff apart from DRM heavy stuff like Singstar tracks. Data Transfer Utility
  • Deleted user 9 June 2011 15:34:15
    kingcrowbar wrote:
    You don't need PS+ Cloud, the full system backup WILL copy protected saves, I did it a couple of weeks ago.

    Just be prepared to be without the PS3 for a while. My backup/restore was about 10 hours. Delete as much of the installed stuff from the Disc games as you can, especially GT5 with its millions of files.

    And don't be shocked when your 500GB drive ends up about 420GB. On top of the usual HDD manufacturer disc size nonsense, Sony reserves 10% of the space regardless of the actual size of the HDD so that is where the extra 45GB will disappear.
    erm the reason you 'supposedly lose' HDD space is down to FAT 32. (File Allocation Table)
  • kingcrowbar 9 Jun 2011 15:55:08 741 posts
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    DcP729UK wrote:
    erm the reason you 'supposedly lose' HDD space is down to FAT 32. (File Allocation Table)
    I understand the space lost to formatting. (HDD marketing size versus formatted size)
    I don't understand the reason why the PS3 reserves 10% of the HDD regardless of the drive size (presumably a cache for discs/downloads/firmware updates).

    If initial models (20/40GB for example) could get by with 2/4GB reserved space the why on earth does mine need to reserve 60GB.

    To extrapolate further, if you installed a 1TB drive, you will lose over 90GB to the PS3 reserving space for cache NOT the formatting.
  • kosigan 10 Jun 2011 08:43:12 392 posts
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    Half wrote:
    Anyone know how to use PS+ cloud? When I restore my protected games saves from the PS+ cloud ontop of a save does it just overwrite the save from my restore? Just wondering. I've seen a few posts about corrupt saves and copied save warning messages. No biggy, I'm sure it will tell me what to do on screen anyway.
    Copying a save to anywhere (PS+, USB, HHD) will overwrite an existing one at that location if you tell it to (it will ask for confirmation if the same-named save exists on the destination).
    Locked saves can't be downloaded from PS+ until 24 hours after they're uploaded; I can't remember why, but at least you can get them eventually.

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