Hacking Power on, Ps3 asks to format

echan42

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Out of the blue when I powered on my ps3 it asked me to restore the system, wich is strange because I powered down correctly last use.

after it gets to 30~% it displays:

"an error ocurred during the restore operation.
the system storage must be formatted.
All data on the system will be deleted during formatting.
Do you want to format?"

Is there any way I can avoid this and boot to the system like on older firmwares?
Can I attach the HD to my coumpuer and access the savegames, copy them, format the HD and restore them?

I'm running stock firmwre updated to the latest version, would it be a good time to downgrade to 3.55 and install a CFW that allows to copy files over to a USB storage device before formatting?

Thanks
 

WiiCube_2013

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I had this issue with my 250GB edition and whenever it did I'd just restart than do what it asks.

My 360 neve bothered me with such thing.
 

echan42

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I don't know the PS3, but to me it sounds like the drive might be failing. Even if you formatted it, it might still cause problems.

True, but it's also possible only the data structure is messed up, so after I reover the data I'm going to run a disk forensics program on my PC to see if it holds up.

I had this issue with my 250GB edition and whenever it did I'd just restart than do what it asks.

That would fix my problem, I'm sure, but before formatting I want to try and save my savefiles
 

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Just press Circle when it asks you if you want to restore, that will ignore the prompt. If the system boots fine, backup all your content as your HDD is probably dying and will require a replacement.

Speaking of diagnostics, you might want to Safe Boot your PS3 and go through the recovery options prior to performing any diagnostics on PC.
 

echan42

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Just press Circle when it asks you if you want to restore, that will ignore the prompt. If the system boots fine, backup all your content as your HDD is probably dying and will require a replacement.

Speaking of diagnostics, you might want to Safe Boot your PS3 and go through the recovery options prior to performing any diagnostics on PC.

sadly I think the pressing circle only works on older firmwres. And I've tried to safe boot my ps3 but holding power button gets me nowhere.
 

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sadly I think the pressing circle only works on older firmwres. And I've tried to safe boot my ps3 but holding power button gets me nowhere.
I'm running latest OFW and I get the option to cancel, so that can't be the case, it's more likely that your drive is just borked. Re-check safe booting, it should work fine. If it doesn't, I'm afraid you'll have to pull that drive out and do some tinkering on PC to recover whatever you can.
 

echan42

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I'm running latest OFW and I get the option to cancel, so that can't be the case, it's more likely that your drive is just borked. Re-check safe booting, it should work fine. If it doesn't, I'm afraid you'll have to pull that drive out and do some tinkering on PC to recover whatever you can.

As soon as I get home I'll give it another shot, I'm hoping I might get the system to at least boot, if not I'll hook it up to the computer, correct me if I'm wrong, but are Ps3 drives encripted so they're unique to that console?
 

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As soon as I get home I'll give it another shot, I'm hoping I might get the system to at least boot, if not I'll hook it up to the computer, correct me if I'm wrong, but are Ps3 drives encripted so they're unique to that console?
The content is tied to the system, but you won't have to deal with any shenanigans with keys like on the Xbox in order to connect it, it shouldn't be a problem. Extracting data is another issue entirely, but there are some homebrew PS3 HDD utilities out there - Google around. If all else fails and you want to give this drive some CPR, grab a copy of SpinRite (floats online on certain sites that I won't mention), make a bootable USB and attempt a full disk recovery. The principle here is simple, SpinRite takes raw data from the drive and re-writes it to the platter, it might make it "more readable" for the PS3 which should allow you to restore the database. If that also fails, you'll have to dump your saves and format, there are some utilities online that do just that.
 
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echan42

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The content is tied to the system, but you won't have to deal with any shenanigans with keys like on the Xbox in order to connect it, it shouldn't be a problem. Extracting data is another issue entirely, but there are some homebrew PS3 HDD utilities out there - Google around. If all else fails and you want to give this drive some CPR, grab a copy of SpinRite (floats online on certain sites that I won't mention), make a bootable USB and attempt a full disk recovery. The principle here is simple, SpinRite takes raw data from the drive and re-writes it to the platter, it might make it "more readable" for the PS3 which should allow you to restore the database. If that also fails, you'll have to dump your saves and format, there are some utilities online that do just that.

NICE this was exactly what I was aming for! Fingeres crossed!!
 

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I left my ps3 running Restore File System overnight, it's still at it. the animated indicator still moves so the console isn't stuck, but I take it this isn't normal.
 

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I'm afraid fixx is right, if System Restore freezes, it probably encountered a bad sector and it's repeatedly trying to read it. SpinRite the drive and try again, if that fails, it's game over - try to save what you can on PC and format the drive.
 

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I ran SpinRite twice and got the same error
Division Overflow Error!
A Critical Error Occurred at: 5672 from which SpinRIte CANNOT recover. The system has been halted!

Eventhough I followed all the advice I found online on "how to avoid Division Overflow Error! SpinRite"

Is there absolutley no way to read from a Ps3 HD without extrating the consoles key?
 

echan42

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Did you try PS3 HDD Utility? There's also another extractor, but the name escaped my mind, something along the lines of ps3extract.


Wherever I look I find these two limitations
users will need to obtain their eid_root_key for the decrypting process, which can be obtained on 3.55 CFW.
or
This tool only works for PS3 SLIM model internal PS3 drives

I'm running a FAT 60gb backwards compatible launch model on OFW.
 

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Wherever I look I find these two limitations

or


I'm running a FAT 60gb backwards compatible launch model on OFW.
Whoopsie! That *is* a problem. Have you considered making a complete HDD image instead? Just a 1:1 copy of the platters that you could use after the format. There's quite a bit of software that makes those regardless of filesystem used, HDDGURU comes to mind.
 

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I don't know if formating or replacing the HDD keeps the same encryption key.
But I think there might be a way to recover data without knowing the key (as long as it's the same after formating).

it will need a LOT of work, and hexedit :(
it involves making full hdd image and compare multiple images and extract data using hexeditor.


- use a small HDD (will be faster!)
- replace the drive, and format the new one.
- hack your console to be able to write files on the HDD.
- make a full image of your defected drive on computer (dd on linux, or Win32DiskImager on windows) (let's call it original.bin)
- make a full image of your new drive on computer (let's call it clean.bin)
- back on PS3, create a big dummy file on your drive using filemanager/ftp/whatever (it should be few sectors long, but I guess the bigger it is and the faster you will recover data), make it 10MB for example. (for hexediting, it's easier than making it 1GB)
- back to PC, create a new image of the new HDD with the dummy file (let's call it clean+dummy.bin)

- compare clean with clean+dummy with hexeditor to find the sectors where dummy file is located.
- Extract 10MB of data from original.bin and place it into the dummy file's sectors
- connect your new HDD to PS3 and run the filemanager, and the PS3 will decrypt the content of the dummy file for you ! without knowing the key ;)
- extract the dummy file from PS3 to PC and look inside, it contains all your data... but unfortunately, not in file or folder format.

From here, I don't know how to recover files from a HDD sector dump.
having access to the file table would help to know filename, sector position and sector size.
but as you see, without the key, the console can do the work for you if you know what to inject in dummy
 
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Foxi4

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I don't know if formating or replacing the HDD keeps the same encryption key.
But I think there might be a way to recover data without knowing the key (as long as it's the same after formating).

it will need a LOT of work, and hexedit :(
it involves making full hdd image and compare multiple images and extract data using hexeditor.


- use a small HDD (will be faster!)
- replace the drive, and format the new one.
- hack your console to be able to write files on the HDD.
- make a full image of your defected drive on computer (dd on linux, or Win32DiskImager on windows) (let's call it original.bin)
- make a full image of your new drive on computer (let's call it clean.bin)
- back on PS3, create a big dummy file on your drive using filemanager/ftp/whatever (it should be few sectors long, but I guess the bigger it is and the faster you will recover data), make it 10MB for example. (for hexediting, it's easier than making it 1GB)
- back to PC, create a new image of the new HDD with the dummy file (let's call it clean+dummy.bin)

- compare clean with clean+dummy with hexeditor to find the sectors where dummy file is located.
- Extract 10MB of data from original.bin and place it into the dummy file's sectors
- connect your new HDD to PS3 and run the filemanager, and the PS3 will decrypt the content of the dummy file for you ! without knowing the key ;)
- extract the dummy file from PS3 to PC and look inside, it contains all your data... but unfortunately, not in file or folder format.

From here, I don't know how to recover files from a HDD sector dump.
having access to the file table would help to know filename, sector position and sector size.
but as you see, without the key, the console can do the work for you if you know what to inject in dummy
At that point he might as well write the drive image back to a new drive (or the old and properly formatted one, if he's lucky there's still some sectors in the recovery pool) and rebuild the database, chances are that one or two saves will be corrupt, but it's better than going in blind with a hex editor. Worst-case scenario the firmware is borked, but he can perform a recovery install/update from a USB stick AFAIR.
 

Cyan

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Yes, the hex route would be the last thing to try.
but we don't know if the issue is his hdd or his file system.

If the hdd is fine, cloning it will not help as the file system will still be unrecoverable by the console.
I don't know if he can install a firmware over his current one by accessing the recovery menu (unplug/replug, then keep power pressed until it power and shutdown again. Release the button and to it again until you hear bipping sound then release it and it should boot the recovery menu where you can reinstall firmware, even the same version)

but before messing with firmware reinstall, try all you can with your current drive.
clone it to another drive and see if it helps.
 
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