Program for cloning PS3 hard drives?

fringle

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I've done a bit of research, and apparently I can back up my stuff off the PS3 via FTP and then send it back to the console somehow? Not entirely sure how that works but I'm willing to do that instead, I just don't know if I'll have to re-install CFW onto the new hard drive.
If you run games from a folder, those can be backed up as well as roms, ps1/ps2 games. Pkg files will need to be reinstalled. Save games may work from an ftp backup but I personally have not had any luck with it but you may have to resign them. You'd be better off backing these up with the XMB since it normally won't take too long, you may be able to do game data with this as well. It will take a couple of hours if you have a lot. If your replacing the hdd depending on if you have a nand or nor ps3 will dictate if you need to reinstall the firmware. The nor models require firmware re-installation since part of the firmware is stored on the hdd. Nand consoles it's all stored on the nand so usually not required.

If you're not sure of which you have you can check via this site:
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/SKU_Models
 
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Rokku

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If you run games from a folder, those can be backed up as well as roms, ps1/ps2 games. Pkg files will need to be reinstalled. Save games may work from an ftp backup but I personally have not had any luck with it but you may have to resign them. You'd be better off backing these up with the XMB since it normally won't take too long, you may be able to do game data with this as well. It will take a couple of hours if you have a lot. If your replacing the hdd depending on if you have a nand or nor ps3 will dictate if you need to reinstall the firmware. The nor models require firmware re-installation since part of the firmware is stored on the hdd. Nand consoles it's all stored on the nand so usually not required.

If you're not sure of which you have you can check via this site:
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/SKU_Models
This is a CECHA01 so thankfully it's NAND, I guess I'll get to work transferring.
 

godreborn

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PS3 doesn't like anything above 1TB
it can get up to 1.5, but it's a little hit or miss there. it will still say the amount in GBs though. I think the highest possible, if you're lucking is around 1.8TBs. the only way to achieve that is to sacrifice some of the data to make the system think there's only 1.8TBs, but I could be wrong on the total size. I've never tried myself.
 

Hayato213

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it can get up to 1.5, but it's a little hit or miss there. it will still say the amount in GBs though. I think the highest possible, if you're lucking is around 1.8TBs. the only way to achieve that is to sacrifice some of the data to make the system think there's only 1.8TBs, but I could be wrong on the total size. I've never tried myself.

That why I said the PS3 doesn't like anything above 1TB, it is true for what you said.
 

godreborn

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That why I said the PS3 doesn't like anything above 1TB, it is true for what you said.
well, he can do that hdd method to use like 1% of the drive or something. the method is on psx-place by one of the mods. it may be built into wmm actually. not sure how you might get though.
Post automatically merged:

it just hit me, but I think it's 3141cards that devised a way to limit how space is used for the system. I haven't tried this, because it could cause problems. I assume the amount that you get is from the game cache or something.
Post automatically merged:

btw, I think 3141 likes king's field, the series. I've beaten part 4. it's one of those 1st person rpg games. mention that to him. :D
 
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Rokku

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Alright, so I'm trying to do the backup to my SSD and I cannot find the option that lets me do it? I don't have those debug settings on my CFW and I'm not seeing how to launch the backup utility via MultiMan either.
 

godreborn

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Alright, so I'm trying to do the backup to my SSD and I cannot find the option that lets me do it? I don't have those debug settings on my CFW and I'm not seeing how to launch the backup utility via MultiMan either.
do not do the official backup method. you need the same size or bigger external hdd, and it could take days depending.
 

brickmaker

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I have several CFW PS3 slims which I built from a cloned 1TB HD. The cloning was done in a standard SATA two-slot HD dock using the cloning button on the dock. The dock had the offline clone feature meaning that the dock only had to be plugged into power to work - not requiring any USB connection. At the time I was able to purchase some 1.5TB SSD's through Ali express, however I have not been able to find this unusual size since.

The cloning limitation of the dock was that the capacity of the new drive to be cloned had to be larger than the source drive. I have previously cloned 680GB to 1TB HD's, and 1TB HD to my 1.5TB SSD's.

I have also used the same cloning process to create 2TB drives for RGH XBox 360's.
 

fringle

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Well right now I can't figure out how to launch any backup method at all...
If I remember correctly if you go into the save manager or memory card areas it will allow you to transfer them to usb. Not all will work as some, for some reason or another are copy protected and cannot be moved or copied. If you are saving this to the new ssd that you plan to be putting into the ps3 remember to first move them to a pc, when you put the ssd in the ps3 it will format it.

Edit: I also do think game data can be backed up via ftp and transferred back over as well as game updates. Just have to remember to put it back to the same folder it was transferred from. I think I did this when I replaced my hdd a couple of months ago but can't quite remember if it actually worked or not. I may have had to reinstall some things. Just create a folder structure on the pc that resembles the ps3 and transfer the data from the ps3 to the respective folders on the pc. I run all of my games from PS3netsrv so didn't have to worry about backing up the games.
 
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Rokku

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I ended up using a program I already had called "HDD Raw Copy Tool" that ended up working perfectly, now I have a 500GB SSD in my PS3, even if I can't use the whole capacity this should still make my PS3 run smoother and cooler.
 

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Hayato213

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I ended up using a program I already had called "HDD Raw Copy Tool" that ended up working perfectly, now I have a 500GB SSD in my PS3, even if I can't use the whole capacity this should still make my PS3 run smoother and cooler.

That is kinda of waste, you got a 1TB drive?
 
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Neal Cullum

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I have several CFW PS3 slims which I built from a cloned 1TB HD. The cloning was done in a standard SATA two-slot HD dock using the cloning button on the dock. The dock had the offline clone feature meaning that the dock only had to be plugged into power to work - not requiring any USB connection. At the time I was able to purchase some 1.5TB SSD's through Ali express, however I have not been able to find this unusual size since.

The cloning limitation of the dock was that the capacity of the new drive to be cloned had to be larger than the source drive. I have previously cloned 680GB to 1TB HD's, and 1TB HD to my 1.5TB SSD's.

I have also used the same cloning process to create 2TB drives for RGH XBox 360's.

With your cloned 1TB HDD, how did this work for all your cfw ps3's? Usually there will be some stuff that won't work so needs reinstalling. I am interested how you do this as I have about 6 ps3's lol
 

Hayato213

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With your cloned 1TB HDD, how did this work for all your cfw ps3's? Usually there will be some stuff that won't work so needs reinstalling. I am interested how you do this as I have about 6 ps3's lol

Pretty sure it only work if you were like doing 1:1 mirroring, if you were planning to use the same drive cloned in multiple units probably doesn't work.
 
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BlessedDog

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Just chipping in and saying if you decide to copy the files over using the PS3, make sure you disable auto power off in the power settings so your system won't shut itself down while copying the files over. I had this happen to me last week and I had to start the transfer all over again which was annoying :nayps3:.
 

godreborn

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Just chipping in and saying if you decide to copy the files over using the PS3, make sure you disable auto power off in the power settings so your system won't shut itself down while copying the files over. I had this happen to me last week and I had to start the transfer all over again which was annoying :nayps3:.
The system can be set to power off up to 4 hours iirc. If you use rebuild toolbox to ftp, it will do the same, shut off, after only 1 hour.
 
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TheStonedModder

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Its not convient. But cant you just plug the new HDD into your PS3 and set it up as a new drive. (so it gets formatted properly)

And than just plug the old drive, and your new larger formatted drive to a PC and copy your files over.

Or while slow....FTP the files off of your old drive(after its back in the PS3) to your larger drive thats connected to a PC after your PS3 does the formatting
 

godreborn

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Its not convient. But cant you just plug the new HDD into your PS3 and set it up as a new drive. (so it gets formatted properly)

And than just plug the old drive, and your new larger formatted drive to a PC and copy your files over.

Or while slow....FTP the files off of your old drive(after its back in the PS3) to your larger drive thats connected to a PC after your PS3 does the formatting
With the erk, it's possible, I think. Not sure if it has write access or not.
 

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