Hacking [How To] Restore save from non-activated PS4 to an activated one

Sparkss

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First off, this is unfortunately not a "free" solution. It requires the use of the PS4 Save Game Wizard, which is a paid app (at least I paid for my copy :)).

Requirements:

- PS4 Save Wizard
- Activated PS4 Console (I activated mine using this method here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/activated-ps4-profile.513597/)
- At least 1 save (from any game) from the activated console (with the target PSN ID), exported via the Application Data Management -> Save to USB function.
- Your backed up saves from the non-activated console. (These can be collected using Stooge's SG DB Backup, or manually via FTP, both are available in such solutions as Kiwii's excellent self-host here:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-x-project-5-05-self-host.512046/. either way you need all of the CUSA folders in \user\home\<Local USER ID #>\savedata\)
- At least 1 USB drive, formatted so that the PS4 will see it (easy enough to check if you used the same one to backup the save game from the activated console)


First you need to import the PSN ID from the activated console. So take the USB that you used to backup the save game from the activated console and plug it into the computer. Fire up the Save Wizard and click on the Re-Sign tab at the top. Make sure you see your game in the list, if not then check the USB Drive setting is pointing to your USB drive. If it still does not show up then you either have a corrupted save or you did not use the backup directly from the PS4 export to usb feature, or it is an unsupported game, try another one.

Update: If the target PSN ID/Profile is the shared "Activated" profile, then you only need to import it once for resigning saves for multiple target PS4s. IE: If it is the same PSN ID then you do not need to import from a new PS4 save every time you re-sign for a different/new PS4. Another way to put it is if you have Activated PS4 #1 and import a save from the Activated PSN Profile ID, you can then resign a save for import onto Activated PS4 #2, or PS4 #3, so long as they are using the same Activated Profile. You get the idea. The PSN ID, when importing into the Save Wizard, does not appear to contain any console specific flags, making sharing them across multiple PS4s using the same profile possible. This has been tested and confirmed.

Now highlight your save gave and click on the arrow to the left to expand the name. Then there should be a list of files, at least one of which includes the PSN ID of your console in the Profile/PSN ID column. Right click on that line and select Register Profile. Once that is done, it only needs to be done once. The app will retain that profile for re-signing.

Now either clear off your USB drive, or start with a new one. You will need to have the following directory structure:

\PS4\SAVEDATA\56259107bc784f2b

In that folder copy all of the CUSA folders (from your non-activated console) that you want to re-sign/restore. (NOTE: Nothing will show up in the Save Wizard yet).

Then go into each CUSA and look for any files with an "sdimg_" prefix and remove it. IE: rename "sdimg_sce_sdmemory" to "sce_sdmemory". If you have a lot to rename I have used a windows program called Bulk Rename Utility (BRU) and it works really well.

Now your saves should be showing up in the Save Wizard. Expand each CUSA line to see the save files for each game. They should be reporting that they have an unknown PSN ID (or the weird 5625... directory name). Right click on each file in each game and choose "re-sign". The app will show a progress bar and the USB drive will be active. This can take from 30 second to over a minute per file (no way to batch them that I know of, but I have not really looked). You will see a new directory on your USB drive in the \PS4\SAVEDATA\ folder. Those are your resigned and ready to import saves.

I would recommend backing up everything on the drive to a folder on your computer, just in case. When done re-signing all of your saves you should delete the 56259107bc784f2b directory to avoid trying to import the wrong saves into your PS4, which won't work in the games anyways. If you are using the Activated profile linked above then you will be left with the following directory: \PS4\SAVEDATA\56259107bc784f2a\<CUSA Folders>

Now just put the USB drive into your PS4 and go to the Settings -> Application Saved Data Management -> Data on USB -> Copy to System (I think I got those name correct, but am typing them from memory at the moment) and import the saves. If a save already exists for that game it will ask you if you want to overwrite it. If you backed everything up first then there should be no issue with it.

Start up your game and do a happy dance (at least that is what I did when I finally got it working :))

A couple of notes:

The Save Wizard has a couple of requirements before it will "see" a save for resigning.
1. It must be in a PSN ID (hashed) folder. (in the /PS4/SAVEDATA/ folder on a USB drive)
2. It must not be in the target PSN ID (hashed) folder (it will not re-sign back to the same ID)
3. The files must match what it is expecting for a save

The 56259107bc784f2b folder addresses #1 and #2. It is 1 character off from the Activated profile I am using (in the link at the start of this post), so it appears valid to the Save Wizard, but it is not the target ID that I want to re-sign to (which is 56259107bc784f2a if you are using the shared Activated profile). You may be able to use any folder name, I never really played around too much since this method worked and was simple enough. But a different folder is needed to "trick" the Save Wizard into signing the local save.

Stripping the sdimg_ prefix (that the PS4 appears to place in front of all saves for a local account) allows the Save Wizard to "find" the file names that it expects.

I have successfully used this method to "salvage" my GOW save from the PS4 Pro from before I applied the Activated profile (that wipes your system when it is applied). I made sure to back up first. I imported it back onto the same PS4 Pro post-activation.

I also salvaged Nier Automata and Shantae Half Genie from a PS4 Slim (still on FW 4.55), resigned and restored onto the PS4 Pro (running FW 5.05).

I tested that the saves were good by launching the games, opening up the save then playing for a couple of minutes. I then re-saved just to lock in any changes into the PS4 DB, but I am not 100% sure that is really necessary.

I hope that this helps others with rescuing their backed up saves from their non-activated consoles (importing onto an activated one).
 
Last edited by Sparkss,

Sparkss

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That can just save my life if it works for me :)

Fingers crossed!

EDIT: I will add that I noticed that if a save has a sce_bu_sce_sdmemory file that it won't re-sign it, but so far everyone I came across with one of those also had a sce_sdmemory file, and that re-signed and held the save data I was after. The sce_bu_sce_sdmemory file gave a weird error in the Save Wizard. It would try to resign it, but towards the end it would crash with an "unknown error" and I would need to restart the Save Wizard to continue.
 
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rroulian

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100% confirms that it works!!! many thanks to you to have restore my local save to my activated profile, that's amazing and a wonderfull trick for everyone!!!
 
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Matt85R

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great tut !

i'm not going to test it soon on my ps4 with local profile , but i think it'll come handy to know this trick if i have to re-initialize my ps4 for some reason or it'll break ! :nayps3:

i'm curious though about a way to pass the trophies earned from the local account to the activated one, do you think is possible ?
have you tried?:)

i don't own the program yet because i don't need it atm , have you seen any options regarding that?

thanks in advance! :grog:
 

Sparkss

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great tut !

i'm not going to test it soon on my ps4 with local profile , but i think it'll come handy to know this trick if i have to re-initialize my ps4 for some reason or it'll break ! :nayps3:

i'm curious though about a way to pass the trophies earned from the local account to the activated one, do you think is possible ?
have you tried?:)

i don't own the program yet because i don't need it atm , have you seen any options regarding that?

thanks in advance! :grog:

TBH I have not tried anything with the trophies and don't see where the save wizard even tries to handle them. And unless you are using one of the newer DB SG backup versions it doesn't grab the trophies either (that I recall seeing). I also do not recall seeing the trophies being dumped by the "save to USB" function (once I activated the profile), but maybe I just did not select all the right options when I tested it. I mention that because if it doesn't export them then it won't import them on a restore either. Sorry :(
 

Matt85R

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i've used DB SG V3 and like you said only that version is handling the trophies, but i think they're tied to the account that created them

i have read this on sony offical site :
You cannot transfer:
  • Saved data of users who have never signed in to PlayStation Network.
  • Trophy information that is not synced with PlayStation Network.
  • Any password data

so trophies cannnot be restored on a different account via official tools :(
 
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Naser

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hi...
sparkss can you re-sign my GOW4 save with your save wizard for me..i don't have the money for save wizard..
i am using the same activated profile as you..
i have uploaded my save data link before installing pre-activated profile to zippyshare but cannot give link here because i am a newbie !!!
thank you
 
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Sparkss

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hi...
sparkss can you re-sign my GOW4 save with your save wizard for me..i don't have the money for save wizard..
i am using the same activated profile as you..
i have uploaded my save data link before installing pre-activated profile to zippyshare but cannot give link here because i am a newbie !!!
thank you

Sorry, the program only lets you work with a specific game once every couple of weeks, I am guessing to prevent someone from setting up a "Service" with their copy and mass re-signing saves. I just recently tweaked my GOW save and do so from time to time, so I am not able to help out. Sorry.
 
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_eyCaRambA_

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Do you have any clue how I would solve my situation?
I want to copy a save from my 5.55 PS4 (PSN activated account) to my 5.05 PS4 (pre-actived account).
I create a save on the 5.05 PS4 and copied it to my USB stick and registered the profile in Save Wizard. I copied my desired save from my 5.55 PS4 to the stick as well and resigned it to the 5.05 ID. No errors on SW end.

When I try to copy the save to the 5.05 PS4, it says it's corrupted. Might it be an error with the installed FPKG?
 

KiiWii

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Do you have any clue how I would solve my situation?
I want to copy a save from my 5.55 PS4 (PSN activated account) to my 5.05 PS4 (pre-actived account).
I create a save on the 5.05 PS4 and copied it to my USB stick and registered the profile in Save Wizard. I copied my desired save from my 5.55 PS4 to the stick as well and resigned it to the 5.05 ID. No errors on SW end.

When I try to copy the save to the 5.05 PS4, it says it's corrupted. Might it be an error with the installed FPKG?

Afaik save wizard encrypts with the latest key, so 5.05 wouldn’t recognise it.

I think you would have to use SW to decrypt the 5.55 save, then use save mounter to inject it into your 5.05 system. But I’m really unsure the how’s and why’s.
 
Last edited by KiiWii,

Sparkss

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Do you have any clue how I would solve my situation?
I want to copy a save from my 5.55 PS4 (PSN activated account) to my 5.05 PS4 (pre-actived account).
I create a save on the 5.05 PS4 and copied it to my USB stick and registered the profile in Save Wizard. I copied my desired save from my 5.55 PS4 to the stick as well and resigned it to the 5.05 ID. No errors on SW end.

When I try to copy the save to the 5.05 PS4, it says it's corrupted. Might it be an error with the installed FPKG?

I thought there was an issue restoring a save from a retail copy of a game to an FPKG version, but I could be mistake. Or is the FPKG game the exact same version (patch level) as the retail one?
 

_eyCaRambA_

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Turns out I had to inject the keystone into the FPKG. Save doesn't show up as corrupted anymore but now asks to update to newer system software to be transfered... The game isn't supported for """advanced""" mode, so I can't decrypt it with SW unfortunately. Save Wizard is such a nuisance, never works as expected lol
 

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