Hacking ps3 on unknown 3.55 cfw, want to upgrade hdd size

[wigner]

bored with the ps4, dug up my old JB'd ps3's to mess with...My fat one is dead, needs an unleaded reball as replacing thermal paste no longer works. But my slim one still works but hdd is maxed out. I bought a 1tb drive for it, and am currently performing a system backup to an external hdd. Once the backup is done and I put the new hdd in, I assume it will want to format it, but will it also ask for the firmware? If it does, where is it located? On the current internal hdd I hope? And if so, where do I navigate to to copy it with a file manager?
...Forgot, it's a CECH-2001A machine. Thanks for any help, it's been so long I don't 'member how to do all this stuff, and I've read thru so many searches...

 

[godreborn]

there's really no way to tell cfw type other than version from the flash or hdd. it will ask for a fw install on NOR slim, yes. afaik, it doesn't matter which firmware you install as long as it's the same version number.

 

[Magsor]

I suggest you install hfw 4.86 and then backup. Use that to install on your new hard drive. restore. Then you will be able to install rebug strait up.

 

[wigner]

Thanks for the replies. Now that I messed around a bit I don't really have any saved games or accounts or bought games on this machine I need to be transferred to the new drive(it wasn't mine originally)...BUT my old dead fatty(OG CFW3.41) has my old account and bought/installed games and tons of saved games under that account that I'd LOVE to have back. Is there ANY way to downgrade the working cfw3.55 slim to 3.41and somehow get the drive of my old fatty working in it so as to get all my saved games and whatnot working again? Obviously completely different machines and accounts.

 

[godreborn]

Thanks for the replies. Now that I messed around a bit I don't really have any saved games or accounts or bought games on this machine I need to be transferred to the new drive(it wasn't mine originally)...BUT my old dead fatty(OG CFW3.41) has my old account and bought/installed games and tons of saved games under that account that I'd LOVE to have back. Is there ANY way to downgrade the working cfw3.55 slim to 3.41and somehow get the drive of my old fatty working in it so as to get all my saved games and whatnot working again? Obviously completely different machines and accounts.

you can downgrade as low as base firmware, but that won't make the drive magically work. you need the erk to read the drive on a pc. that is the only way. if you don't have it and the ps3 is dead, there's nothing you can do.

 

[wigner]

I'm pretty sure I don't have the erk, this dead machine was using the OLD dongle and 3.41hermes cfw IIRC(It died ~2014 or so). BUT I'm pretty sure if I dig thru my old pc's I have a backup from it pre and post JB'ing it. So I was wondering if I could downgrade my working slim to 3.41 from it's 3.55cfw, then do a restore of my OLD 3.41 backup, it would then be a clone of my old fatty with my old account. THEN, I remember seeing something the other day where this guy claimed to be able to go into normal service mode and system restore and at some point hotswap one drive with another(both on same fw) and it would rebuild the database without formatting the hotswapped in drive. Does this sound possible? Thanks for the quick reply, I really appreciate any help.

 

[godreborn]

Never heard of that. A backup from one ps3 to another doesn't work.

 

[wigner]

Never heard of that. A backup from one ps3 to another doesn't work.

I'm aware of that, but this guy was hotswapping two different sized drives into his ps3 during the restore or rebuild process and it wasn't formatting the swapped in drive. He claimed something like "~swap in any hdd without formatting" but it looked like both drives were from the same machine and on same fw, and prolly from same account. I'll see if it can find it again.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I'm aware of that, but this guy was hotswapping two different sized drives into his ps3 during the restore or rebuild process and it wasn't formatting the swapped in drive. He claimed something like "~swap in any hdd without formatting" but it looked like both drives were from the same machine and on same fw, and prolly from same account. I'll see if it can find it again.

https://www.nextgenupdate.com/forum...y-ps3-hdd-your-ps3-without-formatting-11.html

 

[godreborn]

two problems. first the hdd is encrypted with the erk, so not formatting would have no effect on the drive working. second, NOR systems store 90% of the firmware on the hdd, so using a drive from an older firmware simply doesn't work.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

also, since both drives came from the same machine (definitely a NOR), you could swap them without formatting, because the xregistry, which contains the serial number of the machine, is on the hdd. this works for same machine; same firmware only.

 

[wigner]

Oh crap, I see what you mean. Restore backup data utility is not data transfer utility. Sorry, been so long since I messed with the ps3. BUT, in that case I originally had a fatty on 3.41 I wanted to JB. So I bought a brand new slim that was also at 3.41. Then I did the data transfer utility and made my new slim a clone of my old fatty. THEN I JB'd the fatty and continued to use new slim with my account and kept it updated to use online and still have it somewhere. So does this open any possibilties for what I want to do? Or does doing the data transfer thing wipe out the data used to transfer to a new machine?

 

[godreborn]

won't work. backup utility uses per console keys. sony wouldn't be stupid enough to use the same key for all consoles or there would be no reason for hen. you have no options unless you ftp'd the content or had the erk (eid root key). eid stands for encrypted individual data.

 

[wigner]

won't work. backup utility uses per console keys. sony wouldn't be stupid enough to use the same key for all consoles or there would be no reason for hen. you have no options unless you ftp'd the content or had the erk (eid root key). eid stands for encrypted individual data.

MyGOD, it's so nice to have access to people who know what the heck they're talking about. Thanks again. But what about the data transfer utility? I mean, can't I downgrade my cfw slim to same fw as my data used for the original data transfer to an new machine and use it again and then it will have the proper key or whatever?

 

[godreborn]

No, the key is not related to firmware.

 

[wigner]

No, the key is not related to firmware.

But I'm only mentioning the fw as it relates to being able to do the data transfer to a new machine. If I can find my original data I used to "clone" my fatty to a slim, can't I use it again to make another slim a clone of the old fatty? I know it's confusing, but I have three machines: A=old dead JB'd fatty on 3.41. B=slim that I used data transfer utility to make a clone of A and never JB'd but used online and kept updated. And C=different slim that is completely unrelated but on cfw3.55

 

[godreborn]

I can't recall if data backup utility uses idps or erk, but both keys are console specific.

 

[wigner]

I can't recall if data backup utility uses idps or erk, but both keys are console specific.

I've abandoned the data backup restore utility idea and am wondering about the data TRANSFER utility. I don't remember using an ethernet cable between machines, I thought the transfer utility made a similar file to be able to clone an old machine into a new machine. All I know is when I initially wanted to JB my ps3, I bought another one to clone the old machine, but never deactivated the old machine and never used it online, only to have it JB'd, and ended up with a slim and fatty that were exactly the same until I continued to use the slim online and updated.

 

[godreborn]

I don't know if that will work. Afaik, it might but I think the source ps3 will be erased.

 

[wigner]

I don't know if that will work. Afaik, it might but I think the source ps3 will be erased.

...Well, thanks again. My brain hurts, I'm gonna go watch the idiot box and get drunk and think aboot this. I really want access to my old fatty, but don't want to attempt a leaded reball to fix it...I'm thinking I must have some options that most don't, but will require alot more research. If you happen to think of anything else, I'm open to whatever. Prolly check in tomorrow. THANKS AGAIN!

 

[godreborn]

If you could patch the fat to turn on briefly to get the erk. You can dump it with rebug toolbox. It's only possible on rex. The option to dump it won't exist on any other firmware. I think you can also dump it with idpset on any cfw.

 

[wigner]

If you could patch the fat to turn on briefly to get the erk. You can dump it with rebug toolbox. It's only possible on rex. The option to dump it won't exist on any other firmware. I think you can also dump it with idpset on any cfw.

...I'm thinking a heat gun reflow and thermal paste and if it turns back on, try to do another data transfer before it dies again(I know it won't last if it does turn back on,CRAP ROHS solder balls)...I looked up your recomended idpset, but it says "You just have to run IDPSet on your CFW (with eid_root_key and valid idps.bin on the root of your USB key)." So it doesn't sound like this will dump the erk with my OLD cfw. I dug around my old pc's and hdd's, but the only thing I could find was a "export" directory I had labeled "pre JB fatty", so I guess I long ago deleted the original transfer data