Related Content:
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Almost 10,000 people online [5]
Race Driver Demo [4]
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The whole thing in 100 words (or so) [2]
All the eggs, one massive basket [0]
With interactive game and downloads [0]
September, 99 Euroes [0]
Despite launch gap [1]
Up now [3]
Live blog this afternoon [10]
Monday, May 05, 2008
Crystal ball time. [5]
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Semi-colon ahoy! [2]
Two PSN Updates Next Week [2]
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
SCEE's press conference confirmed [3]
Friday, April 18, 2008
Now then, now then. [1]
Event: PlayStation Day 2008
06/05/2008
Blog: Monday Blues: Upgrading The PS3 Harddrive
It was a fine Bank Holiday yesterday: the birds were tweeting and the sun was shining, but in anticipation of today's PlayStation Event (and the masses of cool downloads we're getting later on) we decided it was time to upgrade the TSA PS3's 60 GB harddrive.
A quick call to our local computer suppliers and a drive into town produced a 160 GB harddrive for the tiny sum of £55. Bargain, we thought, if only the rest of the process would be as painless.
Back at TSA Towers we flipped off the harddrive cover on the PS3 to reveal the Blue Screw Of Doom, and then suddenly we remembered we'd been here before, trying to get this damned screw out of it's hole. For anyone unfamiliar, Sony have managed to construct the screw thread out of adamantine steel and the hole where the screwdriver goes out of jelly - meaning that no matter which screwdriver you use, you're not going to be undoing this screw in a million years.
So, with the socket already knackered, it was time for the drill. With the PS3 on it's side, upside down, we proceeded to drill either side of the screwdriver socket to form a groove right across the screw. 30 minutes later, an eye full of sharp metal, we'd managed to take enough out of the screw head to force a flat-head screwdriver into the new slot, and out the Blue Screw Of Doom came.
Fantastic - the little catch flipped up and the casing, along with the tiny harddrive, slid out. We popped it back in, then left it backing up for just over an hour, before taking the harddrive back out and having a proper look at the case... Then we saw 4 more screws holding the disk in place...
These were even worse. The tightest, snuggest screwdriver in the world couldn't get these out without destroying the head, so it was back to the drill, lengthways across each screw, for approximately 90 minutes. Finally, after much frustration (and one snapped drill bit) we'd managed to get one screw out, another one splintered into tiny fragments all over the room, and the remaining two were still wedged firmly in place like limpets.
With more frustration that ever thought possible, the casing was bent right back, snapping in two, and thus leaving the half with two screws in still stuck to the old 60 GB. With a hammer and 5 minutes of banging out in the corridor, the first half of the casing was flat enough to secure back to the new harddrive, albeit now quite a sharp, and probably not terribly safe slice of metal.
With the one complete screw we bodged the remaining bit of casing into the PS3, forced the new disk in and shut the plastic door, knowing we could never move this PS3 ever again. The restore went fine, however, and we're now the proud owners of over 110 GBs of free space, and several bits of embedded steel.
These demos better be good, Sony...
06/05/2008 08:30:00
A quick call to our local computer suppliers and a drive into town produced a 160 GB harddrive for the tiny sum of £55. Bargain, we thought, if only the rest of the process would be as painless.
Back at TSA Towers we flipped off the harddrive cover on the PS3 to reveal the Blue Screw Of Doom, and then suddenly we remembered we'd been here before, trying to get this damned screw out of it's hole. For anyone unfamiliar, Sony have managed to construct the screw thread out of adamantine steel and the hole where the screwdriver goes out of jelly - meaning that no matter which screwdriver you use, you're not going to be undoing this screw in a million years.
So, with the socket already knackered, it was time for the drill. With the PS3 on it's side, upside down, we proceeded to drill either side of the screwdriver socket to form a groove right across the screw. 30 minutes later, an eye full of sharp metal, we'd managed to take enough out of the screw head to force a flat-head screwdriver into the new slot, and out the Blue Screw Of Doom came.
Fantastic - the little catch flipped up and the casing, along with the tiny harddrive, slid out. We popped it back in, then left it backing up for just over an hour, before taking the harddrive back out and having a proper look at the case... Then we saw 4 more screws holding the disk in place...
These were even worse. The tightest, snuggest screwdriver in the world couldn't get these out without destroying the head, so it was back to the drill, lengthways across each screw, for approximately 90 minutes. Finally, after much frustration (and one snapped drill bit) we'd managed to get one screw out, another one splintered into tiny fragments all over the room, and the remaining two were still wedged firmly in place like limpets.
With more frustration that ever thought possible, the casing was bent right back, snapping in two, and thus leaving the half with two screws in still stuck to the old 60 GB. With a hammer and 5 minutes of banging out in the corridor, the first half of the casing was flat enough to secure back to the new harddrive, albeit now quite a sharp, and probably not terribly safe slice of metal.
With the one complete screw we bodged the remaining bit of casing into the PS3, forced the new disk in and shut the plastic door, knowing we could never move this PS3 ever again. The restore went fine, however, and we're now the proud owners of over 110 GBs of free space, and several bits of embedded steel.
These demos better be good, Sony...
06/05/2008 08:30:00
Comments
You were lucky...
nofi / 5/6/2008 7:39:01 PM
I had no problems upgrading my 20 GB to a 100GB. Small philips head did the trick.
GFY / 5/6/2008 7:31:41 PM
OMFG!
shit hot / 5/6/2008 5:52:13 PM
That's odd...needle-nose pliers took care of all my screws. When I put them back in, I didn't tighen then quite so tight, but everything worked fine. And yes, the backup utility pulled EVERYTHING over from the old drive. Works like a charm! 100GB
Lonesome / 5/6/2008 4:43:09 PM
Yes, everything. Or, it was everything on my harddrive.
nofi / 5/6/2008 11:25:57 AM
What I mean is does it back up absolutly everything becuase if anything does no make it over then I cannot ever see myself swapping my PS3 HDD.
kamiboy / 5/6/2008 11:16:54 AM
How is the PS3 backup procedure?
kamiboy / 5/6/2008 11:08:48 AM
Shelves are easy. Building a house is easier than changing the PS3 harddrive.
nofi / 5/6/2008 10:28:26 AM
Have you ever put up a shelf? Cripes, what a bodge lol
humanfish / 5/6/2008 10:27:35 AM
Not really, was a nightmare. Forgot my pics though, I'll add them later.
nofi / 5/6/2008 10:13:24 AM
Massive LOLs
Michael_TSA / 5/6/2008 10:02:34 AM
nofi / 5/6/2008 7:39:01 PM
I had no problems upgrading my 20 GB to a 100GB. Small philips head did the trick.
GFY / 5/6/2008 7:31:41 PM
OMFG!
shit hot / 5/6/2008 5:52:13 PM
That's odd...needle-nose pliers took care of all my screws. When I put them back in, I didn't tighen then quite so tight, but everything worked fine. And yes, the backup utility pulled EVERYTHING over from the old drive. Works like a charm! 100GB
Lonesome / 5/6/2008 4:43:09 PM
Yes, everything. Or, it was everything on my harddrive.
nofi / 5/6/2008 11:25:57 AM
What I mean is does it back up absolutly everything becuase if anything does no make it over then I cannot ever see myself swapping my PS3 HDD.
kamiboy / 5/6/2008 11:16:54 AM
How is the PS3 backup procedure?
kamiboy / 5/6/2008 11:08:48 AM
Shelves are easy. Building a house is easier than changing the PS3 harddrive.
nofi / 5/6/2008 10:28:26 AM
Have you ever put up a shelf? Cripes, what a bodge lol
humanfish / 5/6/2008 10:27:35 AM
Not really, was a nightmare. Forgot my pics though, I'll add them later.
nofi / 5/6/2008 10:13:24 AM
Massive LOLs
Michael_TSA / 5/6/2008 10:02:34 AM
Images
Add Comment
All original content Copyright 2007 Thesixthaxis.com except where noted - All rights reserved.
Thesixthaxis.com is an entirely independent not-for-profit PlayStation fansite and is not related to Sony or SCEE in any way shape or form. Our content and opinions are no reflection of those of any other party. All copy, content and opinion on this site should be taken as unofficial. Thesixthaxis.com is not responsible for the content of external links. Any brandings, trademarks and copyrights are used without permission. All content subject to change without notice. All content is written without prejudice to our whole rights and pleas and are not to be founded upon in the terms of any future litigation, negotiation or otherwise.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.