Use the Data Transfer Utility to copy one system to the other.

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/transferutility.html

 

What I found easiest (although somewhat time consuming if you have a lot of DLC) was just to sign up for a month of PS+, and then upload all of my saves to cloud storage. I've tried the HD transfer utility...the last time I could not get it to complete the transfer.


Then just sign in on your new playstation, and download your games saves, add-ons, etc.

 

I"ve done the data transfer several times with no issues. I have a boatload of games installed on my HD, to think of having to re-download and install those seems a task I would not want to undertake.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by TornadoTJ  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice/0_100#post_22693692


Use the Data Transfer Utility to copy one system to the other.

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/transferutility.html

First of all, I want to give you a long forgotten Thanks!



Now that the PS4 announcement is imminent, I have decided to forget about buying another PS3. Instead, I am considering buying an SSD disk for my laptop and then putting the 500GB HD from it into the PS3.


Will the "System Restore" tool in the PS3 be able to copy all content to external HD and then I can restored it on the new 500GB drive??

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio81  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22694626


What I found easiest (although somewhat time consuming if you have a lot of DLC) was just to sign up for a month of PS+, and then upload all of my saves to cloud storage. I've tried the HD transfer utility...the last time I could not get it to complete the transfer.


Then just sign in on your new playstation, and download your games saves, add-ons, etc.

I second this....having the cloud saves as an intermediary is the absolute safest way to go about this. You could just redownload everything else from PSN as well.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio81  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22694626


What I found easiest (although somewhat time consuming if you have a lot of DLC) was just to sign up for a month of PS+, and then upload all of my saves to cloud storage. I've tried the HD transfer utility...the last time I could not get it to complete the transfer.


Then just sign in on your new playstation, and download your games saves, add-ons, etc.

How does one do that?

I have plus, and some games are already saved there, but not all.

Also, do you delete the saves from your hard drive (and only keep them in the cloud)? or do the saves stay on both (for back-up purposes its on the cloud, but not as a primary save spot)?

I was hoping to free up space on my HD, thought I could start there.


And do you ever delete and re-download games and demos? or can they also be saved in the cloud?


Thanks.

 

It's a gigantic waste of time. No game data or PSN games are part of the backup.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by Webmonkey  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22950808


First of all, I want to give you a long forgotten Thanks!



Now that the PS4 announcement is imminent, I have decided to forget about buying another PS3. Instead, I am considering buying an SSD disk for my laptop and then putting the 500GB HD from it into the PS3.


Will the "System Restore" tool in the PS3 be able to copy all content to external HD and then I can restored it on the new 500GB drive??

The system backup and restore works great. You do have to have a drive that is in plain old FAT32 and it has to be large enough to backup everything. You can't pick and choose items in order to make the backup smaller. I used it when I updated my slim to a 1TB drive. Also have the latest PS3 firmware update on a USB stick for easy updating once you boot up the console with your new drive in it.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio81  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22694626


What I found easiest (although somewhat time consuming if you have a lot of DLC) was just to sign up for a month of PS+, and then upload all of my saves to cloud storage. I've tried the HD transfer utility...the last time I could not get it to complete the transfer.


Then just sign in on your new playstation, and download your games saves, add-ons, etc.

That's exactly what I did. It was very easy that way.

Some games don't let you backup on an external HDD (rockband, Assassins Creed 2,...) but the cloud storage let you do that.

PS+ is the best way to go.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by MaxDam77  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice/0_100#post_22955142


That's exactly what I did. It was very easy that way.

Some games don't let you backup on an external HDD (rockband, Assassins Creed 2,...) but the cloud storage let you do that.

PS+ is the best way to go.

Somekind of "copyprotection issue" ? i first thought that everything, especially saved games would be backed up.....

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by Webmonkey  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22967618


Somekind of "copyprotection issue" ? i first thought that everything, especially saved games would be backed up.....

Everything will backup when using the backup and restore utility. I think he was talking about manually backing up game saves to a USB drive. That doesn't work for all games.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by brakel  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22969116


Everything will backup when using the backup and restore utility. I think he was talking about manually backing up game saves to a USB drive. That doesn't work for all games.

I didn't used a USB, but an external HDD.

My PS3 didn't let me do a full back up because of my rockband and assassins creed 2 save files.

If you have game saves for these games or others of the same kinda copy right protection,...you won't be able to do a back up. It will get interrupted.


PS + cloud will let you do that.

It was so much easier.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by brakel  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22969116


Everything will backup when using the backup and restore utility. I think he was talking about manually backing up game saves to a USB drive. That doesn't work for all games.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaxDam77  /t/1444871/backup-ps3-hd-and-restore-on-new-ps3-best-practice#post_22969653


I didn't used a USB, but an external HDD.

My PS3 didn't let me do a full back up because of my rockband and assassins creed 2 save files.

If you have game saves for these games or others of the same kinda copy right protection,...you won't be able to do a back up. It will get interrupted.


PS + cloud will let you do that.

It was so much easier.

Before starting the backup utility, go to the accounts section and 'deactivate' the system. This turns off all the account access for the machine, but it also frees up copyright data like PSN games, so they can be moved around. Restore your HDD, then reactivate when you're done. I do a reformat once a year or so because it's the only way to defrag a FAT32 HDD, and the most recent was November 2012. Everything on my backup restored just as it was. I have about 100 songs ripped from my CD's, a few Plus games, lots of game data and saves, and even my GT5 save (which is locked afaik), all restored without a hitch. Not sure why 'deactivate system' isn't the first instruction in the guide but it should be. Remember that the backup utility will only restore to the PS3 it was copied from, so if you buy a new machine you'll have to use the data transfer utility.