#Ps3 serial number cech 4201a how to#
#Ps3 serial number cech 4201a upgrade#

After you have your data safely backed up, you can move on to the actual hard-drive swap. Your PlayStation Network login and system settings will remain safe on the system during the entire process. If your storage device isn't large enough to handle a full system backup, you can selectively copy data over through the various music, photo, and game menus in the XMB. Save your data using the PS3's backup utility. If you have an external hard drive that's formatted in NTFS, you can use the Disk Management utility in Windows to reformat the drive, but you'll need to create partitions on large external hard drives because Windows can only do FAT32 on drives 32GB or smaller. The removable storage device must use the FAT32 file system in order for the PS3 to recognize it.

The PS3 has a built-in software backup utility that can copy the PS3's hard-drive contents to an external storage device, such as a USB thumb drive or a memory stick. You can skip this step if you aren't attached to your music, videos, and game saves, but most of us will probably want to save all that information.

#Ps3 serial number cech 4201a upgrade#

Once you have your upgrade drive, the next step is to back up the data on your current PS3 hard drive to an external storage unit. Hard-disk manufacturer Seagate supplied us with a 160GB Momentus 5400.3 for our upgrade. As far as storage capacity goes, it doesn't make sense to go through the trouble of upgrading unless you go big: We're talkin' 120GB, 160GB, or even 250GB. The physical size of the hard disk is important because it has to fit the PS3's 2.5-inch drive tray. Both 5400- and 7200-RPM drives should work fine. The PS3 is compatible with just about any 2.5-inch SATA notebook hard disk. The first step to replacing the hard disk is going to the store or visiting an online retailer to pick up a new hard disk.

#Ps3 serial number cech 4201a how to#

However, giving console owners that freedom means that aspiring upgraders will need to know how to select the right hard-drive upgrade and the proper installation technique. You can go out and select your own hard drive instead of being forced to buy an official first-party hard-disk accessory. Fortunately, Sony has designed the PS3 to allow console owners to perform their own hard-drive upgrades. All that available hard-disk space quickly disappears once you start downloading games, demos, and HD videos. It doesn't matter if you have the 20GB, 60GB, or even the new 80GB PlayStation 3-you can always use more storage space.

Ps3 serial number cech-4201a