HELP! How to get Essential to work with the PS3

WD External Drives External Drives for PC
1

hi,

I’m trying to get my PS3 Slim to recognized my new WD My Book Essentials

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=240

I’ve formatted it many times now, created the PS3 folder structure and still… the PS3 just wont recognize it when i plug it in. It’s wont even switch it on.

Anyone got this hard drive to work with his PS3?

2

Is this one of the drives with the virtual CD? Also how did you format. A Post a while ago said it needed to be FAT32 LOGICAL. http://community.wdc.com/t5/My-Book-for-PC/PS3-Get-External-Drive-to-work/m-p/85713/highlight/false#M3356
Joe

3

Ah yeah, I saw that… did what he suggested and it didn’t work.

I don’t understand why my PS3 won’t turn the HDD on whenever i connect it…

4

Which essential is it? Does it have smartware? If it does the VCD must be disabled and the drive should be formatted at FAT32 if your running mac use disk utility for the format procedure. If windows download and install acronis and format the drive as FAT32.  Let me know if you need step by step procedures on formatting and disableing the VCD

5

It’s a My Book Essential 2TB USB3/USB2 with smartware

Do u know anyone who got this working?

6

Lawrence is there a max drive size that PS3 can handle?

Joe

7

If this a new PS3 maybe this applies http://community.wdc.com/t5/Other-Externals/Ps3-Slim-Won-t-Recognize-WD-500GB-My-Passport-Essential-USB-3-0/m-p/116354/highlight/false#M1656  

Joe

8

Im not sure the size the PS3 can handle I would suggest that the drive be partitioned into 3 parts 300GB max it will be recognized I have instructions on that formatting procedure if anybody is interested just send me your email

9

Got the same problem as the first poster. I have the 2TB USB3 variant too.

It seems to be a bug between those two.

They also don’t have the VCD on board, so that can’t be the issue.

A support case also didn’t help, they asked me to raise the issue with Sony :frowning:

pato