PS3 Get External Drive to work

NOTE: If you choose to do this you will lose the software that came with the External Hard Drive, NO MORE auto

back-up. DO NOT try this if you need your drive for System File Back-up, OR if you have used it to back up your PC and don’t want to lose it.!!!

OK, as simply as I can put it., get Partition Magic 8.0,  Only perform this if you feel confident in your computer ability’s.

You may have to first delete the partitions that are on the drive before you continue, use the program to do so.Make sure you choose your External Drive from the list, DON’T Screw up your PC"s hard drive. I don’t want angryreplies or e-mails. Read what’s in the pop up box’s before clicking ok.Choose your External Drive from the list, click on it to highlight. To the left Under “Partition Operations” choose create partition. Partition Magic will let you create a Logical FAT32 partition that’s approx. 196,608MB in size (192GB). A pop-up window comes up, Fill in 3 boxes, Logical, FAT32 and label (example. Movies). At bottom left of screen click apply, and then YES. Then Highlight the word Extended with the little blue box next to it, then on the left side of the screen choose Resize/Move Partition. There’s a pop up box where you click and drag a light blue box to it’s Max size (fill the empty portion up) click apply and YES. Create up to 3 more partitions as FAT32 LOGICAL,  and use them for storage. Example, my drive is 500GB, The first partition is created as FAT32, LOGICAL and extended (192GB). The remaining Unallocated space is split into 2 to 3 more Partitions, FAT32, LOGICAL. The PS3 will only recognize a FAT32 Logical partition. If you make 2 or 3 more partitions on the drive as FAT32 Primary, the PS3 will not recognize the Hard Drive when it’s connected. The files Which you want to view on the PS3 go in the First Partition, When I click my computer it’s labeled as Movies (E:), the other 2 partitions are Labeled STORAGE1 (F:), STORAGE2 (G:). You Choose the label as long as it’s not your primary PC’s Hard drive name. Be sure NOT to make change’s to your PC’s drive when using the program. Drive’s F and G on my drive are now useable storage but NOT accessible when connected to the PS3. Hope this helps and really, it only takes a few minutes once you have the program. What is a bummer is that the MAX size of the FAT32 partition can only be made as big as 192GB still better than nothing.

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Thanks for the feedback.

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First of all sorry about my english. I bought My Passport Essential 500GB (USB 3.0/2.0). I used this link to format in FAT32 ( http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm). After format my ps3 recognized but just the first time…in must of the forums talked about FAT32 requirements but what else?, what another requirements needs PS3 to read an WD External HDD?..the same situation happened when I tried with My Ebook Essential 1TB just the first time was read.  Greetings.

Look in disk management and see if the partition is LOGICAL. If not you’ll have to change it it must be FAT32 logical.

Joe

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Can someone confirm if ps3 rekonize the WD External drive more than one time ? for information i have my passport essential SE its the same with ?

What is your PS3 Firmware? Mine is 3.55 and tried fat32format and still not recognized on my PS3.

It may be the PS3 firmware look at the bottom of post 14 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

Having the same issues here, my 500gb works 100% fine on my old fat ps3 drive light nice and bright, but the drive light fails to even come on if i connect to the new slim ps3, has anyone tried a Y cable yet? ive not found any for sale in the UK , then the y cable could provide the missing power ? not sure.

Did you look in the link in post above?

Joe

I have 1tb WD external, made two partitions as fat32, ps3 will only read one partition? How can I get the other partition to be accessible so I can use both partitions on the ps3?

disco1977 wrote:

How can I get the other partition to be accessible so I can use both partitions on the ps3?

As far as I can see, you simply can’t.  I can find tons of posts over at Sony, with other folks asking the same question.  Nobody has ever seemed to have gotten it to work with any size or brand of external drive, that I can find.  Just one partition recognized.

But just because I can’t find anyone posting that they got it to work, or how to do it, isn’t conclusive.  Your best bet is to ask Sony’s tech support how to do it.  They’d be the ones to know how their system works.

Hey there. All I have is an ACER AspireOne netbook (not sure if Partition Magic 8.0 will work on it) and Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive (Silver). I also have a ps3 slim 120 gb. I’m out of space, and I definitely want to get some stuff onto my hard drive. Any ideas?

Hi I have a WD 1tb my book that worked fine on my old ps3 and would not conenct to the ps3 slim; drive would not spin up or show as a device on the PS3 etc. Answer was to put it through a hub, a simple unpowered 4 port hub worked fine for me