Replace PS4 Hard Drive | Complete Guide

In this article, you will see how to replace PS4 hard drive. But why do you have to change the hard disk of the Ps4? the simplest answer is: because it broke. However, this does not happen very often, although some may find themselves in this situation. However, there are two other reasons:

  1. The first is because more space is needed.
  2. The second is because you want to speed up the console.
Replace PS4 Hard Drive | Complete Guide
Replace PS4 Hard Drive | Complete Guide

In the first case the choice is to opt for an SSD, for this case, however, the problem and the dimensions related to the price. SSDs are much faster than mechanical hard drives, however, if you want to reach the same size, so the storage capacity of a mechanical hard drive, you have to be willing and ready to spend a lot more.

Replace PS4 Hard Drive | Complete Guide

With this change, however, the PS4 will start much faster: it will load games much faster and also the passage for example between the various levels, so the loads within the games will be faster. If, on the other hand, you need more capacity, you should opt for a mechanical disk, which offers more or less the same performance as the original ones but obviously will offer more space than the original one.

In short, whatever your need, the procedure is always the same and to do it you will need:

  • A Phillips screwdriver.
  • A fairly large external hard drive.
  • A USB stick of at least 1 GB.
  • 2.5-inch disc that you want to insert inside the Ps4.

You only need the external hard drive to back up the data and games currently on the PS4. If you don’t care and if you’re replacing a broken drive, you won’t need it. As a first step in backing up your console data, as mentioned if it is a step you are interested in doing.

Connect the external drive to one of the USB ports, go to settings then choose, system and then backup and restore, backup PS4. Let’s continue with the procedure, then click on Back up, As a last step and wait for the backup to be performed.

The PS4 will restart and back up. This procedure can last from a few minutes or even several hours, depending on the amount of data you want to save; so the suggestion in this case is to delete all the data you do not need, before starting the backup.

While we wait for the backup to finish, we need to create the USB stick with within the PS4 operating system. Nothing complicated is simply going to download a file from a site and copy it onto the stick.

There are several steps to take, as mentioned, nothing complicated, but to make everything clearer and more precise, I write below step by step what you need to do and also the various links from where to download the files.

How To Create The USB Key:

  • Download the operating system file by clicking here.
  • Create a folder called ” PS4 ” on the USB stick
  • Create a subfolder called ” UPDATE ” in the “PS4” folder
  • Copy the previously downloaded file into the ” UPDATE ” folder
  • The file must be called ” PS4UPDATE.PUP “

How To Replace PS4 Hard Drive.

Now that you have created the key, put it aside, we will need it later. Having said that, follow my instructions and find out how to replace PS4 Hard Disk.

As a first step you will have to physically replace the disk, and to do this we need to open and access the inside of our PS4. You will then need to remove the top. You will need to apply a little pressure, near the dividing line, and pull towards us.

The hard disk is located inside a kind of cage, so it will be necessary to unlock it by removing the screws, all the support, which contains the disk. Gently pull the trolley outwards.

Now let’s remove the disc from this cart, which is held in place by four screws. Removed the “old” disk and insert the new one (logically screwed) and insert again the trolley containing the new disk, inside the console, always delicately.

Once we reach the limit switch we fix everything with the screw and go to close the console.

How To Reinstall The PS4 Operating System

But now we have to reinstall the Ps4 operating system. After connecting it to the TV and to the power supply, connect the Joypad with the wire and turn it on.

It will give you this error message: “Cannot start PS4. Connect the DUALSHOCK 4 via the USB cable and then press the PS button. ” Don’t worry about everything normal. We have to follow what it tells us, with our Joypad connected we press the Ps button.

This message will appear: “Connect to a USB storage device containing an update file for reinstalling version 4.50 or later. You can download the reinstallation update file from playstation.com”. As we are asked, we connect our USB pendrive, which we prepared in a previous step, to the other USB port.

At this point we select ” OK”. When he asks us if we want to continue to initialize the PS4 again, even in this case, we answer Yes.

Once the installation of the operating system has started, we wait for it to be completed. The operating system installation has finished. Now we can remove our USB stick and follow the instructions on the screen to carry out the first configuration.

How To Restore Our Data From A PS4 Backup

As a last step, if you have previously made the backup and want to restore your data, your games, which you had on the old disk, we can now restore the backup.

We connect the external hard drive to the USB port, select settings, system, backup and restore, and this time, restore PS4. It will find our backup , we select it, click on restore and then on yes. Now let’s give the PS4 time to restore all our data.

At the end of all this, you will surely feel very satisfied, this is because you have succeeded in your intent in a few minutes. You have therefore understood how to replace PS4 Hard Disk. Your console now has a faster drive or a larger drive, or both, depending on which drive you choose.

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