PlayStation®3 Support

[super_fluker]

I have 2 80gb consoles. I want to reformat 1 of the hard drives. Can I remove both HDD, reformat 1 HDD with opposite console then replace both back to original? The data on the hdd I want to format I don't care about. The other I don't want to lose.

[gkpama00]

You can do that, but it is pointless.  The original console will just format the drive that was formatted in the other console again.  No PS3 will use a hard disk that was formatted in another PS3, without formatting it again. If you want to format one of the drives, then just format it in the console that it is already installed in.  Swapping drives is a waste of time.

[super_fluker]

I can't get the console to format the drive. Says its corrupted. Before purchasing a new drive I thought I'd get a second opinion with the other console. To see if it's the drive messed up or the console. What you're saying is, no matter how many drives I format in a PS3 when I replace its original it will know and IT WILL NOT FORMAT THE DATA ON THAT DRIVE? It will be like it was always there.

[gkpama00]

Correct.  Each PS3 encrypts the data on the hard drives that it formats with a unique key.  The PS3 can recognize the drives that it formatted, provided that the data isn't corrupted, and will leave those alone.  Any drive with a file system that the PS3 can't read will result in a formatting prompt before the PS3 will boot.

[super_fluker]

What's the sequence of events to make this happen correctly, if you don't mind.