A while ago I bought a PS3 super slim 12Gb, and I intended to put a 120Gb SSD (a Samsung 840 EVO) inside it. I purchased the mounting bracket etc and as all the guides I read said just slapped it in and then waited for all the files to copy over, or so I thought! In reality my PS3 died, no sign of life other that a light, nothing on the screen, no loading noises not even a fan.
So where did I go wrong? It's the first time I've ever done this and all I've read and watched are pretty light on the pre installation details.
Do I need to format to FAT32 first and partition the drive? Is there a step I've missed, or will the drive simply remain a console killer for life and need putting away?
Best Answer
I recently swapped a PS4 harddrive for a Samsung Evo and had to format the drive to FAT32. You then need to download PS firmware (the latest version), and put it inside a folder named PS3 which contains a folder called UPDATE.
PS3 -> UPDATE -> (your update file)
From there, start the PS but hold the power button. It'll boot in safe mode and allow you to follow the instructions and turn the SSD into a PS drive. Once it installs properly just use any backup drive (portable drive or USB) which you've saved your previous data onto via "Backup and Restore" in the PS settings and plug in it to your new SSD system and you should be able to restore from the backup.
http://www.techradar.com/us/how-to/gaming/how-to-upgrade-your-ps3-hard-drive-1285911
^good link to follow