External HDD question.

[Theft]

So I am going to go buy a 320gig extern Western Digital today, and I was reading that it has to be in FAT32 format, but since each partition can only be 32gigs am I going to have to make multiple partitions and if so, am I going to have to make the Games, Video, Music folders on each partition?

And one last question, what is the process to save game demos, or install games like GTAIV to the external hard drive?

Any help would be appreciated.

-Theft

[Punisher99]

Well you dont have to make the games. video and music folders. The PS3 will create that on its own. Just make sure the HDD is formatted to fat32. And you also cannot install the install data on an external hdd. And also. You cannot save game demos on your external hdd. But maybe you can back them up by using the back up hdd option in the PS3's xmb. The only problem is, its gonna back up your entire HDD.

[arfi-gorgona-O]

I hope you dont mind ot ask a question too :)

I have an external USB My book 500Gb.I have it connected on my Pc.Will it work if i make one partition specifically formatted for the PS3?I have some movies that i want to see if are playable on the PS3,will it be possible for it to read them after that?

[Theft]

Well you dont have to make the games. video and music folders. The PS3 will create that on its own. Just make sure the HDD is formatted to fat32. And you also cannot install the install data on an external hdd. And also. You cannot save game demos on your external hdd. But maybe you can back them up by using the back up hdd option in the PS3's xmb. The only problem is, its gonna back up your entire HDD.

Say I wanted to just to use my external HDD for game installs, like GTAIV or GT5: Prologue, etc. Would that work?

[Ant-Lox-Forever]

Use a program called Swissknife, I formatted my 60GB EHDD to FAT32 without using partitions, I'm not sure about 320GB's though.

I don't think you can copy the install data at all, but I could be wrong.

[Theft]

Looks like I will probably be going internal then. lol

[dogg2k78]

It should work. I am using a my book 320gb hard drive.

[fmijohn]

i downloaded swissknife but it dose not start it looks like it will but never loads any others that you guys know of

[Theft]

I just went and about a Hitachi 200gb HDD, problem is I couldn't get two of the screws off of the bracket that is on the old HDD. So I just put my new HDD in without the bracket. (Not like I move my PS3 alot or anything.) But I would still like to see if I can actually find another bracket or something for it. Any ideas?

[superJoel]

I have 250 GB external HDD without any separate partitioning going on there. If formatted in FAT32, you do not need to set-up partitions. IF NTFS, then you either have to format the whole thing in FAT32 or set-up a FAT32 partition. I didn't know that you'd be limited to 32GB with partitions, but I'm sure there are ways around this... try command prompt.

[vudumonkey25]

So I am going to go buy a 320gig extern Western Digital today, and I was reading that it has to be in FAT32 format, but since each partition can only be 32gigs am I going to have to make multiple partitions and if so, am I going to have to make the Games, Video, Music folders on each partition?

And one last question, what is the process to save game demos, or install games like GTAIV to the external hard drive?

Any help would be appreciated.

-Theft

You are better off going internal for what you want to do. As explained in the above posts you can't put game data or demos on the external.

External is only really good for pictures, music, videos, backing up game saves and backing up the internal HDD.

With a larger internal you will have plenty of space for demos, and mandatory installs.

I just upgrade my internal HDD to a 160gb for $55 shipped. Bought a brand new one on ebay =]

With all the Downloadable content I all ready have and all the new stuff that is coming out, plus the mandatory installs I needed an upgrade badly. The Singstore is going to kill me on space, I already have about 40 songs to purchase on day one:oops:

I also have an 160gb external for my pictures, videos, music and backups.

[Zodia]

So I am going to go buy a 320gig extern Western Digital today, and I was reading that it has to be in FAT32 format, but since each partition can only be 32gigs am I going to have to make multiple partitions and if so, am I going to have to make the Games, Video, Music folders on each partition?

And one last question, what is the process to save game demos, or install games like GTAIV to the external hard drive?

Any help would be appreciated.

-Theft
There is no need to format the HDD, if it is an external HDD it is already in FAT32, so no need to format, ok?
Everything that is downloaded from the PS store can only installed on the PS3's internal HDD.
If i were you (and this is what i did) i would use the internal HDD for games, and pics (they don't take much space), and use the external for videos and music (space hoggers).
So buddy, leave the HDD as is, just create three folders in it, PICTURE, MUSIC, VIDEO (case sensitive), this makes it easier for the PS3 to see the media saved on the external HDD.

[Da_Monstar]

I am using a 500g Western Digital I bought for around 100$. I Didn't have to format it to fat32 as Zodia mentioned external HDD is already formatted to fat32.

Though, Remember to label the 3 main folders as PICTURE, VIDEO and MUSIC... Also you can have folders within each of three categories, but not folders within these sub-folders. The PS3 will only be able read the files this way.

[Punisher99]

Not always true. Not all external HDDs will work immediately on PS3. Some has to be formatted to fat32 first. When I got my Seagate external HDD it would not work on the PS3 at first. I had to format it to fat32. And when I formatted it to fat32 I did not have to create any special folders for it to work on the PS3. The Ps3 created the folders on its own when I went to transfer certain things from my internal to my external. (GAME MUSIC PICTURE)

[Zodia]

Not always true. Not all external HDDs will work immediately on PS3. Some has to be formatted to fat32 first. When I got my Seagate external HDD it would not work on the PS3 at first. I had to format it to fat32. And when I formatted it to fat32 I did not have to create any special folders for it to work on the PS3. The Ps3 created the folders on its own when I went to transfer certain things from my internal to my external. (GAME MUSIC PICTURE)
Very true, not all External HDD's are in FAT32, but all Western Digita (external)l are, so he has to do nothing to it, it is basicaly a plug and play.

[Punisher99]

Very true, not all External HDD's are in FAT32, but all Western Digita (external)l are, so he has to do nothing to it, it is basicaly a plug and play.

I really wish I would have known that. Because I had absolute hell trying to format my Seagate external hdd. lol

[fmijohn]

did you ever format it and how.what if i take it to a shop

[Jackpack]

I really wish I would have known that. Because I had absolute hell trying to format my Seagate external hdd. lol

I've got a seagate external HDD. How did you format it to FAT32?

[Edge850]

I've got a seagate external HDD. How did you format it to FAT32?

All you need is a pc and the SwissKnife tool mentioned earlier, the link below explains all you need to know:

http://www.wikihow.com/Add-an-External-Hard-Drive-to-a-Playstation-3 (http://www.wikihow.com/Add-an-External-Hard-Drive-to-a-Playstation-3)

[audioboxer217]

Most external HDD should already be formatted using FAT32 since this is the most widely accepted format. If not you will have to find a program to format it because Windows won't do it correctly. Also, the size limit on FAT32 is 8 TB not 32 GB so you will easily be able to format it as one partition.

EDIT: to clarify...Windows is the one that imposes the 32 GB limit so using a 3rd party partitioner will bypass this limitation and allow the full 8TB partition size (or however big you HDD is)