Upgrading PS4's Internal HDD | Orbis Unjailed
How can I upgrade PS4’s HDD?
- This guide will provide how to safely upgrade or replace your PS4’s Internal HDD without updating your firmware or losing data.
- This guide does not apply to external HDDs as they are seen and act differently on PS4.
- If you DON’T want to keep any data but still wish to upgrade your HDD, scroll down to the last section.
Upgrading/replacing HDD with a HDD of same size
- This is the recommended way to replace your HDD only if both HDDs are the same size.
- Look at the other method, for bigger or smaller HDDs.
- You will need a HDD enclosure or another way to connect the old and new HDD to a PC and a small USB drive (4GB minimum).
- Download and extract your firmware you are currently on. Download recovery firmware.
- Do not try to download a firmware lower than your current as it will NOT install. Also, do not try to download a higher firmware as it will update your PS4 and you WON’T be able to downgrade
- Format the USB drive as FAT32 or exFAT and create the following structure: PS4 > UPDATE > PS4UPDATE.pup (rename the pup to PS4UPDATE.pup if you didn’t already)
- Take your original HDD out of PS4. Insert the new HDD inside. Plug-in the USB Drive to the PS4.
- Hold PS4’s power button (button on the console, not the controller) until you boot into Safe Mode.
- Initialize PS4 using the USB Drive. Make sure the firmware is the same as your original HDD. Do NOT initialize if firmware is higher or lower!
- Wait until it’s done and finish setting up your PS4.
- REMOVE ANY ETHERNET CABLE AND/OR SKIP WI-FI SETUP. Keep everything offline during and after setting up your PS4.
- After setup, navigate to Settings > System > Automatic Downloads > Uncheck Featured Content, System Software Update Files, Allow Restart and Application Update Files.
- Put the original HDD into the Hard Drive enclosure and plug-it in your PC.
- Download and install:
- Make a FULL backup of your drive. DO NOT SKIP ANY FILE. It must a complete full backup!
- Wait, it will take a while depending on the size of the drive.
- After the backup has been done, remove the new HDD from your PS4 and insert it on your Hard Drive Enclosure and plug-it back to your PC.
- Open the same program as before and restore the backed up image created previously on the new HDD.
- Wait, it will take a while.
- Plug the HDD back on your PS4, and power on your PS4.
- Done.
Upgrading/replacing HDD with a bigger/smaller HDD
- This is the recommended way to replace your HDD to a bigger or smaller HDD.
- This method is the official way made directly by Sony that will keep Games and apps, Saved data, Screenshots and video clips & Settings
- Why can’t we use the same way as before? Cloning the HDD to a bigger HDD will not reflect the new HDD space (ex: cloning a 500GB HDD to a 1TB HDD will make it another 500GB drive, the rest are lost).
- You will need a external HDD as big as the original HDD, a USB drive.
- You will also need a activated account.
- Plug in the external HDD to the PC and format it as exFAT.
- Plug it back to your PS4.
- Navigate to Settings > System > Back Up and Restore.
- Select Backup. Choose everything you want to keep (You must keep Saved data & Settings at the very least). Note!: It will NOT save trophies!
- Add a name and select Backup.
- Wait, it will take a while, depending on what you choose.
Backing up Trophies
- If you do not wish to backup your trophies, skip this fix. Skipping this step will NOT cause any issues.
- On your PS4, open Internet Browser and visit the following host: https://kar0218.github.io/
- Select your firmware.
- Plug in a USB drive formatted as exFAT.
- Select DB Backup function.
- Wait, have patience.
Continuing the guide
- Download and extract your firmware you are currently on. Download recovery firmware.
- Do not try to download a firmware lower than your current as it will NOT install. Also, do not try to download a higher firmware as it will update your PS4 and you WON’T be able to downgrade
- Format the USB drive as FAT32 or exFAT and create the following structure: PS4 > UPDATE > PS4UPDATE.pup (rename the pup to PS4UPDATE.pup if you didn’t already)
- Remove external HDD. Take your original HDD out of PS4. Insert the new HDD inside. Plug-in the USB Drive to the PS4.
- Hold PS4’s power button (button on the console, not the controller) until you boot into Safe Mode.
- Initialize PS4 using the USB Drive. Make sure the firmware is the same as your original HDD. Do NOT initialize if firmware is higher or lower!
- Wait until it’s done and finish setting up your PS4.
- REMOVE ANY ETHERNET CABLE AND/OR SKIP WI-FI SETUP. Keep everything offline during and after setting up your PS4.
- After setup, navigate to Settings > System > Automatic Downloads > Uncheck Featured Content, System Software Update Files, Allow Restart and Application Update Files.
- Jailbreak your PS4 using GoldHEN.
- Insert the external HDD you used to make a backup.
- Go to Settings > System > Back Up and Restore.
- Select Restore PS4. Select the backup. Press Yes to restore.
- Wait until it restores, it may take a while. Have patience.
- After you have sucessfully restored, jailbreak your PS4 using GoldHEN. Test a game or too.
- Done.
Restoring Trophies
- In case you chose earlier to backup your trophies, this continues the guide by restoring them safely back to your PS4.
- On your PS4, open Internet Browser and visit the following host: https://kar0218.github.io/
- Select your firmware.
- Plug in the USB drive you saved the files earlier.
- Select DB Restore function.
- Wait, have patience.
- Done.
Upgrading/replacing HDD WITHOUT keeping any data
- Do NOT do this section if you DO wish to keep your data! If you want to keep your data follow one of 2 sections above to your use case!
- Download and extract your firmware you are currently on. Download recovery firmware.
- Do not try to download a firmware lower than your current as it will NOT install. Also, do not try to download a higher firmware as it will update your PS4 and you WON’T be able to downgrade
- Format the USB drive as FAT32 or exFAT and create the following structure: PS4 > UPDATE > PS4UPDATE.pup (rename the pup to PS4UPDATE.pup if you didn’t already)
- Take your original HDD out of PS4. Insert the new HDD inside. Plug-in the USB Drive to the PS4.
- Hold PS4’s power button (button on the console, not the controller) until you boot into Safe Mode.
- Initialize PS4 using the USB Drive. Make sure the firmware is the same as your original HDD. Do NOT initialize if firmware is higher or lower!
- Wait until it’s done and finish setting up your PS4.
- REMOVE ANY ETHERNET CABLE AND/OR SKIP WI-FI SETUP. Keep everything offline during and after setting up your PS4.
- After setup, navigate to Settings > System > Automatic Downloads > Uncheck Featured Content, System Software Update Files, Allow Restart and Application Update Files.
- Jailbreak your PS4 using GoldHEN.
- Done.