Can I use a HDD on my PS3 if I have already used another on the same console?

I'm thinking of changing the Hard Disk of my PS3 (Slim 120GB), but I am unsure of what will happen to the data on the one I previously had if I do this:

PS3 has some data in the HDD.
I turn off PS3, change HDD, install OS on new HDD.
I download some data on new HDD from PS Plus.

Let's imagine I forgot to back something up...

I turn PS3 off, change HDD back.

Can I still use the old hard drive without needing to format it again?

Best Answer

Yes, you can insert the old drive however you'll get some questions when inserting it.

You DO want to use the hdd as the storage location
You DON'T want to select to copy any data from the internal storage to the 'old' disk

This should put you back to the state you left your PS3 before removing the original hdd.

As sourced from this useful post.

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Can you swap HDD between PS3?

When you remove a HDD from one PS3 and try and place it into ANY other PS3, the system will force you to reformat the HDD, thus removing all info on the HDD. Once a HDD has been formatted by a PS3, it "belongs" to that system. If it is relocated to a new PS3, the formatting must take place again.

Can you use two external hard drives on PS3?

If you have two devices that are formatted to be used as extended storage, only one of them can be active at a time. According to the official PlayStation website, you may link a second HDD for use with Media Player, but you can't do the same with Games, applications, or add-ons.

Are all PS3 hard drives compatible?

The PS3 is compatible with just about any 2.5-inch SATA notebook hard disk. Both 5400- and 7200-RPM drives should work fine. The physical size of the hard disk is important because it has to fit the PS3's 2.5-inch drive tray.

What happens if you remove PS3 hard drive?

It works fine after removing the HDD. It will just use the internal 12GB storage. The PS3 will work with the previous data that you had in your 12GB flash memory. If you never used it, then it will be empty.

How to \

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