How to Format External Hard Drive for PS3 [2024 Comprehensive Guide]

The PS3 remains one of the popular consoles that some people use to play their beloved, older PS3-exclusive titles that aren't accessible on the PS4 or PS5. Additionally, the PS3 was one of the first gaming consoles to support Blu-ray and movie playback. If you attempted to connect an external hard drive to your PlayStation 3 to watch a movie but encountered an issue with the PS3 not recognizing it, don't worry; you simply need to format it!

Continue reading this article! Tools will show you step-by-step how to format your external hard drive for PS3.

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How to Format an External Hard Drive for PS3

It's time to format your external hard drive for the PS3. Whether you're using Windows or a Mac, we've got instructions for formatting your external hard drive for your PS3. We also have a method if you don't have a computer and need to format the drive without one. Keep reading!

Guide 1: Format External Hard Drive for PS3 on Windows

There are three different methods to format your external hard drive to the FAT32 file system on Windows. Let's start with the easiest one, and you can choose based on your preference.

Method 1: Formatting External Hard Drive for PS3 using Partition Master Tool

• Duration: 2-3 minutes
• Operation Difficulty: Easy with four steps
• Suitable Users: For all users, including beginners and experienced

tools Partition Master Free is a powerful PS3 formatting tool. It can easily and efficiently help users format any supported file system for PS3 compatibility. If you want to change the file system of your external drive without putting in too much effort and time into formatting, give tools Partition Master a try today!

Step 1. Launch tools Partition Master, right-click the partition on your external hard drive/USB/SD card which you want to format and choose the "Format" option.

Step 2. Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size to the selected partition, and then click "OK".

Format External Hard Drive/USB/SD Card - 2

Step 3. In the Warning window, click "Yes" to continue.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the upper-left corner to review the changes, and then click "Apply" to begin formatting your external hard drive, USB, or SD card.

Other related format features with Partition Master tool:

Method 2: Format External Hard Drive for PS3 using Disk Management

• Duration: 2-5 minutes
• Operation Difficulty: Medium, with eight steps
• Suitable Users: For individuals proficient in computer operations

Disk Management is a native Windows program that you can use to create, delete, or format the partitions on your internal or external drives. You can use Disk Management to format your external hard drive for use with your PS3. While it isn't as feature-packed or user-friendly as something like Partition Master, it will get the job done in most cases.

Here's how to format your external hard drive using Disk Management for PS3: 1. Connect the external hard drive to your PlayStation 3 (PS3) console using an appropriate USB cable. 2. Turn on your PS3 and navigate to the XrossMediaBar (XMB) menu. 3. Using the PS3 controller, scroll to the "Settings" category and press the "X" button. 4. Select "System Settings" and press "X" again. 5. Scroll down and choose "Format Utility" and press "X". 6. In the Format Utility menu, select "Format External Storage Device" and press "X". 7. A warning message will appear, informing you that all data on the external hard drive will be erased. If you're sure, press "O" (OK) to proceed; otherwise, press "X" (Cancel) to abort. 8. Wait for the formatting process to complete. This may take a few minutes depending on the size of the hard drive. 9. Once the formatting is finished, your external hard drive is now compatible with your PS3. You can use it to store games, videos, music, and other media. Remember that formatting will erase all existing data on the hard drive, so ensure you back up any important files beforehand.

Step 1. Connect your external hard drive to your Windows PC.

Step 2. Press the "Win+R" keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box, then type "diskmgmt.msc" and press "Enter."

Step 3. Disk Management will open. In the list, find your external hard drive.

Step 4. Right-click on the partition of your external hard drive and choose the "Format" option.

Step 5. Choose "FAT32" as the desired file system in the Format dialog.

Step 6. In the "Volume label" section, name your hard drive.

Step 7. Make sure the "Perform a quick format" option is selected.

Step 8. Click "OK" to start the formatting process.

Method 3: Format External Hard Drive for PS3 using Command Prompt (CMD)

Here are the translations for the provided text:
• Duration: more than 5 minutes
• Operation Difficulty: Difficult with commands
• Suitable Users: For experienced users
In English:
• Duration: Over 5 minutes
• Operational Difficulty: Difficult with instructions
• Appropriate Users: For experienced users

The Command Prompt is one of the most advanced tools available on every Windows computer. Using the Command Prompt, you can change settings, configure internal and external hard drives, and more.

Here's how to format your external hard drive using the command prompt for PS3: 1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer via USB. 2. Open the Command Prompt on your Windows PC: - Press the "Windows key + R" on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. - Type "cmd" and press Enter to launch the Command Prompt. 3. Navigate to the location where the PS3 formatting tool is installed. Typically, it is in the "Xbox 360" folder within the "Microsoft Games" folder on your system. Use the `cd` command to change directories, like this: ``` cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Xbox 360\Tools" ``` Replace the path with the actual location of the Xbox 360 Tools folder if it's different on your system. 4. Now, execute the PS3 formatting tool with the following command: ``` exFATFormatter.exe /format /drive_letter:your_drive_letter /FS:exFAT /label:"PS3 Storage" ``` Replace "your_drive_letter" with the letter assigned to your external hard drive (e.g., E, F, G, etc.). Make sure to include the colon (:) after the drive letter. 5. Press Enter to start the formatting process. The tool will format the drive with the exFAT file system, which is compatible with the PS3. 6. Wait for the process to complete. It may take a while, depending on the size of your hard drive. 7. Once the formatting is done, safely remove the external hard drive from your computer and connect it to your PS3. The drive should now be recognized and ready to use. Please note that these steps assume you have the exFATFormatter tool installed on your Windows PC, which is part of the Xbox 360 software. If you don't have it, you can download it from Microsoft or find alternative methods to format the drive for PS3 compatibility.

Step 1. Connect your Windows computer to your external hard drive.

Step 2. Press the "Start" button on your keyboard and search for "Command Prompt." Right-click on the "Command Prompt" app and select "Run as administrator" to open it with elevated privileges.

Step 3. Type the following commands and press "Enter":

Here are the translations of the provided language commands into English:
• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk X
• list partition
• select partition X
• format fs=fat32
These are commands for the Microsoft DiskPart utility: - `diskpart`: Starts the DiskPart tool, which allows you to manage disks and volumes. - `list disk`: Displays a list of all available disks. - `select disk X`: Selects the disk with the number 'X' for further operations. - `list partition`: Shows a list of partitions on the currently selected disk. - `select partition X`: Selects the partition with the number 'X' for subsequent actions. - `format fs=fat32`: Formats the selected partition with the FAT32 file system. Replace 'X' with the actual partition number you want to format.

Format as FAT32

Other functions of Diskpart include:

Guide 2: Format External Hard Drive for PS3 on Mac

You can use Disk Utility on a Mac to format your external hard drive for the PS3. Disk Utility is the equivalent of Windows' Disk Management tool for macOS.

Here's how to format your external hard drive for use with a PS3 using Disk Utility:

Step 1. Connect your Mac to your external hard drive.

< strong > Step 2. < /strong > Open "Spotlight" and search for and open "Disk Utility."

Step 3. In Disk Utility, select your external hard drive on the left sidebar.

< strong > Step 4. < /strong> Look at the top of the Disk Utility window and find that sweet "Erase" button. Give it a tap.

Step 5. In the "Format" dropdown menu, choose "MS-DOS (FAT)" because that's what the PS3 supports.

Step 6. Give your external hard drive a name.

Step 7. Double-check the settings, and when you're ready, click "Erase."

Step 8. Once the formatting is complete, eject your external hard drive from your Mac.

That's it! Your external hard drive is now formatted and ready to be used with your PS3.

Guide 3: Format External Hard Drive for PS3 Without A Computer

If you don't have access to a computer but still want to format your external hard drive for PS3, you can do so using the “Format Utility” option in the settings menu. The “Format Utility” is the PlayStation 3's version of Disk Management and Disk Utility. It can help you format your drive without a Mac or Windows computer.

Here's how to use the Format Utility settings option on your PS3 to format your external hard drive: 1. Connect your external hard drive to your PlayStation 3 (PS3) using an appropriate USB cable. 2. Turn on your PS3 and navigate to the XrossMediaBar (XMB) menu. 3. Scroll over to the "Settings" category and select it. 4. Within the "Settings" menu, choose "System Settings." 5. In the "System Settings" menu, scroll down and select "Format Utility." 6. Now, you will see two options: "Format HDD" and "Format USB Device." Select "Format USB Device" since you want to format your external hard drive. 7. A warning message will appear, informing you that all data on the external drive will be erased. If you're sure you want to proceed, select "OK." 8. Choose the file system you want to use for your external hard drive. The available options are usually "FAT32" or "ExFAT." FAT32 is compatible with a wider range of devices, but ExFAT supports larger file sizes. Select the one that suits your needs. 9. After selecting the file system, confirm your choice by pressing "OK." 10. Wait for the formatting process to complete. This may take a few minutes depending on the size of your hard drive. 11. Once the formatting is finished, your external hard drive will be ready to use with your PS3. You can now store games, save data, and other media on it. Remember that formatting will erase all data on the hard drive, so make sure to back up any important files beforehand.

Step 1. Turn on your PS3 console.

Step 2. Connect your external hard drive to one of the available USB ports on the PS3.

Step 3. From the PS3 home menu, navigate to "Settings" and select "System Settings."

Step 4. Within the "System Settings," find and choose "Format Utility."

Step 5. In the "Format Utility" menu, choose "Format External Hard Disk."

Step 6. To start formatting, confirm your selection and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 7. Your external hard disk is now ready for use with your PS3 once the formatting is complete.

With these steps, you can format your external hard drive for the PS3 without a computer.

What Is The Best PS3 Hard Drive Format?

If you want to back up your PS3 to an external hard drive so that all of your PS3 data is safe in case the internal drive unexpectedly crashes or dies, you'll need to format it. &#x200B; You might run into some errors if you don't format the external hard drive with the correct file system format. Here's a common scenario:

Since most external hard drives are pre-formatted to NTFS, but the PS3 only supports FAT32 and exFAT file systems, you'll need to reformat your external hard drive to one of these supported file systems. If you don't, your PS3 won't be able to read it.

And between FAT32 and exFAT file systems, the best file system you need to format for your external hard drive is FAT32. FAT32 is the standard format provided by SONY.

Finally, if this article helped you successfully learn how to format your external hard drive, share it with your friends and family to help them out as well!

Conclusion

That's it! This tutorial provides a full guide to formatting external hard drives for PS3. Whether you're using Windows or Mac, or using the PS3 console, this article gives specific solutions.

Here are the translations for the provided text:
• For Windows users: Try using Partition Master to easily and quickly format external hard drives for PS3.
• For Mac users: Use Disk Utility to safely format the PS3 drive.
• For users without a PC: You can also format your PS3 drive through the settings menu.

Download the tool you need and enjoy the format conveniences!

Frequently Asked Questions About Formatting External Hard Drive for PS3

Do you have any other questions regarding formatting an external hard drive for the PS3? Look no further, as we provide comprehensive answers here.

This issue could arise if the external hard drive is not formatted with the correct file system, or if your computer is unable to read it. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the drive to your computer to check if it's functioning properly. If you're not using a tool like Partition Master, consider formatting it to get it working again.

< strong > 2. What is the best PS3 format tool? < /strong >

The best tool to format an external drive for the PS3 is Partition Master. It's feature-packed and capable of changing file systems without reformatted your external drive.

3. Does PS3 recognize NTFS or exFAT, or FAT32?

The PS3 doesn't support the NTFS file system, but it does recognize exFAT and FAT32. However, exFAT may work intermittently, whereas FAT32 is generally more reliable and the recommended file system for the PS3.