PlayStation®3 Technical Solutions

[jf9680]

Hi guys,

 I'm trying to install a new 500GB Western Digital hard drive and have come to a dead end. I have followed all instructions and the problem I feel lies in the software update. When first powering up the PS3 with the new hdd, it tells me that the hdd  needs to be formatted. The formatting takes place and all goes well. It then says "No applicable update data was found. Connect a storage media that contains update data version of 3.41 or later." Now prior to powering up the PS3, there is a USB memory stick with this software update already in one of the USB ports. From here the PS3 finds the file location from PS3 => UPDATE => PS3UPDAT.PUP. This is where the problem occurs, the system prepares for the install of this update gets to about 50% and then says "No applicable update data was found....."

 Now, I have phoned the Playstation helpline and although nice & trying to be helpful, I was getting replies like:

- It's the first Ive heard of it

- it must be the hard drive

- there must be something wrong with your PS3

- Maybe try and download the file from a friends computer with a different internet connection

- We can not guarantee that external devices will be compatible

Also I have tried two different hdds: 500GB WD Blue Scorpio & SAMSUNG 250GB and had the same problem occur. I have also found people in the US experiencing the same problems. So this seems to be a global problem Has anyone in Australia tried to install a new hdd with the software update 3.41 and had some success? Does anyone have a solution, because unfortunately the tech support guys can not help me.

The link for the US Playstation forum is:

http://boardsus.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-3-Updates/Upgrading-Harddrive-need-3-41/td-p/45984903

Thanks guys

[RandAPle4]

Are you in Australia/NZ? Are you sure you have version 3.41?

If so where did you get the 3.41 update file? From the US playstation site? It isn't available from the eu.playstation website yet.

I don't know if there's any difference between firmware versions from different regions but I have refained from downloading it from the US just in case. In the end I let the PS3 get it from PSN but I'd much rather do the update from permanent storage. Usually it would be up on the eu website by now.

[jf9680]

Hi There,

Yes I am an Australian resident.

Yes I was forced to update my PS3 to software update V3.41 two nights ago in order to continue playing online. After this, I then had to find the actual software update 3.41. It was not available on the Australian website until approximately 1.00am this morning.  The US playstation website did have this software update available earlier.

I just wish that I received my WD 500GB hard drive earlier than I did so I could use V3.40. Apparently that worked fine. And yes the US and AUS software updates downloads are different even though they look like they come from the same source destination. The version I used/tried was the Australian version of the software update.

So in short my PS3 is definitely on V3.41.

The actual download from the AUS website is definitely V3.41, but it must be corrupted in some way

[xPATCHx]

I assume you are using a usb stick to feed the ps3 the update, have you tried a reformat of this device, then copy the update on and try it again.... how about a different usb stick??

It sounds like its finding a bad sector on the firmware during the install....

[RandAPle4]

To eliminate a bad sector on your USB storage device rename the ps3updat.pup file stored there to ps3updat.bad and then redownload the ps3updat.pup file. This leaves the previous file on the possibly bad sector of the hard drive and the new file in a different sector. I doubt this is the problem but I've been wrong before

Two different drives would rather argue against it.

What else? Is there a disk still in the optical drive? Are there any other peripherals plugged in (eg playtv, dualshock controllers, usb hubs)? What happens if you put the old hard disk drive back?

[jf9680]

Hi Guys,

Yes I have re-formatted the USB memory stick. When I download the software update, I download it to my PC and then copy and paste it to the USB stick. As for the peripherals plugged it, with only two USB ports available: 1 port is for the USB cable to connect to the wireless controller (i.e. like the first time you ever set up the PS3 due to the new blank 500GB hdd) and the other port has the USB memory stick. I have also tried both ports with the USB stick.

Sony tell me to send back the PS3 and they'll fix it. I can fix it myself by putting the original 120GB Toshiba hdd back in and everything still works. The problem is that with the PlayTV, I'm quickly running out of space, hence the reason I'm upgrading to the WD 500GB hdd.

[RandAPle4]

With the old hard drive is it running 3.41? I mean have you upgraded it successfully with the old hard drive recently?

[jf9680]

My old hard drive which is back in my PS3 at the moment has definitely got software update 3.41 and it downloaded successfully . If my original hdd was still on V3.40, I wouldn't be having this issue. You see when you do a mandatory update (i.e. to continue playing online), it also downloads this a bit of this software update into a specific storage area inside the PS3 in which you can not access. When you try to install another hard drive (i.e. for bigger storage), the PS3 insists that you load on the same software update so everything matches up. 

[necroslaughter]

got same problem here, old hdd had 3.41 and was fine. Upgraded to 250gb hdd today and then the problems started. 

[jf9680]

Good that's what I need: more people that are having the same problems as myself. And the more people that are having problems the more Sony will have you get their act together and fix this problem