Windows Vista Is there a way to uninitialize a just initialized drive without formatting?

[Typhoon859]

I initialized the HDD I was using for my PS3 with Disc Management so that Windows can read it when I right away realized that it wasn't such a great idea. Is there any way whatsoever that I can undo that so the PS3 can read it again?

 

[kemical]

I found this in a PS3 forum:

Link Removed due to 404 Error

Q: If I format my HDD or exchange it, do I have to setup all my users and system settings all over?
A: No. Only your messages from other users, game saves and downloadable content is erased. Your system settings are saved on FLASH-RAM chips on the PS3 motherboard. Your friends list is linked to your PSN ID, so when you re-enter the information, your friends list will be restored.

So there must be a way for you to put your settings back on or format it again. Use the link provided and you should be able to find out exactly how...
Hope this is a help...

 

[Typhoon859]

I found this in a PS3 forum:

PS3 FAQ and Knowledge Compendium - 211 questions answered! - PS3Forums

Q: If I format my HDD or exchange it, do I have to setup all my users and system settings all over?
A: No. Only your messages from other users, game saves and downloadable content is erased. Your system settings are saved on FLASH-RAM chips on the PS3 motherboard. Your friends list is linked to your PSN ID, so when you re-enter the information, your friends list will be restored.

So there must be a way for you to put your settings back on or format it again. Use the link provided and you should be able to find out exactly how...
Hope this is a help...

Thanks but, the problem is that I don't want to lose my game save files. That's the most important thing. Everything else isn't important.

-I didn't format the drive when I initialized if that's what you guys might be thinking. It would have told me if it was formatting it. I hit initialize and in half of a second, the disk was online, THEN, AFTERWARD, it was asking me to format it to be able to use it but I never did it.

 

[kemical]

Hmm...I still reckon your better off looking for answers in the forum I found (or one similar) I'm afraid my tech knowledge of PS3's is sketchy at best...

 

[Typhoon859]

Hmm...I still reckon your better off looking for answers in the forum I found (or one similar) I'm afraid my tech knowledge of PS3's is sketchy at best...

I tried there as well but they ONLY know stuff about the PS3. The problem here is more windows related with the whole initialization crap.

 

[Celestra]

Re: Is there a way to uninitialized a just initialized drive without formatting?

You can copy your "saved games" from Program Files Folder or (C:/Users/your user name here/App Date/Local/Virtual Store) and then drill to your installation path. You can burn them to CD/DVD, back it up on flash drive, or an external hard drive. If this can still be done ......

 

[Typhoon859]

Re: Is there a way to uninitialized a just initialized drive without formatting?

You can copy your "saved games" from Program Files Folder or (C:/Users/your user name here/App Date/Local/Virtual Store) and then drill to your installation path. You can burn them to CD/DVD, back it up on flash drive, or an external hard drive. If this can still be done ......

Wait... What does the Program Files folder have anything to do with the Saved Game Files on the inaccessible PS3 HDD?

 

[Celestra]

Obviously, your games are very important to you. I simply thought you should be backing them up safely. I lost an expensive game a long time ago when I didn't back it up nice enough. It got skipped for some reason and the manufacturer suddenly decided to discontinue the game. I've never tried to recover a game through back-up, maybe it's not as good as it should be, because they recommend for safety sake to burn it to disk. There are a whole lot of techniques regarding games that I have to explore.

 

[davehc]

Like Kemical, I have no knowledge of PS's
One of my family mebers has a PS3. He is no PC expert but tells me this.
There is no way to read the data from a PS3 harddrive by using a PC. It is just a different file system. Windows PCs can't read the file system. Some linux gear can see the HDD, and he suggests you download a live Ubuntu ISO and make a cd . Run it and try and extract any info you can from the HD.
He also warns (not sure) that you should not, for the moment, connect the HDD back on to the PS3, as it will automatically be reformatted.

 

[Celestra]

Like Kemical, I have no knowledge of PS's
One of my family mebers has a PS3. He is no PC expert but tells me this.
There is no way to read the data from a PS3 harddrive by using a PC. It is just a different file system. Windows PCs can't read the file system. Some linux gear can see the HDD, and he suggests you download a live Ubuntu ISO and make a cd . Run it and try and extract any info you can from the HD.
He also warns (not sure) that you should not, for the moment, connect the HDD back on to the PS3, as it will automatically be reformatted.

Great Going !!!!!! Salvage is possible.....

 

[Typhoon859]

Like Kemical, I have no knowledge of PS's
One of my family mebers has a PS3. He is no PC expert but tells me this.
There is no way to read the data from a PS3 harddrive by using a PC. It is just a different file system. Windows PCs can't read the file system. Some linux gear can see the HDD, and he suggests you download a live Ubuntu ISO and make a cd . Run it and try and extract any info you can from the HD.
He also warns (not sure) that you should not, for the moment, connect the HDD back on to the PS3, as it will automatically be reformatted.

The PS3 doesn't automatically format it - it asks. I also tried exactly that through Linux but Linux didn't even read the drive. I booted Ubuntu off a CD.