Possible Downgrade FROM 3.56

[lessthanleo]

Initial reports would indicate that this method is allowing a good proportion of SLIM ps3 users to downgrade from 3.56 to a lower firmware...I have not tried this myself as I own a Fat ps3 but thought it might be worthy of posting...


1. GO TO SETTINGS>SYSTEM RESTORE>FULL RESTORE

2. ONCE THE SYSTEM HAS RESTORED (ANYTHING UP TO 7 HOURS) BOOT STRAIGHT TO RECOVERY MENU (DO NOT POWER ON AS NORMAL FIRST)

3. THE RECOVERY MENU WILL DISPLAY YOU HAVING FW 1.41 ETC...OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. FROM HERE IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO INSTALL ANY LATER FIRMWARE THAN THIS INCLUDING CFW FROM USB. SO HAVE YOUR UPDATE DATA READY ON A USB STICK AND INSTALL FROM THE RECOVERY MENU.

4. ALL BEEN WELL...WELCOME BACK TO 3.55/3.41

NOTE: FULL RESTORE WILL MEAN LOSING GAME SAVES, USER ACCOUNTS ETC.


I understand that the firmware is stored on the NAND and not on the HDD but before the full restore the playstation says it will restore everything including system software and I have read that some people are having success using this method and I thought that if somebody on here has a 3.56 ps3 that they wouldn't mind trying this on to test the credibility then there's nothing to lose.

EDIT: I think the idea is that a sort of "base" FW is left on the system after a full restore that is only visible by accessing the recovery menu immediately after the restore. Just booting the ps3 up as normal after the restore will take you back to the FW you were on pre-restore. But if you can access the FW in the recovery menu it will let you update the FW to any later version.

EDIT 2: JUST THOUGHT, AFTER PERFORMING A SYSTEM RESTORE DOES THE SYSTEM TURN OFF? OR RESTART? OR JUST HANG AT 100%. BECAUSE ID'VE THOUGHT IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT THE SYSTEM DOES NOT BOOT AS NORMAL TO XMB. SO TO ANYONE TESTING THIS, MAKE SURE AFTER THE RESTORE THAT IT DOESN'T BOOT NORMALLY.

[Musical-Phoenix]

Not sure if this works seeing at I would of thought many people would of tried this on older FW like 3.55

However when I went and messed up my PS3 a few days ago I did a full restore lost all games accounts and what not and did see 3.41 as my FW however i was also testing out the downgrade function from 3.55 using a jailbreak. So it could be that that did it.


Tempting to retry it though seeing as I havent been able to make any mods to my PS3 since updating to 3.56 stupidly V_V

I mean whats the harm other than not having the games that i can reinstall...

[lessthanleo]

That's the spirit...I understand I might end up getting a virtual raping for suggesting that it might be so simple in my first ever post...but, where's the harm in putting it out there?

I am lead to believe it is for slims only...I also know there is probably going to be a big row about how full restore only restores the HDD, but aren't the user accounts stored on the NAND too, like the FW...and they get deleted upon a full restore.

[Musical-Phoenix]

I suppose that seeing as its not going to cause any harm to the PS3 (Except losing all save game data and game installs and user accounts) Im sure someone will try this out..

If someone does please post the results..

Might me possible to back up save game data and what not first so that you dont lose so much info.

If this hasnt been tested in a few days Ill do it myself.. Like I said I did a fresh install only a few days ago.. But in all honesty I cant be assed to re install over 57 games from PSN and Disk.

EDIT: For a quick not I too was on a slim 120GB that had 3.41 to start off when I brought it... so maybe the base FW is saved somewhere for save keeping? Just a though

[lessthanleo]

I don't blame you in the slightest...if it does get tested and it works, maybe somebody with a bit more technical knowledge would be able to find a way to use the exploit in a more convenient fashion so that it may benefit all of those people like myself who stupidly upgraded...fat or slim...

EDIT: For a quick not I too was on a slim 120GB that had 3.41 to start off when I brought it... so maybe the base FW is saved somewhere for save keeping? Just a though

I think that is the theory behind it...

[AlexDC22]

this seems intriging as my dear good ol idiot nephew upgraded to 3.56 and now is crying about it, i told him not to, but what do we old folks know....i will imform him and see if thats something he would like to gamble due to all the data he has including pns games...

Thanks OP for this info

[matt902]

Initial reports would indicate that this method is allowing a good proportion of SLIM ps3 users to downgrade from 3.56 to a lower firmware...I have not tried this myself as I own a Fat ps3 but thought it might be worthy of posting...



I understand that the firmware is stored on the NAND and not on the HDD but before the full restore the playstation says it will restore everything including system software and I have read that some people are having success using this method and I thought that if somebody on here has a 3.56 ps3 that they wouldn't mind trying this on to test the credibility then there's nothing to lose.

The slim has a 16mB NAND.How can it hold a 176 mB file?
I notice you and the other poster just joined this month.What are you two really try to do?Like brick someone's system.

[AlexDC22]

The slim has a 16mB NAND.How can it hold a 176 mB file?
I notice you and the other poster just joined this month.What are you two really try to do?Like brick someone's system.

LOL wow thanks for pointing that out bud, forgot about that.

Thanks will see where this leads, tho i doubt to far.
Thanks again.

[Thatdude888]

LOL wow thanks for pointing that out bud, forgot about that.

Thanks will see where this leads, tho i doubt to far.
Thanks again.

Isnt that kind of the point that if you erase every thing it will have no firmware stored and you will be able to upgrade to anything ??

[lessthanleo]

I don't see how this could brick a system, I only posted it as it seemed like an area of interest. I think people on these forums need to stop just shooting people down...I thought the idea of a forum was a place people could discuss topics...not a place where people who feel like they are at the top an intellectual hierachy can shun the ideas of others who they feel are below them...

I notice you and the other poster just joined this month.What are you two really try to do?Like brick someone's system.

I joined today in fact, and I would listen to your critiscism if you were a long standing member yourself with however many thousand posts...but you are not...I could post 19 more posts accusing people of trying to steal my washing off my line and in 27 days I would have identical stats to you...