un-initialized ps3 hdd

[kepyrhedhi]

i put my ps3 hdd into my pc (windows7) opened up disk management. it asked to initialize disk so i did. bad idea! put the hdd back into my ps3 and now it want to format it.
?Is there a way i can fix it with out losing my data? or back up my game data using my pc? or reinitialize the hdd to work ?

[codone]

The Internal PS3 HDD is in a different format than the PC can recognize. When you "initialized" it on the PC, you essentially formatted it for the PC and lost all the data on it. IMO, there will be no way to get your PS3 data back now. The PS3 sees it as non-recognizable now and wants to format it. I believe your only way forward is to format it in the PS3 now.

BTW, I'm not sure what you were trying to accomplish by hooking up the PS3 internal drive onto your PC. Again, the PC cannot read it (it can only read a USB external FAT32 drive, as far as the PS3 is concerned).

[indirect76]

codons is unfortunately correct. Your data is gone. I've read that the PS3 hard drive format is actually a standard Linux filesystem, readable by machines with that OS(can any one confirm), but the files are encrypted using the per console key. I'm assuming by your description that you attached it to a Windows machine.

I'm also curious what you were trying to accomplish.

[DeadPixel99]

Words from the wise, don't mess with what you don't understand. I would also know what would possess you to do this what where you trying to accomplish?

[tpmjb]

codons is unfortunately correct. Your data is gone. I've read that the PS3 hard drive format is actually a standard Linux filesystem, readable by machines with that OS(can any one confirm), but the files are encrypted using the per console key. I'm assuming by your description that you attached it to a Windows machine.

I'm also curious what you were trying to accomplish.

Now I don't know specifically about the data being "gone", but there has been talk about being able to decrypt the PS3 HDD:
http://psx-scene.com/forums/content/...tion-poc-2511/

In my case I was running a tool of some sort, it froze so I hit the power switch and the PS3 decided to pull this "U MUST FORMAT LOL!" bs.

I assume the data can be recovered if one is to make sense of Naehrwert's work. It's far beyond my skill, however.

Edit: The actual guide is here:
http://www.ps3devwiki.com/wiki/HDD_Encryption

You need your EID root key, which is easy if you're on CFW. If the data is incredibly valuable to you, and you can make sense of that page, find a throwaway laptop hard drive, reinstall CFW, then get your root key. As for the rest....read up. If you can do it, by all means get back to me.

[indirect76]

Doing a Windows 'initialize disc' is destructive, as it re-writes the partition table. The good news is that the data might be recoverable with some recovery software.

[Berion]

Make sector by sector copy. Maybe it's possible to transplant only table from the same HDD after reformating. I have never tried.