How To Install A PS3 80GB Hard Drive

The Sony aficionados out there want to now how to install a PS3 80GB hard drive. Well, you don't have to love Sony to want to upgrade that old storage disk of yours to a 80GB hard drive. To put a 80GB hard drive into perspective, 100 million average words (at 10 bytes per word) could be stored on 1 gigabyte. An 80GB hard drive has (obviously) eighty gigs, and can potentially store eight billion average words on it. Although it's not really relevant towards gaming, the above example illustrates the complex storage capacities of an 80GB hard drive.

Here's what you will need:

• A Sony Playstation 3
• A 80GB hard drive
• A screwdriver
• A storage device (optional)

1. Backup data. When you install a new hard drive, it's better safe than sorry. Murphey's Law tells us that anything that can go wrong will; so let's minimize those chances, shall we? Plug in a removable USB drive and press "backup" on the main menu for the items you wish to save.
2. Turn off and unplug your PS3. The Playstation 3 must be turned off and unplugged from the power adapter, various wires, and any external devices to proceed.
3. Get that screwdriver handy. Unscrew the HDD panel, the blue screw holding the hard drive, and the two screws that hold the hard drive into the harness. Handle the old hard drive with care, so as to not corrupt any previous data. Who knows? You might end up needing some of that old stuff after all if the data backup doesn't work for you.
4. Slide the new one in. Take your PS3 80GB hard drive and slide it into the metal harness you just removed the old one from. Make sure to put the last two screws back in to secure it. Tighten the blue screw back into place, and seal the HDD panel.
5. Format the new hard drive. Your new PS3 80GB hard drive will need to be formatted, and the Playstation will prompt you upon its first startup. Simply turn on your PS3 and follow the steps.

When you install a new hard drive you might have backed up your data onto the flash drive earlier. If so, plug in the drive after all of the reformatting is complete, open the files, and drag them to your new 80GB hard drive. Have fun!