Ps4 External Hdd

1. Playstation 4 External Hard Drive
2. Ps4 External Hd Format
3. Ps4 External Hdd Format

The limited storage capacity PS4 comes with has incited fanboys to search for a workaround that helps to expand that storage capacity to the limit determined by user. Previously, users were only allowed to add more storage to PS4 by replacing the internal hard drive of PS4 with a larger and, probably faster hard drive. The standard, and most common upgrade size was 2tb, as it was the largest standalone solution for PS4 storage upgrade, because there was no internal hard drive that conformed to the PS4 storage upgrade compatibility standards larger than that. Other companies, though, offered an accessory called Data Bank that allowed users to use 3.5-inch hard drives with more than 2tb of capacity to upgrade PS4 storage to as large as 8tb.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you're looking for the best external HDD for PS4, you better then view this article instead.

That was history. Now, after more than a year of releasing PS4 System Software v. 4.5, the overwhelming majority of PS4 users who solely look for a storage expansion for their game console would go for the external hard drive solution instead of upgrading the internal hard drive and handling the hassles that may come with it. (You may want to read a quick comparison between upgrading the internal HDD of PS4 or just adding an external HDD instead.)

Can an External HDD Be Used on PS4?

It's easy to deduce the answer from the foreword of this article. So YES, it's possible to use an external hard drive on PS4 as long as it's fully compatible with PS4 system.

You have to know first that there are two purpose of an external hard drive on PS4, which are:

1. After successfully connecting the external HDD to your PS4 system, you can now check how to set up the external hard drive for your PS4. You can click the list below to directly check which settings you want to configure. How to change the Application Installation Location? How to move applications to the external hard drive?
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PS4 External Hard Drive Addition Expanding PS4 storage has not been any easier with external hard drives. You need to make sure your external hard drive is compatible with PS4 standards in order to get it work properly. Once that's confirmed, you can enjoy it immediately. The Game Drive for PS4 is a 2TB external hard drive upgrade for your game console. You can easily store 50+ games, so you don't have to delete your favorite classic games to make room for the latest (average game size is 35GB to 50GB). High-speed USB 3.0 means that you have full-speed gaming, just as if you were playing right off the internal. Just unplug your PS4 external hard drive, plug it into the PS5, and all of your games will be available and ready to play without the need to format anything or wait for long transfers.

1. Using it as a backup storage with which you can take a precautionary copy of your games and applications in case of emergency. This solution is dramatically going unpopular in favor of the second purpose.
2. Using it as a storage extension to the main system storage (i.e. it's an extension, not a standalone storage). With this solution you can install your games and applications directly on the external hard drive and launch them while they're placed externally.

Each purpose has its own compatibility standards that we'll address below in some detail.

Backup Storage Solution

If you're looking for a backup solution for your PS4 that entitles you to take a precautionary copy of data stored on your PS4, then this is surely your way to go.

There are several advantages of this kind of solution over the other one that's addressed later in the comparison section in this article.

Swann camera helpline. The external hard drive adopted for this purpose must conform to the following standards:

• Supports USB connection, no matter what generation of USB it supports. That means thunderbolt and other connections won't work with PS4 system.
• Not larger than 8tb, as PS4 system doesn't recognize larger drives.
• Formatted with FAT file system only—Either FAT32 or exFAT. (Read more on how to format an external hard drive as a backup storage for PS4)
• Single-layer external HDD. If it's dual-layer, the PS4 system will only recognize the first layer and ignores the second, so you'll get half of the storage capacity that your external hard drive actually offers.
• Only one partition is supported. PS4 system doesn't accept partitioned external hard drives, so bear in mind that you have to use a drive with solely one partition.

Once your external hard drive follows these standards, it will be ready to be used as a backup solution. Just make sure your PS4 system software is at least on version 2.5, as earlier versions doesn't support this feature.

Using an External HDD

Once you have got the right hard drive for this purpose formatted with the relevant file system, you just need then to connect the USB external HDD to your PS4 via the USB port located on the rear, then restart the system and PS4 will automatically recognize it.

Go to System and you'll see several features listed. Just pick the 'Back Up and Restore' feature, and follow the easy instructions.

You can also watch the following video if you need better illustration:

Extended Storage Solution

The extended storage goes in cahoots with the main system storage and it's NOT a standalone storage solution. It's currently the most popular purpose for why PS4 fanboys get an external hard drive.

There are several advantages of going for this kind of solution over using the external hard drive as a mere backup storage. Please have a look at the comparison section in this article to educate yourself more on this issue.

The external hard drive adopted for this purpose must conform to the following standards:

• The support for USB 3.0 connection. If your external hard drive isn't configured with the third generation of USB or above, then it cannot be used for this purpose.
• The storage capacity must range from 250gb minimum to 8tb maximum. Any external drive falls outside this range is NOT accepted.
• Only single-layer external hard drives are supported. If it happens that you use a dual-layer drive, PS4 will only recognize the first layer and ignores the second, which results in losing half of the storage space the external hard drive actually offers.
• Connecting directly to PS4 USB port without any third-party connection medium, such as a USB hub. Otherwise PS4 won't recognize the new external HDD.

Once you have the right drive for this purpose, make sure to have the latest PS4 System Software installed on your console before connecting the external hard drive to it. Generally, PS4 System software 4.5 is sufficient for this goal, but Sony has released many fixes and patches after that version that promote more stability an consistency of the overall system performance. Therefore we highly recommend that you stay up-to-date with PS4 System Software.

Now, which is the best solution for you? Is it the backup storage or extended storage? This is what we will discuss in the following section.

Using an External HDD

Now, once you confirm that the external HDD you own is compatible with PS4 system and is suitable for use as an extended storage, you just need to connect it to PS4 via the USB port located on the rear side. You have to connect it DIRECTLY without the use of any connection medium such as a USB hub.

Now, restart your PS4 to help it recognize the new connected drive. Then follow the instructions illustrated in the following video:

Backup Storage vs Extended Storage

The purposes for which you can use an external hard drive on PS4 may confuse some users not knowing which route to follow in this regard. In fact, both are an appealing choice, but, unfortunately, you cannot use the same external hard drive for both purposes simultaneously. You need to determine your needs and decide which purpose to go for.

To make it easier for you, we have conducted a comparison table between the two options, so as to get the picture clearer in your mind that eventually helps making the right decision.

Unfortunately, you can't get all the advantages in one solution. That's why we keep telling PS4 fanboys that if they don't need more than 2tb of storage capacity, they better upgrade PS4 internal HDD and use an external HDD as a backup solution.

Or you can read this article and see more options to expand PS4 storage and pick the one that suits you best.

Conclusion

It's easy to use an external hard drive on PS4 as long as you get a compatible one with the purpose you want it for. Whether your goal is to use the external hard drive as a backup storage or an extended storage, you have, in all cases, to look for the compatibility standards before taking the next step.

Although we recommend that you first try to upgrade the internal hard drive of PS4 due to its low quality (read more) you can still use an external hard drive if your main concern is to expand the storage capacity of PS4 without a major interest in the performance boost the internal HDD upgrade offers.

After all it's all you choice. Adding an external HDD to PS4 is a very popular solution nowadays due to its easiness of use.

Summary :

Some PS4 users reported PS4 external hard drive not working issue on the forum. If you are one of them, this article is what you need. Here, MiniTool Partition Wizard develops a complete guide that you can take if your PS4 external hard drive stopped working.

About PS4 External Hard Drive Not Working Issue

Due to the limited size of PS4 internal hard drive, most users would like to add an external hard drive for PS4 to get larger storage space. In this way, users are able to enjoy more games on their PS4 without worries about running out of space and play their games on another device easily.

Unfortunately, the PS4 external hard drive might stop working sometimes. According to the reports from PS4 users, the external hard drive cannot be connected or recognized, or is not showing up in their PS4. As a result, they are unable to access the games or application saved in the PS4 external hard drive, which is really a frustrating problem.

In some cases, users might receive an error message that the USB storage device is not connected. But sometimes, their PS4 doesn't response to the connected external hard drive without any error messages. If PS4 external hard drive stopped working, perhaps there are some problems with the hard drive itself or something wrong with the PS4 system.

Further reading: If you are using PS4 USB drive as extended storage and it is not recognized by your PS4, you can read this guide to get some solutions.

Some users complain that the external hard drive doesn't work on their PS4 from the very beginning, while other users report that their PS4 external hard drive worked fine before but it stopped working suddenly. Which case are you in? Figure out your own case and find the corresponding solutions in the following contents.

Case 1: PS4 External Hard Drive Not Working from the Beginning

If you encounter PS4 external hard drive not showing up or recognized issue from the very beginning and you have never made it work, the solutions introduced in this part could be effective for you.

Before you try any technical methods, you can do the following self-examination to troubleshoot PS4 external hard drive not working issue by yourself.

• Make sure your PS4 external hard drive have a wired connection. PS4 doesn't support any wireless external hard drives, so you have to make the external hard drive wired to your PS4. In other words, you have to make sure the external drive is directly connected to your PS4 via one of its USB ports.
• Connect the external hard drive through another USB port of your PS4. It is possible that a certain USB port of PS4 is malfunctioning, and the hard drive might work properly with another port.
• Make sure the external hard drive is compatible with PS4 platform. Actually, not all the hard drives can work with PS4. You should visit the official website or contact the supports of the hard drive to check if it compatible with PS4.
• Make sure you have connected only one external storage device for your PS4. PS4 just recognizes one external storage device at a time. If a device that has been formatted as extended storage is already connected to your PS4, your PS4 will not recognize a second external storage device.

If the above requirements are met but the PS4 external hard drive is still not recognized or showing up, you can continue troubleshooting the issue with the following fixes.

Fix 1: Exclude Hard Drive Errors

If the external hard drive is damaged, it cannot be recognized by your PS4 definitely. How to check that? You just need to connect the PS4 external hard drive to your computer.

Commonly, when a healthy hard drive is connected to a computer, you will get a message prompting Your device is ready to use. If you don't receive the message, you can also find this drive listed in Disk Management. To exclude any potential hard drive errors in this case, you should use some hard drive repair solutions.

But if the connected hard drive is damaged, it will not be recognized by your computer as well and you will get the last USB device malfunctioned error message. In this case, you might have to give up the PS4 external hard drive and replace it with a new one.

Fix 2: Update Your PS4 System Software

If the external hard drive is not defective and can be recognized by other PS4 devices and computers, perhaps the problem has something to do with your PS4 itself. It has been reported that external hard drive might fail to work on a PS4 of older version. So, you can try updating the system software to fix PS4 external hard drive not showing up issue.

Here's a simple guide:

Step 1: Make sure your PS4 is connected to the Internet and go to the home screen.

Step 2: Go to PS4 Settings and choose System Software Update.

Step 3: If any updates are detected, click Next button. Then, select Update to download the available updated.

Step 4: Select Downloads to install the updates you have downloaded.

After updating PS4 system software, you can connect the external hard drive and check if it works on your PS4 properly

Case 2: PS4 External Hard Drive Stopped Working Suddenly

In this case, you were able to use the external hard drive on your PS4 without any problems before it stopped working suddenly. Similar to the Case 1, the PS4 external hard drive might also be defective here. So, you should also troubleshoot hard drive errors and confirm whether you need a replacement for the hard drive at first.

If the PS4 hard drive is fine and can work properly on other devices, you can try fixing the issue with the following solutions.

Fix 1: Restart Your PS4

This is an easy and widely-used method to resolve connection issues on PS4. When PS4 external hard drive not recognized issue happens to you, you can:

Openshot add voiceover. Step 1: Turn off your PS4 and switch off electricity for about 1 minutes.

Step 2: Disconnect the external hard drive and turn on the PS4 to make it run without any external devices.

Step 3: Turn off PS4 again and reconnect the external hard drive.

Step 4: Again, turn on your PS4.

Now, the external hard drive should be able to work on your PS4. If this method doesn't work in your case, move on to the next one.

Fix 2: Rebuild the PS4 Database

There is a feature named Rebuild Database built in your PS4. This feature can scan the PS4 drive and create a new database of all your PS4 content to help resolve various problems, such as PS4 corrupted data issue. In the case under our discussion, you can also choose to rebuild your PS4 database.

This feature is only available in the Safe Mode of PS4. During the process, it reorganizes your files and clears your PS4 memory, without affecting the existing data. To use it, you can refer to the steps below:

Step 1: Press the power button on the front panel to turn off your PS4.

Step 2: Once the PS4 is turned off, press and hold the power button until you hear the second beep.

Step 3: Connect the PS4 controller to the console with a USB cable and press the PS button. This will open the PS4 Safe Mode.

Step 4: Select Rebuild Database option and press X button to confirm the operation.

After that, you just need to wait patiently until the process is completed. When your PS4 completes the process and restarts, you can connect the external hard drive and check if it can work properly now.

Fix 3: Initialize PS4

Finally, you can try initializing your PS4 if PS4 external hard drive stopped working still after trying the above solutions. This is a last resort as it will wipe your PS4 hard drive and remove all the saved data. If you have already decided to use this method, you'd better create PS4 backup in advance to avoid any data loss.

This operation should also be performed in the Safe Mode of your PS4. After you enter the Safe Mode according to the steps in previous part, choose Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software) option.

Once the process is completed, connect the PS4 external hard drive and check if it works now. In some cases, you might also need to update your PS4 after initialization.

Bonus Tip: How to Recover Data from PS4 External Hard Drive

It's possible that the PS4 external hard drive not working might come up with data loss issue. In addition, you might also loss your data on a working external hard drive due to various factors when you use it. So, how can you recover data from a PS4 external hard drive?

To do that, you can use a professional third-party program. MiniTool Partition Wizard, a powerful solution for the recovery of data in various storage devices, is recommended here. You can follow the instruction below to recover data from your PS4 external hard drive with this utility.

Step 1: Connect the PS4 external hard drive to your computer.

Step 2: Click the following button to download MiniTool Partition Wizard. Launch the program and register to the Pro Ultimate edition.

Step 3: Right-click your PS4 external hard drive and choose Data Recovery feature. Then, this program will start scanning the hard drive.

Step 4: Wait for the scanning process to complete. Select the files or folders you need and click Save button to restore them to a local drive or another storage device. To find desired items quickly, you can use Show Lost Files, Find, Filter, and Type options.

Bottom Line

Playstation 4 External Hard Drive

This post has introduced how to fix 'PS4 external hard drive stopped working' issue in 2 different cases and provided the way to recover data from a PS4 external hard drive. Hopefully, you can benefit from this post.

Don't hesitate to leave your ideas in the following comment zone. You can also contact us via [email protected] if you have any problem in using MiniTool Partition Wizard program.

PS4 External Hard Drive Stopped Working FAQ

If an external hard drive cannot be recognized by your PS4, the possible reasons are:

• The external hard drive doesn't have a wired connection.
• The external hard drive isn't compatible with PS4 platform.
• There is another external storage device connected to your PS4.

There are some common symptoms of a broken PS4 hard drive:

• Unusual or excessive heating.
• Strange noises.
• Frequent crashes of your PS4 and read/write disk errors.
• PS4 not recognizing the hard drive.
• …

Ps4 External Hd Format

The possible reasons for corrupted PS4 game could be various. The commons ones are as follows:

Ps4 External Hdd Format

• The PS4 hard drive is poorly functioning.
• The game data gets corrupted.
• The files of the game are not installed properly.
• The PS4 system data are corrupted.