YLOD PS3 - really no way to recover data off the HDD?

[Batch]

OK, a friend has a PS3. It died the yellow light of death.

He said he has some photos on there that he hasn't backed up. no worries I say, I'll wang it into my PC or PS3 and back them up.

Only now I'm looking around it seems that this is not possible. A PC can't read the disk. A different PS3 will reformat it because the Hdd is married to the PS3.

Stupid Sony? Unless anyone knows a beardy wierdy Linux way round it (I've seen it said some Linuc may get round this, but no confirmation of anybody having done so).

[Samdy Gray]

From what I've read, the PS3 filesystem is JFS. Some flavours of Linux will read JFS, but the data is encrypted. So, even if you managed to mount the drive and could see the partitions on the HDD you'd never be able to get the data off.

[Batch]

Thanks for confirming Sam

[jonny72]

Appears to be some places that offer a repair / data recovery service for PS3's with the YLOD.

Might be worth trying them if the pictures are that important.

[Batch]

Appears to be some places that offer a repair / data recovery service for PS3's with the YLOD.

Might be worth trying them if the pictures are that important.

Thanks. I'll price it for him and leave it to him. Then lecture him on backups!

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

Try Valutech in Cheney Manor they are good for repairs etc.

It's the one big thing that the PS3 gets a lot of stick for. At least on a 360 you can keep the HDD as it's not built in. Certainly not on the older models anyway.

[Batch]

Thanks, may even buy it off him and get it repaired myself.

Its a PS3 fat so the Hdd is user changeable, you just can't get the data off it unless you have the PS3 that it was paired with (working)!

[stfcinbmth]

Can't believe there is no way to recover the data, what sort of a poxy way is that to install a hdd?

[Samdy Gray]

The Sony way.

Stops people from just buying a game from the online store and then sharing with their mates/the world.