Save Data Loss Prevention Guide

[morphingryno]

Image made by FARAZ_1994

In this guide i will have...
1. Intro
2. Corrupted / Glitched Saves
3. Ways To Help Prevent Save Loss
4. Game Save Glitches

1. Intro
Before I start this guide I just wanted to mention that their is no 100% way to prevent save data loss however, following this Guide will help make you less of a victim of it.

2. Corrupted / Glitched Saves

Corrupted Saves

Definition
A corrupted save is broken save data that can not be accessed or used.

Causes
Error when saving the game.
Dead Sectors on hdd.
Glitches in the game.

Prevention
1. Never Play a game during a thunderstorm or when there is a good chance of their being a power surge.
2. Never turn off your PS3 when the HDD access indicator is flashing (it is safer to turn it off in the XMB).
3. Never take out the harddrive unless it is neccessary (When doing this do not drop it and set it down gently).

Glitched Saves

Definition
A glitched save is when there is a glitch in the game that stops you from continuing through the games story.

Causes
1. Improper coding in the game.
2. Improper coding of the systems firmware.

Prevention
1. Never attempt to do anything in a game that you know causes the save to glitch on either your main save or your back up save.
2. Do not play a game if you know that the firmware you have can cause the save to glitch.

3. Ways To Help Prevent Save Loss

Duplicate Saves
1. Start up the game.
2. Select new game and save to slot 1 (this is going to be your main save and will use auto saves).
3. After the first cutscence immediatly pause the game and save to slot 2 (this is going to be your back up save and will use manual saves).
4. When you are done playing overwrite the back up save with the updated main save everytime.
5. In the event you need your back up save, load the back up save.
6. Manually save over your main save.
7. Load the main save, and You're good to go.

Save Data Back Up (recomend doing this once a week).
1. Go to game > saved data utility in the XMB.
2. Insert flash drive.
3. Press triangle and select copy.
4. Repeat steps 1 - 3 for everything under save data, memory card utility, and minis saved data.
5. In the event you need one of the backed up saves, Insert the flash drive.
6. Go to game > saved data > flash drive in the XMB.
7. Highlight the save you need and press triangle.
8. Select copy, and You're good to go.

Full System Back Up (recommend doing this once every couple weeks) (works for locked saves).
1. Plug in an external HDD into one of the USB slots.
2. Go to settings > back utility in the XMB.
3. Select back up.
4. Select USB device.
5. Wait for the back up to finish.
6. Click "OK".
7. In the event you need the data back, plug in the external HDD.
8. Go to settings > back up utility in the XMB.
9. Select restore.
10. Select USB device.
11. Wait for the restore to finish.
12. Click "OK", and You're good to go.

4. Game Save Glitches (PM me if you know anymore game save glitches) (causes are in the spoiler tags).

Ratchet And Clank Future Tools Of Destruction

Negative bolts glitch

Spoiler! (click here to reveal)

This is caused by getting 999,999,999 bolts and then doing either a space combat level, a pirate jig, or a clank section, and it will put you at -1 bolts and continue to count down as you collect more bolts. When you reach Rykan V you need to pay 5,000 bolts for the gyro cycle, and since you have no way of getting that many bolts You're stuck there and Can't advance through the story.

Ratchet And Clank Future A Crack In Time

Final boss battle access glitch

Spoiler! (click here to reveal)

When you are in Great Clock Sector V as Ratchet and fall off the hoverboot ramps he respawns as Clank with Ratchet's abilities. Now this is cool, except when you reach the Orvus Chamber the door does not open and you are stuck their without a way to fight the final boss

Little Big Planet

Prize Bubble Glitch

Spoiler! (click here to reveal)

This is caused by playing generated level and letting the inventory fill up with community items and collecting a story related prize bubble. It will not add the prize to your inventory and when you reach the sticker switch for it, you will be stuck since the game thinks you already have the prize.

Brutal Legend

Corrupted Save Glitch - Thanks to T_l_M_B_0 for this.

Spoiler! (click here to reveal)

This glitch is trigger by using the "save and quit" option in the in game menu when you quit the game, as opposed to exitting to the XMB.

Heavy Rain

Corrupted Save Glitch - Thanks to DAS_COOL for this.

Spoiler! (click here to reveal)

This glitch happens when a random freeze occurs that causes to to have to hard reset your PS3. When this type of freeze occurs wait at least 5 minutes before restarting your PS3.

[morphingryno]

**reserved**

[Whiteclone]

Looks pretty good so far for work in progress, might wanna run a spell check once you get finished writing the guide. Good work my man, I might just start backing up my saves to my external hard drive every so often. Last time(only time) I have done it is when I upgraded my 40GB HDD to my 320GB HDD. Wouldn't be too bad of an idea with all the risks of glitches, corruption, and the horrible YLOD.

Edit: I'm trying to backup to data right now as we speak, and I plugged it in a while ago and it's sitting there at 0% completion and says "Remaining Time: Approximately 28 Hours and 0 Minutes"

Something must be terribly wrong, any suggestions my man?

I'll also send you a message.

Edit #2: Checking some of the stuff on my external harddrive through my computer to see why it was taking so long this time, after that I'm gunna let it run while I sleep.

[patacama]

I don't know about this Game Save Glitches... but It's an awesome guide for these people that have problems with these games or other glitched game saves

[Whiteclone]

I'm still experiencing the same problem where it's taking anywhere between 21 and 28 hours in order for it to backup the data. I started when I went to bed last night, where it said about 21 hours, then when I awoke it still has 13 hours and 20 minutes left. That's just ridiculous. I'm going to cancel the backup process for now.

I was using the Western Digital 600 MB HD, I also own a shiny new Seagate 1TB HD which seems to never get recognized as a storage media when I plug it into my PS3. It recognizes fine on computer, but never on the PS3.

But I have no idea why it doesn't take anywhere between 1 and 3 hours and instead is litteraly taking more then a full day's length to backup the data.

[Sin-City-Big-Boy]

Can you back up lock games like GTA 4.

[Whiteclone]

Originally Posted by Sin-City-Big-Boy

Can you back up lock games like GTA 4.

I don't think you can, when I tried to backup it had a special message "This utility backs up all data, but does not included locked saves" or something along those lines. The only known way to exchange locked saves is to deactivate your current system when you exchange 100% of your data and settings using the ethernet cable with your new PS3; at least that is the only way I know of.

[Sin-City-Big-Boy]

Originally Posted by Whiteclone

I don't think you can, when I tried to backup it had a special message "This utility backs up all data, but does not included locked saves" or something along those lines. The only known way to exchange locked saves is to deactivate your current system when you exchange 100% of your data and settings using the ethernet cable with your new PS3; at least that is the only way I know of.

Damn that seem like 2 much work.

[Whiteclone]

Well after all that time with 13 Hours and 12 Minutes remaining with 43% completion it popped up with the error message "THE USB DEVICE CANNOT BE ACCESSED" and everything is plugged in correctly and I have not touched it the entire time this whole process. This is getting on my last nerve trying to do something unneeded and good for my PS3 and all it does is bite me in the ass.

I took an extremly low quality camera shot off my webcam, I would be surprised if you could even see it but I made a 4 second video for youtube and took a picture just incase.

Edit: Here is the video too from youtube that I recorded very shortly:

YouTube- PS3 Backup Utility Error

YouTube- PS3 Backup Utility Error

[morphingryno]

Originally Posted by patacama

I don't know about this Game Save Glitches... but It's an awesome guide for these people that have problems with these games or other glitched game saves

neither did i until i ran into one while playing jak 2 and had to start the whole game over just to finish it

Originally Posted by Sin-City-Big-Boy

Can you back up lock games like GTA 4.

you can but they will only restore on the system it was originally on and if i remember correctly you have like 10 save slots in that game