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PS4 rebuild database loop - can't start

Doczu

Member
Guys i'm in a dire need for help.

I started a game download from PSN and just left the console on (not a long download) and i just turned around to grab a coffee and my toddler happened to switch off the power strip the console is pluged in.
I've restarted it and it hanged on the database rebuild at 24%. It asked me to plug an usb with the newest system update, so i prepared the stick and the update didn't help - after updating and restarting it begins rebuilding the database from 24% and doesn't move an inch.

Entered the safe mode and tried to download the update online once again. Database error at 24%.
Tried to rebuild the database manually from safe mode - no luck.

Is there anything else i can do? I don't want to factory reset my console as i will lose all my save states. I was near end game with a lot of RPGs and open world games. Fuck, i would have to start Nier on hard again and the last time it took my around a year of retries and rage quits to defeat the first boss (yes, i suck at that particular game...).

I ain't mad at the kid, as he's still mentally a sack of potatoes with a hole in it, but if i can't get my saves back at least i will tell him Santa isn't real when he asks in a few years, so GAF - if you won't help me, help my kid have a good childhood.
 

JSoup

Banned
Point of order: When you select rebuild database from safe mode, does it actually error or just hang? If it hangs, just keep waiting, a rebuild can take hours in some cases. If it's actually erroring out on you during rebuild, your HDD is likely either dead or dying.
 

Kuranghi

Member
Sucks man, well I can't help with fixing the problem but worst case maybe try taking it out and connecting it to PC and dump the save folder before you format it, on this page here, if you go to the bottom, scroll up once and there is the structure of the PS4 HDD.

 

Doczu

Member
Do you have ps plus? It backs up your saves to the cloud occasionally.
Well yes and no. My bro has PS+ and we just shared the account 50/50. So his account on my console is the plus one and i get to download the games if i want to.
So... Do i also make use of the cloud service?
 

Doczu

Member
Point of order: When you select rebuild database from safe mode, does it actually error or just hang? If it hangs, just keep waiting, a rebuild can take hours in some cases. If it's actually erroring out on you during rebuild, your HDD is likely either dead or dying.
It abruptly ends with a message to plug in my controler to the console and press the PS button and then it asks me to do the update through USB.
If that's a sign the drive is failing/failed then Sony should be fucking ashamed as my consoleis just barely over twoyears (so i've just lost my warranty, fml) and things like that shouldn't happen so fast...
Sucks man, well I can't help with fixing the problem but worst case maybe try taking it out and connecting it to PC and dump the save folder before you format it, on this page here, if you go to the bottom, scroll up once and there is the structure of the PS4 HDD.

Will look into that, thank you.
 

Shifty1897

Member
Hate to hear this dude, but it sounds like you've done due diligence when it comes to troubleshooting. You may just need to factory reset it.

Look on the bright side, you get to play all those games you loved over again! And if you didn't love it, don't waste your time on it.
 
hqdefault.jpg
 

hyperbertha

Member
Well yes and no. My bro has PS+ and we just shared the account 50/50. So his account on my console is the plus one and i get to download the games if i want to.
So... Do i also make use of the cloud service?
I doubt it sadly. I'd contact sony support right about now or bring it to a sony tech centre.
 
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Doczu

Member
Look on the bright side, you get to play all those games you loved over again! And if you didn't love it, don't waste your time on it.
That's the problem: i liked those games, but i dom't have much time to play them - the baby is a time sink. I won't be able to recover from that blow in years, and by then my backlog will be too big 😩
Need some context here brother, pic doesn't say anything for me.
If he bricked the console, not the hdd then not only Santa ain't real, but the tooth fairy and eastern bunny get on the list.
Did you downloaded the 400mb firmware or the 1gb one? You need the 1gb one AFAIK.
No, i found the 400mb update on the Sony page. There is a bigger one? Will check that.

Edit: can you link it?
 
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T-Cake

Member
You might lose your saves but all is not lost until you initialise the console and install the 1GB firmware update. If it fails DB check after that, ten your HDD is kaput.
 

Doczu

Member
Thank you.
You might lose your saves but all is not lost until you initialise the console and install the 1GB firmware update. If it fails DB check after that, ten your HDD is kaput.
Ok, so if i want to backup my saves i should first try to plug the drive to my pc and manualy copy then.
 

nowhat

Member
Did you downloaded the 400mb firmware or the 1gb one? You need the 1gb one AFAIK.
As a side note, Sony really should do a better job telling which firmware does what and having links to both readily available. I consider myself a fairly competent person when it comes to technology, but yet ended up downloading the update first when I changed a hard drive on a PS4 for the first time, and was worried for a while because I couldn't reinstall the OS. A quick google shows I'm far from the only one.

That's the problem: i liked those games, but i dom't have much time to play them - the baby is a time sink. I won't be able to recover from that blow in years, and by then my backlog will be too big 😩
On the plus side though - in a couple of years your toddler will be old enough to help you with clearing your backlog :)

But regarding reading the drive on a PC:

Basically, PS4 hard drives use a filesystem unrecognized by Windows, have a funky partitioning scheme and besides, are encrypted (otherwise piracy would be trivial). So sorry - you can try it for sure, but it's not going to work. If you end up having to get a new drive, I really recommend getting an SSHD, faster than stock and yet reasonably priced.
 
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T-Cake

Member
Now, I’ve been assuming that Kuranghi Kuranghi was correct in his post but was slightly dubious about it. On further research, you cannot read the PS4 HDD on a PC as it’s encrypted data. So you are stuck and will have to initialise your console.

EDIT - nowhat nowhat just beat me to it.
 
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T-Cake

Member
Tip for the future - if you don't want to pay for PS+ and cloud saving, buy yourself a cheap USB stick and manually copy the save games over when you finish for the day. It doesn't take long to train yourself in this new routine, speaking from experience. 😎
 
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