Below we teach you how to format your PS4 to leave the console like new, thus erasing all the data on the hard drive as if it were from the factory. And if we want to sell the console or give it away, it is recommended delete all our data from the memory of the Playstation 4; Luckily, there are several ways to format the console's hard drive and thanks to our guide you can leave it like new in a few simple steps. Although yes, we recommend making a backup copy of our data, especially the saved games, either with a USB device, uploading the data to the cloud if we are subscribers of PlayStation Plus or performing a complete dump of all the contents of the console on an external hard drive to restore everything after formatting the console if we want. Don't miss our guide on how to format hard drive PS4.
How to format the PS4 hard drive
If we want to format PS4 from the console menu itself, we just have to scroll to the icon Settings through the main menu of the console. Once inside we must move to the entrance Initialization, placed last. Three basic options will appear inside:
- Clear machine learning dictionary
- Restore default settings
- Initialize PS4
The first option only deletes our most common writing words. The second option returns the console to default settings without erasing the hard drive. Finally, the third option will allow us to format the console and leave it as factory. We must access the third option.
When we are inside Initialize PS4 We will have two options to format the PS4 hard drive:
- Quick
- Complete
The first option (Quick) will allow us to format the PS4 hard drive quickly, in just a few minutes, although the system itself informs us that this method can allow third parties to access data using specialized tools. If you are not going to sell or give away the console, you can use this option.
The second option (Complete) will perform a much deeper format of the hard drive, although depending on the size of the hard drive may take several hours to complete; Choose this option if you are going to sell or give away the console.
How to format PS4 in safe mode
It is also possible format ps4 If we cannot access the console menu for any reason thanks to the Safe Mode. To activate safe mode Playstation 4 we just have to turn on the console holding down the power button until you hear two beeps. Now we must connect the DualShock 4 controller to the console with the USB cable; This way we will access the safe mode menu with the following options:
- Restart the PS4
- Change resolution
- Update system software
- Restore default settings
- Rebuild database
- Initialize PS4
- Initialize PS4 (reinstall system software)
To format the console through safe mode we must choose one of the last two options, that is, Initialize PS4 either Initialize PS4 (reinstall system software); The first option will format the console to its factory state while the second will reinstall the system software.