How to reinstall PS4 system software

By now there seem to be no more solutions: for some reason you can’t understand, your PS4 , inseparable companion of long and unforgettable gaming sessions, doesn’t want to start anymore. You have already tried them all: standard ignition via the appropriate button, ignition via DualShock, but nothing. You have already verified that it is not a power problem and the console, you are sure, has not suffered any damage of any kind, so you really suspect that everything is due to the system software.

Before resorting to the support of a service center you would like to try, therefore, with one last attempt: reinstall the operating system by acting from the PS4 safe mode. The idea, in itself, scares you a bit, but you are pretty confident that this is the right solution to “recover” the console independently, so you would like someone to guide you in this operation, right?

In this case, if you want, I can explain how to reinstall the PS4 system software “accompanying” you step by step in this process. I premise that the operation is less complex than you might imagine and, if you follow this tutorial, you will certainly have no problems completing it, regardless of the console model in use (Fat, Slim or Pro). Are you ready, then, to make this last attempt to get your PS4 back operational? Yup? Well, then I just have to wish you a good read and a big good luck for everything!

Index

• Preliminary information
• How to download PS4 system software
• How to install PS4 system software

Preliminary information

Before getting to the heart of this guide on how to reinstall PS4 system software , I must make some important clarifications that will allow you to be fully aware of the consequences of the operation you intend to carry out. Reinstalling the PS4 operating system, in fact, should be considered as the last preferable solution among those you have available to solve problems with your console.

This, basically, because reinstalling the system software will necessarily lead to the total erasure of all data stored on the PS4: downloaded games , Trophies, game progress, applications, image gallery, screenshots, registered users and preferences, themes and more.

The console will therefore return to the same state it was in the first time you turned it on (as regards the downloaded games and the Trophies, you can still retrieve them at a later time by logging in with your PSN account ; game progress , however, will no longer be available unless they have been saved to USB media or the cloud via the appropriate PlayStation Plus subscription feature ).

In short: before taking action, try to carefully consider the choice of reinstalling the operating system of your console by evaluating the consequences I just told you about. I also invite you to make several “preliminary” attempts to solve the problems you encounter: first check if there are updates for the PS4 firmware (with which it could lead to the resolution of the problems you encounter without deleting the data). Also, try to perform PS4 database rebuild and restore console without firmware reinstallation – operations accessible from console safe mode. I told you in depth about these features in my tutorial on how to format PS4 .

In conclusion, if you have already made all the evaluations of the case and the above attempts, before proceeding with the reinstallation, which I will explain shortly, I invite you to make a backup of the data stored on the console (including entire games, progress of game, applications, Trophies, themes, screenshots and user data) on a USB storage device ( key or external drive ): for details on this procedure see here .

How to download PS4 system software

The first step to make the reinstallation of the system software of PS4 is to premunirti a USB support exterior on which are available at least 1.1 GB of storage space. This is because, before proceeding with the reinstallation of the firmware, it must be downloaded from the Net. I also point out that the aforementioned USB support must be formatted in FAT32 . For all the details on the file system in question and how to format media in this format, check out the guide I dedicated to the topic .

Once you have a USB key or external disk on which to save the system software, the next step is to download this software. To do this, connect to this page of the official PlayStation site and click on the PS4 console reinstallation file button .

I recommend: do not download, for any reason, the console firmware from other sources and follow the steps that I am going to list in the next chapter to the letter . Installing firmware other than the official one supplied by Sony will void the console warranty and could cause malfunctions or completely block the console. All clear? Well then let’s move on to the next steps.

Once you have downloaded the above file, connect the USB support you have provided to your PC, access it through the file manager you use on your computer (eg. Windows File Explorer) and, inside root directory, create a folder renaming it to PS4 . In this last folder, create another one calling it UPDATE (write the names exactly as you see them here and with capital letters). At this point, insert the file you downloaded from the PlayStation site in the UPDATE folder .

Finally, make sure that the file in question is called PS4UPDATE.PUP : if not, rename the file exactly in this way, making sure to insert the characters in uppercase. Once you have completed these steps, remove the USB support from your computer and proceed with the procedure found in the next chapter of the tutorial.

How to install PS4 system software

Now that you have downloaded the firmware, continue by inserting the USB media on which you have saved the latter into one of the appropriate USB inputs on the console, which must be turned off (you can find the USB inputs in the recess on the front or in the back , in the case of PS4 PRO). At this point, you need to start the console in safe mode : to do this, just hold down the power button and release it once a second beep sounds after the first.

If a disc is inserted in the console, it will simply eject instead of safe mode. If this happens, after removing the disc, turn off the console and try to turn it on again by holding down the aforementioned button and then releasing it at the second beep. Before proceeding to the next steps, also make sure that there has not been a power failure recently: from now on, the power supply to the console must be guaranteed and constant.

After holding the power key, you will have access to the safe mode interface; you will then need to connect the controller to the console via USB cable and press the PS button . Once this is done, select option number 7 of the list in front of you (moving in the menu with the directional arrows ) and press the X button on the controller on the Initialize PS4 item (reinstall system software) .

How do you say? The system warns you that an installation file cannot be found on the inserted media? Then disconnect the latter and repeat the steps of the previous chapter making sure you have created the specific folders on the media as I indicated (respecting the letter names and their capital letters).

Proceed, then, by pressing the X key on the OK button and then press the X key on the Yes button , to confirm. The console will initiate an upload to remove and then reinstall the operating system. All you have to do is wait for the automatic restart after the process is complete. At this stage do not unplug the PS4 power cable for any reason and do not turn off the console.

Once the console has booted up again and you will be faced with a blue screen with the DualShock controller icon , press the PS button and proceed by selecting the system language (press the X button on the Italian item ). Then press the X button on the Next button , at this point you can select the type of Internet connection for the console ( Wi-Fi or LAN ) and you will have to enter the network password of your connection.

Next, you will have to select your time zone (press the X button on the Rome item ), then set the date and time (the one relating to the time zone you just set should be automatically proposed) and press the X button on the button three times consecutively Come on . Then press the X button on the Confirm and Continue button and finally, press the X button on the Start Now button . Done! You just reinstalled your console’s operating system.

Upon logging in, you will notice that the PS4 main menu is nearly as empty as the first time you turned it on. If you have a backup from which to recover the removed data, proceed by moving up, in the system menu, and pressing the X button on the Settings item . Then, scroll through the list and press the X button on the System item and, from here, press the X button on the Backup and Restore item .

Press the X button again on the Restore PS4 item and, finally, press the X button on the name of the backup that is proposed to you (it will be indicated with the date on which it was performed). Then press the X button on the Restore item and, finally, press the X button on the Yes button , to confirm. The console will restart and once you have access to the main menu again you should find all the items included in the backup. Happy?