Like any other electronic device, the Play Station too may face some issues. Of course, many solutions exist to fix such errors, issues, or any bug. But what if the issue is so adamant it requires you to factory reset your Play Station 4?
Or, if you plan to sell or give away your console, it is essential to safeguard your personal information, videos, photos, and all data before you let your Play Station 4 go. The easy solution for all is to factory reset a PS4.
Reset a PS4
PS4 players can store their data in the Cloud as a reset will erase everything. Factory resetting a Play Station will eliminate all data from the system. Because of this, you will have to start all your games from the beginning. This cannot be very pleasant. It is better to back up before a reset.
To factory reset a PS4 can be drastic; it should be the last resort if every other solution fails to solve your problem. Nevertheless, a factory reset comes to the rescue to save your PlayStation from any permanent damage.
Two ways to reset your PlayStation 4 to its factory settings are through the console’s dashboard or Safe Mode. Here these methods are discussed in detail.
How to factory reset a PS4
Factory resetting your PS4 involves a few steps. Firstly, you need to deactivate your PSN account (PlayStation Network), back up data, and then go on to finally restore your PlayStation to its default settings.
#1- Deactivate your Play Station4
Before switching to factory reset, make sure you have deactivated the console as your primary unit. This will save you from having issues accessing online or reloading content onto the new device.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to deactivate your Play Station.
Step#1- On the main screen, navigate and select Settings. After this, choose Station Play Network/ Account Management.
Step#2– Now, hit Activate as Your Primary PS4 tab and select Deactivate.
Step#3– Now, select Yes to confirm the deactivation of your PSN account.
Once the PSN account deactivation process is complete on PS4, this will disable the “Find my device” feature on the phone and sign out of any associated account.
#2- Back-up all your data
If you haven’t done it already, it is time to back up your data. This can be done in two ways:
Back-up to an external device
It is always wise to back up your data on an external device like a USB flash drive with a FAT32m 0r exFAT format or an external hard disk.
Here are the steps to carry out a backup:
Step#1– Attach the USB storage device to your Play Station through a USB port.
Step#2- Now, navigate to the Settings menu and select Application Saved Data Management.
Step#3– Select Saved Data in System Storage on the next page.
Step#4- Select Copy to the USB storage device from the options.
Step#5– A list of programs will be displayed; select all the files you want to save.
You can choose the option Select Options and then click Select Multiple. This will enable you to select more than one file.
Step#6– Now, select Copy.
A progress bar will appear, showing the progress until the backup is completed.
Back-up to Cloud
This method ensures better storage of data. However, saving content in Cloud requires a paid subscription. This subscription has various benefits, including 100GB of Cloud storage space, free games, and more.
Here are the steps to back up to the Cloud.
Step#1- Navigate and select Settings on the home page of your Play Station.
From the options, locate and select Application saved Data Management.
Step#2– Now, locate and click the Auto-Upload option.
Step#3– Select the downloaded games you want to save; they will automatically be uploaded to the Cloud.
Sign in to Initialize PS4
Now that your data has been successfully backed up and you have deactivated your Play Station Network account, you will need to sign in to your PlayStation user account and find the Initialize PS4 option.
Here are the detailed steps you can follow:
Step#1– On your PS4 home page, Open the Settings menu and scroll to the bottom to find and select the Initialization tab.
You must sign in to your user account as you have already followed the above deactivation step.
Step#2– Now you will find three options; the first is a Clear learning dictionary, so ignore it.
From the following two options, choose whichever suits you best, these are:
- Restore default settings– This option will only wipe the settings saved, and your Play Station will return to its factory settings. All the data saved on the hard drive will not be erased.
- Initialization PS4– The Initialize PS4 option will wipe all the saved settings from your console and clear the hard drive data. It will delete games, saved data, and everything downloaded or saved on your PS4.
Step#3– Once you have made a choice, on the next page, select the Full option.
Selecting the Full option for factory reset is advisable, especially if you face any software problems.
Now, your PS4 has been completely erased of all data and has been restored to its factory settings.
It should be noted that this process is time-consuming and may take a few hours to complete.
Now, allow your gaming console to reboot completely.
How to factory reset PS4 using Safe Mode
If you are facing issues with the software or any other error in starting your PS4, the solution is to perform a factory reset from the console’s Safe Mode.
These steps will help you to do so.
Step#1– Switch off your PS4 completely. Hold the power button down, and wait until two beeps are heard. At this point, manually press down and hold the power button on the console, not using the controller. Hold it for eight seconds.
You will hear another beep. When you see a black screen, you will know your PS4 has booted into Safe Mode.
Step#2– Here are three ways to reset factory settings in the Safe Mode’s menu; again, choose the option that best suits you.
- From the Safe Mode Settings menu, select Restore Default Settings. This will reset all settings on your console to their original settings, but this option will save data.
- By selecting Initialize ps4, all data will be wiped off the console’s hard drive. The PS4 will be restored to its factory settings. Except for the system software- Operating system.
- You can select Initialize ps4 (reinstall system software). This is a complete factory reset or full initialization; it will clear all the PS4’s operating systems software. By selecting this option, you will have to reinstall it afresh.
How to reinstall system software on PS4
When you reinstall system software, you will carry out a hard reset as it will erase all software on the console. You will need another device to assist you in reinstalling the system software.
Step#1– Firstly, you will need to update your PS4 via your computer.
On the PlayStation website, look for the latest system software. Now, download it to your computer.
Make sure you click the option- Do you want to perform a fresh install of the full system software?
To move the latest software to the Ps4, you will need an external hard disk or a flash drive. Ensure the external device has at least 2GB of free memory space to store the PS4 firmware file; this can be connected via a USB cable.
Step#2- Create a separate folder for PS4 on the USB device. In it, create another folder and call it UPDATE, all in caps. Add the firmware file to this folder; this will ease accessibility during the transfer process.
Make sure that you name the file PS4UPDATE.PUP while saving it.
Step#3– Now, reboot your PS4 in Safe Mode.
- Firstly, switch off your PS4 completely. Next, hold down the console’s power button until you hear two beeps. At this point, manually press the power button in the console, not using the controller. Hold the power button for eight seconds.
- You will hear another beep. You will know your PS4 has booted into Safe Mode when you see the black screen.
Step#4- Select the Initialize PS4 (reinstall system software) option or the full initialization on the PS4, and follow the prompts.
The consequent prompts will guide you through plugging in the USB flash drive, updating the folder, and assisting with installing the system software.
Once the update files are installed on your console, you will have successfully factory reset your PS4.
Extract the USB flash drive from your PS4.
Now, you can go ahead and sign- into your PlayStation account and restore all your files for an improved gaming experience.
Conclusion
This article deals with all the details regarding factory resetting your ps4. The methods elaborately explained above will help you fully reset your console.
However, if the factory reset of your PS4 did not solve the issues you were facing, you may try installing the latest firmware version, and hopefully, that would take care of your issue.
