A factory reset is an effective way to solve many issues with your PlayStation 4 (PS4), such as performance problems, software glitches, or preparing it for resale. However, the process of resetting your PS4 often comes with a significant risk—losing your saved data, game progress, and installed apps. Fortunately, it’s possible to perform a factory reset without losing your valuable data if you take the right steps beforehand.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the process of backing up your data and factory resetting your PS4 without losing any important information.

Why Factory Reset a PS4?

Before diving into the reset process, it’s important to understand why you might need to reset your PS4:

1. Resolving Software Issues: If your PS4 is running slow, freezing, or experiencing software bugs, a reset can restore its performance to optimal levels.
2. Preparing for Resale or Giving Away: If you’re planning to sell your PS4 or give it to someone else, a factory reset ensures that all your personal information and data are completely wiped from the console.
3. Clearing Space: A reset can help clear space by deleting unnecessary files, leftover data from uninstalled games, and other clutter that may be slowing down your system.
4. Fixing Hardware or System Errors: If your PS4 suffers from system crashes or error messages, resetting it can often fix these problems.

While a factory reset is beneficial in these situations, it also erases all data stored on the console. That’s why it’s crucial to back up your data before performing the reset.

Step 1: Backup Your Data

To avoid losing your data when resetting your PS4, it’s essential to back up your data beforehand. There are two main ways to back up your PS4 data: using an external storage device or utilizing the PlayStation Plus cloud storage feature.

Backing Up to External Storage

1. Prepare an External Storage Device: Make sure your USB flash drive or external hard drive has enough space to store your data.
2. Connect the External Storage to PS4: Plug the storage device into one of the PS4’s USB ports.
3. Access Backup and Restore Settings:
   • From the home screen, go to Settings.
   • Scroll down and select System.
   • Choose Backup and Restore > Back Up PS4.
4. Select What to Back Up: You can choose to back up game data, save files, settings, and screenshots. Choose the appropriate options for your needs.
5. Start the Backup Process: Once you’ve selected the data, press X to start the backup. The process may take some time, depending on how much data you have.

Using PlayStation Plus Cloud Storage

1. Ensure You Have PlayStation Plus: Cloud storage is only available to PS Plus subscribers.
2. Enable Auto-Upload for Game Saves:
   • Go to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Auto-Upload.
   • Enable the Auto-Upload feature to automatically back up saved data.
3. Manually Upload Data (Optional):
   • If you prefer, you can manually upload data to the cloud.
   • Go to Saved Data in System Storage under Application Saved Data Management and select Upload to Online Storage.

By using one of these two methods, you’ll ensure that all important game saves and settings are backed up before performing a factory reset.

Step 2: Deactivate Your PSN Account

Before resetting your PS4, you should also deactivate your PlayStation Network (PSN) account from the console. This is especially important if you’re selling or giving away your PS4, as it prevents others from accessing your PSN account.

1. Go to Settings: From the home screen, navigate to Settings.
2. Select Account Management: Scroll down to Account Management.
3. Choose Activate as Your Primary PS4: Select this option, then choose Deactivate.

Once you’ve deactivated your account, your PS4 will no longer be linked to your PSN account, keeping your data safe.

Step 3: Perform a Factory Reset

With your data backed up and your PSN account deactivated, you’re now ready to perform a factory reset.

How to Factory Reset PS4:

1. Access Safe Mode:
   • Turn off your PS4 completely by holding the power button for about seven seconds until it beeps twice.
   • Once the PS4 is off, press and hold the power button again until you hear two beeps. This will boot your PS4 into Safe Mode.
2. Choose the Factory Reset Option:
   • In Safe Mode, you’ll see several options. Choose Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software) if you want to erase everything, including the operating system.
   • If you want to keep the OS but wipe all data, select Initialize PS4 instead.
3. Confirm the Reset: Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm the reset. Once the reset begins, it will take some time to complete.

Step 4: Restore Your Data

Once the reset process is complete, your PS4 will be like new. You can now restore the data you previously backed up.

Restoring Data from External Storage

1. Reinstall the External Storage Device: Plug the external storage device back into the PS4.
2. Go to Backup and Restore Settings:
   • Navigate to Settings > System > Backup and Restore > Restore PS4.
3. Select the Backup File: Choose the backup file you created and follow the prompts to restore your data.

Restoring Data from PlayStation Plus Cloud Storage

1. Log into Your PSN Account: Sign in to the same PSN account that you used to upload your game saves.
2. Download Save Files:
   • Go to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in Online Storage.
   • Choose Download to System Storage and select the files you want to download.

Now, all your backed-up data will be restored to your PS4, allowing you to continue from where you left off before the reset.

Conclusion

Performing a factory reset on your PS4 can be a simple yet powerful way to fix issues or prepare the console for new ownership. By following this guide and backing up your data properly, you can ensure that your important game saves, files, and settings are protected during the process. Always take the necessary precautions, such as deactivating your PSN account and restoring data after the reset, to maintain a seamless experience with your PlayStation 4.

FAQs

1. Will a factory reset delete my games?

Yes, a factory reset will erase all data on the PS4, including installed games. To avoid losing games, back up your game saves to an external device or the cloud before performing the reset.

2. Can I reset my PS4 without a controller?

No, you will need a controller to navigate through the settings and perform the factory reset.

3. How long does a factory reset take?

The time it takes depends on the amount of data on your PS4. On average, it can take 30 minutes to over an hour to complete.

4. What happens if I don’t deactivate my PSN account before selling my PS4?

If you don’t deactivate your PSN account, the new owner of the PS4 could potentially access your account and make purchases or use your PSN profile.

5. Can I recover data after a factory reset if I didn’t back it up?

No, once the factory reset is performed, all data on the PS4 is erased permanently. It is important to back up your data before resetting.

6. Can I factory reset my PS4 if it’s frozen?

Yes, you can perform a reset through Safe Mode, even if your PS4 is frozen or unresponsive.