Getting the CE-34788-0 error on your PS4 is most likely caused by an unexpected shutdown of the console. The system boots into safe mode after downloading an update, followed by a black screen the console shows the following message: “The update file cannot be used. Connect a USB storage device that contains an updated file for reinstallation for version *** or later. (CE-34788-0)” The error indicates that some files are corrupted during download, mostly due to an unexpected console shut down. The error shows a solution with the error details, to use a USB storage device with updated files for reinstalling for version *** (replace asterisks with the version that is appearing on your screen). The PS4 itself is a very decent console that is prone of little to no error, CE-34788-0; however, there is an exception. There are not many workarounds to this problem, but the few reliable methods, which proved to resolve this issue for PS4 users, we are going to mention them in our guide.
What Causes Error (CE-34788-0)?
The notorious error CE-34788-0 is caused due to any file corruption during download due to internet issues or unexpected shut down of the PS4 or using a wrong file update, and other known causes. The most common cause for this error is the unexpected shutdown of the console during the update. Some of the few known reasons which can cause the issue CE-34788-0 are: The PS4 Update file is corrupted during the download. One of the most common reasons to get this error is by an unexpected interruption during the download, which ends up corrupting the update files. The system is then unable to use the corrupted file and shows the error. There are multiple reasons for unexpected interruptions like unstable internet during download, internet disconnection. Initially, you have a stable internet connection, but the flow is disrupted due to the internet getting disconnected. Unexpected shut down of console Other reasons include shutting down the console unexpectedly. It happens due to suddenly cutting off the power supply to the console or just directly turning it off without following the proper shut-down procedure. Usually, when you are downloading an update for your console or PC, it is highly recommended not to turn off the system during the update as there is a very high chance of corrupt files that will bring out this error instead of booting up. The PS4 system update is crucial, and if it gets disrupted due to an unexpected interruption of power to the power supply, you will most likely face this issue. Using the wrong update file The PS4 shows two files to install after it downloads an update for the system. The first file is for just installing the update to an already installed operating system. The second is a complete package for installing the PS4 system software from scratch. If the second option is selected for installing just the update, the PS4 will prone to the error CE-34788-0. Unexpected interruption of file transfer from external storage If you have decided to download the update files on your PC/laptop and then decide to transfer the files later to your console. During the transfer of the files, somehow, the flow is interrupted due to removing the external hard drive during the update or faulty device, etc. Then you will get this error. These are some of the popular and most common reasons that cause this issue. There might be other reasons which might cause this issue.
Fix PS4 Error CE-34788-0: Update File Cannot Be Used.
Now that we know the popular reasons that can cause the error CE-34788-0 on the PS4. Let us get to the possible fixes popular around the gaming community that proved to resolve this issue for many people across the globe. With the popular workarounds, we will also discuss fixes that are less popular and known to the PS4 community. So that we will not have any method left that can fix the obnoxious issue. Without wasting any more of our precious time, let us get to the guide to fix the error CE-34788-0: update file cannot be used on PS4. Related readings:
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#1 – Install The PS4 System Software Update Manually
The most reliable method of solving the problem, as reported by many PS4 users on the internet, is by installing the update file manually from the external store driver, either an external hard disk or USB drive. This method is also recommended by the message which appears on the error screen. NOTE: You will be losing your personal data if you follow this method; feel free to try other workarounds before trying this method. Before erasing your personal data, you can make a backup of your data before performing any fix from the guide. How to backup update files before installing the updated files from an external storage drive For a better experience, we recommend using an external hard drive due to faster transfer speeds and huge storage space capacity. Depending on the size of the backup, it can take a lot of time and can be cumbersome. Installing the update file manually After completing the backup, we can move on to the procedure to install the update file manually. You will require a laptop or a PC for this purpose. Before proceeding, download and copy the PS4 update file from PS4’s official website. After downloading, here is what you need to do to install the update manually: Restoring backup files from external storage After successfully installing the update files manually, restart your console if necessary. Now follow the steps down below to restore your backup.
#2 – Rebuild The PS4 Database
If you have ever used a PC/laptop with Microsoft Windows installed on your system and used the defragment utility, rebuild the PS4 database is exactly the same, somewhat better. It can be used to free up space on the PS4, free up some space and fix a bunch of issues that speed up the console. The utility basically creates a new database of all content on the console’s hard disk’s drive. To rebuild the PS4 database, follow these steps:
#3 – Install The Update Via Safe Mode
The next workaround that you can try to fix the error on your PS4 is by trying to install the update via the Safe Mode. Before using this method, make sure you have the backup data of your system. This method will delete all of the data stored on the console’s hard drive. For this method, you will need to boot your console in Safe Mode. To follow the method, here is what you need to do: Boot the console in Safe Mode by: The console will then install the update from the internet and will most likely resolve the issue.
#4 – Full-Initialize The PS4
This method will perform a full-initialize action on the PS4 and will fix any issue with the console’s software and will prevent it from malfunctioning. What it does is, it restores the system settings to the default values. During the process, the system deletes everything on the system storage. Not only that, but it will also delete all user’s data from the storage. Make sure your data is fully backed up before you can try full initialization. You can backup your data by simply: Next, for the workaround, you will need to:
#5 – Repair The PS4 HDD
A bad HDD is one of the major causes of a console’s or PC’s poor performance. Having many bad sectors will not only result in poor performance, but it will also corrupt crucial files and could be one of the reasons, due to which you are facing the error CE-34788-0 on your console. If your hard drive has bad sectors, it will only be prone to data corruption and breakdown of the whole system. You can always try to repair your hard drive first. You will require a PC/laptop to do that. Repairing the hard drive will try to fix the bad things with the hard drive. Repairing the hard drive can possibly fix the issues in your way to play some games after a tiring day.
#6 – Format The PS4 Hard Drive
If repairing the hard drive did not have any effect on your console’s performance, and you are still annoyed with the CE-34788-0 problem, your next and one of the methods you should save for last resort is formatting the PS4 hard drive. Please be noted that formatting will erase everything on your console, consider making a backup of your data before trying to format the hard drive. You will need to connect your PS4’s hard drive to a PC to be able to fully format it. Make sure to format the hard disk in such a way it leaves no partition possibly faulty. Next, you will have to install the OS again, which you can do by heading over to the PlayStation official website and downloading the latest updated files. You can follow the first method in the guide to download and install the OS on the newly formatted hard drive.
#7 – Reinstall The PS4 firmware
Firmware is a software program that is etched into a system or console that offers minimal control over the device’s hardware. It performs the basic input/output task much like a PC/laptop BIOS. You can try to reinstall your PS4 firmware to try to resolve the issue. The method is very similar to how we tried to install the update manually. Here is what you need to do in detail: After downloading, here is what you need to do to install the PS4 firmware manually:
#8 – Hard Reset Your PS4
One of the last steps that you can perform to try to fix the problem is hard resetting your PS4. This is the most straightforward and simple workaround that might be the solution you are looking for. Hard resetting the console will clear the cache of the PS4, and this might resolve the problem without losing any data or wasting time on other hard and fast methods like installing the update files manually. The method itself is quite simple. All you have to do is: One of these dreadful issues is the CE-34788-0: The Update file cannot be used. The problem occurs due to a couple of reasons, the majority of them are related to interruption during downloading necessary update files due to power or internet issues. Some other issues are related to corrupted update files on an external storage drive or using a defective storage drive. The issue is annoying and is very unpleasant. With the help of some reliable and popular workarounds, this issue can be resolved very easily.
#1 – How do I fix error code CE-34788-0?
There are many workarounds for this obnoxious problem. Before trying any of the popular methods, you can try to fix this issue by hard resetting your PS4. After that, you can try fixing the problem from the circumvents mentioned in the guide. These methods are reliable solutions to the issue, and with the help of them, you will resolve this problem in no time.
#2 – Why won’t my PS4 find the update file?
Two possible issues might be causing the PS4 to not detecting the update file. The first reason being the faulty external storage drive in which the file is stored. The second possible reason is the update file is not stored in the correct directory on the USB or external hard drive. Make sure to have the update file named “PS4UPDATE.pup” inside a folder named “Update”.
#3 – What is the error CE-34878-0?
The error CE-34878-0 is a general error that indicates that the current game on which you faced this error has crashed. You will need to restart the game which you were playing during which you faced this error. It is one of the most common and widespread PS4 issues starting with the code CE. This could happen due to PS4’s corrupt data, the data of the game which gets corrupted due to some issues, mainly internet issues or sudden shut down of the console.
#4 – How do I initialize my ps4 without losing data?
You can save your data by making a backup. You can do that by going into the PS4 Safe Mode and rebuilding the PS4 database or Updating the PS4’s firmware. A hard reset might also do the trick and is worth a shot.
#5 – What causes the PS4 safe mode loop?
There are many reasons which can cause the PS4 to get stuck into the Safe Mode loop. The majority of them are related to a loose power cord. Sometimes it is due to the console being unable to update or needs updating. It is also called the Safe Mode death loop and can be fixed by a couple of reliable workarounds.
