Direct HDD mount on PC? + Future CFW updates after unofficial patch?
Just pulled off the jump from HEN to full CFW on my Slim (CECH-2003A), running 4.93, using the unofficial patcher method. Landed on Evilnat Cobra (8.5). This is my first real dive into PS3 modding—last time I even touched a PS3 was briefly as a kid in 2011, so coming back to this ecosystem completely fresh.
For context, I’ve been on the Xbox side with an RGH 360 for a while. Over there, FatXplorer is a godsend—lets me mount the internal drive directly to Windows File Explorer for local drag-and-drop access.
Quick questions:
Direct HDD Mounting: Is there a tool like FatXplorer for PS3 that lets me pull the drive, hook it up via SATA, and browse the encrypted filesystem directly on PC? Or are we strictly limited to USB transfers and FTP over Ethernet?
Future Updates: Since I used the unofficial patch to get here, does that mean the BG Toolset step is permanently skipped? In other words, when official 4.93 support eventually lands, I can just update the CFW normally from the XMB without ever touching the browser exploit again?
Appreciate any insight from the veterans here. Good to be back on the console after 15 years away.