Is My PS3 Completely Dead or is the Hard Drive Fried

10186 Views 37 Replies 19 Participants Last post by SharpOne, Apr 8, 2010

SharpOne

Discussion Starter · Feb 10, 2010

So, I'm playing Demon's Souls last night....finally, and my PS3 just completely shuts off, and beeps and the red light flashes. When I try to restart it, it will beep and act like it's going to start up again, then beep some more and shut back down. It never makes it anywhere near the XMB. In addition, when I press eject, the game will not come out. It will beep like it's going to start up, beeps a few more times and shuts back down.

Has this happened to anyone else? I plan on swapping the hard drive tonight to see if it will start up. If it doesn't, is there anyway to get my game out, or am I going to have to take it apart to get it or send it to Sony?

Assuming the different hard drive doesn't work, I have to determine if I want to send it in for the $150 repair, or buy a new slim. I really wasn't up for spending $150 or $300 on a new system, but I guess I will have to make a decision.

My system is an original launch 60 GB model. I was hoping that mine would defy the odds and I guess it has for a time, but alas it was not to have a 10 year life like my still running PS2. Hell even my old PS1 lasted longer than 3 years after it was repaired for the overheating issue they were prone to. I don't think this failure can be blamed on over heating or dust buildup. There is plenty of ventilation and I clean it frequently enough. It's not like I only used this thing once or twice...definite gamer, but it still sucks.

Anyway, how have the slims been performing? It's been less than 6 months since their release, but any more major problems than on the original models? Also, how have the "refurbs" or whatever you get back from Sony been performing.

1 - 20 of 38 Posts

TyrantII

· #2 · Feb 10, 2010

YLOD, sorry dude.

Three options,

Warrenty service

$150 Paid Service for out of warrenty

Or Reflow the system yourself with a heat gun.

tingham

· #3 · Feb 10, 2010

Yep..YLOD

. The only way to get the disc out is to take it apart. Or Sony should send it back to you if you go the repair route. Personally, I would get a slim if I was you, I did. I also think Sony is charging $180.00 for repair of a 60gb these days, and they are offering a refurbed slim for $150.00 if you trade in the 60gb if I recall correctly.

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jhaines

· #4 · Feb 10, 2010

I was in exactly the same boat as you a few months ago. I'd suggest buying a new Slim (those 60GBs appear to be defective by design, so I wouldn't bother with a refurb), setting it up, then attempting the DIY reflow on your old unit. If it comes up, immediately attempt the Ethernet save game transfer -- that's the only chance you have of not losing your locked saves, like the one for Demon's Souls. If that doesn't work, copy all the saves you can onto a USB key to get them onto the Slim.

In my case the reflow didn't work, but I had recently backed up my unlocked saves, so I was only partially screwed. Prepare yourself for disappointment.

Sounds to me like the 60GB owners need to file a class action law suit. This is ridiculous...

- Jer

funkymunky123

· #5 · Feb 10, 2010

Exact same scenario happened to my 80 gig. It's dead. I opted to purchase the slim.

iamkoza

· #6 · Feb 10, 2010

I also opted for the slim when my 60gb blu ray laser stopped working. They don't make the repair parts for the phat anymore.. so any repair made would be made with the same parts that failed on me once already... I'd feel stupid to have to go through the process again in a year especially after having spent $30 more to keep the phat ($150 for refurbed 120 gb slim vs. $180 for repair to 60 gb phat)

dulaney22

· #7 · Feb 10, 2010

Just went through this over the past week. My 60GB did the same thing playing Dead Space. Like someone else is talking about, I hope you weren't far along in Demon's Souls or you won't be able to recover your save without doing the heat gun trick and getting it on long enough to do a data transfer to a new unit. Its save file can't be copied and even if you backup it won't work on a new system after restore. If you send in for a refurb, it's gone too.

I wound up doing the reflow because I had a 120+ hour character with every weapon, orb, etc. on Demon's Souls and couldn't bear the thought of losing that. It worked, but I messed up my BluRay connector putting it back together, so I can't play games. It does work to log in and transfer data though . . . thank God.

I went with a 120 slim and bout a 320 Western Digital 7200 Black Scorpio to install. I love it. System runs quieter, cooler and seems quicker.

SharpOne

Discussion Starter · #8 · Feb 10, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by dulaney22 /forum/post/18108939

Just went through this over the past week. My 60GB did the same thing playing Dead Space. Like someone else is talking about, I hope you weren't far along in Demon's Souls or you won't be able to recover your save without doing the heat gun trick and getting it on long enough to do a data transfer to a new unit. Its save file can't be copied and even if you backup it won't work on a new system after restore. If you send in for a refurb, it's gone too.

I wound up doing the reflow because I had a 120+ hour character with every weapon, orb, etc. on Demon's Souls and couldn't bear the thought of losing that. It worked, but I messed up my BluRay connector putting it back together, so I can't play games. It does work to log in and transfer data though . . . thank God.

I went with a 120 slim and bout a 320 Western Digital 7200 Black Scorpio to install. I love it. System runs quieter, cooler and seems quicker.

So you bought a new slim, or you then sent in your reflowed unit? Do you have any links to this reflow technique? I've heard about it but never seen anything concrete on it. This is applying the arctic thermal paste technique?

Fortunately, I was only in the very beginning of Demon's Souls. I was crossing the bridge with all the demons on it in the Boletaria palace. The dragon was flying overhead and bam system died.

That's not the one that bothers me. I'm going to lose my GoW and GoW II saves (almost platinum on both), my MW2 save (was working on spec. ops.), and who knows what else I haven't thought of. Maybe this reflow thing will work long enough for saves.

$150 for a refurbed slim, or $300 for a new one. Longer warranty on the new one, but it's 90 days on the refurb as well, right?

So it sounds like I shouldn't even bother trying a new hard drive then, right?

Thanks for the answers and suggestions guys.

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SDRANGER619

· #9 · Feb 10, 2010

Same thing happened to mine. Found a guy on craigslist and fixed it for $75, works great. Buying me more time so I can get me a Slim.

Just wish the slims had backward compatibility, kiddos still play PS2 games.

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tingham

· #10 · Feb 10, 2010

Search "gilksy ylod" on YouTube. There are 6 vids on doing the reflow process. I wouldn't even bother with artic silver. Get the cheapest thermal paste you can find since it is going to ylod again for sure. You might get a month out of it..tops, by doing the reflow process with a heatgun. There are companies on the internet that use special high $ reflow machines and charge around $60.00. You might get more life out of it by going that route.

dogdoctor

· #11 · Feb 10, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by SharpOne /forum/post/18109188

So you bought a new slim, or you then sent in your reflowed unit? Do you have any links to this reflow technique? I've heard about it but never seen anything concrete on it. This is applying the arctic thermal paste technique?.....

.....That's not the one that bothers me. I'm going to lose my GoW and GoW II saves (almost platinum on both), my MW2 save (was working on spec. ops.), and who knows what else I haven't thought of. Maybe this reflow thing will work long enough for saves.

See that is the trick...this last firmware update gave you the opportunity to effectively transfer all you game saves and HDD data to a new machine (much like a cut & paste (not a copy)). That is provided that you have a working machine to start from. So if you can get your dead one to run, and that is all you care about, you can get a new PS3 and transfer all the info off the old to the new. Then nothing is lost.

Krzykrl

· #12 · Feb 11, 2010

In my opinion i think applying fresh (and decent) thermal paste is half the fix.

from what i've gathered on the intertubes the YLOD is 90% overheating and apparently 10% power supply related.

good luck

SharpOne

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 11, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by tingham /forum/post/18109475

Search "gilksy ylod" on YouTube. There are 6 vids on doing the reflow process. I wouldn't even bother with artic silver. Get the cheapest thermal paste you can find since it is going to ylod again for sure. You might get a month out of it..tops, by doing the reflow process with a heatgun. There are companies on the internet that use special high $ reflow machines and charge around $60.00. You might get more life out of it by going that route.

That looks like a lot of work, and I don't have a heat gun, much less one capable of 350 degrees C. If I can get one cheap perhaps I will buy one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dogdoctor /forum/post/18111190

See that is the trick...this last firmware update gave you the opportunity to effectively transfer all you game saves and HDD data to a new machine (much like a cut & paste (not a copy)). That is provided that you have a working machine to start from. So if you can get your dead one to run, and that is all you care about, you can get a new PS3 and transfer all the info off the old to the new. Then nothing is lost.

If I do get it working again, I may just do that. I could use my kids' PS3 if mine was still running. I don't know, maybe I'll just get it repaired and sell it then buy a new slim. I wish I could get the disc out.

Anyone know if there is some kind of manual eject once the thing has been taken apart, or do you then have to take apart the bluray unit itself as well?

tingham

· #14 · Feb 11, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by SharpOne /forum/post/18112451

That looks like a lot of work, and I don't have a heat gun, much less one capable of 350 degrees C. If I can get one cheap perhaps I will buy one.

If I do get it working again, I may just do that. I could use my kids' PS3 if mine was still running. I don't know, maybe I'll just get it repaired and sell it then buy a new slim. I wish I could get the disc out.

Anyone know if there is some kind of manual eject once the thing has been taken apart, or do you then have to take apart the bluray unit itself as well?

You have to take the cover off of the BD drive once you remove it. There is no manual eject. Search YouTube for "clean ps3 lens", it will show you how to take the cover off the drive. It's very easy to get the disc out. You remove 5 screws to take the cover off the drive, and the disc is right there.

Sometimes PepBoy's has a Kawasaki heat gun for $20.00 on sale. It will do the trick. Check their store or weekly ad if you have one near by.

I did the repair 5 times and with each successive repair the PS3 would work less time before it ylod'd again. The 1st time I did it it lasted a month (and I got all my gamesaves, which was my goal)..2nd time 3 weeks, 3rd time..1 week, and so on. In the meantime I went thru almost 2 tubes of Artic Silver at a cost of over $20.00, that was wasted imo. If I had to do it all over again, I would fix it once, get my gamesaves, and when it dies again, get a slim.

It does look like alot of work, but if you go slow and take your time you should have no problems. By my 5th reflow, I could have the whole procedure done in less than an hour. The 1st time it took me 2 hours.

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Guitar Hero

· #15 · Feb 11, 2010

YLOD fixes don't last more than a year, if they last more than a 90 days, if they last more than a month, if they last more than a week, if they last more than a few days, if they last more than a few hours, if they last more than a few minutes. I hope you followed all that.

Trust me, you're LD 60GB PS3 is done for, so don't waste any money or time with it. Do what I did, the hard way, I purchased a new Slim PS3. After trying the YLOD fixes several times and not one taking for more than a couple of days. New 19 blade fan, reflow the board, reflow board in oven, reflow board with new flux, nada. It just wouldn't last after a few days.

Sure, I miss the the two extra USB ports and yes the card readers, but oh well. Done is done, and your PS3 is done.

TyrantII

· #16 · Feb 11, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by dogdoctor /forum/post/18111190

you can get a new PS3 and transfer all the info off the old to the new. Then nothing is lost.

Has it been confirmed in stone that it'll copy protected saves?

I was under the assumption that it still didn't.

dogdoctor

· #17 · Feb 11, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by TyrantII /forum/post/18114231

Has it been confirmed in stone that it'll copy protected saves?

I was under the assumption that it still didn't.

Yes it will copy them. It just won't leave a copy on each machine. What it will do is more of a cut and paste the copy protected saves.

http://www.us.playstation.com/suppor...t_transferable

Dan P.

· #18 · Feb 11, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by dulaney22 /forum/post/18108939

Just went through this over the past week. My 60GB did the same thing playing Dead Space...

Dead Space must like killing 60GB'ers! Mine YLODed during DS too several months ago. I sent mine out to a small shop for a reflow and it's been working fine since. However, I know it can't last forever. I wanted to get ahead of the curve so I got a slim. I did a restore from backup and now I'm up and running on the slim. I'm keeping the fat exclusively for PS2 games.

http://boardsus.playstation.com/play...ead.id=4279299

dulaney22

· #19 · Feb 11, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan P. /forum/post/18115125

Dead Space must like killing 60GB'ers! Mine YLODed during DS too several months ago. I sent mine out to a small shop for a reflow and it's been working fine since. However, I know it can't last forever. I wanted to get ahead of the curve so I got a slim. I did a restore from backup and now I'm up and running on the slim. I'm keeping the fat exclusively for PS2 games.

http://boardsus.playstation.com/play...ead.id=4279299

I would like to blame Dead Space, but in actuality I knew it was coming. Over the past few months it would just randomly cut off and it started to make a lot more noise than it ever did. I can't complain . . . between games and movies, I played the crap out of it . . . got every penny's worth.

I started to send it in for refurb, but didn't want to lose all my saves and that unit will eventually do the same thing. Also, I knew going in that the fix would only be temporary. I just wish I had bought a slim during all the holiday specials . . . oh well.

SharpOne

Discussion Starter · #20 · Feb 11, 2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by dulaney22 /forum/post/18116275

I would like to blame Dead Space, but in actuality I knew it was coming. Over the past few months it would just randomly cut off and it started to make a lot more noise than it ever did. I can't complain . . . between games and movies, I played the crap out of it . . . got every penny's worth.

I started to send it in for refurb, but didn't want to lose all my saves and that unit will eventually do the same thing. Also, I knew going in that the fix would only be temporary. I just wish I had bought a slim during all the holiday specials . . . oh well.

lol, yeah me too. There were some decent specials. I guess I'll start looking for them again.

I think I may let this JD Electronics repair mine, backup in progress game saves frequently, and buy a slim when it stops working, or just buy a slim right away and then sell it. I think they charge like $75 including shipping on ebay.

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