James Philipson's PS3 Repair Guide

Learn How To Fix All Major PS3 Errors Yourself

Please distribute this guide freely as you see fit (online or via print) You
may also sell this guide, or give it away in another manner that generates
profit. However, you may not alter this guide in any manner.

Copyright © 2011 – James Philipson

http://howtorepairps3.weebly.com/
 Table Of Contents

1. Tools You Will Need

2. What Causes PS3 Errors
3. Fixing The Yellow Light Of Death
4. Red Light Error Repair
5. PS3 Black/Blank Screen Repair
6. Repairing Hard Drive Errors/Corrupted Hard Drive
7. Network Connection Errors
8. Blu-Ray Disk Drive Repair
9. Further Reading
 Tools You Will Need

When trying to fix your PS3 yourself there are a few tools you are going
to need that will make your job much easier. They are:

• Phillips and flat-headed screwdrivers in multiple sizes. A dedicated

PS3 case opening tool (available on Amazon for rapid delivery) will be
better.
• Thermal paste if trying to fix either the YLOD or the red light error.
• A flat, and clean work surface. You can't work on your console on the
carpet, or on a grubby kitchen bench.
• A small torch or Maglite that you can use to get a better look into
darker areas of the case.
• Instructions for your network router and/or modem if trying to fix a
network connection error. These are usually '80x' errors (where the 'x'
is a seemingly random string of numbers)
• A heat gun if trying to fix the yellow light of death. Ideally you want
one with an electronically selectable temperature setting. You could
theoretically use a powerful hairdryer, but this is a very clumsy and
difficult way of doing things. Instead, just borrow a heat gun if you
have to. They are sometimes sold as 'paint strippers' as well. You can
get a high-quality, well-priced heat gun here. Owning one of these is
worthwhile for a number of home DIY projects anyway. Get yourself a
well-made and inexpensive heat gun today from Amazon.
• Professional video PS3 repair guide. Nothing makes fixing PS3 errors
easier than using a professional video repair guide. For less than $40
you can have quality, step-by-step videos that will show you exactly
how to fix virtually any error on your Playstation 3. Getting rid of the
yellow lights of death, the blinking red light, corrupt hard drive
errors, repairing a faulty Blu-Ray drive, or any '80x' code will never be
easier. Click here to learn about my recommended PS3 repair guide-
YOU WILL NOT REGRET PURCHASING THIS.
 What Causes PS3 Errors?

There are a variety of different causes of PS3 errors. Here are some of the
more common reasons your PS3 may not be working properly:

• Overheating – this can lead to warped or cracked solder joins on the

motherboard, primarily around the BGA (ball grid array) or the RSX
graphics processor.
• Corrupted hard drive – even a tiny corrupt partition will probably stop
your Playstation 3 from working correctly.
• Faulty/broken hard drive – if the hard disk has died, or the 'needle'
inside, then your hard drive just will not work at all. Full stop.
• Incorrect network settings on your PS3 – incorrect settings will
prevent your console from connecting to the Internet/PSN.
• Media Server Network – this single setting often causes a multitude of
network connectivity errors on the PS3.
• Faulty/dirty laser lens in the Blu-Ray drive – many game/disk read
errors are caused by this.
• Incorrect video settings – a prime culprit behind the 'black screen of
death'
• Faulty components – sometimes you just luck out and get an
electronic device with poor quality components- the PS3 is not
exception to this rule.
 Fixing The PS3 Yellow Light Of Death

When a technical fault or error first occurs on an electronics platform,

especially gaming platforms where you have large communities of
dedicated users, there is always a lot of hype and confusion as to the cause
of the problem. Upon first hearing about the "YLOD" error various
hypothesis were mooted, and a lot of disinformation was spread.

One of the most common theories was that the yellow light is caused by a
hard drive error. Be it corruption of the hard drive, an actual physical
failure of the drive itself, or a software glitch on the drive, many were
convinced that this was the "root of all PS3 evil." Of course this theory was
soon abandoned when it was discovered that replacing the supposedly
faulty drive with a new unit actually did nothing to solve the problem; it
merely lightened your wallet significantly.

According to Wikipedia "the yellow light indicates a non-specific hardware

failure which renders the system unusable." 1. This is handy to know, but at
the same time doesn't really tell us anything- so what exactly does cause
the YLOD?

Basically if your console is bricked and won't restart after being allowed to
cool down and then a hard reboot then the solder joints between the
motherboard and either the processor or the RSX graphics card are likely
"fried".2 It is a thermal/heat stress related issue that is caused by
protracted cycles of heating then cooling that occur when you use your
console. Therefore another frequently quoted theory that the yellow light
of death is caused by overheating is at least partially correct; it's
overheating that has actually seriously damaged your Playstation 3
motherboard.

Certain models are far more prone to heat stress and build up inside the
console, and the error is much more frequently reported on older
generation consoles. Very few, if any, cases of the yellow light error on the
PS3 slim have been reported as Sony have responded well to complaints
about the problem, and the new PS3 runs at a more stable operating
temperature. Still, this is all a bit "academic" if your Playstation console has
decided to pack up and not function correctly.
What Are Your PS3 Yellow Light Repair Options?

When it comes to fixing the dreaded YLOD on your console there are
basically three options you have to choose from. You could:

Get Sony to fix your console. Sony have come to the party and realized that
a problem such as this one is bad for its business and bad for public
relations. Therefore you are able to contact Sony and get them to fix your
console (check the resource links section at the end of the guide for more
information on how to do this)

However, there are a couple of things you need to know about doing this.
Firstly, if your warranty has expired you will be charged a fee of around
$120 USD . Of course if you have a current warranty this is no problem. The
difficulty here arises from the fact that many older-generation PS3s are now
out of their warranty period, and $120 is a lot of money to pay to have a
problem fixed that is not even your fault in the first place. Secondly, you
will have a "refurbished" console returned to you, which means you will
receive a similar PS3 to the one you sent away, but not the exact same
thing. Therefore you will lose your saved games and content, game trophies
etc.

Pay someone else to fix your PS3. There are loads of different 3rd party PS3
and console repair services out there, some of whom have been around
since the early days of the Playstation 1 fitting things like mod chips
(remember those?) You take your Playstation 3 in, yellow light of death et
al, and then hand over a set fee to have the problem fixed and your console
returned in a functioning condition. Usually the charge is less than you
would pay for an out-of-warranty official Sony refurbishment. The
downsides are that you can't vouch for the quality of repair, and it can still
prove to be a fairly expensive exercise.

Repair the yellow light of death yourself. Although it may sound somewhat
difficult, it is actually a practical and effective option to fix your
Playstation 3 console yourself. You can fix your console for far less than the
cost of either an out-of-warranty Sont repair or even a 3rd party fix. Also
the turnaround time is massively reduced because you can be gaming again
in less than a few hours compared with a wait of at least a week with
options one and two. Because the yellow light error is almost always caused
by the same thing on all PS3 consoles affected the repair process is now
extremely well-established and effective.
Fixing The Yellow Light Of Death Yourself

As you probably gathered from the above segment, I am a big fan of DIY PS3
repair, so here goes with an in-depth guide to fixing the PS3 yellow light.
This section will use text instructions, as well as links to video to help make
things more clear.

Before we begin, you should definitely consider getting yourself a

professional PS3 video repair guide. For a small sum of money (less than $40
USD) you can get high-quality step-by-step videos that will show you exactly
how to fix the yellow light of death. The following process will be a walk in
the park with a video repair guide – CLICK HERE or visit http:// to get your
own repair guide now.

What You Will Need

• Isopropyl alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol) and thermal paste

• Phillips and flat headed screwdrivers
• Compressed air can
• Heat gun

Opening The Case

1. Remove the warranty sticker and rubber piece above the hard drive.
2. Unscrew the top covering plate (one that says Playstation 3) screw on
the side of the console using a flat headed screwdriver.
3. Remove this covering plate by sliding it to the left.
4. Take out the all the now revealed cross-headed screws- make sure you
write down which sized ones go where for when you come to put it all
back together again.
5. Remove the "lid" then disconnect the ribbon cable underneath by
lifting out the black part of the connector.
6. Take out the Blu Ray drive and the data ribbon and power cable that
connect it.
7. Remove the screws on the PSU, as well as the earth plug. Lift the PSU
out (there is also a small black wire that needs to be removed)
8. Below the PSU you will see a wide ribbon- remove this by lifting the
tab.
9. Unscrew the four screws on the bluetooth circuit board and remove it.
10. Now we move onto getting the hard drive out- lift off the
protector plate (it should have some writing in various languages on
it) Take the blue screw out then slide the hard drive to the right. Lift
it out of the bay.
 11. Take out the screws holding the on/off panel in place and
remove it.
12. Looking top down on the "innards" of your PS3 you should see 8
screws around the outside of the case. Unscrew these then gently lift
the whole lot out of the black case underside.
13. There are 2 diagonal brackets that have a couple of screws each
in them in the center of the enclosure. Remove the screws then put
these brackets aside.
14. Lift off the metal cover plate and allow any wires or ribbons to
pass through their respective gaps.
15. Carefully turn the assembly over and then remove the fan and
fan power connector.
16. Unplug the battery connector (top right) and remove the 2
screws diagonally opposite (bottom left)
17. Remove the now loose plate.

Preparing The Motherboard

1. You will see two processors (little greyish boxes) Clean all the "gunk",
which is actually a combination of dust and old thermal paste, using
the rubbing alcohol.
2. Remove any other traces of thermal paste you can see using the same
method.
3. Using your compressed air can remove ALL dust from inside the casing
and around the motherboard. Don't use a vacuum cleaner as electrical
current can damage the motherboard.
4. Place the motherboard on a flat, heat-resistant surface.
5. Warm the heat gun up to 350 degrees (if it has selectable
temperature)

The Heat Gun Method

1. The correct technique for using the heat gun is to use a circular
motion and hold the gun around an inch/2.5 centimeters from board
and components at all times.
2. Using this circular motion apply heat to the processor side of the
motherboard first, working on the 2 chipsets/heatsinks you just
cleaned. 15 seconds for each chipset.
3. Slightly longer if you have a gun that runs cooler than 35o degrees.
4. Allow the board to COMPLETELY cool before turning it over.
5. Use the same circular motion with the heat gun on the reverse side of
the 2 chipsets/heatsinks.
6. Allow the board to cool properly once again.
Applying New Thermal Paste

1. Now you have "reflowed" your motherboard it is time to get your

thermal paste out. You can purchase this online or from most
computer/electronics stores. It pays to buy a good brand such as
Arctic Silver.
2. Use the syringe to apply a small amount to the first chip.
3. Use a plastic card (old credit card for example) to evenly spread the
paste over the chip. Think icing a cake. You don't want too much, but
you don't want too little.
4. Repeat for the other chip.
 Red Light Error Repair

You've probably heard of the Xbox 360 "red ring of death"- simply searching
Xbox 360 red light on Google returns about a trillion different results and
hocus pocus methods of fixing the problem. PS3 gamers felt pretty safe that
they were immune to this 'satanic invasion' of their console; until PS3s
started dropping dead left right and center with the blinking red light
problem. This is now one of the most common errors on the Playsation 3
platform

There are many different theories as to what actually causes the

Playstation 3 red light of death, but it seems likely that it is either a) due to
overheating, or b) due to a hard drive error (it seems like a lot of PS3
problems are caused by hard drive errors actually) So in order to fix it you
will have to address both of these possible causes.

Rather frustratingly, the causes of the red light error are not as easy to
discern as the yellow light of death. This makes fixing the error somewhat
more difficult. However, you can still do it yourself:

Fixing PS3 Overheating:

1. Power down your console.

2. Clean all external air vents.
3. Open up the case (read the above guide to fixing the YLOD to learn
how to open your case)
4. Using a compressed air gun/can, get rid of dirt, dust and grime from
around your case. Focus on cooling and ventilation areas.
5. Ensure your PS3 is kept in a well-ventilated area, not on the carpet,
and not in an enclosed space.
6. If this does not work you may have to reapply thermal compound to
some of the components on your motherboard. Check the second
video below for how to do this safely, or consult a video PS3 repair
guide.
7. This is always good maintenance to carry out on your console anyway.
8. If you are not successful move onto the steps listed below.

Faulty HDD Connection Repair

1. Power down your console.

2. Remove the hard drive.
3. Place the hard drive back in your console.
 4. Restart it; if this has not successfully fixed the problem then you
probably have a faulty hard drive (unless you have not addressed the
potential overheating causes of your PS3's blinking red light)
5. Borrow another PS3 hard drive, or use a 2.5” SATA hard drive (same as
what you would find in your laptop computer) and put this in your
PS3.
6. If your console starts up without the red light error then you have a
faulty hard drive and will need to get a new one.
7. Purchase yourself a new PS3 hard drive from Amazon and skip to the
hard drive section of this repair guide.

What if neither of the methods listed above work? Does that mean your
console is doomed forever?

Nope, not quite. Instead, you will have to try the yellow light repair method
listed a few pages above. This has proven successful at fixing the red light
error in the most stubborn of cases. Using a video repair guide will make
the process much easier as well- it is highly recommended that you get one.
 PS3 Black Screen Repair

Another very common problem on the Playstation 3 platform is the

black/blank screen error. The symptoms of this are either a plain black
screen, or a screen with a line through it, and an unresponsive PS3 console.
Most gamers will probably experience this at least once, but if you are
unsure of how to deal with it then it can be quite a worrying problem.

Here is the most basic, easy-to-use PS3 black screen repair method that you
can employ to help fix your console ASAP:

1. Place your PS3 in stand-by mode.

2. Hold down the touch power button until you hear a series of 3 beeps.
3. Continue to hold down the same button until you hear one more beep,
followed by two very short beeps.
4. Release the power button.
5. Instructions will appear on screen advising you to connect a USB
controller; do so.
6. You will be presented with a screen that has six different options on
it.
7. Select number two (Restore Default Settings) as per the photo below
8. Follow the on-screen instructions from there.
 PS3 Corrupt Hard Drive Repair

The Easiest Way To Fix A Corrupt PS3 Hard Drive

1. Remove the hard drive from your console.

2. Power your console up.
3. A message will be displayed on screen that says something along the
lines of "please insert a hard drive to be reformatted"
4. Put your HDD back in the console.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions, until your PS3 is working again.

If that doesn't work then here are a few more methods you can use to
repair PS3 HDD corruption:

Reformat From A Second PS3:

Using a friend or family member's PS3, carry out the same steps as above.
This is more likely to work.

Laptop PS3 HDD Reformat:

1. This is a slightly more complicated method, but is virtually guaranteed

to work as a PS3 corrupted hard drive fix.
2. You will need your PS3 HDD, and a laptop.
3. Put your PS3 HDD in the laptop, then boot it up.
4. The BIOS system will detect an unformatted/improperly formatted
hard drive, and then prompt you to reformat it.
5. Pick FAT32 as the file system if possible; if not use NTFS.
6. Make sure you don't accidentally install an operating system on your
reformatted hard drive.
7. Put the formatted drive back in your PS3, then download the PS3 OS
from Sony's website.
8. Install it from a USB drive.
9. Use your PS3 as normal again.

Remember that the above methods only work when repairing a corrupted
hard drive. This will not fix a physically faulty drive that has actually died.
Keep reading on the next page to find out what you need to do if your hard
drive has actually died/sustained physical damage.
 PS3 Faulty Hard Drive Repair

If the hard drive in your PS3 is actually broken then you don't have much
choice other than replacing the drive itself. This is an easy process,
however, and it also provides a prime opportunity to upsize your hard drive
to give you more storage space etc.

A PS3 hard drive needs to be a 2.5” 7400 RPM laptop hard drive running on
the SATA system. Pretty much any modern laptop hard drive that you can
buy in your local electronics store or online will do. Check out Amazon for
excellent deals on replacement PS3 hard drives.

The method for doing this is best explained by watching the following Cnet
video (click the image thumbnail to open the video in a new window) :
 Network Connection Errors

Network connection errors/ '80x' errors are some of the most common
problems you will experience on the PS3 platform. Here is a general guide
to follow for fixing all common PS3 network connectivity problems:

1. Turn off your router and modem and restart both. Sometimes there
will be an interruption in the signal that can be solved by a simple
reset.
2. If this does not work, try connecting your PS3 using a wired
connection- if this is successful then there is a wireless interference
or setting problem preventing you from connecting to the network.
You may have to move your console around a bit to find a position
suitable for plugging in a wired connection.
3. Go into the 'Network Settings' section of the PS3 and disable the
'Media Server Network' (it will be called something like this) a large
number of errors are caused by this being enabled when you don't
need it. The 80710723 error is often associated with this setting being
unnecessarily selected.
4. Check your DNS settings – DNS is like the 'phone book' of the Internet,
telling data traffic where to go and how to contact other locations.
Therefore, if this setting is incorrect or needs to be updated then you
are going to be in trouble. The 80710102 error is usually caused by an
incorrect DNS setting – change your settings to the following free DNS
servers to fix the problem:
1. Under Internet connection settings select 'Manual'.
2. Primary DNS - 208.67.222.222
3. Secondary DNS – 208.67.220.220
4. Enable uPnP
5. Contact your ISP and ask them if there are any known problems on the
network at the moment. It is also important to note that some ISPs
put PSN and other gaming traffic in the same category of
importance/bandwidth allowance as Peer-to-Peer and torrent traffic.
Some ISPs are better than others for serious gamers.
6. Check your router/modem settings on your PC (or whatever device
acts as the central hub) if things have been changed then this may
explain why you cannot get a connection. Here is where you will need
to consult the instructions for your device.
 PS3 Disk Drive/Disk Read Error Repair

A lot of different things can lead to game disks not reading correctly on
your PS3. In general, it will either be a dirty/scratched game disk, a dirty
laser lens, faulty laser lens, or a completely busted Blu-Ray drive. Here is a
brief guide to fixing all of the above:

Cleaning Game Disks

• Use a soft microfiber cloth.

• Use mild, soapy, lukewarm water.
• Gently rub the disk in a circular motion.
• Allow it to air dry; don't use another cloth as this may cause
scratching.
• This probably won't fix the problem if multiple disks are not reading,
and you will likely have to clean or repair the Blu-Ray drive. However,
if just one disk is problematic this should work.

Cleaning PS3 Blu-Ray Drive Lens

• Apply rubbing (Isopropyl) alcohol to a cotton bud.

• Disassemble your case and remove the Blu-Ray drive.
• Gently clean the laser lens.
• Put your Blu-Ray drive back in and assemble your case.
• If this doesn't work you will have to either a) replace the Blu-Ray lens,
or b) replace the whole Blu-Ray drive.

How To Replace PS3 Blu-Ray Drive Lens

• Purchase a new Blu-Ray lens

• Disassemble your PS3 console.
• Remove the Blu-Ray drive.
• Follow the pictorial and written instructions here, or the video
instructions here for replacing the Blu-Ray laser lens (this is a bit too
complicated for just words sorry)
• If you are not confident at doing this, or would rather just get a whole
new Blu-Ray drive (this is guaranteed to work, whereas there is a
chance that your laser lens may not actually be at fault) then read
below.

How To Replace A Blu-Ray Drive

• Check eBay for the best value replacement Blu-Ray drives.
• Disassemble your PS3 case.
• Follow the video instructions below (or click here for better
instructions)

Further Reading

• http://hubpages.com/hub/Sony-PS3-Repair-Guide – My complete
online PS3 repair guide. This is a highly popular page with lots of in-
depth instructions on repairing all major PS3 errors.
• http://howtorepairps3.weebly.com/ - Another popular website of
mine. Visit the section on best PS3 repair guides to learn what guide
offers the best value for money.
• PS3 Lights Fix – By far the best professional PS3 video repair guide. If
you are serious about fixing your PS3 yourself then you need to
purchase this guide.
 How You Can Help

If you found this repair guide useful then you can help by sending it to your
friends or family who are having problems with their PS3. Or, send out a
Facebook message/Tweet about it. If you have a gaming or electronics blog
please feel free to give this guide away as well.

Any questions, queries, or comments? Email james.philipson@gmail.com