Don't know if GT5 just killed my PS3 or not... Please help...

[hot_cheese]

Man this sucks! I came back from work today ready to claim my rewards for the 9 hours Tsukuba endurance in B-spec and found out the game froze at the post race screen. Nothing works and was forced to switch it off from the back (80GB fat PS3)

I thought it must be caused by overheating but my PS3 was cool to the touch, the bottom part where the HDD was installed is only slightly warm.

Turned the PS3 back on after 15 minutes and froze again at the XMB. OMG....

Keep trying the same thing for one hour with no luck, I either get a black screen or frozen XMB.

Looked at some guides online and decided to boot into safe mode and use the "Restore PS3 system". It worked and I was able to navigate the XMB and login to PSN.

However, as soon as I insert GT5 and perform the 1.5 update, the system froze again... All I could see is the non-stop HDD light. Tried a few more times and got the same result.

It's weird, it's not like a YLOD because I can browse PSN store, send/receive messages and playing Blu-Ray movies works perfectly fine!

What's the issue? Any chance this is caused by a faulty Hard drive? Or my PS3 is on it's way to hell?

1. Should I try to replace a new HDD?

2. Call SONY and let them tell me to bend over because my warrant expired.

3. get a new PS3 slim?


AWWWW!!!!! MY CARS MY EPIC EPIC CARS!!!!!!

 

[MadduckUK]

AWWWW!!!!! MY CARS MY EPIC EPIC CARS!!!!!!

sounds like you had plenty of opportunity to make a save game backup 💡

 

[maxpontiac]

I feel for you, but games do not kill consoles. Consoles are nothing more consumer electronics, and consumer electronics break.

 

[linoleum]

sounds like you had plenty of opportunity to make a save game backup 💡

Hypothetically, if you had a game save on USB, and your PS3 was hosed... would it work on another PS3 you purchased?

 

[DanDiplo]

I feel for you, but games do not kill consoles.

But leaving your console on for 9 hours plus with a graphically and processor-heavy game will definitely stress it, especially if it is not in a place where it can get adequately cooled.

 

[Vautwin]

But leaving your console on for 9 hours plus with a graphically and processor-heavy game will definitely stress it, especially if it is not in a place where it can get adequately cooled.

But what is the option??? There is none. And for 24 hr races. A spec, it only gets worse. It is unrealistic to save in a 24 hr race therfore no save option. But it aint unrealistic for a 24hr beein won buy 1 single driver. (sarcasm)
My lense seems to be broken now. It wont read the dvd's anymore, like it is not noticing I put a dvd in. Got a launvhday fettie that never made me problems.
One day when I started it up it wouldnt recognise the DVD anymore. O warnings, from one day PS3 was on stricke lol.

 

[Throttle_Inc]

Obviously it's too late to help but... is your PS3 in a closed-in space? Were the fans going like mad when you got back?

 

[Ryan81]

Many PS3s YLOD because (I believe) they are not getting cooled adequately. So many people keep them in tiny confined spaces like entertainment cabinets and so it's no wonder that they conk out, especially the older and more unreliable early PS3s.

 

[Tyger]

But leaving your console on for 9 hours plus with a graphically and processor-heavy game will definitely stress it, especially if it is not in a place where it can get adequately cooled.

General consensus in these here forums is that it'll do nothing of the sort, and not sure a flagship Sony title would have 24 hour races if it was likely to fry people's consoles.

The heating and cooling of the solder etc. by using the console, then switching it off a while, then back on again is probably more damaging.

However if you are in a very hot climate or the room is very hot, then things might be different. There are aftermarket cooling device for the PS3 but I gather some of these can be a little hokey. Some people have rigged up "external" fans using the USB connection from the console, could work, there was a thread here about it somewhere...

 

[Tyger]

To the OP, can you play other games? Was going to suggest your GT5 disc was damaged/scratched but not sure this would cause the XMB to freeze, it might though when it tries to read the disc to present it under "Games"?

Also i'm assuming you don't have your PS3 set to auto log in to PSN when you switch it on or anything? Might just be network lag or it's struggling to connect to your wi-fi

 

[seanchump]

This happend to me at launch. I'm still playing catch up..

GT5 didn't kill your PS3 however I'm convinced the game's extra processing requirement could kill older consoles sooner than later.

 

[lonote]

Sounds like you need a bluray drive. Mine did something similar and I had to swap it out (40gb fatty). I think the older systems were notorious for this.

 

[starbug]

I'm convinced the game's extra processing requirement could kill older consoles sooner than later.

That sounds right. My fat PS3 has started to overheat, doesn't do it with any other games. Coincidence perhaps?!

I do remember GTA San Andreas killing my fat PS2, something to do with the streaming content from the DVD and overusing the drive / laser.

Pretty sad.. but an excuse to go "slim"

Mine is on it's last legs too .. but I can't really blame GT5, as much as I'd like to.

 

[RogsR34UK]

I have my PS3 on a couple of old pen cases (the ones that Parker ballpoints used to come it) so there is about an inch underneath it. I also keep the vents under the right hand edge clear. I had a PAL PS3 die about a month before GT5 (YLOD) and I used the same system of cases with that though I missed the ones under the right hand edge for some reason. I keep the room cool as well and the fan does not seem to come on very often.

Probably doesn't help with the Blu Ray, though with the size of the installation on the HDD it probably doesn't need to access it very often.

 

[tka_tha]

The non-stop hard disk light suggests a hard disk failure. I would install another hard disk and test.

 

[Tzugreybeard]

I've had a similar problem, but only when actually racing. I've got a 80gb machine & have experienced the screen freezing if I play for about an hour or so on a regular basis. I have to turn the machine on & off to get the game working again. Oddly, it doesn't happen with F1 2010 & I've spent nearly 3 hours at a time playing that.

I think it's either the update that's causes this or the disc itself is faulty, although when I first had the game i experienced no such problem. Mine's standing upright, maybe this can be avoided if it's laid flat?

 

[p-coletray]

General consensus in these here forums is that it'll do nothing of the sort, and not sure a flagship Sony title would have 24 hour races if it was likely to fry people's consoles.

The heating and cooling of the solder etc. by using the console, then switching it off a while, then back on again is probably more damaging.

However if you are in a very hot climate or the room is very hot, then things might be different. There are aftermarket cooling device for the PS3 but I gather some of these can be a little hokey. Some people have rigged up "external" fans using the USB connection from the console, could work, there was a thread here about it somewhere...

Very true, make sure there is a draft, away from fireplace or htg. Vent same for all electronics. Maybe get a small fan nearby for an all-dayer endurance if u are cpncerned, but I dont think I would power a fan or anything else with the PS3 serial port besides a controller, that would contribute to a heat load more than reduce it. Sorry about ps3, hope you find good recovery.

 

[slicecom]

My PS3 has been on for over a week straight now doing Bspec. Needless to say, I back up my save daily.

 

[maxpontiac]

But leaving your console on for 9 hours plus with a graphically and processor-heavy game will definitely stress it, especially if it is not in a place where it can get adequately cooled.

Goes without being said. It's why the longer endurance races will not be done on my end until there is a save option in the middle of the race.

 

[variable_chaos]

Heat kills electronics.

I've been keeping my 40GB fatty out in the open in my 60F basement and running B-Spec endurance races non-stop for 3 weeks.

My suggestion is to just get a new slim and put it in a cool, well ventilated place.

 

[stefanOst]

B-spec killing PS3's...just another reason not to play it

 

[p-coletray]

B-spec is either an experiment to determine the breaking point on human psyche or a corporate plot to burnout ps3's. It's definitly not fun. Either way keep your tin foil hat on or go to work while doing b- spec.

 

[GFO_7]

My 40Gb (uppated to 500Gb) fat stopped recognising discs about 2 weeks after purchasing GT5 with the fault occuring whilst playing GT5, needed new laser pick up. I think the GT5 relationship is just coincidental as this was latest purchase and was the only disc that had been in the PS3 for the previous 2 weeks. Repair cost for me was ~$180 Australian.

PS3 is fine now with any GT5 freezing related to server connection, if this occurs to much I simply disable the internet connection through settings and freezes cease.

 

[zStarkey]

Anyone know how much repair cost is in England? If mine goes I've not got the money to just replace it.

 

[sesselpupser]

My fat, launch 60GB died on the very day GT5 came out, given that it was what, 4 years old at the time, I'm reluctant to say that GT5 itself killed my PS3.

Try putting the hard drive in your freezer overnight (in a zip lock bag to keep moisture out), then put it back in your PS3 and go straight to your GT5 save and try to back it up, if it works. If your hard drive is dying, putting it in the freezer really can fix it; I've saved a surprising amount of data from my computers when the hard drives start making the seek error noise (that loud clicking) by freezing them. It basically helps by contracting all the moving parts that expand when they get hot, and yeah, it's a very, very temporary fix, but might be able to buy you enough time to back up your save.

Then replace the hard drive. If you had the standard drive in there, it was old anyway and just waiting to fail. Get a bigger drive, bigger than 160gb. If that fixes it, great, if not, then at least you can swap the drive in the new Slim you'll likely be buying for something bigger than it came with, so you don't waste any money.

And then, when you get your (or another) PS3 up and running again, remember to back up as often as possible. Same goes for your computers. It's a pain, but this is what next generation consoles are all about. Maybe with the PS4 our game saves will go on Sony's own servers so no one ever loses anything...