Ps3 problem

[SmoothOne25]

i know some of you own/play playstation 3 and i was wondering if any of you have had this happen to you before. i heard of it but it never had it happen to me so i dont know the cost or how to fix it.
when the -HDD- hard drive disk becomes corrupted and cant be fixed at home, either by reloading it manually or going into safe mode and trying to fix it that way and the "brain" is dead and must be sent back to playstation corporate how much did it cost you? i have a warranty but i got it at a circuit city like 2 years ago and they went belly up and are now gone so can i send it to playstation directly or should i just buy a new one? (they are cheaper now- was $550 two years ago) if it is not covered and i need to pay to fix it how much is "worth it" before saying screw it and just getting a new one? any advice? going to ps3 forums i get a million different answers....

[hickster]

Just put a new hard drive in it. It is "user replaceable" and covered in the manual. Here is a link to download a manual.
hickster

[D1omedes]

Hey SmoothOne. Nice to see a fellow PS3 owner in these parts.

Basically, you should call Sony Customer Service. From my own experience, my first PS3 had a bad blu-tooth chip, they were very helpful. I've heard that if you do have an HDD problem, they will walk you through a reset - all of your files will be wiped clean. This has worked for some and should be tried before you send it in.

If the reset doesn't work, then the Sony rep will probably tell you to send it in. Since the system is 2 years old, the manufacturer's warranty has expired. I've heard that the the flat rate is $150 for Sony to fix a PS3. That's considerably cheaper than buying a new one. When I sent in my PS3 a while back, I only had to wait 2 weeks or so until I got a new one. Luckily, mine busted within a year of the purchase.

Another option is hickster's recommendation: simply pull out the hard-drive and install a new one. You can buy SATA hard drives from many places and can up your storage considerably (up to 250GB if you want). My only concern, is that there might be a problem with the system itself that would effect the new hard-drive. Thus, you would have wasted money on a new hard drive that is useless. Then again, I may be completely wrong since I'm not a big tech guy.

I'd recommend posting on some more internet boards (IGN's PS3 community is kind of helpful and so is Sony's official PS3 forums). Hopefully, you'll get some better advice than what I've given that will help you out. Again, don't hesitate to call Sony. Hope it all works out for you.

[Spyharpy]

Replacing the hard drive is easy. I bought a Seagate 500GB notebook drive and swapped it out. Upon startup, follow the prompts to set up the drive and get the PS3 going. You can find several videos on YouTube that show you how to swap and get your PS3 up and running. Have had absolutely no problems and now tons of space for videos and photos.

[SmoothOne25]

thanx for all the help. i am considering all the options. which is most effective vs cost. i may just buy a new 120gb ps3 slim for $300 and call it a day...
i dont know though...
im not too "techy" i might be able to fix it but i may decide against fixing it on my own and having ps fix it for me. we will see. thanx though

i wont "turn it off" the wrong way anymore

[BuffaloBill]

it is very easy to replace the hard drive with a new one. just need a certain precision screwdriver and a new drive that will fit the system.

http://vgstrategies.about.com/od/ps3...HDDUpgrade.htm

that i think is the best tutorial on how to do it. obviously all saves are going to be lost. etc etc

[SmoothOne25]

just to let you know i said screw it and just bought a brand new one!
$150 plus tax and shipping to fix it - and $300 for a new one - so i decided to just get it. ps3 slim for $299 + $30 tax + $50 warrenty = $380.
i work alot, hard. i treat myself on things that are my interest. spy's during the day and ps3 during the night. i spoke to some people on ps3_forums. not helpful. thye were smug and "techy" and acted like me asking questions was stupid since i couldnt understand the video walk through. some one there did say "buy a new hdd from a electronics store and fix the ps3 and then sell it as a "used" ps3 on ebay" and make some cash! i might try to do that. THANX FOR ALL THE HELP GUYS!
tonight it is = BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2