PS3 Green Light On and System Won’t Start

Posted by
December 5, 2008

I had this weird problem yesterday knowing I have not done any video setting changes, nor recall a pending software installation. When I start the PS3, green light comes up and then nothing happens. Insert the Game into the slot, blue light blinks and again nothing happens. No video, no sound, and no, it’s not output setting problem as many others have guessed in forums. Try to assign your wireless controller and you’ll know. It doesn’t. If it was on, output and controller assigning I assume should be two separate things.

Symptoms:

I was hoping for some reason it’s replaceable hardware failure rather than software one in a closed box like this. I didn’t know about the system restore feature.

Solution:

  1. With the PS3 in Standby mode (Red light on), press and hold the Start button until you hear a single beep, followed by double beeps.
  2. Connect the controller using USB cable and press the PS button on the controller.
  3. Now, the system restore screen (or whatever they call it) will come up like this

  4. You have several options here for restoring the system, some will unfortunately wipe up all your data, others will make you lose the file naming. For me, I tried the option top-bottom and eventually had to do the Restore PS3 System. Luckily, all I had were demos, trailers, and game saves. only game I was really playing now was Prince of Persia. I felt terrible still though, but much better than if I was playing Ninja Gaiden or MGS right? Or let’s say a game Fallout!

Sharing it for others with same misfortune. Guess we’ll need the PS3 included in the backup plan then.

UPDATE: Alan is suggesting a better solution in the comments that I did not get to test my self, but see if it helps.

“I have found a way to keep all your saved data with this problem.
Follow the steps above but first download the latest firmware update from the playstation website and save it onto a USB key. Follow the steps and choose the bottom option “SYSTEM UPDATE”. Wait for it to update and it should restart with all your music, videos and gamesaves.”

Thanks Alan and everyone else who contributed in the comments.

UPDATE: This simple post keeps getting better with contributions by you guys, thanks a lot for you all. This is a very helpful link with videos to fix the PS3 Yellow Light of Death. Thanks banditopeepuk for the link.

UPDATE 2: So many people are still facing similar issues, and I’m sorry if this suggested solution does not help all of you. Please try the comments below as there are plenty of other tips that might help. Michael pointed out the PS3 controller reset button I didn’t know about. Hope that helps.

NOTICE: To better help identify the problem, it is better if you specify your PS3 version, model, and year of manufacture. E.g, PoS3/40 GB, Manufactured Sept 2007. Thanks Amediar for the tip.

Related Posts:

Consoles, PlayStation 3, Sony, Technology, Video Games, , , , , ,

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  • Anonymous

    I actually just unplugged my machine and hooked it up to a different tv and it was working just fine thank god!!!!

  • P

    PS3 comes on and stays on with the Green power light staying on but does not send an image to the TV via HDMI or regular A/V. The processer light (little orange light that blinks at the bottom) does not blink except twice (about 5-10 secs apart) when I turn it on and once when I turn it off. Any ideas?

  • SteelBlade

    This is where my troubleshooting stopped…I did the double beep, controller reset, eject button, and still nothing on the display. BTW i have the 60G fat PS3.

    However I am 100% certain it is not a video issue, do u know why? ….Because I saw something about removing the harddisk, which I did. Once it was removed and I went through the two beep steps, the display showed “Cannot Start. The hard disk is not available.” (something similar). So Idon’t have a display/video issue, otherwise I would not see this error.

    Just another wrinkle to the original problem that I hope someone has ran into or tried and have since found a solution for it.

    Has anyone tried this and did you figure out what the problem is?

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  • Dominique

    um… simply because the ps3 has AV and HDMI, when it is on HDMI you cannot play it on AV, you can simply change from one to another through holding on the power button when you start it for a bit long until it changes from AV to HDMI or other way.

    try that before u restore settings as last resort ;p

    THIS IS THE SOLUTION

  • SteelBlade

    Sorry Dominique, THAT IS NOT THE SOLUTION. =)

    Let me clarify. I am getting GLOD, and through all the different methods to try and get the reset menu screen, I can’t. I’ve tried each method multiple times.

    It’s not about reset it once to have AV or reset it again to have HDMI. It does not display anything period! ….BUT, when I take out the harddisk, it will display “Cannot Start….” ….that is y I am certain it’s not a video issue, but I don’t know what the issue is.

    That is the wrinkle of which I refered to in an earlier post that no-one has seem to experience.

    Anyone else have any ideas?

  • Salih Sanlioglu

    well folks, there has to be a disk (a cd) inside PS3 otherwise you won’t get double beeps when you hold down the button. ss

  • carlos s tulsa ok

    who ever said the reset button on the ps3 controller would reset the ps3 was right i was able to reset a ps3 i paid 35 bucks for thanks so much guys another cheap buy from my local pawn shop who couldnt fix it thanks again !!!!!!

  • Glenn1er

    HELLO. I am having all the problems from OP. ok, my ps3 is on standby, I turn it on, holding the button. 3 beeps spaced out then it switches off. trying again, 1 beep, another beep, then 2 beeps, still nothing, I plugged my controller in, its flashing (charging) nothing else happens. please help. ive tried holding the both eject and power button and still nothing. no restore screen. I rang up ps3 (Australia) and they said I need a reciept number or something like that. it was a gift from like 3 years ago so that’s gonna be impossible. I’m out of options and really need some help

  • SteelBlade

    Glenn1er, i was having the same issue. Try removing your hard disk. If it behaves like mine, after the going through the whole process, a screen should come up after the double beep.

    I was getting nothing also until I stumbled on to that. At this point I think it’s my hd, so I am in the process of getting a new hd to replace it.

    Hope that helps!

  • addy

    umm. my data has gone corrupt
    which restore action shud i try?

  • Kevin

    Im having the same problems as the OP but i cant get the double beep. Help!

  • Izzy

    I got the same thing but it keeps turning off i got my ps3 when MW3 came out the new ps3 160g. I turn it on and i wait like 30 seconds and then it freezes and then it turns of no red light or YLOD its weird i did go to the secret menu but im scared that my online ranks might restart plz help!!!

  • Bryan

    I am having identical problems to the OP. No video or audio, controllers won’t sync, etc. I have gone through the process to reach restore mode but to no avail; the screen still will not display. Leading up to last night it was hit and miss as to whether it would work or not for about 3 days preceding, and as of last night I have not been able to make it work. Today, I replaced the hard drive and it worked for about 6 hours. Now, new hard drive and everything, I am back to the same issue.
    My PS3 is a 250gb slim. The replacement hard drive is nearly identical to the original; just a different brand. I have replaced a bluray drive, bluray laser, and reflowed the GPU and CPU on my original fat PS3. This one I have yet to take apart; it still has the warranty sticker on it but I doubt it is under warranty.
    Can anybody help me?

  • Anonymous

    so I did exactly what it said to do to reset it and im on the screen like on top. so I moved down to the system update (number 6) and now it’s frozen on that screen and I can’t back out or move anything.

  • Anonymous

    I shut off my system and did it again and tried another option and again it freezes once I click on that option. Don’t know what to do with it now.

  • goran

    ps3 2007 work well but no picture and sound.!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • reezy

    my ps3 mysteriously shut off one night when i woke up and tried to turn it on green light but nothing happened plug in controller nothing happened tried the solution nothing happen help me please

  • Jay

    I have the same problem i think my ps is really stuffed.

    i turn it on and the screen is all garbled and pixleated then just freezes – sometimes boots up to the ‘this ps is corrupted and will try restore thingy menu’ but then freezes and crashes shortly after.

    tried the hard reset multiple times with different video outputs (hdmi and multiout rca)

    and nothing sttill, it does the 3 beep thing and i take my finger off the light stays green but no restore menu / signal.

    please help! :D

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  • farz

    I have same problem but when I hold the turn on button, theres no beeps after 5 seconds the system just turns off. no matter how many times i try it, it still just turns off. thats the only way the ps3 turns off. if i hit the button button while its on, theres no effect. The system wont turn off.

    • http://tathkarti.com/ Bashar3A

      sorry to hear that. I know there is some reset button on the back of the ps3 controller. You need a needle to press it. Have you tried that?

  • http://www.facebook.com/PidgeotWiz Carlos Hernandez

    I have all the cables secured and it when I boot it up it wont display anything. When I try going into Safe Mode I hear the double beep but nothing happens onscreen. Before I saw something but restoring file system does not help me.

    • http://tathkarti.com/ Bashar3A

      are you able to do restore file system? Or you simply can’t get anything on the screen? What’s the connection type?

  • ed eichelberger

    mine did this today try the resolution on your tv and you can set the resolution on the playstation itself hope that helps

  • burke

    i cant get my ps3 to go to the screen with the 6 option after the 2 beeps any ideas???

    • http://twitter.com/Bashar3A Bashar Abdullah

      what happens exactly?

  • cesar

    This doesnt show on my ps3 because it doesn’t how no video or audio please help!!!

    • http://twitter.com/Bashar3A Bashar Abdullah

      you mean the reset steps don’t work? Don’t want to jump to conclusions, but this might mean hardware failure.

      You didn’t by any chance move the PS3 to different location or change the connection did you?

      • http://www.facebook.com/brandon.alexander.75457 Brandon Alexander

        What happens if you do move it somewere else?

  • http://www.facebook.com/brandon.alexander.75457 Brandon Alexander

    I did all the steps then it just goes back the part were it gives you suggestions for it and does nothing after its been restored to default.

  • Jonah

    I tried connecting to a hotel and it didn’t then as soon as i leave network settings i went to go play a game and everything disappeared except my background then i pushed the power button then i started up my ps3 and it came to the corrupted file screen and i scanned and it restarted itself and all that pops up now is my background with the screen very dim and i cannot do anything

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