Do not update your PS3!

[illage3]

Hey everyone,

 

Just thought that you should all be aware that the latest PS3 firmware update has been bricking people's PS3 consoles. The issue seems to affect those with upgraded HDD's.

 

http://www.psu.com//a019911/Warning--PS3-firmware-445-is-bricking-systems

[Skiver Veteran]

still got the original HDD in but thanks for the warning!

[Pupik]

still got the original HDD in but thanks for the warning!

According to the reddit thread, still effected. Many reported that it bricked their PS3: http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1gmpci/do_not_update_your_ps3_problems_with_update_445/

[The Evil Overlord]

hmmmm, sounds like a Dr. Evil ploy to force current users to buy another one before the PS4 is launched, those money grabbing ba***rds!

I'm on my second one.

[pjak]

update seems to have been removed from PlayStation servers... :/

[0nyX]

Haven't update mine since 3.55 but from what i read even after the brick you are able to boot in safe mode meaning a fixed firmware from SONY will probably correct the problem without having to go through support staff and crap.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Thanks for the heads up, I have PS+  :pinch:

 

For those with bricked systems Tomorrow a patch should come out to fix this. All you need to do is download it to your USB drive and power up the PS3 in safe mode and install update from USB.

 

Step 1: Turn off the PLAYSTATION 3 by holding the Power button on the front of the unit till the Power light is red.

 

Step 2: Touch and hold the Power button, you will hear the first beep, meaning the PLAYSTATION 3 is powering on. Continue to hold the Power button and after about 5 seconds, you will hear a second beep, indicating the video reset. Continue to hold the Power button and after about another 5 seconds you will hear a third beep and the system will power off (Power light is red).

 

Step 3: Touch and hold the Power button, you will hear the first beep, again for the PLAYSTATION 3 to power on. Continue to hold the Power button and after about 5 seconds, you will hear a second beep for video reset. Continue to hold the Power button and after about another 5 seconds you will hear a quick double beep. At that point release the Power button. If you succeeded in activating Safe Mode, you will see a message on the screen saying, "Connect the controller using a USB cable and then press the PS button."

 

 

[Skiver Veteran]

According to the reddit thread, still effected. Many reported that it bricked their PS3: http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1gmpci/do_not_update_your_ps3_problems_with_update_445/

 My PS3 is horribly out of date as it's became a glorified Blu Ray player now, I wasn't going to be in any rush to tempt fate on this one!

[FiB3R]

This is why automatic background updates are a bad thing.

[The Evil Overlord]

This is why automatic background updates are a bad thing.

Not always, there have been official microsoft updates that have broken windows, for example, then they have to send a fix for that also, I just see it ias unfortunate, but seeing as sony are prepared to make right their mistake in this update, I personally would let bygones be bygones.

[FiB3R]

You say not always, and then describe another time where it has proven to be bad!

 

Yes it is unfortunate, but that doesn't mean it isn't a bad idea. I'm not just pointing the finger a Sony here.

[The Evil Overlord]

You say not always, and then describe another time where it has proven to be bad!

 

Yes it is unfortunate, but that doesn't mean it isn't a bad idea. I'm not just pointing the finger a Sony here.

 

Ok I might have failed to clarify, it's just one of those things that happen, hell even firmware upgrades on phones and routers can brick them on occasion, the people writing the updates are human afterall, mistakes can happen, my intent was only that, they made a mistake and are rectifying it :)

This was the point I was trying to make, as politely as I could :) (I'm not a college educated man so I may have less diplomacy than I should)

[FiB3R]

Don't worry about it, I got kicked out of school when I was 13.

 

My point is, allowing background updates puts you at risk of situations like this. Therefore, I would rather do updates manually, after researching what the update is actually for, and to see if it is causing issues for others first. Any system admin with half a brain cell would do the same thing. And yes, little Johny, whether he realises it or not, is the system admin of his console.

 

I totally understand the convenience of auto updates, and I understand it is relatively rare for something to go ###### up, but guess who is still playing 'The Last of Us', today. Yep, me.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Ok I might have failed to clarify, it's just one of those things that happen, hell even firmware upgrades on phones and routers can brick them on occasion, the people writing the updates are human afterall, mistakes can happen, my intent was only that, they made a mistake and are rectifying it

Thus "Automatic" updates are bad.  Notify users - sure, but don't push them automatically :)

[Yogurtmaster]

Shouldn't they be testing this stuff first before deploying?

Testing means that they test it with different hard drives and external drives?

 

If Microsoft had done this, everyone would be having a big fat cow.  I guess Sony gets a free pass for not doing proper testing and then allowing their customers to take a hit.  

 

I feel bad for the people that got their console bricked.  Sony should replace their consoles free of charge.

[slapfacemcdougal]

Shouldn't they be testing this stuff first before deploying?

Testing means that they test it with different hard drives and external drives?

If Microsoft had done this, everyone would be having a big fat cow. I guess Sony gets a free pass for not doing proper testing and then allowing their customers to take a hit.

I feel bad for the people that got their console bricked. Sony should replace their consoles free of charge.

Why should they replace ps3s that aren't broken? Did you not read the part above that tells you how to fix the issue? Probably not. People are having a fit over this, thus the reason for this thread to be in existence.

Calm your biased self.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

And just to clarify, as I have PS+ as well, I thought it only downloaded updates. I thought you still had to manually choose to install the update no? Or is that a setting somewhere?

 

Glad to see there will be a fix. And I am at work now so not sure what is the status of my Fat. I also have a Slim in my bedroom that does not have auto updates on, so it is not like I would be out a PS3 totally, but still do not want to go through the hassle. I definitely upgraded my HDD, and I saw someone on Kotaku who has the same HDD as I do and they said their Fat was bricked. So here is hoping to it is not. Only 9 hours until I get home from work and can check. The suspense is killing me!

[FiB3R]

I don't think the PS3 auto updates, so you are OK. But this is one of the things they are raving about with the next-gen. I'm sure it will be optional though, so not to worry.

[Pupik]

Why should they replace ps3s that aren't broken? Did you not read the part above that tells you how to fix the issue? Probably not. People are having a fit over this, thus the reason for this thread to be in existence.

Calm your biased self.

Read the reddit thread that I linked. That fix doesn't work for all the effected systems.

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

Glad I didn't update yet, I upgraded my PS3 with a 1TB drive.

Issue seems to be those that upgraded to larger drive's.

[Guest]

update seems to have been removed from PlayStation servers... :/

It was removed before this thread got started funnily enough.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

I guess Sony gets a free pass for not doing proper testing and then allowing their customers to take a hit.

Why do you guess this?  Where does it say we should give Sony a free pass?

[illage3]

Not always, there have been official microsoft updates that have broken windows, for example, then they have to send a fix for that also, I just see it ias unfortunate, but seeing as sony are prepared to make right their mistake in this update, I personally would let bygones be bygones.

O_O Oh god that happend to me the other day.  Updated my Laptop and it couldn't even boot into Windows.  Good thing I had my Windows 8 disc :)

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

Got PS+ and yea I was worried too as I have a SSD in mine. 
Good news is even with automatic updates, it did not update the firmware and I too can enjoy getting the extra trophies in Last of Us :)

[JonnyLH]

Why do you guess this?  Where does it say we should give Sony a free pass?

Because the tone of people in this thread is very calm and the same goes for every article I've read about it. There's no raging that Sony can't do propper QA and testing, when they should of done and they've essentially killed so many PS3's for people who necessarily don't have the tech knowledge to bring theirs back.

 

This will breeze over, like the PSN hacking. When did Sony become the company who do wrong but can't do wrong at the same time?

 

A company brick there console 8 years after releasing it with a minor bug fix. Does this give you faith that they can deliver a next-gen console smoothly? Considering the E3 demos were very jumpy and MS's were 1080p60fps.