# PS3 has stopped reading discs. Any ideas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271 "2010-08-14T20:20:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/1 "2010-08-14T20:20:45Z")
A couple days ago my PS3 started acting up. The start menu wouldn’t show the disc that was in the game, though everything else was fine. I popped out the disc, cleaned it and put it back in, nothing happened. I put in a different game and it started right up. After a few minutes I went back to the first disc and it worked. I had to do this a few times, though I played last night w no problem. Today, however, no joy, at all - it won’t read any discs at all. I restored to the default settings per the [Playstation Knowledge Center suggestions](http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=263), with no luck. I haven’t tried deleting and reinstalling game data, mostly b/c two of the discs I tried were games I haven’t used yet. I’m perfectly willing to do a ‘system restore’ if needed, though on a couple of the threads I saw about this in the PS3 forums, it sounds like my blu-ray reader may be dead. Anyone have a similar experience? Any suggestions? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/2 "2010-08-15T10:44:24Z")
No idea - I traded mine in for a 360 after a few months - but you might find this thread interesting; [PS3 blu-ray drive dead | AfterDawn Discussion Forums](http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/672905) **Mod Note:** ETA: Moving this to General Questions. Most of the IT people hang there so you’ll probably get better quality responses. Game Room –\> General Questions Gukumatz, Game Room Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Sablicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sablicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sablicious)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/3 "2010-08-15T13:00:25Z")
If you end up getting a flashing yellow light where the green one’s supposed to be and it’s an overseas model that’s more than 6 months old, chuck it in the trash. (\*Coming from experience here). ---
**Author:** ![dmatsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@dmatsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dmatsch)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/4 "2010-08-16T15:05:22Z")
My PS3 is doing the same thing, albeit intermittently. I was hoping it was just dust on the lens. Jeez. It’s only 2 years old, and it’s dying already. I’m quitting buying electronics. ---
**Author:** ![what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/what_do_I_type_here)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/5 "2010-08-16T15:33:14Z")
> [@dmatsch](#): > > My PS3 is doing the same thing, albeit intermittently. I was hoping it was just dust on the lens. > > Jeez. It’s only 2 years old, and it’s dying already. I’m quitting buying electronics. I was thinking of getting one because my 360 crapped out. If they’re both supposedly this unreliable then, yeah, forget it. I’m out of the console business. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/6 "2010-08-16T16:22:48Z")
Happened to me - basically means that the laser is screwed and so are you. Not fun. ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/7 "2010-08-16T17:12:29Z")
> [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](#): > > > [@dmatsch](#): > > > > My PS3 is doing the same thing, albeit intermittently. I was hoping it was just dust on the lens. > > > > Jeez. It’s only 2 years old, and it’s dying already. I’m quitting buying electronics. > > I was thinking of getting one because my 360 crapped out. If they’re both supposedly this unreliable then, yeah, forget it. I’m out of the console business. Sorta depends on what you mean by unreliable. The reported breakdown stats for this generation of console puts the Wii at a mere 5-6%, the PS3 at 7-8%, and the 360 is vastly improved from the launch models, down to a mere 40% or so. ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-has-stopped-reading-discs-any-ideas/550271/8 "2010-08-21T14:16:40Z")
Update: I talked to Sony/PS3 Customer Service. They walked me through all the trouble-shooting and nothing worked, I’m under warranty still so they shipped me a box and told me to load it up and send it back. While waiting for the box, I didn’t turn on the PS3 at all for a few days. I cranked it up 3 days ago and just for giggles tried a disc. It worked, and has been working fine ever since, so now I have to decide if I want to dick with sending it in or just hoping it doesn’t stop working anymore. I’m starting classes on Monday, so the smart move would probably be to get it out of the house for a few weeks 😉