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View Full Version : do you need a memory card in order to boot PS2 discs?

Lobster Cowboy
06-21-2004, 05:10 PM
i just got my refurbished ps2, and i can't get it to read any discs. does a memory card need to be present to run software, or is my unit completely fucked? i tried two DVD movies, as well as three PS2 discs, and i couldn't get past the screen that says "Browser", and "Configuration". when DVDs were loaded into the system, i got read errors, and when games were loaded, i got nothing at all.

i'm pretty sure the unit is bunk, but any help would be greatly appreciated

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IceWolf20
06-21-2004, 05:21 PM
You don't need a memory card present to run any games/movies. The system might be hosed, but I'd try cleaning the lens first and/or running the unit in the vertical position rather than horizontal. Just a couple of things to try first.

Or when all else fails, crack open the case and start messing with stuff.....dont bother putting it back together in the case, but see if it will run with its guts pulled out. If nothing else, it'll have better ventilation
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SirDaShadow
06-21-2004, 05:32 PM
> vertical position rather than horizontal. Just a couple of
> things to try first.
I had no problems with my PS2 running vertical. All games CD and DVD based work perfectly. Except the mediaplayer from gameshark...it's a nifty network utility that allows to read a share on the pc over the network and plays anything that's shared. I was amazed it was compatible with xvid, divx, mpeg, et all.....If your pc can play it, so can the ps2 on the tv!

Problem is, I can *hear* my ps2 struggling to read the included cdrom for it if I have my ps2 in the vertical position. If I load it while in horizontal, then it loads, with a bit of struggling. Already exchanged the damn disc twice so I figure it's my ps2
<img src=smilies/banghead.gif>

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MooglyGuy
06-21-2004, 07:17 PM
Maybe it's just because I don't abuse my systems, but the PS2 I got for Christmas 2002 has never given me any trouble with anything, with the exception of my Gameshark CD, and even then after a couple tries it'll work.

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SirDaShadow
06-21-2004, 08:39 PM
> with anything, with the exception of my Gameshark CD, and
Coincidence? I think not. <img src=smilies/banghead.gif>

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MooglyGuy
06-21-2004, 11:01 PM
> Coincidence? I think not.

In case you think it's damaging my system, you're dead wrong. The only reason why it could conceivably not work every time is because Datel use really cheap media that's unreliable. Regardless, for $20 I'm not going to complain, especially since it hasn't given me any trouble in the past six months.

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Cless
06-22-2004, 06:19 PM
> i just got my refurbished ps2, and i can't get it to read
> any discs. does a memory card need to be present to run
> software, or is my unit completely fucked?

If you got a warranty on it, work with the seller on it.

If it was repaired by an average joe, it's probably an old 30001 or 30001 R (with a barcode number starting with PT217 or less) model that wasn't cleaned properly.

If you've got a newer 30001 R model (barcode number starting with PT218 or higher) or 39001... how well was it packaged? These models aren't so prone to the disc read error problems (they have better lasers), but they are a lot more sensitive to hard falls. A hard fall or drop often knocks the laser out of alignment which disables DVD, but CD usually still works.

I've repaired 300+ PS2s myself to date, and have learned a lot about them and trends in certain models.

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Cless
06-22-2004, 06:29 PM
> Maybe it's just because I don't abuse my systems, but the
> PS2 I got for Christmas 2002 has never given me any trouble
> with anything

Not that surprising. Better models were in circulation at that period. The crappy older ones could fail at any time, regardless of how well they were taken care of externally.

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Lobster Cowboy
06-22-2004, 08:56 PM
you're right...it was a 30001 R.

i traded it in this morning for a 50001/N

pretty sweet model...it has a quiet fan, and a built in IR receiver for the remote. it also outputs to progressive scan

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