Need help with my PS2. Games won't load.

[RedZero]

Something is horribly wrong with my PS2!!!

Everytime I put in ANY game disk, scratched or not, it has a disk read error at LEAST the first time around. Sometimes I have to actually keep putting in my game disk 4 to 8 times before it actually works.

Should I get my PS2 repaired? Anything I can do to avoid getting up off my lazy ass and going all the way to some weird store or place to get it fixed up?

Any way I can just solve this problem without sending it somewhere at all?

I NEED HELP!

[MyDogTheProphet]

You can clean the laser with your average lens cleaning utiltiy that is used in CD players.
You can open up your PS2 and clean the laser yourself with a clean cotton swab and rubbiing alcohol (not recommended if you have never opened your PS2, but their are websites that will tell you how to do this)
If that doesn't work, you will probably have to take it in to someone who knows their way around a PS2.
Good news, you might not have to get the laser replaced - expensive - but instead simply have the unit's laser recalibrated. Often with heavy use a PS2's laser can a shift out of it's axis and this can, and usually is, the cause of the problem.
Worst case scenario, the laser is on it's last legs and needs replacement.
Also, is your unit chipped or not? Chipped machines with backups usually die much quicker than normal PS2's.

The PS2 is undoubtedly the worst designed home console EVER! Unlike the Xbox, which has it's DVD drive in a case - like in a PC - the PS2 cd/dvd unit is open and prone to heavy dirt collection. What makes this worse is the design of the PS2's air filtration system which carries air THROUGH the system (crazy!!) so dirt and muck is always passing OVER the exposed laser lens (again, crazy!!).
Add to that the already very suspect quality of the lasers and you have a console that unless you look after it carefully, can give you much grief.

(Capcom's Shinji Mikami - creator of Res Evil & Devil May Cry - is probably the most vocal critic of Sony's console, even going to say the reason he took his RE franchise to the gamecube was due to his anger over the poor quality of the PS2's design. He believed - and I agree - that Sony intentionally make their consoles flawed - the PS's design was almost as poor - so people have to replace them, increasing the PS2's installed user base. )

To be fair to Sony, they have revised and strengthened the quality of their lasers which each subsequent version of the PS2. The early versions of the PS2 (Versions 1-4) were just awful ( I had one and it broke down in less than a year! ) but the newer ones (Versions 7-10) are a whole lot more stable.

But personally, I am never able to use my PS2 without worrying just a bit that something might go wrong. And I RARELY play Cd-rom PS2 games ( with the purple underside ) as these really put the PS2's laser through the works - the only cd games I play anymore are Rez & Rumble Racing.

Oh, and NEVER EVER EVER place your PS2 vertically on a stand. I don't know what Sony were thinking when they offered users the ability to place their consoles on it's side. This can cause so many problems, it's just not worth it...

[RedZero]

ummm ok thx for the help.... im gonna try the 1st thing u recommended...

[Airock109]

Yea like he said, the lens probly got messed up from extensive use, you can send it back to sony for repairs, I can send info though email. It shouldnt cost anything

[snertzy18]

I'm pretty much having the same problem... except its only happening with onw game. and it doesnt have any scratches or smudge marks... I have not been playing because the damn thing wont work! HELP ME!!!

[Mochan]

Wow where did all the PS2ers come from!?

[Cuddly Knife]

What matters is that they don't float into system wars. You always see these threads that us regulars usually don't post on get swamped by noobs to the site, especially in Gen Disc. It wierds me out, because they avoid our normal threads like the plague.

[PapaSmurf]

You could always buy a PS3 pal :)