Known Console Faults

Posted in Laptop and PC Repairs

General Hardware Failure" errors on XBOX360

Three red lights on the Xbox 360's ring indicator representing a "General Error requiring service of the Console or Power Adapter," commonly nicknamed the "Red Ring of Death."

 Three flashing red lights around the Xbox 360 power button instead of the one to four green lights indicating normal operation represent an internal problem that requires service. Warning signs may include freeze-ups, graphical problems in the middle of gameplay, such as checkerboard or pinstripe patterns on the screen, and sound errors. These events may happen once or several times until the hardware failure occurs, or not at all. If the console freezes occasionally, the error will not necessarily follow. 

 This error code is usually caused by failure of one or more hardware components, although it can indicate that the console is not receiving enough power from the power supply, which can either be due to a faulty power supply or if the power supply cable is not fully inserted into the console. The 3 flashing lights can also be caused by power surges; if the console is connected to an outlet that receives a power surge, it may have a failure and the 3 lights will appear as long as the console is plugged into the outlet. Turning off the console, unplugging all power cables and plugging them back in, and restarting the console may fix this issue in some cases.

 Distinct from the General Hardware Failure is a similar-looking error warning where four red lights appear, in which case the console does not detect an AV cable is plugged in; however, this error code is not generated on models equipped with the HDMI connection. The four lights can sometimes also be seen when power surges or very brief power outages occur while the console is running, in which the console needs to be unplugged and plugged back in again to reset the error. Two red lights appear when the system is overheated.

 Xbox 360 S

The power button utilizes a different design that does not incorporate the same style of lighting that past models used. A flashing red light means that the console is overheating, similar to the two-light error code on the original model Xbox 360; however, an on-screen message also appears, telling the user that the console will automatically power off to protect itself from overheating. A solid red light is similar to the one-light error if an "E XX" error message is displayed and a three-light error code if the error message is absent. More recently, Microsoft has reinstated the use of the ringed LED lights on the panel of the touch sensor on models made after mid 2011. Microsoft released no reason for the reinstatement of the ringed LED lights on the Xbox 360 S.

General Hardware Failure" errors on PlayStation 3 (PS3)

 Yellow Light of Death  

The indicator light on the PlayStation 3 starts green, switches to yellow, and then quickly switches to red, and blinks indefinitely.

 The PlayStation 3 will display this error for two different reasons. To determine what is causing the error on your console, turn the console on, and listen closely for the fan. If the fan powers on briefly, and then switches off, you have an issue with the motherboard. If the fan does not power on at all, then you likely have an issue with the power supply.

 Motherboard  

 The most common cause of the YLOD error and the PlayStation 3 failing to boot is a hardware malfunction on the motherboard. The error is caused by the failure of the solder joints between the CPU and GPU and the motherboard. This error can be fixed by re-soldering the chips to the motherboard, and, while not a 100% guaranteed fix, it is the best option for repairing the YLOD. iFixit offers both kits and guides to facilitate this fix.

 Power Supply 

 One cause of the PlayStation 3 not booting is a faulty power supply. A much smaller percentage of PS3 consoles will display the yellow light as a result of a faulty power supply. If the power supply is faulty, then it will need to be replaced.

 PS3 Doesn't Read Optical Media  

 There are two models of Blu-ray drives for the fat models of PlayStation 3, each with parts specific to their own model. The easiest way to tell which kind of drive is in your PlayStation 3 is to take the drive out and look at it. If the drive has an exposed control board on the bottom of the Blu-ray drive, the Blu-ray drive's model number is KEM-400. If there is no exposed control board, then the Blu-ray drive's model number is KEM-410.

 PS4

The most common PS4 problem we see is that the PS4 turns off randomly while gamers are using the console. This may also appear alongside the console not turning on when the owner pushes the power button.

 If this PS4 problem is taking place users will see a blinking blue light or blinking red light on the console instead of a white light. This issue first appeared in November 2013, and Sony soon offered a collection of fixes for this PS4 problem, including an option to get a replacement if none of them work. If you have this problem you should:

  •  Check the HDMI cable

  • Check the hard drive

  • Make sure the PS4 is ventilated

WiFi Problems

 If you are experiencing PS4 WiFi problems you should unplug your router, wait a minute and then plug it back in. Then on your PS4 delete the WiFi connection and then reconnect to your WiFi network. This may solve simple problems. You should check your router location and if possible move it to a higher location that is not obstructed.

 NW-31297-2 PS4 error code showing after installing the PS4 4.5 update.

Users can try to reconnect to WiFi by re-entering password, but for many users, this will not fix it. There have been a lot of complaints on the PlayStation Forums from users who cannot fix this PS4 WiFi problem. With the PS4 5.0 update and higher this shouldn’t be an issue any more.