Before Updating Your PS3 with a System Update, What to check in the console to Avoid a Boot Loop?

[Jeff Lonestar]

I just Fixed a Broken PS3 Slim 3000 from Ebay, Replaced the HDMI and USB Ports. Everything is working great now... Except the AV Port. As I was testing the console, it turns out the only thing left not working correctly is the AV port. It doesnt show any physical Damage in the port or on the motherboard, it just has a scrambled image on the screen. HDMI works fine, (Played GTA V for 3 Hours) as well as CDs, DVDs, Blurays, Wifi/Bluetooth all work. I never came across a messed up AV Port in the few PS3's that ive repaired so far, So thought i'd ask before Updating the OFW to Avoid a Boot loop.

What are ALL the things to check before a System Update to Avoid a Boot Loop?
Also would the Scrambled AV Port cause a Boot Loop as well? Thanks.

 

[Berion]

AFAIK boot loops are cause by bad sectors on HDD; corrupted data after update package unpacked for some unknown reasons (other reason than bad sectors of course) and if You have very bud luck by breaking ODD/BT/WiFi during the fw install process (if they are broken, You will not able to install fw, but broken during the process is a fatality). Probably also bad blocks on flash.

First two can be fixed by clearing dev_hdd1 on PC, but on Your model by formatting HDD (because You cannot read EID Root Key). The rest by fixing console. The last one is unfixable.

BTW: Before You go back to OFW, clean HEN traces and dump e.g IDPS which could be useful for e.g saves resigning or can be sold to some online(ban) lovers.

 

[Jeff Lonestar]

AFAIK boot loops are cause by bad sectors on HDD; corrupted data after update package unpacked for some unknown reasons (other reason than bad sectors of course) and if You have very bud luck by breaking ODD/BT/WiFi during the fw install process (if they are broken, You will not able to install fw, but broken during the process is a fatality). Probably also bad blocks on flash.

Ok Interesting, So Boot Loops can only be Caused by:

Bad Sectors / Corrupted Data
Broken Disc Drive / Broken Bluetooth & Wifi Module

So an AV port with a fault wouldn't cause a boot loop, right? Just making sure. lol

First two can be fixed by clearing dev_hdd1 on PC, but on Your model by formatting HDD (because You cannot read EID Root Key). The rest by fixing console. The last one is unfixable.

Oh good to know, i also have a Fat with CFW Evilnat installed, thats very helpful. Also i bought another PS3 Slim 3000 a few months ago with Corrupted Data from ebay. Your Right, I just needed to format that HDD... and Remove the 4 DVDs jammed in the Bluray Drive. Easiest PS3 I Repaired, Cheapest too it was only $28 Bucks.

BTW: Before You go back to OFW, clean HEN traces and dump e.g IDPS which could be useful for e.g saves resigning or can be sold to some online(ban) lovers.

Nice, i'll look into that.

 

[Berion]

can only be Caused by

Those are the cases about I heard or experienced myself. I never heard of anyone who have broken AV or HDMI and trying update. But I highly doubt it can make problems with installing fw. ODD/BT/WiFi have their own fw which is/can be also updating, so they are checking during console fw installing. Maybe that's main reason (except business one) why those components are so important in this process.

i also have a Fat with CFW Evilnat installed, thats very helpful

So read ERK while You still can. It cannot be retrieved on console which not booting to XMB and launching apps.

And this is how You can access to HDD on PC with Linux (i.e to clear dev_hdd1):
https://www.psx-place.com/resources/ps3-hdd-decryption-helper.1293/
And speaking of which, on dev_hdd1 there is FAT32 filesystem. Sometimes can become broken and this impact installing fw because it is there where *.pup is unpacking. So accessing this partition allows You to fix it without reformatting whole HDD. And You cannot access to it because HDD is encrypted, and encrypted by keys calculated from exactly EID Root Key (ERK). Those keys are unique per PS3 unit.