PS2 scratching my discs?

[Taurine]

My PS2 has been a little odd for a while, the only thing I can put my finger on was that when it boots, most of the time it goes to the Browser/System menu for a few seconds before getting on with booting the disc. I was (foolishly) living with it.

I just got Suikoden IV in the post today, so imagine my annoyance to find the game grinding to a halt during Captain Glen's graduation speech about Troy right at the start of the game. The audio repeats a half-second of sound over and over, occasionally making a little progress.

When I checked the disc I noticed a circular marking about 3-4mm out from where the data section starts in the centre. I don't believe it was manufactured that way because its not very accurate. It looks like a scratch to me. My Disgaea disc has seen a lot of use recently and has the same marking, whilst things I've never played or not played for several months are fine with one exception. Suikoden IV is the only one that actually has a problem in play though.

Is this a well-known fault? Is there any way to fix the console? Not that I trust it anymore... I was thinking of getting a slimline PS2 already, but I'm gutted that its taken my Suikoden IV disc down (and its had a go at Katamari Damarcy, the horror!!!!). The culprit is an early US model SCPH30001. I usually run it in the vertical orientation.

Also is it likely that the laser on a brand new console would do a better job of reading my damaged discs? And are the slimline models any more or less reliable than the old ones? And finally, is Videogamesplus my best bet for a self-import, or should I be looking elsewhere?

[gossi the dog]

Do the cicular dot marks form a circle, with each mark roughly equi distant from one another?

[Taurine]

Do the cicular dot marks form a circle, with each mark roughly equi distant from one another?

No, its a circular scratch. But its rough and its not the same depth all the way round, not that its even deep enough to feel the scratch. On some of my discs it looks like its got either more than one circle with offset centres or perhaps its a bit of a spiral? I'm beginning to wonder if its something that only comes into play as the disc is spun down. Console does make a grunching noise (not very loud) a couple of times, sometimes when its first powered on.

[Taurine]

The Power Of Dyson!

Following the theory that some foreign body had found its way into my PS2, I hoovered the console last night. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, experience of opening PCs should have suggested it. I am chastened to admit that I hadn't previously realised there was a vent in front of the PCB/PSU side of the front. I could see space through the vent on the HD expansion side but now I can see through the other too. I hoovered over the rear fan, which was covered in dust, and also inside the (open drawer)DVD drive.

The hoovering has definitely improved the console. I haven't put in an unscratched disc yet, will do that tonight. But it boots much better and with fewer noises. It now goes straight through to the PlayStation2 logo screen without pausing on the Browser screen too, every time.

So if you haven't considered it before, I would highly recommend hoovering your PS2 every few months, as preventative maintenance, I know I will from now on.

Dust, high in fat or low in fat? Dust?

[Pacman555]

Is your PS2 a version 3 or 4 model or earlier? If so, it's probably that your disk tray is knocked slightly out of alignment. Early PS2s had a 'disc correcting' issue, whereby, if you put the disc in slightly wonky, it wouldn't be corrected and it'd be scratched badly inside.

[Taurine]

I think from matching my PS2 serial number to things I've found on the web its either V1 or V4, but I'm no expert. Do you know of any instructions on the web to remedy that if it is the fault, or can you give me some tips? I've never dismantled a PS2 before, though I've had my XBox open a few times and spent countless hours building and rebuilding PCs.

Having said that, I have now tried powering it up tonight with a fresh DVD-R to see if it got scratched. It came out OK, so I risked my sadly ignored old copy of Kessen, and it too came out unmarked after half an hour of play. It looks like the hoovering I gave it last night and the movements involved in that have solved the problem. But of course I'm no longer feeling much trust in it. So I'd still like to service it properly if I can.

[Pacman555]

It won't be a V1, they never reached the UK (assuming yours is a PAL machine of course), I imagine it'll be a V4, they made a shedload of them.

I wouldn't worry about it mate, it was probably more to you putting the disc in slightly wrong. Just be extra super duper careful when placing the disc on the tray, there isn't much of a remedy for it for old PS2s. I've got the same problem myself, ripped my copy of Ridge Racer V to shreds on launch day!

[Taurine]

Its a US NTSC machine, that I bought in used condition 3 years ago, and it had already been in use for a while, so all up its seen plenty of use. Following my hoovering it really does behave like a new machine... but I did panic when the problem occurred and ordered a PSTwo, which arrived today - how can it be so small So now I think I'm going to give the old machine the HDLoader treatment and maybe keep it on the spare telly, which will save some fights with my lady when she wants to play Disgaea And I'm making some fun progress in Suikoden IV.

[gossi the dog]

Surely using compressed air would be better than hoovering? The again maybe not. Did you use one of those handheld hoovers or a big proper one?

[Taurine]

I suspect a combination of hoovering and compressed air would be best, unfortunately I didn't have any compressed air to hand. What I did have was one of those Dyson vacuums that would eat the carpet if it thought it could get away with it

The hoovering did a good job of both removing and capturing the main body of the dust but I think a good blast of compressed air would have done a more thorough job on the drive internals. I'm not sure where you get it though. Is this something you would get from a place that sold office supplies, lumped in with the computer products? I might have a look in OfficeWorld and Staples for some.

This thing has really got me thinking abot preventative maintenance for consoles. Are there people on here that do this kind of thing? Maybe I'm getting a bit obsessive/compulsive about it