[Wildside]

what a bad time for the family PS3 to get problems . Thanksgiving is almost here and we invited two families over and of course their kids would want to play my Nintendo Wii and the family PS3.

Well, last problem with the PS3: 2 months ago we installed a new 100GB, 8MB, 5400RPM HDD in the old 60GB PS3 model because the old HDD got corrupted. Now, the PS3 is acting up again and my younger bro did not see any messages saying, for example, to "Rebuild Database" or anything like that.

Applies to all games, i will use MK vs DC Universe as an example:

the first issue of what is wrong is that when ever u start the game, it's a 50/50 chance the controllers respond or dont respond in the game when u start to actually play the game(controllers do not flash lights btw). If it does not respond, he can only press and hold the PS button to quit out of the game. Normally, after quiting through the PS button from the game, ur suppose to go back to the XMB, but from what my bro is saying is that instead it resets the whole PS3 and then goes back to the XMB. Now, if he was lucky, the controller would be working and then he could play the game.

Trying to play Playstation Home beta:

another issue is that when he connects to Playstation Home beta, the controller loses response to the PS3, he then would have to press the PS button, quit out of home through the XMB or press and hold the PS button and either shut down the PS3, flip the backswitch, or use the front button.

Changing network connections from Wired to Wireless:

another issue is that when we try putting in the WEP key to connect to the wireless router, the HDD light does not flash, the screen does not freeze though, the highlighted bar to where u need to input the password stops flashing and freezes forcing him to press and hold the PS button and shut off the system, flip the backswitch of the PS3, or front button. He says he can go to "Network Settings" fine, just switching from Wired settings to Wireless settings does not work!

Sending messages and finding IDs:

another issue is that when he tries to sent messages to his friends, he has to find the Online ID right? Well, when he tries to find them, the highlighted bar where u go to fill in the ID name, it stops flashing and freezes, forcing him to press and hold the PS button and shut off the system, flip the backswitch of the PS3, or front button. He also says that he cannot reply to anyone at all, and the highlight bar stops flashing and freezes too.

PS button on the controllers can turn on the PS3 no problem, btw. There is a good chance that we cant or hardly use the PS3 on Thanksgiving and at all until we can get an external HDD and perhaps a new laptop HDD if the problem cant get fixed.

Here is the fix-it-urself features that was included in the 2.50 firmware patch:

1. Restart System
2. Restore Default Settings
3. Restore File System
4. Rebuild Database
5. Restore PS3 System
6. System Update

which one do i need to use to fix my above issues?

Products for which in need to purchase for backuping up the PS3 exclusively, nothing else:

Newegg.com - Western Digital My Passport Essential WDMEB1600TN 160GB USB 2.0 Intense Blue External Hard Drive - External Hard Drives

Newegg.com - Western Digital Scorpio Black WD1600BEKT 160GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive - Laptop Hard Drives , needed if HDD problem does not get fixed.

more HDDs, this time at Circuit City on Black Friday:

Black Friday Ads 2008 - Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable External 160GB Hard Drive at Circuit City

Black Friday Ads 2008 - Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable External 250GB Hard Drive at Circuit City