Ever gotten those annoying Disc Read Error messages on your Playstation 2? If you have, I'll bet the first time you saw one was on the 31st day you've had it, after the Sony 30-day warranty expired. If you're real lucky, your PS2 might last two or even three years; eventually this error will hunt down your PS2 and settle down there. If it only affects you some of the time ? you might be able to play some DVD movies, but your favorite one never loads, or you can only play PSone games and not silver-colored PS2 games ? then chances are it's not a serious error and only requires minor adjustments to your PS2. Since it is out of warranty, there's little risk in opening it up and trying to fix it yourself before paying to send it back to Sony's repair center. The following guide shows you how to get the PS2 open, clean it out, make your adjustments, and put it back together without any hassles.

Before we begin, I'd just like to say that if your PS2 is under warranty, get this taken care of by Sony. It's not worth voiding your warranty if you can survive without it for a week or so. If your PS2 can't read anything at all, cross your fingers and read on, but you may have a more serious issue than we can fix.

I am using a model SCPH-30001 Playstation 2, with a U serial number. Newer models have different heatsinks and even a different chip layout on the motherboard. Some instructions may vary or not apply for other models.

My apologies to modem users, but I'm going to throw in a lot of pictures. You'll find plenty of other PS2 repair guides, but most have blurry pictures, pictures taken from across the room, or none at all. My aim is to show you every little part you have to deal with, so there's no confusion. Remember, spare parts are not your friend!

We're only going to need a few tools for this. Grab your PS2, a normal-size Phillips and a flathead screwdriver, a small or jeweler's size Phillips screwdriver, a can of compressed air, and one each of (if you own any): a DVD, a PSone game, a silver PS2 game, and a blue PS2 game (namely Contra: Shattered Soldier). I've chosen Army of Darkness, Final Fantasy Tactics, GTA: Vice City, and Contra. To my knowledge, there is only a handful of blue games, so if you don't have one there's no need to worry.

During the repair of your Playstation 2, we'll be taking the device apart. Most of the supports will be taken out, so be careful you don't bend or break any of the connectors on the various ports or internally. We'll also be taking apart the loading tray. This includes a Class 1 laser, which can blind you. The easiest precaution is to make sure your PS2 is left off when the disc tray is open.

By the time you're through with this article, all of the above should work in your PS2, with the exception of the blue PS2 game. For some reason, Konami decided to find the only color the PS2 has a hard time dealing with and throwing one of the best games on it. Some people have never had a problem with this game, other people have never been able to load it. The best we're hoping for is that we can get it to load at least 10% of the time. More on that later.

To begin with, remove any add-ons you might have for your Playstation 2, like the Network Adaptor. They'll just get in the way. Flip the Playstation 2 upside down and remove all the rubber feet and square tabs. Get the edge of the flathead screwdriver or a knife underneath them to pop them out. I've circled them on the picture below ? 4 rubber feet and 6 square tabs. There's a few you can leave on, but they might get in your way later.







