Problem: A Game Has Bricked Your System
In early 2019, Electronic Arts and BioWare released the online role-playing game Anthem, and PlayStation 4 players experienced issues with the game bricking their system, apparently causing it to cease functioning entirely. This isnt completely accurate, however, and there is a way you should be able to get back to normal gameplay. Although reports are only for Anthem, you should follow this same process regardless of the game youre playing.
Malfunction: Blinking Blue Indicator Light
Eight years down the line, the Blue Line of Death remains the most crippling of all problems on the PS4. Taking a cue from the Xbox 360s Red Ring of Death, the pulsing blue line indicates a technical problem that could mean your console is no longer functional. Unlike the red ring, the Blue Line of Death doesnt automatically mean your PS4 is dead, but it does the same job as the ring: Letting you know that theres a really big problem that a factory reset of the PS4 might not solve.
When booting up the PS4, the LED indicator light adorning the side of the console should quickly pulse blue before turning white. On consoles suffering from the Blue Line of Death, however, the blue light pulses continuously, indicating failed video output before inexplicably powering off. In this case, the console never sends a signal to the TV, essentially bricking the device and preventing normal operation. While the problem was more widespread at launch, it still crops up for a small portion of users and is more likely to be an issue if your console was manufactured between late 2013 and early 2014.
Remove The Top Housing
Lift from the center under the topmost ridge in the front of the console until it pops out of the connectors then, move to the corners and lift until you hear a pop. It might be easier to Watch This Part in the video. The cover should be loose and you can carefully slide it forward and off of the console.
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How To Open Ps4 Slim
After learning how to open PS4 basic console, lets open the PS4 Slim to remove unwanted dust from the fan and the smaller parts of your device.
After logging off your device, start following these steps carefully.
Step 1: Open the top panel with care.
Step 2: To remove the hard drive, unscrew the screw.
Step 3: Now, the warranty sticker should be removed safely.
Step 4: You can now notice one screw underneath the sticker. Remove it with the help of Torx T8.
Step 5: Remove the bottom case. Carefully lift up two corners of the case.
Step 6: Remove the visible screw with the help of PH0
Step 7: Turn your device over and remove the top cover.
Step 8: Disconnect the power supply.
Step 9: Remove the Wi-Fi antenna safely.
Step 10: Unscrew several screws with the help of PH0 and Torx T8.
Step 11: Create a gap between the power supply and the cover with the help of a sharp object.
Step 12: Lift up the power supply.
Step 13: Now, the cable should be removed from the motherboard.
Step 14: Remove the Wi-Fi antenna from the motherboard.
Step 15: All the cables should be turned off now.
Step 16: Now, you need to unscrew at least 30 screws.
Step 17: Remove the metal panel.
Step 18: Disconnect the antenna from the metal panel after removing the second Wi-Fi.
Step 19: Remove the mount after removing the two screws.
Step 20: Now, the motherboard should be disconnected from the four-pin connector.
Step 21: Remove the motherboard from the case safely.
Step 26: Remove the metal panel easily.
Why Is My Ps4 So Loud
Usually, a PS4 will make loud noises if the fan is dirty and dusty.
Another reason it could be loud is because its overheating, so make sure you keep it in a well-ventilated area.
A few more reasons could be:
- Youre playing graphic-intensive games which overrun the PS4.
- Your hard drive is failing.
- The cooling fans are running.
- There are loose screws within the console.
- The heatsink is damaged.
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How To Clean A Playstation Four
A dirty PS4 can soon become a dysfunctional PS4. With dust and debris getting into the fan, your PlayStation will run loud and become laggy.
Were here to teach you how to clean your PlayStation. This method is for the original PS4, but we have some tips for the PS4 Pro and Slim, too.
Well show you how to clean the PS4 fans and the exterior, as well as the controllers. Soon your PS4 will be looking brand new and hopefully running a lot smoother.
How to Clean a PS4
Once youve exposed the fan, spray compressed air into the vent while holding the fan in place. Use a cotton swab to clean the blades. Reassemble the PlayStation and wipe the exterior with cleaning wipes. Remove dust with a can of compressed air or your vacuums nozzle attachment. Wipe the PS4 once more with a dry microfibre cloth.
What Is The Cmos Chip
The CMOS Chip is an SRAM chip that stores key parameters for the PS4. It holds time and region data, configuration settings, and firmware settings.
In particular, these firmware settings include boot priority, fan speeds, CPU settings, and storage controller.
In summary, the CMOS battery keeps the SRAM chip working. Without these two, the PS4 starts presenting a wide array of problems, some of which can be severe.
For example, you would have to configure the PS4s settings every time you turn it on without the CMOS battery.
That said, taking off the CMOS battery will drain power from the SRAM chip, forcing a reset to default. That means it will lose all of its bugged and volatile parameters.
Lastly, the CMOS battery can last for about 10 years, but it can fail at any time.
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What You Should Prepare For Cleaning Ps4
To conduct the PS4 cleaning job, you should make some preparations. First and foremost, you should back up your important data on the machine before cleaning PS4. In fact, cleaning the inside of PS4 is rather risky. By doing so, you can prevent data loss due to accident.
Besides, you should prepare some professional and vital tools for cleaning PS4. They are listed as follows.
- A can of compressed air
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Power Off The Console And Unplug All Cords
You have to power off the PS4 machine and unplug all the cords in order to clean your PS4. This operation can ensure that theres no electricity running through it when you conduct the PS4 cleaning operation. Then, you can access to the heat sink and conduct a thorough cleaning on your device.
To clean the inside of the console, you should open it. How to open PS4? You can check it in the next section.
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What You’ll Need For Cleaning A Ps4
PS4 cleaning is a relatively simply job, but does require a few materials:
- A TR9 Torx security bit screwdriver. The PS4 uses TR9 security screws. A TR8 screwdriver may work, but you should use a TR9 for best results. Make sure you get a screwdriver with a security bit, which has a tiny hole in the center.
- If you don’t have this already, consider the TECKMAN PS4 cleaning repair toolkit, which has the right screwdriver plus a few more handy tools. If you already have a Torx set or computer opening toolkit, it likely has the bit you need.
For a more efficient cleaning, you may also want to use these optional materials:
Note that if you have an original model PS4, opening your console and cleaning it will void your warranty . However, you can remove the cover from the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro models without voiding the warranty. Chances are that if you’ve had your PS4 for long enough that dust buildup is an issue, your warranty has probably expired anyway.
We’ll show steps for cleaning the original PS4 in this guide . At the end, we’ll mention the differences for the other models.
Remove The Ps4’s Cover
Now that you’ve removed the screws holding the cover in place, you can pop it off. Start at the back and lightly pull up on the edges. Don’t use a ton of force as you work your way around the PS4, the cover should come free. Tug it up and remove it.
At this point, you can look at the cover you just removed and clean any dust inside. Your compressed air will make short work of it this is also a good place to use a cotton ball to dab any remaining debris out. After cleaning the cover, set it aside for now.
Back on the system, you can now see the PS4’s fan, which acts as a good indicator of how dusty your system is overall. However, there’s one more component to remove first.
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How To Clean A Ps4 Slim And Pro
When cleaning a PS4 Slim or Pro, the good news is that you can remove the cover without voiding the warranty. So get inside of the console for a deeper clean!
When removing the cover for the PS4 Slim and Pro, its much easier. Simply pull on the left and right corners at the front of the console. Then pull at the bottom, slide the cover back, and it will be easy to remove.
With the PS4 Slim, the fan inside has a cover over it. You can clean it the same way as you would with the original, by blowing condensed air into the vents and wiping the blades with a cotton swab.
On the PS4 Pro, there isnt a cover over the fan. You will see the fan right away after youve removed the main PS4 cover.
Perform A Ps4 Database Rebuild
Now you can put your PS4 back in its usual spot and plug all the cables back in.
One last step isn’t strictly necessary, but since you’ve just cleaned out your PS4’s hardware, it’s a good time to optimize its software performance too.
The PS4 includes a utility called Rebuild Database that optimizes all the data on your drive, similar to defragmenting your computer. If you’ve had your PS4 long enough to build up significant dust, chances are it could benefit from this operation too.
To access it, shut down your PS4 . Once it’s off, press and hold the Power button on the front of the console . You’ll hear one beep right away continue holding it until you hear a second beep. This boots the PS4 into Safe Mode.
Connect your controller to the PS4 with a micro-USB cable, then press the PlayStation button to sync it. Select the Rebuild Database option and confirm the operation. Your PS4 will then perform the process.
The system says this could take some time depending on how much data you have. However, in our case, it didn’t take more than 15 minutes or so with nearly 2TB of data on the hard drive. Once it completes, you’ll be back at your home screen.
Once you’ve done this, you should hopefully notice your PS4 runs a bit smoother in the menus. It’s not a bad idea to perform this operation regularly to keep your PS4 performance optimal.
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Open The Playstation 4
The next and most critical step is opening up the PS4. We need to open it because we need to take its motherboard out.
The process is different on each console, but it relies on finding the screws near the warranty stickers.
PS4 Fat
- Flip the PlayStation first . Then, find the stickers are at the center back of the console, in exhaust area. The screw youre looking for is right on top of the sticker. There should also be other screws on the sides. Depending on your model, these screws could be behind a plastic cover.
- Unscrew the screwUse a Phillips-head screwdriver to take the screw out.
- Lift the bottom After taking out the screw, you can lift the bottom cover with your hands. You can pull each side of the panel to lift it over. Be gentle, though, as you may break it.
- Remove the bottom lid, the one standing next to the open hard drive area. You can use a plastic pry to lift it open.
PS4 Slim
The process is different on the PS4 Slim:
- Lift the top cover gently with your hands. Therere no screws, and its easy to pull. Its easier if you lift it with the PS logo and the Sony logo facing you.
- Moreover, some PS4 Slim models may have an extra screw on the back, holding the bottom cover in place. Youd need to unscrew that as well to lift the bottom cover
PS4 Pro
Bug: Disc Read And Application Errors
Disc read issues, which often manifest themselves as error code CE-35486-6, could mean your disc is damaged. While errors for undamaged discs are unfortunate and rare, they are possible. A similar issue with downloaded games also can occur , in which case similar steps can be taken to potentially solve the problem. If the issue occurs with a physical game youve purchased recently, the disc may be defective, and you may want to try to exchange or return it.
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When To Replace Ps4 Cmos Battery
Before you decide to replace PS4 CMOS battery, its important to identify its symptoms. These are the signs of a PS4 CMOS battery failure:
- Incorrect Date and Time Settings: Aside from getting wrong date data on your PS4, the date and time are also reset after fixing manually. Although there could be other reasons, the CMOS is a primary culprit. However, ensure to update the PlayStation to its latest system software.
- Your PS4 Turns Off by Itself: Another common problem is your console failing to turn on or stay on. Suppose your system fails to boot up correctly various times after seeing the wrong data settings. In that case, the CMOS battery is the issue.
- Error Codes: Some of your PS4 games may crash to desktop. Then, youd see the Error Code . The code indicates the PS4 is suffering from hardware damage and needs service.
- Faulty Drivers: When the drivers are not working, some hardware parts may break. That includes the graphics card, the internal hard drive, or the sound card. If you reach this far, its perhaps too late to replace the PS4 CMOS battery.
- Hardware Issues: Lastly, your PS4 may fail to recognize peripherals you connect on the console. That includes an external drive or your DualShock 4 controller. Another common issue is the PS4 overheating, as the fans stop working.
These errors occur because the CMOS chip stops working without CMOS battery power.
How To Clean The Ps4 Slim And Ps4 Pro
To clean the fan on the PS4 Slim, you don’t need to remove the warranty sticker. It’s much easier to remove the cover, too. All you have to do is pull up on the left and right corners on the front of your system. Pull on the middle, then slide the cover back and it will come right off.
From here, you’ll be able to see the fan even though it’s obstructed by a cover. If your fan doesn’t look too dirty , you can spray some canned air into it and probably call it a day. Remember to use a cotton swab to prevent the fan from spinning.
For full cleaning, you’ll need to remove several screws from the cover and the power supply plate. Since we focused on the original PS4 here, please see the video below for PS4 Slim-specific instructions.
The PS4 Pro is similar, but it’s even simpler. Simply pull up on the front left and right corners to loosen the cover, then slide it back. You can see the fan as soon as you remove this, making basic cleaning quite easy.
Unfortunately, the heat sink is buried deep in the PS4 Pro, and accessing it requires disassembling almost the entire console. Thus, you should stick to just cleaning the fan if you have a PS4 Pro. Check the below video for more details.
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Why Would I Take Apart My Console
Taking apart the PS4 to the point described above should only be done if the console is outside of its warranty. If you change out the hard drive it’s no harm, no foul. If you take it apart to the point where nothing’s left inside, then you’ve broken your warranty.
The most obvious reason for taking apart your PS4 is to replace the hard drive . There are other reasons though. For example, if the system is running really loud, you may consider opening it up to dust out the fans and the internals.
You may have heard that you can use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust inside the system, but this is a really bad idea! I say that because a vacuum cleaner had the potential to create static electricity, which is a death sentence for the internals of an electronic device. If static electricity touches the motherboard, the GPU, or the CPU, then your console is toast.
If you’re feeling advanced, you can also replace the thermal gel on your console’s GPU. after removing it using a torx #8 security, a small phillips head screwdriver, and of course the thermal compound. The best one to use is Arctic MX-4 Thermal Compound. Clean off the old thermal gel using rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip before you apply a pea-sized amount of the thermal gel.
Remember the old yellow light of death on the PS3? This was an issue most commonly associated with bad thermal gel, so replacing the one on your PS4 isn’t a bad idea after a few years.