How to reset your PSP
There are a number of ways to reset your PSP, should you need to. Sometimes the PSP will lock up for no apparant reason (I’ve experienced this while playing a couple of PSP games), or sometimes software will crash (I’ve experienced this with some homebrew applications, especially early versions of PSPRadio).
The easiest way to reset the PSP is to do a hard-reset. This means holding the power switch in the up position for around ten seconds. This will then shut off the PSP. You may then need to flick the power button either once or twice for the device to come back on. It may be my PSP thats a little strange here, but after a hard-reset, I always have to press the power on button twice to get the PSP to fire up.
The hard reset method is normally sufficient to bring the PSP back to life and resume use, although it may mean you lose your place in the game you were playing.
The alternative to the hard reset is to drop the battery out of the PSP. While I don’t really recommend this, sometimes a hard-reset will fail and this is your only option. To do this, simply drop the battery out of the PSP by sliding the cover open, and then wait for a few seconds. Pop the battery back in and fire up the PSP. Hopefully all will be well.
Thank you so much for this article, I thought my PSP was a goner but a hard reset did the job.
Hi
My PSP sill won’t come back on, tried hard reset and taking the battery out ???
Any ideas please ?
Dimitri - what had you being doing previous to the PSP stopping working - what firmware?
Were you simply using it and it stopped working, or did you drop it, or had you just installed some software or custom firmware?
Need some idea about what you had been doing prior to it stopping working.
My son was playing a legitimate rented game, Tony Hawk’s Project 8 game when his PSP shut down. Now you can ONLY power it on shortly (couple of seconds) before it shuts off.
Battery is completely charged. Does it whether it is plugged in or not. Tried hard resets, using power switch and removing battery. Never done any hacking on this unit. It was working completely fine until that game. He never got a chance to even play it. This pretty much happened right away.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Michael
Michael, sounds like you need to take it back to the shop and explain whats happened. A none-hacked unit that is failing in the way you have described sounds like a brick.
Did the Tony Hawk game require the PSP’s firmware to be updated before it ran? There may have been a failure in that process that has caused the issue.
If the PSP is new, there should be problem getting it replaced under warranty.
Hi all,
My son lochlann has had his psp since christmas, bought from argos and the power will charge but won’t switch on.
regards
Michael
Michael, if the unit is only 8 months old, I’d take it back to the shop and ask for a replacement. I assume this is a standard unhacked version runnign standard Sony firmware?
Hi i have bought a psp white 1300,
But i upgraded it to firmware 3.52 and i want to downgrade it now can you help me plz.
Hi, I have a hacked PSP with home brew firmware, how do I remove this and change it back to sony’s original firmware?
Please help!
Paul, much depends on which custom firmware version you are using. You can downgrade back to version 1.5 and then back up to an official Sony PSP firmware version, but some will brick due to checks that Sony put in place.
Go to http://www.noobz.eu, and read their FAQ, they have details on what you need to do to return your PSP back to standard.
hey guys, my son was going to play sonic and his psp said needs to update and his psp said loading and stopped at about 40 percent , do you have any ideas , i wasnt there when this happend my son is 9 so i am not sure what happened any ideas thanks no his psp wont come on at all , it will not power up
Frank, sounds like the PSP was powered off mid update, or ran out of battery power and turned itself off.
If this is the case (I guess you’ve tried dropping the battery out and putting it back in again?) then you have little option other than returning it to where you bought it and getting it either fixed or replaced.
If its under warranty, Sony should either replace it or fix it (they have a special tool for reflashing the internal PSP memory to fix so called ‘bricked’ PSP’s).
Your only other choice would be to purchase a ModChip, which requires taking the PSP apart and soldering in a replacement chip (I’d personally go and buy another PSP instead).
Please help, My psp does not wanna work. It goes on but the X button does not wanna work. When I press it it seems as if it loads, but nothing happens.
PLEASE HELP ME
my psp got dropped and the screne wont lite up what do i do?
it still turns on just no backlite.
Drew, does the PSP stay switched on - doesn’t turn off after 10 seconds or so?
If it stays on, can you hear the XMB sounds etc when you press buttons?
The first thing to try is holding down the screen brightness button for a few seconds (the little square button next to the mute one), as this can turn the screen on and off - it may just need turning back on.
If this gives you no joy, it may be that the screen connection has come loose, in which case you need to either take it apart yourself, or take it to a repair shop.
it shuts off
when you take off the analog stick the screne comes up but it freezes then shuts off(only if it is charging though)
how do you fix the screne connection?
I brought a game called “metal slug”. It told me to change the version and I started but realized I did not hook up to the computer. After I tried and it told me it was not verified I cut it off and it does not comeback on ! HELP!
Hello to all,
I have a PSP an got some UMD movies; it worked nice for about 2 months but now when I insert the movies it shows the message “The disc cannot be started. The region code is not correct”. I’m not sure if I did something with the system settings (trying to configure another thing) but I´m not able to watch these movies anymore. Hopefully someone can give be some hints. THANKS!
Jose,
UMD Movies are region controlled, so you must have changed the regional settings (assuming you’ve got a custom firmware isntalled on your PSP).
If you have a custom firmware, reboot it while holding down the right-trigger and enter the recovery menu. You should then be able to change (under one of the options) the region for the PSP.
If you are using standard PSP firmware, and the Movies are no longer working, it sounds like you’ve got an issue with the system and you should take it back to where you bought it. Have you performed a firmware update with an update from a different region?
Dave, thanks for your comments. I cannot do the reboot … I feel dumb. Do you know another method to reboot or reset? Once again, thanks!!
Hey i have a 3.03 version psp and i bought Smash Court Tennis 3 for it. Well i was runnign the upgrade for it and this message came up. “The system configuration of this PSP system does not appear to be correct. The update cannot be completed. Contact technical support for assistnace. (DRNffffffd7)
What wrong with my psp????
i dont know what to do…Please email me if possible.
tennis61911@yahoo.com
my psp wont play any games it makes a clicking sound then says cannot reead disk. please help me
I tryed to reset my PSP but it still does not come on.Why? its says
‘ERROR 4682312ass2′ Then i toke out the battery then when i put the batety back in it said ‘ERROR ENGERY DECLINE’ Help me please! My psp is me, my life, my passion. My quest. And on my quest you-
PSPCULTURE- is here to help me on my way. My friend AKA: my brother Bob Hopkin “The Man” he is haveing internet prombels i need help. Oh and i’m also having trouble with youtube videos it saids ” NO VIDEO” Please help!
- SEXY
Josh, sounds like a battery failure - have you installed the Pandora software on it? try your brothers battery to see if it makes any difference.
Kyle,
sounds like the UMD drive is broken - does it do the same thing for all games you try, or just one?
Nathanmichael - was that a standard 3.03 or the 3.03OE version from Dark_Alex? If its the custom firmware one, the offical Sony update will not work, and protentially brick your PSP. IF its a standard 3.03 and you were simply running the upgrade and it failed (low power, unit powered off mid-update, bad UMD disc etc) then you should return it to where you bought it and explain the problem.
The alternative is the Datel battery tool, or a modded standard battery running Pandora and recovering your PSP back to firmware 1.5.
Hi, I have version 3.71 on my psp. It is the version you get from Sony. I was wondering if there is anyway to downgrade to v1.5, without spending any money. Any help would be greatly appreciated. {please email me at vilsonapo@yahoo.com if you have detailed directions.}
Thanks
vilson, you need to get hold a Pandora battery, make a battery yourself, or get one of the Datel Battery tools. Best suggestion is to ask around your friends/school/workplace to see if anyone has got a Pandora battery they can lend you.
It is possible to make a Pandora battery that will still work as normal, but it is better (in my opinion) to get a spare battery and sacrifice your old one to convert it into a Pandora battery.
The costs for downgrading are very small - and if you can get hold of a converted battery for half an hour, it should cost nothing at all. There are many peolle out there charging to either install a custom firmware, or charging you for the software to do it. Neither of these options are required, as its easy to do it all yourself.
My only warning is that if you can’t afford to buy a new battery, its unlikely you’ll be able to afford a new PSP if it all goes horribly wrong and your PSP becomes toast. While the chances of this are slim, its still a risk and one you should consider carefully.
i have firmware3.7 but i want to downgrade to 1.5
what do you do if you forgot your 4 digit password is there a way to reset that
and if how
My psp got sprayed with water, the sound only now plays through the speakers & not through the psp when playing games. Is this a major repair or any ideas how to resolve?
I just got a new game it was updateing and then lost power now I can’t get it working again. Green light turns on but no screen.
I’ve tryed both hard-reset’s listed up top. I had this PSP for about 2 or 3 years now. Any ideas?
NeedsHelp - sounds like your PSP is now bricked. This can happen if the firmware is updating and the PSP gets powered off mid way through.
You need to investigate the Pandora Battery tool, as this may be the only way to recover your broken PSP.
I just got i new psp game the simpsons. I had to upgrade it.it hade full batery when i was updating i then put it down on the floor while it was updating to 3.7 . i came back and the screen was blank.i press x a few times and nothing happend i went to see if it was on the green light was on i turned it off then on then the green light came on for about 30 seconds then it turns off automatically
plzz send me some help
harry, sounds like its bricked. Was the PSP using an official Sony firmware? YOu may need to get hold of a Pandora battery to re-flash the firmware.
how do you acces myspace on your psp?
Okay, recently, I was using my PSP, with my 2GB memory stick duo, listening to music. I turned off my PSP, put it in my case, and then put it away. 2 hours later, I pulled it out, and tried to turn it on. The green light turns on, but the the system itself will not start up.The light will stay on as long as my battery has life. And it charges normal.
I tried to turn it on with the battery out only using the AC Cord as a Power source but it still wont work then i tried both and I still receive the same feedback.
I’ve been running on 3.52 M33 for about a month been flashing themes and I know how to do all of that so that can’t be the problem and remember I dont know but it cant be a brick because i thought bricks occur only while flashing this happened after listening to music and turning it off.
I have tried everything, except taking it apart and checking for a short, or checking for dust, mainly because I lack the tools neccessary. If there is any sort of proffessional opinion on this, I would be very happy to hear it.
If I can get some professional help i’d be very appreciated.
E-MAIL: JRQui15@hotmail.com
AOL Instant Messenger: ItsJRFo0
Junior,
Try holding the screen button down for a few seconds - you can turn the screen on and off doing this. It sounds like you’ve put the PSP away with it not switched off properly, and the button has been held in for a few moments.
I tried to hold the Brightness Button down for a couple of seconds and i still dont get any response and remember i dont get xmb sounds so this is pretty weird if you dont have any other solutions do you know wher i can take it to get fixed cuz i dont want to lose my custom firmware cuz i dont have liberty city stories no more and i cant take it back to the store cuz this was bought second hand
omg thankyou soooo much i was installing the 3.80 system software and it had failed and wouldnt turn off but did the hard reset and workd!!
thakyou!!!!
so happ
ok i am really mad i got some new games for my psp and it needid a upgrade soo i upgradid it too 3.51 it got to 10% then it said remove the disk then i did then it said something like the disk has bin removed then showed a hoo bunch of numbers then i shut my psp down tryd to turn it on but then the green light wen on but no sound or picture came up… thee screen was black but the green light was on i tried charging for 1 hour did not work plz plz plz help me fi my problem you seem lik the guy that can ):
hey dave my psp has become slow … it takes a lot ov time to move int he menu please help ASAP…
psp wont turn on green light comes on for about 15 seconds, then cuts off, the screen doesnt come either, do u have any solutions?
ashton - sounds like a classic brick I’m afraid - removing the battery/umd/memory stick during an upgrade to the firmware normally results in the PSP breaking. Look for the Pandora battery solution, or return the PSP to where you bought itwith an explanation as to what happened.
MANI - the PSP menu can become slow if you have a lot of homebrew software on your memory stick - are you using a custom firmware?
loni - same as Ashton I’m afraid, again, classic symptoms of the PSP being bricked. Was it running a standard PSP firmware prior to breaking?
hmmm, dont think so but i put my battery on to one of my friends psp, and theirs came on, but when i put their battery on mine it didnt turn on.
Thanks Dave it helped i thought my psp was gone i was about to kill my nephew thanks alot!!
Thanks Dave it helped i thought my psp was gone i was about to kill my nephew thanks alot!!
CEDES - glad it helped!
loni - its nopt the battery thats the problem - putting it in someone elses PSP isn’t going to prove your PSP is not bricked.
If u tried everything, and they didn’t work, try this: Disconnect the battery, reconnect and switch it on whilst holding down both top two corner clear buttons. It should restart in recovery mode. Toggle down and select RECOVERY folder, then select. If this folder is corrupted you will have to get a copy off of the internet and replace it using the usb connector. This usually does the trick, if it will not start in recovery mode, it’s a SONY job.
Good luck
Who was that towards^ ?
anyways im still havin the same problem i got my psp to 3.52 M33 and i’ve been using it and had no problems untill i turned it on one day and the green light shines buh nothing happens the screen doesnt even turn on and it doesnt let me in recovery mode so i know its fully bricked buh the thing is i never did anything to brick it idk watt to do can anyone help??
i was playing my game popolocrois when my game froze i reset it and now all i get is certificate utility how do i get this off or is a goner
psp 3.71
in the time to press the home button i can’t move to yes, select button is the problem, when I PRESSED simply nothing happens on the game of course
Hey, i have had my psp for about two years, but recently it has been locking up and shuting down. the firmware is 3.8. it works for all of 10-15 minuits, is there anything i can do with out sending it in for repairs?
Chris, assuming the battery is ok, and its not just shutting down on one game, it sounds like a repair job. I’ve not heard of people having problems with the PSP simply shutting off after a few minutes use.
i was going on the internet and my psp froze. it wont cut back on what shuld i do.
have new psp v3.8 managed to run homebrew on old one took about 3 months to work out how to down grade!! its my sons not mine!
is there an idiot guide to running homebrew on 3.8??
When i try to turn my psp on, the green light only stays on for a few sec. and nothing happends. I have 3.52 firmware no custom work or enything like that. Also when i plug it in to charge same thing happens but it will charge. This has happend before but i got bored 1 day and was in the process of taking it apart and got 2 screws in and couldent get the rest(becuase i dident have a small screw driver)and turned it back on and it worked and then a few days later this happen i dont have the money to go get another 1 and it is way to old for a refund. p.s. im kinda new to but i have read alot of forms so i have a good understanding.
O yea i was playing no games or movies when it froze. I just turned it off when it was working and then went to turn it back on.
Cameron, it sounds to me like there is a loose connection in the PSP somewhere - if it stopped working, you started to take it apart, put it back together and it worked again, you must have disturbed something within the system.
I’d personally go and get hold of a small screwdriver (wickes in the UK have a decent own brand small screwdriver) and take the faceplate off, and check for any wires that are loose or broken away from their solder. This would seem to be the most liekly culprit for an intermittent working PSP.
Hi Dave, my firmware version is 3.90 and i want to know whether there is any chance to downgrade it.
Jason, you can downgrade any PSP using the Pandora Battery, including the latest 3.90 firmware. You can create a Pandora battery from any PSP that is running a custom firmware, or purchase one from somewhere like eBay, already configured.
The battery mimics the standard Sony device that is used to unbrick broken PSP’s by reflashing a specific firmware to the system (in the case of the Sony device, I believe its version 1.5, for a Pandora battery, its whatever custom firmware its been created with).
Hope this helps.
lol, thanks dave although i dont know how to create a pandora battery
I recently bought a used PSP and the person who had it before me (I have no idea who that is) has a password on the system… how do i change that to where i can set my own password?
By the way the PSP firmware version is 3.52
could someone please tell me how to access recovery mode on psp running official 3.40 firmware it just wont boot up in recovery.thanks .tazzjeff
Jeff, no recoveryt mode on standard PSP firmware. You need to install a custom firmware using the Pandora battery or by using one of the firmware downgraders.
tried downgrading and upgrading with different custom firmwares,,,yes i know how to do it,,,but it wont even let me install any of these,,,can ya tell me which custom firmware you recommend to put my psp on from this official 2.82 cos it gettin to me now…if i could get into recovery it wud be fine cos i know how to do that aswell..please recommend me a good custom firmware and i will let you know how i get on with it ..thanks jeff
sozz i mean 3.40 official firmware..jeff
i need help my psp wont turn on i turn it on and the green light will turn on but the screen wont show if u can help me that will be great
hey my psp seems to be having weird problems. when i get to yhe main screen of a game it says press start yet when i do nothing happens. when i click end game i can’t move to yes, it’s just stuck on no. when i try to enter a web site adress, it quicky shuts off the adress entry box before i can type anything.
please help. firmware 3.71.