Broken PS1

[gezegond]

Hi! I have had a Sony Playstation (the first model that looked like this) for about 12 years. Recently however, it's been acting a bit weird: While playing games, the console automatically restarts. I don't remember anything special happening to it before it started acting like this, like falling off a high place or something spilling on it. I had kept it in my closet for a long time, and when I took it out after some years, it was like this.

I have tried to figure out when it happens and/or what is the cause. It seems to happen randomly, and I can't find where the problem stems from. The problem doesn't seem to be over heating since old consoles wouldn't over heat that much and I keep it at a cool place. It's not the games either, since they used to work just fine. Does anyone know what could be the cause of this or how it could be solved?

[Coraje187]

Is it every game if so then maybe the lens is dirty. Also the power cord could be faulty, or a dirty disk. If you check all those and it don't work its time to get a new one. You can get a PS1 or PS2 real cheap now, or you could go all out and get a PS3.

[gezegond]

Yes, it happens for all games. The disks are fine, I can probably get another power cord to test it although I doubt that's the problem. Can I clean my lens without those lens cleaning kits?

[Coraje187]

I used to clean mine by unplugging it then getting a soft Qtip and some Alcohol, put a small amount of alcohol and water in a little cup. Once ready dip the Qtip in the mix, then lightly rub the lens then use the other end to dry. You can do that a few times but be light on the lens you don't want to scratch it. Then let dry and you should have a clean lens. The reason I was thinking power cord or the connection in the back is lose is that it resets at random. So I thought if the system moves a little it lose power causing the reset. But good luck and hope you get it fixed.

[squall8cloud7]

Another simple suggestion is epsxe. hardware requirements arent too high and you could output it to your tv via hdmi

[Zorlon]

It's not the lens game disc reading errors do not make the console restart or power off, it will either freeze or just not boot anything (It may restart if it can't even fully boot a game, i.e. give you the usual Sony SCEA or SCEE message then just not boot the game but instead returning to the system menu, but this will not happen mid game)

It is either a dodgy cable, if thats true then you are lucky as the other issue is a fault in the PSU or just the machine itself, the later the best you could do is risk grabbing a second hand PSX and use your laser in it (if your laser unit seems to be in beter shape that is)

Rubbing alcohol will do for the lense, but as thats not the issue don't touch it (don't fix what isn't broken )

To be honest for a laser not to read a game disc at all cleaning along wouldn't help that much you would also need to retune the thing aswell

[gezegond]

I still haven't gotten around to test it with other cables. SO it's definitely not over-heating? If it's the PSU, then I can't do anything about it???

[Zorlon]

The PSU can be replaced in the old PSX, but a 2nd hander is just as cheap nowerdays if not cheaper, unless you know of a PSX spairs supplier that does em cheaper.

The power cable atleast over here in the UK was a common cable used for many consoles and getoblasters ect that you can either find around the house or get ahold of for very cheap.

most of the PSX range have interchangable parts, some main boards are missing the back port though (the PSU is the same though) and the PSone can only have the laser interchangable with the older PSX models but does have a shorter connection so it's a stretch for the PSone laser to fit in a grey PSX but the other way round works great (a PSone laser unit in a PSX is doable but it's not great it's just so tight you need to repossition the connection through part of the plastic casing of the laser unit for it to fit snug into a older PSX)