Any way to fix a bricked PS3?

[Appie]

I honestly think I managed to brick mine... somehow..

Here's the deal: two days ago I was playing FFXI on my USA PS3 for a bit, a few hours after I started it up I get this gray screen, with snow like effects but then cut up in like pretty big triangliar shapes, wasn't even snow like across the whole screen. I couldn't do anything with my controller anymore so I turned the PS3 off. Then when I tried to turn it on it would not go on normally. It makes the start up sound for like 2 seconds and then it dies down to a silent yet unusual sound for the PS3.

I tried the "hold the standby button 5 seconds" thing, no dice I don't get any visual, tried this with composite and hdmi cable. I tried the hard reset thing where you should get 3 beeps (shortly after each other?) never got that work either, I held the button for like a good 2 minutes, no 3 beeps. Yeah I got 3 beeps as in: turning on beep, 5sec beep, back to standby beep that followed like 30 secs later. I don't get any visual.

I tested my TV too, granted only the composite part since I don't have any other devices that use the hdmi cable. It worked perfectly, so the problem isn't the TV I guess. Also my TV won't allow me to switch to the HDMI channel unless it obtains a signal from something that is "on". I always needed to turn on my PS3 before I could zap to the HDMI channel. This still functions the same in the PS3's current state.

I only did 2 things with the PS3 the last week that might have caused this: downloaded firmware 1.92 (which supposedly brought more people problems, but I haven't heard of anybody having this problem) and I downloaded the patch for FFXI like 3-4 hours before the thing went to the gray screen. I used the PS3 frequently between 1.92 download and the PS3 crash. Downloaded 1.92 past thursday and the PS3 crashed two days ago.

Is this "bricked"? Or is there something stupidly easy I haven't thought of? If it's bricked, any of you know a way to fix this?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Vertabreaker]

I honestly think I managed to brick mine... somehow..

Here's the deal: two days ago I was playing FFXI on my USA PS3 for a bit, a few hours after I started it up I get this gray screen, with snow like effects but then cut up in like pretty big triangliar shapes, wasn't even snow like across the whole screen. I couldn't do anything with my controller anymore so I turned the PS3 off. Then when I tried to turn it on it would not go on normally. It makes the start up sound for like 2 seconds and then it dies down to a silent yet unusual sound for the PS3.

I tried the "hold the standby button 5 seconds" thing, no dice I don't get any visual, tried this with composite and hdmi cable. I tried the hard reset thing where you should get 3 beeps (shortly after each other?) never got that work either, I held the button for like a good 2 minutes, no 3 beeps. Yeah I got 3 beeps as in: turning on beep, 5sec beep, back to standby beep that followed like 30 secs later. I don't get any visual.

I tested my TV too, granted only the composite part since I don't have any other devices that use the hdmi cable. It worked perfectly, so the problem isn't the TV I guess. Also my TV won't allow me to switch to the HDMI channel unless it obtains a signal from something that is "on". I always needed to turn on my PS3 before I could zap to the HDMI channel. This still functions the same in the PS3's current state.

I only did 2 things with the PS3 the last week that might have caused this: downloaded firmware 1.92 (which supposedly brought more people problems, but I haven't heard of anybody having this problem) and I downloaded the patch for FFXI like 3-4 hours before the thing went to the gray screen. I used the PS3 frequently between 1.92 download and the PS3 crash. Downloaded 1.92 past thursday and the PS3 crashed two days ago.

Is this "bricked"? Or is there something stupidly easy I haven't thought of? If it's bricked, any of you know a way to fix this?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Did you get 3 beeps followed by a red LCD at any point?

My first PS3 bricked, where it would just shut down by itself. I would turn it back on, get no visual for about 5 min, then it would shut down after beeping 3 times and the LCD indicator would go to red.

Luckly I was within my warranty period and could simply return it. If yours is bricked, you're gonna have to send it back to Sony most likely and have them fix the issue.

[Fallso]

Excess dust stuck in the inner components will do that, happened to my old PS2, you can risk it and open it yourself and fix it or send it back

[Appie]

I remember it beeping 3 times when I was switching from the HDMI cable to composite (or composite to hdmi, not sure), but nothing happened and I never got to duplicate that event. I am not sure either if it went to red LED after the beeping. Just now, I let it run for about 5-10 mins and it wouldn't go to 3 beep then shutdown like you described either, the console was blowing out hot air though at the end.

Also, you say "my first PS3" did it die again later or something and that you had to buy a new one? Or did you get a new one when you send it in for repairs for this issue?

I have had it for about 3 months, while I don't dust off often I doubt that's the problem. If it is, well then it's the first console out of my collection (which all stand in the same cupboard as the PS3) to die from dust.

I got no warranty since it's a USA PS3 in Europe. I can't send it to Sony even if I offer to pay for the repairs.
Guess I'll have to find a shop nearby that wants to do it.