When I put in a game and turn it on, it goes to a dark screen with " Browser " or "System Configuration" options and a white light circle ring thingy, instead of going to the game.

I have tried rebooting, making sure the disk is clean.

WTF? Any help??


thanks!

Laser could be shot, if so throw away. Laser could be out of adjustment, look online they have a refocusing procedure.

when that happened to mine i sent it back and they fixed it for free and sent it back  to me.

i cant remember what number i called...some 1-800 number

My guess is that it is broken. You could spend alot of money and take it to a repair shop, or just buy a used one from a pawn shop/EB games.

Is that one of those game player things?

Sure here is my advice take it to bullet fest this year.  

Ok, after the great advice here I found the realignment procedure. You need an oscilliscope.


So I called my pawnshop buddy. He said according to the Serial Number, and my date of purchase, it should have been dead 3 years ago. It is an original run model. He thinks maybe what kept it alive this long was me leaving it on for months at a time.



Now I cant play the games I picked up last weekend.



He has another one for me, with upgrades.
\

Go buy a dvd lens cleaner,problem solved. Had the same problem.

Quoted: Go buy a dvd lens cleaner,problem solved. Had the same problem.

Tried that already. Put it in, it goes to that screen I described. Doesnt even try and run.

Mine did this also. I went out and bought a new one.
However, being the curious type, I took the old one apart. The lens thingy (that's red neck technical jargon) was jambed. It wouldn't/couldn't move to read the disc. Gave it little push and it started working great.
If you're going to throw it away anyhow, take it apart and give it a good cleaning. Can't hurt.

Quoted: He thinks maybe what kept it alive this long was me leaving it on for months at a time.

CavVet, I had this problem before on an original PS2. Try putting in an older PS1 game, or music CD. If it loads the CD's then you need to adjust the potentiometer on the DVD side of the laser, if it reads neither, then both the CD side and DVD side pots need adjustment. Normally when this happens you get a disc read error.


I paid some guy on the web $8 for a digital repair manual that showed this procedure and other common PS2 issues and fixes in detail.
I will try to find it for you if this is your problem, it covers everything from opening the case to removing the parts to get to the laser. It was very comprehensive.


ETA:

I also had a problem like this that was from dirt, dirt that I couldn't even see on the disc. I used the Skip Dr. DVD cleaner and the game loaded.

Another time I had a bad memory card, see if you can get into the memory card by itself to elimiate this as a problem.

Get an XBOX