How to Restore a Bricked PS3 Slim

The newest model of the Sony PlayStation 3 is referred to as the PS3 Slim because it is much smaller than the original PS3. If your PS3 becomes bricked, you need to replace the hard drive. While you will lose all of your information, it is the only way to get your PS3 Slim to work again. You will need a new, 2.5-inch serial ATA hard drive to unbrick your system. These are available at any store that sells computer parts.

Turn off the PS3 Slim if it is not already turned off.

Disconnect the power cable, then the cables connecting it to the TV.

Turn the PS3 Slim upside down. Slide open the only rectangular door on the bottom of the system.

Unscrew the screw underneath the rectangular door with a crosshead screwdriver. This screws keeps the drive bay's door shut. Once the screw is removed, slide the drive bay's door off, which is located in front of the rectangular door.

Pull out the hard disk tray from the drive bay. Unscrew the screws in all four corners of the tray with the crosshead screwdriver. Turn the tray upside down. Once the tray is upside-down, gently remove the hard drive.

Slide the new hard drive into the tray. Turn the tray over and fasten all the screws back into place. Slide the tray back into the drive bay. Place the door back into place and screw it shut.

Plug all of the cables back into the system.

Reinstall the system software from the PlayStation website (us.PlayStation.com). Plug the flash drive into the computer. Open the flash drive and create a folder called "PS3." Open that folder and create a new folder called "UPDATE" (Note: The word "UPDATE" must be capitalized for the PS3 Slim to recognize it). Click "Download Now" under "Update data download procedure." Save the system software to the "UPDATE" folder. Remove the flash drive once the download has finished.

Turn the PS3 Slim on. Insert the flash drive. The update is automatically recognized. Follow the directions to install it to the hard drive.