Is my PS3 toast or is there hope?

First, if it's backward compatable I'd love to trade you a working non-backward compatable model for it lol.

More to the question, though, there are a list of things you can do.

1) If you can get it to start for a short time, go to Sony's site for instructions on how to open the "recovery menu." Do the things that do not require you to loose data (or look at just about any youtube vidio titled "secret menu").

2) If you cannot, the two most common issues are bad bluray drives (which can be purchased for around $60~$90 online and swapped at home with a little care) and bad thermal past (the stuff that transfers heat from the processors to the cooling assembly). There are also videos of how to fix this stuff on youtube. I would try the thermal paste first since it's the cheapest (maybe $15 for some paste and an hour of your time tops) and then consider either sending it in for the $150 repair from Sony or paying a local tech to fix it.

You should know, though, that Sony no longer makes a backward compatible model, so it's kinda' worth it to fix that one over buying a new one.. They're like limited editions the way they last lol.

God luck!

This just happened to me about 2 weeks ago i was playing mw2 when it turned off by itself then when i tried to turn it back on it goes green then yellow then flashes red. This is the YLOD (yellow light of death). This is caused when your ps3 overheats. There are a couple of things you can do.

1.Phone sony and they will fix it for you but it can cost around £100-£150 but when you get it back all of your data is usually gone.

2.There is a video on youtube which helps you pull apart your ps3 (i do not recommend this because if you make a mistake your ps3 is totally ruined

3. Leave your ps3 for a while unplugged so it will cool down then try it again.

4. Buy a new ps3.

Ok, my brother has had a ps3 for a while and it just happens when the motherboard inside it overheats. I don't know what that is, but it controls most of it. Get in touch with sony if you want and they'll charge around £120.00 to replace it. You wont get your memory back, so no saves or anything. While they fix it, they send you a replacement until your real one gets sent back. So basically if your not willing to pay a load of cash then there is no hope. Good Luck :P

P.S That could be hard to understand.

there is hope but not if u dont know how to fix it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAmpDwqCgnI&p=28574...

Try this. If it doesn't work you need a new system.