I'm getting "Disc Read Error" 99% of the time when inserting games & DVDs into my PS2.

I'm wondering if my system is dead or if cleaning the laser might help?

Try searching for other threads on this. I know that I've seen this discussed numerous times.

I did but I came up blank.

I just performed another search and the closest I came up with was: Extended Warranty Plans - are they worth it?

Any help would be appreciated.

Try to clean the lens, and if that doesn't work, contact Sony. They are known to support the consumer.

Call Sony before you try to clean the lens, they have been repairing PS2s with the disc read error for free. If you try to fix it on your own you just give them a reason to say it's a problem that you caused...

If they won't fix it you can check the disc read error faq and see if any of those ideas work.

thanks for the advice guys!

Just called Sony and they said they will fix it for free. Thanks a lot e_hartnett!

I just got this problem but only with PS2 games on cd's, not dvd's and certain audio cd's. I had no problems until this summer. I blame it on standing my PS2 vertical which I have since learned should not be done. A few weeks after doing that the problems appeared. I think I am going to replace mine under warranty though.

Does anyone have the Sony PS2 phone number regarding this problem? I haven't been able to find a number listed regarding this here in calif.

Thanks.

This has nothing to do with it. The disc read error seems to happen at random to people (probably just defective DVD-Roms)and whether the unit is horizontal or vertical makes no difference. As long as you don't knock it over vertical is perfectly safe. I know at least 30 people who keep their PS2 vertical and none have every had a problem. Many of those consoles are launch systems.

While bumping your system when vertical may cause a disc to get scratched, just having the console vertical puts no extra wear and tear on the DVD-ROM.

Yeah, I've had mine vertical for almost a year and haven't had a problem. It seems like the people who are having the disc read errors are the ones with the launch (or close to launch) systems. The first batch wasn't all that great but the newer ones seem ok.

Well, I do have one from close to launch. Do you guys have any links to information about the whole vertical thing? I was told by friends that it wasn't really built to handle that well.

The only info on the vertical thing concerns disc damage. This is from Game Spot "it carves a ring around the outside of the disc about a half-inch in, which will make the game unable to boot." Sony says this can not happen if you use their vertical stand to keep the console stable, but they do not recommend the cheap third party ones. Basically the stability of vertical can be a danger to the discs if the console is moved while playing and some say just the drive motor vibration can cause damage. Again, I know many people who use their PS2s vertical and they have had no problems of any kind, but I do believe they all use stands of somekind.

The is no info anywhere about this damaging the DVD-ROM drive, just the discs. CD and DVD-ROM drives should work fine in just about any position. The old PSX units worked better upside down.

Sony's number 1-800-345-SONY