How to Fix a Frozen Game on PS2

By Steven Diggs, Jr.

Updated September 22, 2017

Items you will need

  • Cotton tissue

  • Disc resurfacing device

PlayStation knockoff controllers
i black and blue game pads image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com

The PlayStation 2, one of the most popular video game systems of all time, is not a perfect machine. Sometimes, discs will stop working during a game. There are many tactics to fix a frozen game on the PS2, most of which require one step, but sometimes a multitude of steps have to be followed to stop a game from freezing.

Insert the PS2 game into the PS2 and turn it on. Figure out where the game is freezing.

Soft reset the game by hitting the reset button. Allow the game to load back to the freeze point and see whether it has corrected the problem. Sometimes, especially if the PS2 has been on a lot, the PS2 overheats, causing games to freeze.

Eject the disc from the PS2 if the problem persists. Take a look at the bottom side of the disc. Look for any scratches or smudges, especially in the center where the PS2 reads a lot of information from the disc.

Wipe off any smudges with a cotton tissue. Clean scratches with a tissue as well. The scratches won't go away, but it will lessen their impact on the PS2's laser reading problem.

Resurface severely scratched discs using a disc resurfacing device. To use the machine, put the game disc in it upside-down, apply resurfacing fluid to the disc and turn on the device to polish it. Results can vary depending on the device; the cheaper ones will only remove minor scratches. More expensive ones will repair deeper scratches.

Tips

Don't rub the discs too hard with the tissue because it can cause more smudges.

Warnings

Don't touch the bottom of the disc when you don't have to. Fingertips can cause scratches and smudges quickly.

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