Sony PS3 Firmware v3.55 Update: Problems after Download?

By Alan Ng

07 December, 2010 Gaming, Sony Playstation 3 10:17 am

The next time you boot up your PS3 console, you’ll be greeted with yet another system update message. Sony has just updated the console to version 3.55 and it’s another one of their famous ‘security patches’.

As usual, Sony hasn’t dropped any details on the exact nature of the security update, but some details we’ve read over at TheSixthAxis indicates that the update was another response from Sony to counter recent attempts made by hackers.

While it’s a shame that there doesn’t appear to be any new features within the v3.55 update, it is refreshing to see Sony maintain their strong stance on delivering prompt action against any criminal activity on the PS3.

For those of you who have already updated to the new software, has anything major happened that we should know about? We usually get a flood of complaints from users after each update, stating that 3.xx has ‘crashed or frozen’ their console. Hopefully it doesn’t happen with 3.55 though and everyone can report a safe and successful update.

If you happen to find any hidden features which Sony failed to mention on the US PS Blog, be sure to share your findings with us below.

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flip

the download itself crashes…. wont go beyond 11 %. Then stops. no connection with server.
- kodolives_21
  
  mine didnt go past 7%. might as well switch to the 360
- greg
  
  after installing the update (or thinking that it fully installe) i got nothing but a black screen. I powered down the machine and still only black screen. I tried component instead of hdmi, no luck, tried another tv, no luck, then i realized the controller doesnt even connect to the ps3. I have an 80gb (old big model) I have never had issues like this before. I dont even get a sony screen, just black screen. help please. kaliton636@yahoo.com
Mickey

Mine is downloading right now, I'm at 14% … I live in the United States & it's going swell.
John Lewis

My PS3 crashed as soon as it installed the update. The red light is flashing , and if I try to turn on the PS3 it goes back to flashing red light . I've tryed rebooting and still won't work.
amazongamer

my ps3 has never had a problem before in the 4 years ive had it, since launch day, never crashed over heated, nothing. Half an hour after i install this it shuts down. Everytime i try to start it up no it just shuts down straight away. I dont think its a coincidence that it stopped working after the update.
- Arc_insanity
  
  this happened to me aswell i have the older "fat" version had no problms till around a half hour after the patch installed now i get flashing red light every time i try to start
brendan

my download crashed first time bout 40% then my Playtv didnt work, so i treid updating again, crashed at 4%, third time did the charm updated BUT playtv still doesnt work, any ideas? i don't want to format my harddrive, how do you delete playtv updates, cos that might help, they cant be found with the rest of the updates as with games? PLEASE HELP
steven

mine starts up but refuses to read any disc and everytime i turn it off (through turning it off by the xmb) and turn it back on it says there was a software malfunction
Dee

i was able to download the update but it's stuck on 99% install for at least an hour. I hope the update didn't brick my PS3. Somebody is going to pay and it won't be me. Sony!!!
Chris

I cannot connect any bluetooth device to my PS3…
A, CARTER

MINE IS NOW BRICKED AFTER THIS UPDATE
jerome

my ps3 will not play disc or play downloaded games screen just goes grey ps3 only 8 months old gutted
Joey

Mine now gives a Media Server Error message and won't allow me to stream my movies; I also seem to be unable to stay connected to Playstation Network but I'm not sure if that is to due with the firmware or my ISP.
Rao.

model: CECHA01

System never experienced any issue before the update.

It is now bricked. It can start in safe mode but crashes when I attempt to restart/restore/…
Irving

my unit is 80 gb fat got same problem after downloading 3.55 it has red blinking light when i start the unit blank screen but after few test unit is fine but after turning the unit off when starting same problem my unit has no problems before this upgrade. pls help me my email add is vingkoy@yahoo.com
Chuck

I have the original backwards compatible 60gb model. I did the d/l over night. Got up. Red light flashing. Turned on. Fired up, but said the PS3 was not shut down properly last time. This of course was not true. Started my game. Said I needed an update. Even though I had started it the night before. tried the update again. Flashing red light again, but this time won't fire up at all. Totally ticked off.
- Chuck
  
  Just called Sony. They basically said it was coincidence that my PS3 died after the update. I tried to explain that I had read of tons of similar circumstances where people had the EXACT same problem. He basically said I cannot believe what I read online and he would have been the one receiving those calls and he had not been received calls regarding this issue. I was basically getting nowhere so I just gave up. I don't know if I am more ticked that I may have to spend $300 or that I lost my game data.
RJS

Flashes red for me then shuts down when i start it up after installing the update.
- Chuck
  
  Are people here calling Sony. I just think it is funny that they play it off like I am the first case that has had this problem.
Richard

I'm stuck at the "press the PS button to use controller." message. Neither my connected controller nor my long rectangular contoller is working! I'm at the "other OS" message. Help!
- drew
  
  The same thing just happened to me. How did you resolve it
  - Kylie
    
    I have the same problem also. Any tips on how to resolve it?
Jeff

Hi, After installing V3.55 I am no longer able to play anything Blu-Ray, although I can play normal DVD's, I have contacted Sony UK Customer Services and they told me that this was a problem waiting to happen and the latest update has just brought the problem to my attention, "What A Load of Crap!!!!! they just do not want to admit that their software is screwing with people consoles", I have tried everything they have said like booting the PS3 into safe mode and carrying out options 2, 3 & 5 (which was the biggy and had to completely restore my PS3 HDD to it's original settings) still no joy, I am just reinstalling my backup as we speak and am going to attempt to manually install V3.50 back over the V3.55, I don't think it is going to work but I am going to give it a go, if this fails, I am going to reinstall V3.55 again just in case there was something amiss in the initial install.
Here I am 5 hours after coming home from work, still trying to sort out my PS3 as I have bought Guitar Hero III, PLaystation Move, Eyetoy Camera, Eyepet and 5 games for my 8 year old son for Xmas and we have a near useless PS3 on our hands at the moment. Great!!! We love you Sony.
grizzleyguy72

After update last night.. as i had not turned on my ps3 for a few months after buying the xbox 360 slim.. I used my gamestop wireless (no usb) and it doesn't work.. I used it last night to watch movies and a few demos and then updated after that.. the controller is useless other than reformatting to factory setting i have reset default setting to NO prevail.. This bites… i am sure gamestop will not take this controller back as it is a year old.. but worked marvelous up until this bullcrap.
annmarie

half hour after installing the update my display went funny all black and white squares. Rebooted it and now the tv wont recognise it at all. tried the safe mode etc and it still wont work…the fan is also quiet. I have the old 60gb fat one …..not happy just before xmas
ALI AFRIDI

MINE GETS TO 70% THEN SCREEN WENT BLACK ,, I ALSO TRY TO BRING IT ON FLASHDRIVE STILL NOT WORKINH FIRST I THOUGHT I M LIVING IN PAKISTAN MAY BE SERVER PROBLEM THEN IT WAS NOT ,WHAT I DO NOW ??? AT MOMENT BUY NEW ONE ??????? OR WJAT I DOO OOOO big_strom2005@yahoo.com,,plz cotact meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee i wana play mw2
Andy

Live in Perth Western Australia, mine has crashed completely….. Won't play ANY games, DVD or Blu-Ray. Put a new HDD in it but the firmware is in the system itself so NOTHING WORKS. It's F***ed. Totally cheesed off with Sony, they must fix it surely? Know 4 people with PS3 & all reported the same thing, they're now useless
Glenn

I have had no problem with my ps3 from day one,I got a xmas gift a new game and it had a update on it, it said that I needed to update so I said yes to the to it,I did not even get 1% before it crashed I tryed every thing I could think of, nothing worked so i'm doing a full system reload.I hope it works. Come on guys I have read all I can read about this and other downloads this is the frist time I have had problems but sony has got some of the brightest and smartest and these things should be rare not the norm,so get your heads out of your asses and get some pride in your work, or is this a way to get someone to buy a new product,I dont think your that dum, I guess I'm just upset about maybe not getting my PlayStation up and running fine on a disability and cannot afford another one, so to lose it because of someone else's fault just doesn't seem right.
Kylie

I've tried to do a system update via USB. All seemed to be going well until I got to the 'Other OS' screen, where it says to 'Press the PS button to use the controller.' When I click Enter, nothing happens but I hear the click. If I try to Cancel it takes me to the Cancel screen but won't let me select the option to confirm cancellation, so my controller seems to be working, but only selectively.

How frustrating! Does everyone else find a way to resolve their various problems? I see lots of complaints but no word on how to fix them…
X-Blades

Just tried to update v3.55 on13 mo old PS3. Now it is stuck at the "press the PS button to use controller." message. none of my contollers are working! Connected one controller with the cord, red light flashes, does nothing. unplug it -press the PS button No Lights at all! Can not shut down, afraid to pull the plug or kill switch, My son's older unit with no problems! any sugjestions?

Troy
North – East Wisconsin USA
iain_c_g

Just got a new ps3 game for Christmas off of my gf and though Great! Put the disc in and get asked to update the software so I thought fair enough, ive been gone a week so it seemed normal. Update seemed to go fine but when I start the game… nothing but a blank screen that won't go away. Tried to switch it off and had to resort to pulling the plug I thought It might've been the game but I tried a few other and only one worked (black ops). It was working perfectly fine before the update! I'm p***** off that Sony have screwed with the software in a way that means I cant play all but one of my games!!
Scot Dixon

My 80G "fat" PS3 has been working fine for 3 years. I haven't hacked it or done anything other than play Blu-Ray discs and some games. I got a new game (Lego Star Wars) for Christmas, and it required me to run the System Update before it would connect to the network. After doing this, the game ran for a short time before my system crashed: Red Flashing Light. It restarted, and the menu system ran for a few minutes and then flashing red light again. Today, after cooling off completely, same problem, except now, it won't boot at all. To make matters worse, my brand new game disc is stuck in the PS3 and I can't get it out!!! Thanks a pant load Sony! My theory is that the new firmware is stressing a lot of the "fat" PS3 processors and they are overheating. I noticed right after the update, that the cooling fan seemed to be working much harder than usual. The "fat" PS3s have a known overheating problem, and I think update 3.55 is just pushing the marginal units over the edge. I think that after more people update and then run heavy programs, we're going to see much, much more of these problems.
Jdilla

I have been all around the web and I'm tired of reading that my blu ray laser has died or there is some sort of hardware malfunction going on. That is pure BS and I dare someone to prove that theory correct when I have been to multiple websites and read the exact same stories from a massive amount of gamers after the 3.55 update.

I have owened my 60gb Fatboy for just about 3 years now and its been well taken care of…dusted…kept cool..not stressed. Movies, Games, Netflix you know all the things the machine was built to do. I have not hacked it and dont plan on it either.

The update downloaded to my system just fine but the next day it was completely bananas. One by one my system started losing functions…..media server…Reading discs and playing downloaded content from psn. Now its freezing and shutting down almost as soon as you try to do anything other than watch the xmb float in space and its extremely frustrating to know that Im practically watching my PS3 die in front of my eyes.

I don't claim to be all knowing but this is surely a direct response from the 3.55 update and its amazing to me that SONY is really acting like we are all crazy and all is well in the world. Im a loyal customer…numerous sony products in my home. PS3 and all the updates alone is annoying enough but this right here is taking the cake….

Get it together and fix it cuz im not sending you $$$ to toss mine in the trash and send me another one.
fred

after upgrade all mp3 directly on internal hd skip randomly. never hade any probleme
Necronam

My PS3 can't read Blu-ray movies anymore and games keep freezing on load screens.
kramboy

There is a definate problem with the new update ! It's also clear sony are trying to imply that 'we' are all wrong and that it is just coincidental that when you get new update it crashes your ps3.We must bombard sony with e-mails,even just so as they have a constant daily record of very disgruntled customers.THEY MUST ACCEPT THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE !!!
Damon

My download was successful but it still comes up with "this server is curently under going maintenance please help me