Update: PlayStation Network Is Working Again, You Can Turn On Your Fat PS3 Now

[wraggster]

After Sony's warning, the PlayStation Network seems to be back online and fully operational, according to reader Larry Gallant:

I wanted to let you guys know that the phat PS3s are now able to login to the Playstation network and the clocks are working. I was able to login at 6:28 PM eastern time in the Boston, MA USA area.
No official word from Sony yet, however, so proceed with caution.

Have you been able to connect to the network? Tell us in the comments.

http://gizmodo.com/5483212/update-playstation-network-is-working-again-you-can-turn-on-your-fat-ps3-now

[phsychokill]

came back on for me just after midnight UK time.

so its possible the PS3 fails at the date 1st march and has the internal hardware clock set to GMT as it would be past the 1st now, so seems it could just be a flaw in how the hardware counts for leap years (obviously fixed in the slims)

[FireStag]

Everything is A-OK for me in California.

[VampDude]

so seems it could just be a flaw in how the hardware counts for leap years (obviously fixed in the slims

This year isn't a leap year though, 2008 was and 2012 will be. With March 29th being the last day of the month. :cool:

http://www.jetcityorange.com/leap-year/

[phsychokill]

I never said it was a leap year but it makes sense it would be the leap year calculation when it does it on the day of the year that can change.

then for it to magically fix with no interaction or work on Sony's behalf, all consoles fixed after midnight GMT, even the offfline consoles so the problem was entirly down to how the console handles the first of march/29th Feb, due to the two being interchangeable.

it is a problem with the consoles hardware calculations, if you look at history 1st march has been a bad day for PS3's since they launched. (except on leap years)

so it looks like the hardware clock gets confused if you take the 29th Feb out.

[VampDude]

If the problem was from a lack of the 29th, the problem would have undoubtfully occurred in 2009. Only one leap year has passed with the PS3, which was 2008 and there wasn't an issue, though 2010 saw the mishap of the calendar thinking it was a leap year whilst the servers moved successfully into the 1st of March. So theoretically, SONY was the one at fault in 2007 when they shipped the original consoles with the dodgy calendar whilst owners of the newer slim (like myself) went unaffected.

I think SONY knew, which is reports of them saying they were working on the fixes but they ended up sorting themselves when the clock hit a certain time. In the next firmware, the calendar should possibly be updated with something that will safely see us into 2016 in which time we will have the next generation.

[phsychokill]

but really how can it be anything other than the local hardware? I know people who have never connected their PS3 to the network, they always just use a thumb drive to update the firmware (due to lack of wireless and not want to run wires all over the house) and their PS3's also fixed at midnight, so it seems to fit the problem is with the system calculating the 29th as once that day had passed and it had to be march the systems all worked fine again.

so it is more probable the system lost track of the month and it didn't fix until the system had no choice other than to accept it was that day.

on a side note stripping down the PS3 and removing the clock battery for a few minuets so the memory wiped worked for one of my friends, so it stands to reason this problem is based around the hardware clock.

if it was a firmware fault then newer fat's would of also had the problem and the slim would of as I cant see them programming two clock/calender systems on hardware that is pretty much identical.

[Ryupowerup]

the hardware clock, thought that 2010 was a leap year
but the PS3 Calendar CANT be set to 02/29/2010 as it NOT a leap year, so you have the hardware fail error, and all the problems

the the system clock stopped working

but after the 24h and the hardware clock went to the next day it fixed itself

the hardware clock run on 0:00 GMT

the older PS3 have an older hardware clock chip in them


the zune had something like this happen as well

[Shrygue]

In any case, it's working correctly again for me so a firmware update wasn't needed after all.