Can’t start your ps4? – How to solve it

A sudden power outage can have direct effects on the performance of a PS4 console, bringing with it possible disk, database, and OS corruption. These issues typically occur when the console fails to boot after such a power incident.

You are playing quietly at home, for example, and while someone is cleaning, you accidentally pull the power cable of your console and it turns off. You try to turn it on, but it won’t start. To do?

Finding yourself in this situation may be familiar to hardcore gamers, but when your console won’t boot at all, it can cause you to fear that it’s completely broken.

However, before jumping to conclusions, we invite you to try entering the PS4 in Safe Mode, in order to have access to a series of functions that can probably help you solve the boot problem.

PS4 safe mode

Restarting the PS4 system in Safe Mode will allow you to carry out more aggressive actions, to try to solve the problem that does not allow the OS to work normally. The options offered by a PS4 in Safe Mode are:

1. Reboot system

This option cancels the processes and is responsible for restarting the console again by exiting Safe Mode.

2. Change resolution

If you choose this, your console will restart running at 480p resolution, as some boot or blank screen issues are fixed this way. To change it, you must go to Sound and Screen, then to Video Output Settings and, finally, to Resolution, to choose the most appropriate according to the type of screen of your TV or monitor.

3. Update system software

You can use this option if during an OS download or update process, your console was turned off due to an accidental power outage. However, you will need to have the corresponding update for your OS downloaded to a portable storage unit. You can find the most recent one at the following link: https://www.playstation.com/es-mx/soporte/system-updates/ps4-esp/.

Once you have the storage unit ready, connect it to the USB port of the PS4 console and access this section, in order to directly install the update that was affected.

4. Restore default settings

Through this option within Safe Mode, your console is responsible for restoring all the original factory settings. That is, you will lose screen settings, sound, network connections and other parameters, but your save data and those stored on the HDD will not be affected.

5. Rebuild database

The PS4 console database rebuild will be able to scan the HDD, thus creating a new base for the OS. This will help eliminate problems caused by corrupted files that may be affecting the boot or performance of some video game titles.

6. Initialize PS4

Initializing PS4 will focus on the complete formatting of the HDD, erasing with it any settings and data that have been saved on the storage drive. In this way, a complete restoration of the OS is achieved, to try to combat any problem that may be hindering its correct performance when starting the console.

7. Initialize PS4 (OS reinstall)

Finally, you will find the Initialize PS4 subdivision, but activating the option to reinstall the operating system.

This Safe Mode option will completely format the console’s HDD, wiping out user data and whatever copy of the OS is installed. Once the process is finished, you must reinstall it using an external storage unit, following the steps indicated in option 3.

Steps to start the PS4 in Safe Mode

Make sure to turn off the console completely by holding down the Power button on the front. After a few seconds, the light will flash and it will emit a couple of beeps, to indicate that the equipment has been deactivated.

Press the power button again until you hear 2 beeps: one at startup and one after 7 seconds. Release the button and proceed to connect the DualShock controller to the console using the USB data cable.

Tap the PS button on the controller and this should start the console in Safe Mode, so you can select the tool you want to use if you run into a problem with your PS4 console.

Common problems due to accidental disconnection

Now that you know the tools with which you can solve a problem in the OS startup and completely reset the PS4, we invite you to know other aspects of the problem that you could run into:

“Your PS4 cannot be started”

When you turn on your PlayStation 4 console and this message appears on the screen, the files on the disc have most likely been corrupted. If so, it is best to choose to try booting in Safe Mode to do a clean installation from an external device. In many cases, formatting the PS4 is capable of solving all kinds of problems, including startup problems.

“One of the devices connected to the system is not working”

One of the problems in the PS4, which could present when starting up again after a surprise shutdown, is that it does not recognize the DualShock wirelessly. You can check this when when you turn on the remote, the light blinks, but it doesn’t stay fixed and it just ends up turning off again.

If this happens, the easiest solution is to use a USB cable, to make a physical connection between both devices. In case it still does not recognize it, you should try another command, to rule out that it has not been damaged.

“Checking system storage status”

This is the message that most commonly appears when the computer is turned on after being turned off abruptly. It is usually accompanied by a loading bar, which will indicate the status of the process, while the OS is in charge of looking for corrupt files on the disk. Once the bar fills, the console should start normally.

With the above tips you will be able to have a better gaming experience with this interesting console and forget about this dreaded term eol PS4 (end of life), since it is a device that can be used a lot.