I can't unbrick my PSP Phat!

[Twilight Wolf]

As the topic title suggests, I am unable to unbrick my PSP Phat. Let me give you some history as to what's gone down and what problems I'm having:

When you turn on the PSP with a normal battery in it, the power light comes on, green, but then turns off after a few seconds. The screen doesn't light up, no sound from the speakers, and no other lights blink. The battery still charges, however.

My Pandora battery, pre-made and purchased from DealExtreme, seems to work, as when I insert it, the power light comes on, green, without flicking the power switch, but it doesn't go out until I remove the battery.

Using both PSP Grader v0.2 and Rain's Simple MMS Maker (on Vista Home Premium, by the way), with both a knock-off 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo and an authentic Sony one of the same size (connected to this laptop through the built-in card reader and using the Memory Stick Duo to Memory Stick adapter that came with the Sony stick), I get no results. I've run both programs as administrator, both on my account and the administrator account on this computer, and it seems to work, as far as what the program does; however, when I insert either Magic Memory Stick made on either program into my PSP, hold down "L," and insert the Pandora, the green power light just comes on and nothing more. No menus, nothing.

I've scoured the internet from top to bottom, but I can't find any answers that solve my problem. Oh, I can find people with the exact issue I'm having, but no answers. I've invested over $150 into this venture, in buying the PSP, games, accessories, etc., and I can't get a damn thing I've tried to work. This is incredibly frustrating for me as it takes me a while to save up that much money, and as a result, I'm at my wits' end and feel like I'm going to suffer an aneurysm.

Help?

[slowman]

I've had a very similar problem myself, and it turned out to be the motherboard. I still haven't given up on it though. I currently use the motherboard as a battery charging "test bench". Even though the motherboard doesn't boot, I can still stick a battery on the 3 terminals and charge it by plugging in the AC adapter.

As far as why its gone bad? I don't know. Do you have access to another CFW'd PSP? A guaranteed working MMS can be made from one quickly and easily. Quite a few people have had trouble with Vista and MMS's.

[alentris]

It seems that you don't have a bricked psp, actually a psp with a blown backlight fuse. It's an EXTREMELY easy fix, if you can solder and have basic dissassembly knowledge. To make sure it's the backlight, turn on the psp, and hold it under a very bright light. If you can see the image of the screen faintly, it's for sure the backlight. Check out here for more information:
http://www.llamma.com/PSP/repair/PSP_fuse_repair.htm
Good luck

[Twilight Wolf]

I've had a very similar problem myself, and it turned out to be the motherboard. I still haven't given up on it though. I currently use the motherboard as a battery charging "test bench". Even though the motherboard doesn't boot, I can still stick a battery on the 3 terminals and charge it by plugging in the AC adapter.

As far as why its gone bad? I don't know. Do you have access to another CFW'd PSP? A guaranteed working MMS can be made from one quickly and easily. Quite a few people have had trouble with Vista and MMS's.

Damn, I really hope it's not the motherboard. If it is, then I've wasted $60... and if that's the case, then screw it. I'm gonna cut my losses here and now.

Also, I don't have access to a CFW'd PSP; I'm the only person I know who has a PSP, period.

It seems that you don't have a bricked psp, actually a psp with a blown backlight fuse. It's an EXTREMELY easy fix, if you can solder and have basic dissassembly knowledge. To make sure it's the backlight, turn on the psp, and hold it under a very bright light. If you can see the image of the screen faintly, it's for sure the backlight. Check out here for more information:
http://www.llamma.com/PSP/repair/PSP_fuse_repair.htm
Good luck

Thanks, but I can't see an image of any kind on the screen, even against a bright light.

[eurddrue]

I'm think that goldenfrankO had a psp unbricking service going on, but he's had lots of things lost in the mail lately...

I guess you could still try sending it to him.

[Twilight Wolf]

Yeah, but since I already bothered to purchase tools for unbricking it, I'd rather do it myself.

[eurddrue]

Then put $11 in for a 1 gb memory stick.

[Twilight Wolf]

Sorry, but after spending $11 on a fakey Chinese Memory Stick and another $40 on an authentic Sony one, neither of which worked, spending even more money on another Memory Stick that may or may not work any better isn't a very appealing option.

I might be able to borrow one from someone, so if I can, I will. If that doesn't work, though... Well, there's really no point in me keeping the PSP any more.

[Aguiluz]

Is the contacts of the memory stick slot contacting with the memory stick? My bro dropped a phat and the pins were jostled loose. This rendered the PSP Phat unbootable when a stick is in, as if it was a brick.

Can you show what are the contents of the stick?

[jleemero]

To be honest, your backlight seriously could be out.
I know you say you can't see anything, no matter what you do, etc.
But I can assure you, with as many PSPs as I've repaired, if your backlight is out, you will NOT see anything on that screen, period.
A Backlight alone is $10 or less.
A whole LCD with backlight should be around $30.

[themadhacker]

you can see the screen a little if the backlight is out, just that you have to look really hard to nitice anything.

[jleemero]

I've never been able to.
Not with a PSP.

With many others, yes.
The DS, a PSOne LCD, etc.

Never a PSP in my experience.

[palmertech]

This is what I use my 50mw green laser pointer for. By pointing it at the back of almost any backlight, I can see a little dot. Used it on laptops a lot.

[jleemero]

Nice palmer, nice.

[Twilight Wolf]

Is the contacts of the memory stick slot contacting with the memory stick? My bro dropped a phat and the pins were jostled loose. This rendered the PSP Phat unbootable when a stick is in, as if it was a brick.

Can you show what are the contents of the stick?

I suppose that could be it, but I don't know. It doesn't look like it's been dropped or suffered any other kind of abuse; it just looks used. However, the Memory Stick access light thing doesn't flash when I put the Pandora in with a Memory Stick in the PSP.

As for what's on the stick, here:

What's on it when using PSP Grader v0.2
What's on it when using Rain's Simple MMS Maker

Now, for the screen, what do you guys recommend I do to determine whether the backlight is bad or not? I don't have a green laser, unfortunately.