Q. What caused this? Why?
A. The incorrect internal calendar date and time conflicting with the lack of such date built into the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar).

Q. Was this a firmware or hardware issue?
A. Both.

Q. Why were only older fat PS3s affected and not PS3 Slims?
A. Newer hardware with different firmware.

Q. If the issue was indeed related to the system time, why did it not also affect PS3 Slim?
A. See above.

Q. Was something changed in the system timer when they converted hardware from fat to Slim?
A. Yes. Many hardware components were changed or updated.

Q. If that was the case, did they know about this potential bug beforehand (since they "fixed" it for the Slim)?
A. No. The problem simply got overlooked.

Q. Or was it just blind coincidence that other hardware random changes made to the Slim allowed it to avoid this calamity?
A. Was just a simple error that got overlooked.

Q. Why was it able to "fix" itself with the passage of time?
A. When the internal clock hit 12:00:00 GMT February 29th, 2010, it conflicted with the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) which does not see it as a valid date. After 24 hours, the internal clocked rolled over to March 1st, 2010, a valid date thus returning the PS3™ system back to normal operating functionality.

http://boardsus.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-3-General/8001050F-Aftermath-All-I-Want-Is-Answers/td-p/45324087/page/2

Now the internal clock probably think we are march 1st. Do you think sony will fix that through a firmware update?

yupper's, It's just need's a flash update to the PS3's BIOS which they can do to fix that error, but the good side effect of this is maybe we may even get something positive to boot also, the PS3's BIOS may have function's in the Chipset that is not fully used and by updating something like the playstation 3's BIOS it may give the system a slight boost to the onboard PS3 Chipset's. the internal Time State is very critical as this just showed.

Sony can and will update this.

It's done in PC's motherboard's when it's needed, and it will be done in this one.

now some may doubt about the ability of the BIOS chip to be updated, that's alright but BIOS chips that cannot be reflashed are very rare into today's ELECTRONIC'S ESP. with something as complex as the PS3.

offtopicish : the new Playstation forum is confusing atleast that background picture is too small O_o;

Win?

on ps3 firmware, do you think it will be eventually possible for the ps3 fat to get sony sync? I have seen first hand that the slims can do it, but i have a sony 32" v4500 and a fat ps3... i have to use two different remotes :( it makes me sad lol

I do not see why not. though the Slim and PS3 phat's has some thing's that are unique to each system when it come's to updating with firmware, the good thing is It can be enclosed into the same Firmware it just  makes it capable of adding the function that is not any different than you would the Slim, as far as I can tell.

It can only be updated with a flash disk? Not by a firmware update downloaded from the system update on the PS3?

I'm a little confused...

yes it can be updated by the flash drive, or through the system firmware.

the way's that the PS3 can be updated and this would also go for something like:

the PS3's BIOS chip.!

yes the Firmware update can contain an update for the PS3's onboard BIOS.

the way's that firmware update can be sent out:

through the internet : IE download  the update on to a flash drive

through the XMB search , where the PS3 grab's the firmware  UPDATE

through a Game DIsc. some game's already come with a firmware update on the disc.

through a CD sent by Sony .

the REAL issue is simply overlooked here i believe!

What will we do on the next 29th February of 2010?