FreeDVDBoot Disc Not Spinning on PS2 Slim: Lid Sensor Fix
No spin, no sound, no error — the console does not know the lid is closed. That is a sensor problem, not an exploit problem.
Short answer: PS2 Slim consoles detect a closed lid with two small mechanical sensors. If age has loosened them, the drive never gets the instruction to spin. Press the lid down firmly — the README says to press it down hard, particularly at the back-right corner — and if the disc starts spinning, the sensors are your problem. A heavy book on the lid while booting is the README’s own temporary workaround.
The two sensors
One sensor sits near the front-left on the power indicator board, pressed by a small plastic tooth on the lid. The other sits on the mainboard near the hinge at the back-right, engaged by the rear lid mechanism. Either one failing to register reads as “lid open” to the console, so nothing spins and no error appears — which is why this failure looks so confusing.
Test and temporary fix
- Insert the FreeDVDBoot disc and close the lid normally. Listen: nothing should spin.
- Press down firmly on the back-right corner of the lid. If the spindle starts, the rear sensor is the weak one.
- While it spins, keep pressure on the lid or place a heavy book on top while FreeDVDBoot boots into uLaunchELF, exactly as the README suggests.
- If pressure in different spots changes nothing, the problem is more likely the drive motor, the ribbon cable, or a dead laser — not the sensors.
Permanent fix
A lasting fix means opening the console and addressing the sensor itself: reseating or replacing the worn sensor switch, or repairing the plastic tooth that presses it. That is a hardware repair, not a software setting, and it is worth doing properly if you plan to use the console regularly — the book trick is fine for a one-time FreeMCBoot install, but it is not a daily-driver solution. If you are not comfortable opening the console, a local retro repair shop can do this sensor job quickly, and it is usually cheaper than a laser replacement.
What this is not
A disc that spins but then shows a black or red screen is a different failure (see black screen and red screen). A disc that never spins on a Fat is also different — Fats use a tray, not a top lid with these two sensors, so do not apply the Slim lid fix to a Fat.
Next steps
Verified against: CTurt FreeDVDBoot README troubleshooting (disc doesn’t spin on slim: press the lid down hard; weight such as a book on top), checked 2026-10-24.