Reset PS2 Parental Controls or Password
Despite the fact that this is a Windows site, I often get questions that aren’t Windows related. For example, on several occasions I’ve received questions about clearing or resetting the parental control passcode on Sony’s PlayStation 2 (PS2) consoles. Since I’ve received the question on a number of occasions, I decided to go ahead and post the solution.
The Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) has a parental control feature that restricts DVD playback based upon the movie’s rating by requiring you to enter a 4-digit passcode before playing movies above the specified rating limit.
Upon attempting to play a DVD above the current control limit, you will be prompted for the 4-digit passcode. If you’ve purchased a new PlayStation 2 or bought one used you may not know the parental control code. To begin, try using the factory default code of 0000. This will work for all new systems and may work for used systems since there’s a good chance that the previous owner never set a passcode. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to reset the passcode using the instructions below.
To reset PlayStation 2 (PS2) Parental Control Passcode:
- Insert a DVD requiring a passcode and switch on the console. Attempt to play the DVD and wait to be prompted for the current passcode.
- At the passcode prompt, press the SELECT button. You should now be prompted to delete the current passcode.
- Enter the master control password 7444. You should now be prompted to enter a new passcode.
- Enter a 4-digit passcode that you can remember easily. You’ll be prompted to enter the code a second time for verification.
- You have successfully reset your passcode.
You may wish to change or reset the parental control level in order to control when or if you are prompted for a passcode. The parental control settings can only be reset during DVD playback. If the current settings require it, you’ll need to enter the current passcode to play the DVD. If you do not know it, follow the steps above to reset the code before continuing.
To change or disable PlayStation 2 (PS2) Parental Controls:
- The parental control menu can only be accessed during DVD playback. Be sure that you have inserted a DVD and that it is playing before continuing. You may need to enter a passcode to initiate playback.
- While the DVD is playing, press the SELECT button to bring up the DVD control menu.
- You should be presented with a series of icons. Highlight the Stop icon (a square) and press X to stop DVD playback. Do not exit the menu!
- Next, select the Settings icon (a briefcase) below the number 7. Press X to enter the Settings menu.
- Scroll down and select Parental Controls. Press X to enable its options.
- Be sure that the Region setting is set to your current country or region. This ensures that DVD are handled properly for your area.
- You will also be able to set the control level by selecting a value between 1 and 8. A value of 1 will require a passcode to play any DVD. The higher the setting, the less restrictive the parental control will be. You may also set the DVD control level to Off. DO NOT EXIT THE MENU AFTER SETTING THE NEW CONTROL LEVEL!
Warning: The Off setting will completely disable the parental control feature. The PlayStation will never prompt for a passcode regardless of the nature of the DVD.
- With the parental control menu still showing, eject the DVD and remove it from the tray. If your PlayStation does not reset, you should manually switch it off by using the power switch in the back (or by holding the Reset button until it turns red on second generation consoles).
- Leave your PlayStation switched off for 5-10 seconds before attempting to power it back on. Your settings should have been saved.
Related Posts:
January 14th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
thank you very much. worked perfectly
January 14th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
You are very welcome. Thank you for your comments.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:36 am
Nilpo You are the Man Thank You Sir !!!!
February 24th, 2009 at 12:14 am
I actually did not think it was possible!thank you a thousand times over! U made my son very happy! You are great!
February 24th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to comment.
February 25th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Thanks for the help! However, on my PS2 I am not able to select the parental controls option. It is grayed out and I am unable to change the level to a higher number. Any suggestions??
Thanks!
February 25th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Hello maya,
Are you trying this during DVD playback? The options aren’t available unless you have a paused video.
March 19th, 2009 at 9:08 am
thanks this info will really help me out!:)
March 19th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
You’re very welcome, Blair. Glad I could help.
April 3rd, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I’m having the same problem as Maya. My DVD is stopped and I can enter Settings but I cannot enter the Parental Controlls. This is very frustrating!
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
ah ha! i figured it out!
May 30th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Thank you so much I used your info and it worked great!!!!
May 30th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
I tried the instructions you gave and it didn’t work. We weren’t able to even change the settings because we can’t get the password correct. We made sure it was on dvd playback. We even tried a universal code I found on several sites. (7444) and that did not work either.
July 25th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
OMG! Thank you so much! Seems like I spent hours at the STUPID playstation website only to be more aggravated than I could’ve EVER imagined!!! Your instructions were perfect! Thanx again so much!!! stef_honey555
July 25th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
You are all so very welcome. Glad you found this post useful.
July 28th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
thank u very much it worked perfectly
August 19th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Love this page, is it updated often? Bookmarked
September 21st, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Thank you! It’s been years since I set this up and tried every number I could. It didn’t work at first and I was ready to give up buit I tried a different controller and it worked like a charm! Thank you again!
September 21st, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I’m glad that this worked for you. You are most welcome.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
hello nilpo…my ps2 will not play any games rated above T..or any dvd rated above G..i have the parental controls set to off and even tried setting it to 8, but still no luck..it plays T and under just fine, but when the rating is higher all it does is spin the disk. please help
November 8th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
my mom and i have been at this stupid PS2 for awhile and still we cant figure it out. She says that the parental control was nvr set but we still have no idea. We followed the instructions but yet a blue box appears were the numbers shud be… are doing this all wrong or wat?? Plzzzzzz help us out :L
January 8th, 2010 at 10:00 am
thanks, it was getting really anoying having to put in a password every time i tired to watch a movie on my ps2 lol
January 24th, 2010 at 6:23 am
nice article written, i added your site to my favorite.
February 26th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU FINALLY SOMEONE HELPFUL ON THE INTERNET