This weekend I encountered an interesting dilemma with my PlayStation 4 (PS4). The plan was to use some downtime to play the new game mode for Apex Legends; however, I was prompted that my console required an update to the firmware.

As I updated the PS4, I was giving an error message, SU–30746–0, which advised that the updated firmware could not be located. When I tried to advance the screen, my controller was non-responsive. As I depressed the PS button on the center of the controller, I was only met with blinking lights.

Not going to lie, at first I was freaking out but as I was going through my troubleshooting methodology, I became more and more confident that this issue wasn’t my console. So the million dollar question….

What Went Wrong With My PS4?

Doing a quick Google search, I found out that my system essentially botched the update resulting in the SU-30746-0 error as indicated earlier. This typically happens with an incomplete or bad download of the firmware. Quite possibly, this may have been a connection or power issue as the root cause. In my mind, the quickest fix for this problem would be to re-download the firmware in Safe Mode and run it again; but that’s easier said than done.

How to Boot Your PlayStation 4 in Safe Mode

As stated prior, if you are unable to advance screens due to a bad update, you can restore your console by putting it into Safe Mode. Simply Power Off your console, then hold the power button until you hear two beeps. You should enter into Safe Mode.

Now under normal circumstance, you could select option number 3 on the menu, Update System Software, but if the controller is non-responsive while plugged into the PlayStation, you may have issues as I did advancing to this screen.

It’s imperative that you rule out issues with your primary PlayStation 4 controller first by swapping out for another. If you are experiencing the same issues, it is most likely the connection cord that is the culprit here.

The Tale of Two Cords

Not all USB cords are created equal. As you may know, the PlayStation 4 uses a type B micro-USB to charge the controllers through the console. What I found during the troubleshooting is that if you are not using the right version of the type-B micro-USB, you may get the console to power the controller, but it may not be sending any data signals which is key.

This is due to the fact that the cord itself is insulated with 4 different types of wires: ground, positive data, negative data and power. If either of the data wires are worn or not present, it will cause the connection between the console and controller to not function as intended.

How to Fix Non-Responsive PlayStation Controller

Although it may be difficult to determine if a certain USB cable has unassociated or broken data wires by looking at it, chances are that you do have another micro USB cable lying around somewhere from another device such as a cell phone or camera.

Swap the cables out to see if that fixes the issue as it did for me. If you are still having trouble, try visiting a local electronics store or Amazon to pick up a new USB cable and see if that will do the trick. It’s my opinion that it’s better to spend $10 on the cable wire than $60 for a new controller in your troubleshooting efforts.

With luck you will be able to access Safe Mode or use your PlayStation 4 controller as normal. I wish you the best of luck and if this worked for you, please drop a comment below or connect with me on Twitter. Take care and be safe.