Common Xbox Problems and How to Fix Them (A DIY Xbox Repair Guide)

Do you want to fix your xbox 360 in the next hour? Seriously? Yep, that's right, you can get your xbox 360 fixed in the next hour with this XBox 360 troubleshooting guide.

The XBox 360 repair manual provides the best information for how to fix your xbox 360 red ring of death. No more flashing lights, no more Xbox 360 freezes. It helps you to diagnose the problem with your xbox 360 and helps you to do it yourself, no waiting. Check out the link above for a lot more information regarding this great xbox 360 repair help guide.

When a Microsoft Xbox 360 console experiences a "general hardware" failure or "Core Digital" failure, three flashing red lights appear around the power button, in lieu of the four green lights indicating normal operation. Warning signs may include freeze-ups, in which the screen has strange graphical problems, the sound is frozen and changed to a strange, static-like sound, and the console only responds to pressing the power button to turn it off. The console may also say that the disc is unreadable. These events occur more frequently until the general hardware failure occurs.

One possible cause of the General Hardware Error is cold soldering. The added mass of the CSP chips (including the GPU and CPU) resists heat flow that allows proper soldering of the lead-free solders underneath the motherboard. This causes cracking and voids in the solders themselves from prolonged constant temperature changes inside the console. Lead-free solders, however, might be the cause of this because, when properly soldered, they take on a dull appearance that professionals take as a cold solder joint in older methods, thus leading to confusion. Lead-free solders also require a greater amount of heat to solder properly when compared to older lead/tin solders.

Another General Hardware Failure is shown by one flashing red light, and error codes E 74, E 79, or E 71 displayed on-screen. This can occasionally be fixed by ensuring that all A/V connections are securely attached. However, this error is often a result of a hardware failure that is not consumer-serviceable. In these cases, the hardware failure is not covered by Microsoft's extended warranty.

The Nyko Intercooler has also been reported to have caused a general hardware failure in a number of consoles, as well as scorching of the power AC input. Microsoft stated that the peripheral drains too much power from the console and can cause faults to occur, and stated that consoles fitted with the peripheral will have their warranties null and void. Nyko has recently released an updated Intercooler that uses its own power source. Nyko claims this problem no longer occurs with new versions of this cooler. However, Microsoft still considers it an unlicensed add-on and will void the warranty of machines showing signs of its use. There is no data available to indicate whether Intercooler decreases the chance of hardware failure.

Chris Jones's Xbox 360 Repair Guide is the best there is. All of his guides come complete with full-color illustrations and video tutorials for every thing to fix your Xbox 360.

This Xbox 360 Three Red Lights Repair Guide specifically deals with the Xbox 360 over heating. It works specifically with upgrading your cooling system to your Xbox 360 to play the more graphic intense games.

This website and guide and accompanying site is the cheapest option out there. The videos are really good and the directions, however not as detailed as the other guides.

The game console heats up during use, and given enough time, the temperature inside can reach very high levels due to insufficient cooling. Because of the way the Xbox 360 is constructed, this may result in stresses building up between the delicate ball grid array solder joints of the CPU and GPU and the motherboard, causing them to break. The problem is exacerbated by the specific type of lead-free solder used, a type which is more brittle than the older tin/lead solder that was used in the past and the GPU's location directly underneath the DVD drive.

The console's design utilizes heatsinks, vented openings, and fans to aid in dissipation of heat, but the potential still exists for excessive heat buildup inside the console if these measures become insufficient. Users are advised not to obstruct air flow to the enclosure vents or power supply. Problems associated with overheating include reduced system performance and instability that may result in crashing or hardware failure. Xbox 360s with "Falcon" motherboards, which use the smaller device geometry 65 nm CPUs, are reportedly less susceptible to these failures.

Almost at the same time the Xbox 360 was released in late 2005, consumers began reporting rounded scratches found on discs used in their Xbox 360 consoles.

Tilting or moving consoles with these drives, when operating with a disc spinning inside, can potentially cause damage to the disc, in some cases rendering the disc unusable. Although this problem is not covered by the warranty, Microsoft's Xbox Disc Replacement Program will replace a limited range of scratched discs that are published in countries where the Xbox was originally sold for a $20 fee.

These problems are characterized by a blank or staticy video output with a proper functioning audio output and no flashing red lights on the console. The complete video failure is sometimes preceded by other graphical glitches such as an irregular saturation of green and/or red colors. Threads on Xbox.com forums suggest the problem may be widespread. However, since the issue does not display the three flashing red lights indicative of general hardware failure, it is not covered under Microsoft's extended three year warranty program.

Xbox 360 disc trays may also get jammed; resulting in a disc tray that will not stay closed or will not open. When the disc tray will not stay closed, even manually closing it results in it not reading the disc, and popping back open again. Recent videos on the internet claim that cleaning the rubber band inside the DVD player fixes the disc tray problem with a high success rate.

The "Unplayable Disc" error has also been heavily reported. The error appears to be limited to the Hitachi CD/DVD ROM drives that replaced the earlier Toshiba drives. The error message is preceded by a loud series of grinding noises and the system returning to the dashboard. From that point forward, any disc that is put in the unit will result in the "Unplayable Disc" error. The error caused by the adhesive that holds a small magnetic washer heating up and allowing the washer to affix it's self to the metal top of the drive. After this occurs, the system can no longer spin the disk as necessary. Numerous fixes are available on the internet, but all involve opening the console box. Microsoft will fix the error for a fee.

Option 1: Dealing with Microsoft's Technical Support
You can call Microsoft's Xbox support line (1-800-4MYXBOX in the US). After waiting on hold, you can speak with a technician who will determine if your problem is under warranty.

If it is a problem Microsoft has deemed it will fix, they will send you a shipping label and instructions via e-mail. Then, you must package up the Xbox 360 (making sure in many cases to remove the hard drive) and send back to Microsoft.

In about two weeks, they will send you a refurbished unit, and a bill for anything not covered in their general or extended warranty.

Option 2: The Do-it-Yourself Method to Fixing Your Xbox 360
I'll save you about 30 minutes on hold with tech support right now. The first thing the technician will ask you to do is unplug the Xbox 360, remove the hard drive (located on the top side and removed with a click) and then reboot the unit with the Hard Drive off.

If that doesn't work, your Xbox 360 is experiencing a problem that needs to be serviced. Fortunately, you can do it yourself with a few simple tools and this handy guide.

It will take you through many of the common Xbox 360 related errors and provide you with step by step tutorials to getting that Xbox up and running again, in under an hour.

I thought I would share with you my own personal experience with my Xbox 360, because I have had the "pleasure" to experience a few problems with the system and have gone both routes, sending the Xbox back to Microsoft, and fixing the Xbox 360 myself.

The first time I got the Red Ring of Death, I had called Microsoft immediately. After about an hour on hold and the usual automated machine run-around, I finally got a live technician to answer my questions.

The person I was talking to wasn't much help, giving me vague and often redundant advice (Is the unit turned on?). Luckily, I had just purchased my Xbox, so I was able to send it back to them without the usual repair charges.

Since I still had the original box, I was able to package the Xbox up in that and send it off. I took two full weeks to get my system back.

Anxious to get playing again, I opened the box and hooked up the unit and was able to play games fine for the next few days...then we had more issues.

Just a few days after I had my Xbox 360 repaired, I placed a DVD in the drive to watch a movie. Instead of the movie cueing up, I got a white screen telling me that I did not put in an Xbox 360 compatible disc and that I should remove the disc and try again.

After a few attempts of getting the same results, I called Microsoft back to find out what the problem was.

I was able to get a rep on the phone and I was told that this new problem was unrelated to the original problem, and that yes, they could fix it, but for an additional 2 weeks and $140.

Frustrated, I knew there was a better way, so I jumped on the internet and started looking for any sort of Xbox 360 repair guide I could find.

I found a bunch, most often requiring either a ton of soldering or some crazy methods that didn't seem like they would work out at all.

In addition to the mix, I found a few DIY Xbox 360 repair manuals. After looking around and considering a few I chose the Xbox 360 Red Light Repair Guide because it seemed like the best.

After downloading the guide, I was able to find my disc problem and following the guide's instructions, I was able to fix my problem in a little over a half hour.

I've had a few other errors and freeze ups with my Xbox 360, but now that I have the guide, I am able to pull it out and fix my Xbox 360 immediately.

Considering the money I spent on the guide, I figured I have made my money back just saving on the aggravation and downtime alone.

I've very happy with my Xbox 360 now.