The plus sized Xbox troubleshooting thread

[Locke]

So ive been awaiting morrowind goty for the xbox and it finally came out on monday. Every thing is looking good so far. I also just got ssx 3, crimson skies and hit and run. But wait, my xbox decides to stop working. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Every time I put in a game ( I tried many different games) it comes up with the disc may be damaged or dirty, blah blah blah. The discs are not damaged or dirty. I got a blue screen on mech assult and ssx 3 is stuck on the first loading screen. ANyone run into this problem? What did you do to fix it? Thanks.

[marz]

Go get a CD lens cleaner. Put it in and let it run for a while, should take care of it. But if you have been getting the errors for a while it could be something more serious. But i think the lens cleaner should work. By the way Crimson Skies is awesome.

[Locke]

Yeah, I already tried the lens cleaner. It spins for a while then the xbox comes up with the same error message as it does with games.

[Locke]

well timesplitters 2 and crimson skies work now. On to test others. Maybe 5 tries with the lens cleaner works.

[Lasereth]

Originally posted by Locke
So ive been awaiting morrowind goty for the xbox and it finally came out on monday. Every thing is looking good so far. I also just got ssx 3, crimson skies and hit and run. But wait, my xbox decides to stop working. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Every time I put in a game ( I tried many different games) it comes up with the disc may be damaged or dirty, blah blah blah. The discs are not damaged or dirty. I got a blue screen on mech assult and ssx 3 is stuck on the first loading screen. ANyone run into this problem? What did you do to fix it? Thanks.

My XBox started doing this exact same thing ONE MONTH after I bought it. I took it immediately back to Wal-Mart and demanded a refund. My brother did, actually, but you know. They gave him shit about it, but finally let him have another.

I bought mine on opening night in 2001, though. I figured they'd have fixed the problem by now!

-Lasereth

[Prophecy]

Never use a lens cleaner they can do more damage to your Xbox than they fix. All that rubbing is bad. They best thing you can use is a can of compressed air. I just hope you haven't dropped your box and jiggled any of the parts loose enough that the compressed air could move something around inside.

As for why your box is screwy, well 1st what type of drive do you have in it?

[Dibbler]

Yeah, cuz if its a Thomson (RCA) you might as well run to the store and buy a new one. Every RCA I've been dumb enough to buy since Thomson bought them has been pure crap! I was having problems with my cable reception one time and had the service guy come out. Before he even came in the house he said " I bet you have RCA tv's." I guess they have lots of problems with them. Mainly bad components like tuners and amps. Their VCR's were crap too cuz they used rubber belts which would turn to mush every couple of years.

Sorry for the rant but mine's been having problems lately too and I have a feeling I'll be buying a new one soon because of that stupid RCA DVD reader I have in there. The french have managed to screw up one more thing they touched.

[spived2]

Mine had the same problem, but since I'm in the desert I figured it was just dirty. I opened it up (voids warranty) and cleaned the lens and all the parts real thouroughly and put it back together and it worked just fine.

I suggest trying to return it and get another before opening it though.

[LNCPapa]

Since when has RCA ever been good? I thought they were crap way before anyone thought about touching them.

[Locke]

I have the thompson one. My games seem to work fine on it now. If you consider whatever the hell morrowind does "working" I hear the smasung one recognizes cdr's. I wish I could exchange it, but its been about 7 months now. It was refurbished.

[wakelagger]

Offtopic, but why has Microsoft changed their CD reader manufacturer three times? Whatever fits their criteria when the previous stock runs out?

[SSJwrestler]

dude that sux SO much! I feel for you brother.

[Dibbler]

Originally posted by wakelagger
Offtopic, but why has Microsoft changed their CD reader manufacturer three times? Whatever fits their criteria when the previous stock runs out?

It just comes down to cost. I'm sure they are always on the lookout for cheaper components. Samsung must be providing them cheaper at the moment. I never realised Phillip made them, I wish I'd gotten one with that one. I've always had good luck with Phillips products.

[Prophecy]

Originally posted by wakelagger
Offtopic, but why has Microsoft changed their CD reader manufacturer three times? Whatever fits their criteria when the previous stock runs out?

Like Dibbler said, it comes down to cost, but there was also rumors of the Thompson drive having problems. For a while there MS even had a number you could call if your Xbox had a Thompson drive and fit a certain list of problems. From there MS would pay to have your box "fixed." The only cost to you was shipping. I have a friend that did this with his old Xbox. He shipped his box off and they shipped it back repaired later. Turns out he had either gotten a new cd drive placed in his old Xbox or they gave him a new one all together (The game saves were all gone on the box he got back.)

[Jam]

seems alot of people are having problems with thier xbox consoles on new games featuring multilayered dvds...

the consoles original were made with a thomson drive with has problems reading the discs or something...

heres some links

http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread...hreadid=231582

http://www.elderscrolls.com/ubbthrea...7&fpart=1&vc=1


microsoft isnt acknowledging the problem although the samsung drives are apparently sought after as they dont have issues...


my brother has an xbox with the thomson drive... but i dont think i can get them to do anything about it... i hate M$

you can tell which drive you have by looking at the tray

[Soda_BoB]

Hmm, and I was considering getting one aswell....

[MahlerIsGod]

That's funny because I have some multilayered DVDs and I can only get them to work properly in my Xbox. I have a Thomson drive too and I haven't had any problems with it.

[Capt.JamesHook]

These "problems" keep popping up on forums everywhere, and yet my friends and I all own Xbox's and none of us have had any of these sort of "problems". I'm not trying to insinuate anything - I'll just come out and call this BS.

[Lasereth]

Originally posted by Capt.JamesHook
These "problems" keep popping up on forums everywhere, and yet my friends and I all own Xbox's and none of us have had any of these sort of "problems". I'm not trying to insinuate anything - I'll just come out and call this BS.

You and your friends don't represent the entire community that owns a XBox, either. 4 or 5 out of millions isn't enough to call it bullshit! Mine hasn't fucked up yet (well, besides me having to take it back a month after I bought it), but I have heard of this issue. I don't know if this information is credible, but I wouldn't call it bullshit because a few friends aren't having the problem.

-Lasereth

[theburner]

Mine has started messing up with Topspin and Crimson Skies. I have had two buddies with the same problem also. My buddies had real issues and returned their Xboxes to EBGames for a $75 credit, and then bought a new Xbox. That is about all you can do.
BTW, I have two buddies that work for MS, one with Bungie and one with Xbox. My bungie buddy was one of those with the issue and STILL had to fix his own problem.

[aurigus]

You can swap out the drive too. Of course, you'll void the warranty...

[cradeg]

i have a thompson drive too ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[kwoodmex]

my thompson drive seems to be doing A OK, i've not has any problems with it with any games.

the only problem is when i try to get it to read writeable media (CD-RW, CD-R, etc.), i had a bit of a problem loadig EvoX on my Xbox.

[Dibbler]

Mine was one of the first production runs and has the Thomson drive. I only get disc errors with the OXM demo discs. About every fourth one won't work correctly and gives me a "dirty disc" error or says it's not an Xbox disc but I assume that they make them things as cheap as possible so it's expected.

[WhoaitsZ]

… my X-BOX works perfectly fine. I’ve heard of major problems, though.

There is no flawless product. Everything can break.

As far as the argument of the box being a good system or not, if you’re gonna say stupid shit please do it somewhere else. TFP struggles to stay away from flames and the ‘I have PROOF’ people who never do.

Like on the music board, post appreciation or simply state why you dislike a product.

Once again, if you’re just a fan boy or hate monger who has nothing to say but flamed negativity please go away.

[grayman]

This is curious, because a friend, my brother, and I all play Morrowind and my bother and I have GOTY and we all experience freezing and slowdown. It happens less with GOTY, but it still happens. Incidentally, I have the Samsung drive and I still have problems. I always just assumed that the freeze-ups had to do with the amount of info that the game had to constantly load, because you have so much freedom in your options so it can't just run a basic background file of your character like most games.

P.S. Bravo, WhoaitsZ!
I get so tired of the fanboy "XBox sux" crap that I find on every XBox post, that I stopped reading a lot of them. Honestly people, if you don't like the system I've chosen, I don't fucking care! Go post about how you want to marry your PS2 or PC somewhere else!

[MSD]

Originally posted by TerresqueÜ
HAHASHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

ONCE AGAIN AN X-BOX CAUSES ME TO HAVE RAUCUS LAUGHTER!!!

Originally posted by dragon2fire
i dont buy anything that says made by bill

but thats jsut me

Originally posted by Capt.JamesHook
These "problems" keep popping up on forums everywhere, and yet my friends and I all own Xbox's and none of us have had any of these sort of "problems". I'm not trying to insinuate anything - I'll just come out and call this BS.

Originally posted by Amarth
X Box jus sucks. I mean, in general. It's basically just a halo machine. About the issues though, I've had no problems making DVD's work so... whateva.

The guy who started the thread obviuously wanted help fixing his Xbox. He didn't ask for your opinions, he wanted to know if anyone knows how to fix it.

[turbodriven]

I have a Thomson drive with "reading disc" errors <raises hand>

Just stopped playing it for the time being. Tried disc cleaning it... no luck. The cost to send it to microsoft is $80 +$20 return shipping plus $20 to ship it to them. For $120 screw them. I'm getting a PS2 for Xmas. Especially if the price drops.

[theburner]

Geez.. Lot's of haters out there. There can be problems with the Drives, but who knows if that is environmentally based. I know that ever since I put an old game under the front of my Xbox to "prop it up" I have had Zero issues with dirty disk or read errors.
Remember, opinions are like a$$holes.. Everyone has one.

[Same Guy]

Certain games on the xbox seem to have disc read errors more than other games
crimson skies and buffy the vampire slayer (the first one)
seem to be especially bad
however halo and project gotham racing for example never crash
does that mean that the software handles disc read errors better
or is it the type of disc?

[Prophecy]

I could be a combination of all three, drives, the way the software was written and the disc type. Though I'm think the Xbox uses a standardized disc for all it's games.

[spiderman]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm having dirty disk problems too. TigerWoods 2004 and FIFA Soccer 2004 are the biggest problems; they're also the games I have been playing most. If anyone can explain theburner meant about propping the XBOX up to fix the problem, I would be very grateful.

Any tips on opening the XBOX for cleaning without hurting the components would be appreciated as well. THANKS!!!

[Locke]

Oh wow, this threads still around. Thanks for all the help. I've stuck with the thompson drive seeing that I dont have the moolah to drop on another xbox. Everything seems to be playing fine now, except for goty.