The Broken 360 Discussion and Information Thread Ver. 2 -- RROD Queries In Here.

IMPORTANT

Any discussions involving ways to intentionally damage your Xbox 360 for the purpose of having warranty work done is NOT ALLOWED. Such discussions may lead to a user being moderated or possibly banned.

Welcome to the second edition of the "Broken 360 Discussion and Information" thread! Please note that any discussion that has to do with broken 360's needs to go into this sticky. Any other thread discussing this topic will be locked. Thanks :).

WANTED : USEFUL INFORMATION
REWARD : A CREDIT IN THE STICKY
Got a tip or some information that you think should be in here? Feel free to post it in here, but also make sure to PM it to myself and I'll check it, and if I like it, I'll add it in!

Below are a number of links that should help, if you have any other links that you think should be included, feel free to PM me, and I'll add it to the list.

Official XBOX 360 Site

Troubleshooting your XBOX 360

Official XBOX 360 Forums

Official XBOX 360 Technical Support Forums

XBOX 360 Warranty Information

Original Broken Xbox 360 Thread

How To Obtain Warranty Service (1 year coverage from date of purchase - 3 years for Red Ring of Death)

OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE:

To receive instructions for obtaining repair or replacement warranty services you must call: Within the U.S., U.S. Territories and Canada: 1-800-4MY-XBOX (1-800-469-9269); TTY users: 1-866-740-XBOX (1-866-740-9269).

You must also:

1. Submit proof of purchase in the form of a bona fide, dated bill of sale, receipt, or invoice (or a copy) evidencing that your request for service is made within the Warranty Period.

2. Follow Microsoft's shipping and other instructions if it determines that all or part of your Xbox Product requires return for repair or replacement. To obtain the warranty service, you must take or deliver the Xbox Product in suitable packaging that provides an adequate degree of protection against damage during transit, to the location specified by Microsoft. Except as otherwise required by legislation in your jurisdiction, costs associated with transport (including packaging) for warranty service shall be at your expense.

3. Delete or remove any files or data you consider private or confidential prior to sending the Xbox Product to Microsoft.

Failure to follow the above instructions may result in delays, cause you to incur additional charges, or may void your warranty.

Additional Assistance Via Phone, e-mail or live chat

Walk through of an XBOX 360 Repair

Xbox 360 Error Codes

If there is a problem with the Xbox 360, the ring of light will flash in a particular pattern. Below is what each pattern means.

Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- The AV cable cannot be detected

Solution
Simply check that the AV cable is securely plugged into the back of the 360. If that doesn't work, try cleaning the end of the plug (that connects with the 360) with a dry cloth. Otherwise, if that doesn't work, try another cable if you have one, if that works, then you have a faulty cable. Otherwise, the port at the back of the 360 could be broken/faulty, and you may need to send the 360 in for a repair.

Sections 1, 3 and 4 are flashing red
- General Hardware Failure

Solution
Try restarting the console, if it does work next restart, then all is well. Although your console may RROD again later on, and require a repair. Otherwise, disconnect everything connecting to the 360, plug everything back in, and try restarting the 360 again. If that doesn't work, ensure that the power supply is showing a green light when the 360 turns on. If all else fails, and you do not wish to try a temporary solution, then you will have to send your 360 in for repair.

Sections 1 and 3 are flashing red
- Your 360 is Overheating

Solution
Let the 360 cooldown, and it will then allow you to continue playing. However, before you start playing again, ensure that the 360 has adequate ventilation, on all sides, and is not in an enclosed area (as the hot air expelled from the console is most likely going to re-enter the console, slowly heating it up).

Section 4 is flashing red
- Hardware Failure

Solution
An error code will appear on the screen as well, which states what component the 360 thinks is faulty.

E67, E68, E79
These could all have something to do with the hard-drive. Try taking the hard-drive out from the 360 and playing without it. If the error message disappears, then your hard-drive is faulty, and you will need to get a replacement. If the error message still appears, then something else is wrong with your 360, and you will need to send in the 360 for repair.

Any Other Error Message
Any other error message is not user-serviceable. You will need to return your console for repair.

Console Codes

Clear AllGame updates, and the Console Game Cache

1. Go to the System Blade
2. Go to "Memory"
3. Press Y on the Hard-Drive
4. Then push X, X, Left Bumper, Right Bumper, X, X
5. Select yes on the message that appears.

IMPORTANT

The poster (G013M) does not take any responsibility for any damage caused to your Xbox 360 while attempting these temporary fixes. You hereby accept that any responsbility of damage is yours alone by attempting these temporary solutions. Also note that these solutions are indeed only temporary, and eventually you WILL need to return your Xbox 360 for repair. Also no guarentee is given for these fixes to actually work, and are solely provided for your own information and use.

You continue at your own risk.

The Towel Fix

The Towel Fix, as it's name implies, involves wrapping your Xbox 360 in towels to heat it up, and in theory should give your 360 a new (but short) lease on life.

Performing the Towel Fix is simple enough, all you need are three towels, and your 360. Disconnect everything but the power cable from your 360 (and make sure there aren't any disks in it), and lay it down horizontally. Then proceed to to wrap the 360 in the three towels (while the 360 is on). Then just wait around 20 - 25 minutes for the 360 to heat up. Please note that the next step may or may not have to be done. Now turn the 360 off and let it cool down for another 15 or so minutes. After it has cooled down, plug the AV cable back into the 360, turn it on, and hopefully the 360 should proceed to the Dashboard.

How To: Fix the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death - Towel Method

There are other temporary fixes, which involve opening up your 360. Which will invalidate your warranty, so I highly discourage you from trying those fixes -- you will most likely do more harm then good in the long run.

If you have any other solutions which do not invalidate the warranty, and you can provide me with a video link which proves that it works, then I am more then happy to add it to this list.

FAQ

Q. Should I have a 360 plugged into a surge protector?

A. Apparently the official word from Microsoft support is that the Xbox 360 should be plugged directly into the wall, bypassing any sort of surge protection.

Q. How does the return process work?

A.

1. Ring 1800-4-MYXBOX, and follow through the prompts untill you manage to speak to a real person.
2. They'll ask for your serial number, and you may need to register your console if it isn't already.
3. Then they will give you a Support Reference No. # and repair centre address, which you will need later, and send to you the shipping box.
4. Once you receive the shipping box, place your console into the shipping box, sans any memory cards and controllers -- and make sure that there aren't any game disks in the 360 as well.
5. Ontop of the 360, make sure that you have the following information on a piece of paper :
   
   1. Support Reference #
   2. 360 Serial Number
   3. Your name
   4. Return address
6. Place the shipping label that you got with the box ontop of the box, and put the repair centre address on the shipping label.
7. Now ship the box, and play the waiting game
8. After some time, you'll recieve the shipping box back with your new Xbox 360!

User Tips

mohammad93
Here could be a way of helping to prevent the RROD. If you have something cold (obviously nothing wet e.g. an icepack), put it either under or ontop of the 360, that helps keep the 360 cool.

Also, here is another tip that can help, make sure that you keep the power brick vented, and if possible, hang it on either end of a rope (securely of course) or put it ontop of a sturdy box with holes.

Thanks a lot G013M for making a new thread to replace my worn out old one :)

Good luck with all the PMs :lol:

Thanks a lot G013M for making a new thread to replace my worn out old one :)

Good luck with all the PMs :lol:

Krall

And to think I thought you said you were about to fall over from tiredness, an hour later and you're still going :P

Anyway, thanks for stickying it Krall :).

I don't think it's necessary to have a sticky because the RROD is more under control than ever. Microsoft has resolved the problem for the most part, so all the new consoles are better off.

I don't think it's necessary to have a sticky because the RROD is more under control than ever. Microsoft has resolved the problem for the most part, so all the new consoles are better off.

SentryGunner411

It's not only about the RRoD hence the topic title. The last sticky that this replaced was over 300 pages long so MS doesn't have the issue under control.

OK, I'll ask the first question here...

Someone already mentioned it... are the new systems proving to be better than the old ones? I know it's pretty early to judge... and if the RROD is under control, have the other issues been addressed too?

Apparently the new 360's are better then the old ones, but people are still saying that they are getting RRODs, even with the Falcon chips.

From what I've read, the main problem is the GPU, which was kept the same between the original release and the falcon release. Only the CPU has been reduced in size (and hence heat output and energy consumption).

For the record, the Xbox 360 does not over-heat...

For the record, the Xbox 360 does not over-heat...

SentryGunner411

:o How on earth did that happen, my friend, gamespot won't help you, but discovery channel might help ou, myth busters: Does placing 360's in a certain area screw it up? :lol:

So basically to make a long story short, my console is probably dead. Some messed up stuff happened when I was playing Halo 3 so I turned the console off and now it won't display a picture, but the sound comes up fine. I tried every troubleshooting method possible short of opening up the console, called the hotline from hell, put up with the automated jackass, and now basically, I can send it in and have it repaired for $99 and I have to call back in an hour after they do some random crap (I could only understand every third word the indian woman said). I just tried picking up the console and noticed that there's something loose inside of it and it's rattling around when I shake the thing (why shouldn't I at this point?). Here's my questions: 1. is this normal? 2. is there anything I should do besides opening the thing up (which would only void the three red lights warentee and I would have to eventually pay them to fix it anyway, only it would cost $40 more for that problem)?

[QUOTE="SentryGunner411"]

For the record, the Xbox 360 does not over-heat...

mohammad93

:o How on earth did that happen, my friend, gamespot won't help you, but discovery channel might help ou, myth busters: Does placing 360's in a certain area screw it up? :lol:

wow. that is a good question though on if the position of the 360 causes more heat that the other. judging on the picture you left, you leave your 360 on its side horizontally.

My 360 broke like 3 days ago. I've been playing mediocre PS3 games and SMG on my Wii since then. I'm so bored without my 360. It's so messed up it doesn't even make a noise, and we all know how loud the 360 is. The motor is dead. I turn it on and literally one second later I get the RROD.

So basically to make a long story short, my console is probably dead. Some messed up stuff happened when I was playing Halo 3 so I turned the console off and now it won't display a picture, but the sound comes up fine. I tried every troubleshooting method possible short of opening up the console, called the hotline from hell, put up with the automated jackass, and now basically, I can send it in and have it repaired for $99 and I have to call back in an hour after they do some random crap (I could only understand every third word the indian woman said). I just tried picking up the console and noticed that there's something loose inside of it and it's rattling around when I shake the thing (why shouldn't I at this point?). Here's my questions: 1. is this normal? 2. is there anything I should do besides opening the thing up (which would only void the three red lights warentee and I would have to eventually pay them to fix it anyway, only it would cost $40 more for that problem)?

Food_Nipple

I'm getting sound but no picture on my VGA and component cables. I did all the troubleshooting steps on their website and It's still not working. Any help would be appreciatedRockysCatnipCo

were you playing a game and suddenly the picture went all crazy technicolor? Let me guess, you turned it off and turned it back on and no picture. The same thing happened to me yesterday and I have to pay M$ $105 to fix it. I have a theory about this. Anyone who had this problem during a Halo 3 match and/or were using VGA cables please respond. I think this may be the problem because I was using VGA and every single report of this I have heard of came from Halo 3

I don't think it's necessary to have a sticky because the RROD is more under control than ever. Microsoft has resolved the problem for the most part, so all the new consoles are better off.

SentryGunner411

Lol, I'm waiting to get my third xbox 360 back in less than a month. They've had 2 years to fix this problem....is that the progress you're talking about?

[QUOTE="SentryGunner411"]

I don't think it's necessary to have a sticky because the RROD is more under control than ever. Microsoft has resolved the problem for the most part, so all the new consoles are better off.

Major_9000

Lol, I'm waiting to get my third xbox 360 back in less than a month. They've had 2 years to fix this problem....is that the progress you're talking about?

I agree. No one with the 3 red lights will have to pay at least for another year. Take it from someone who has to pay for it: The repair charge: Being without xbox for a month is nothing compared to having to pay for it. The 3 red lights are a well known problem and I think practically everyone who knows about this forum (not exactly a well known place to those without videogame systems) also knows about the problem.

There definitely needs to be a sticky about this. RRoD is NOT Under control. My first year seen me go through 9 premium systems, all with the RROD or DVD drive failure, only once out of those 9 times did I recieve a new console, the other 8 were refurbs, thats what MS's great and fabulous repair/replacement plan for 60.00 gets you, a refurb that will just break lol. I eneded up canning the 360 and then I recieved the Elite as a gift and 8 months later its still going....hope it stays that way.

I love the 360 and honestly thats the problem. I wish it would quit releasing so many damn games I GOTTA have lol. It wouldnt be sop tough to let it go:P

Does anyone know of a way to get a refund on an xbox360 console? I have had mine for 6 months and it is already dead (3 red rings). I rang up the customer service number and they said they did not give a refund and I would have to take it back to the store I purchased it from to get a refund. I took it back to Kmart before hand and as soon as they saw it said that you had to contact Microsoft about it. It was very clear from the moment I talked to the service lady that Kmart didn't want anything to do with exchanging the console.

I tried to go into a different Kmart to purchase a new xbox and I asked some questions about it. The person who served me knew nothing about the console but when I asked about the return policy on faulty xboxes they immediately told me that Kmart will not give a refund on the consoles and I have to speak with Microsoft about it. I think this is against the trades act that if a product purchased is faulty it can be returned to the place of purchase and exchanged or refunded.

The xbox representative (who also seemed to know nothing about the console saying this problem is new and has never occurred before) insisted that I have to return the xbox to microsoft and will receive my old xbox back. The trouble is I do not want my old broken xbox back I want a refund.

Now I just received the email from xbox giving me the replied paid address but telling me I have to pack the xbox with my own box, wrap and Styrofoam and they are not sending me the coffin. More troubling is this sentence from the XBOX_InstructionsAU.pdf:

Note: It is the customer's responsibility to ensure that the console is adequately packed. Damage caused through inadequate packaging will void the warranty.

Very annoying! If anyone from Australia knows how to get a refund any information will be greatly appreciated.

Why did you guys make another one?Tigerman950

The old thread was overflowing, but thisi s my question, I see many people here with some good questions, but they never get answered, so lets try our best to make this thread a Q AND answer thread towards broken 360's

[QUOTE="Tigerman950"]Why did you guys make another one?mohammad93

The old thread was overflowing, but thisi s my question, I see many people here with some good questions, but they never get answered, so lets try our best to make this thread a Q AND answer thread towards broken 360's

Hopefully we can keep an updated FAQ here as well to answer the questions that get asked over and over again. I'm trying to go through the old thread to make a list from those 300 pages :)

There definitely needs to be a sticky about this. RRoD is NOT Under control. My first year seen me go through 9 premium systems, all with the RROD or DVD drive failure, only once out of those 9 times did I recieve a new console, the other 8 were refurbs, thats what MS's great and fabulous repair/replacement plan for 60.00 gets you, a refurb that will just break lol. I eneded up canning the 360 and then I recieved the Elite as a gift and 8 months later its still going....hope it stays that way.

I love the 360 and honestly thats the problem. I wish it would quit releasing so many damn games I GOTTA have lol. It wouldnt be sop tough to let it go:P

RabbidDawg

Holly cow that is DEDICATION!

Care to share any helpful details on going through the repair process?

I got an error 74 on my Xbox 360, I am wondering if this is covered by the three year warranty or only the one year warranty. Thanks for all responses.Dudealadude

Only the RROD is covered by the 3 year warranty, everything else has a one year.

[QUOTE="RabbidDawg"]

There definitely needs to be a sticky about this. RRoD is NOT Under control. My first year seen me go through 9 premium systems, all with the RROD or DVD drive failure, only once out of those 9 times did I recieve a new console, the other 8 were refurbs, thats what MS's great and fabulous repair/replacement plan for 60.00 gets you, a refurb that will just break lol. I eneded up canning the 360 and then I recieved the Elite as a gift and 8 months later its still going....hope it stays that way.

I love the 360 and honestly thats the problem. I wish it would quit releasing so many damn games I GOTTA have lol. It wouldnt be sop tough to let it go:P

Krall

Holly cow that is DEDICATION!

Care to share any helpful details on going through the repair process?

I agree with Krall, 9 systems, wow, Imma guess that yourm om is a lawyer and your dad is a doctor, and you have a distant last name of gates:P and to the faqs, I would be glad on having faqs on preventign the rrod and ll that:D

O, here is one way of preventing the rrod, if you have somethign cold, bput it either under or ontop of the 360, that helps keep the 360 cool, but It might be a hassle at times, and here is another tip that helps alot, you know that power brick for the 360? Yea, keep it vented and hang it either of a rope, or put it on top of a box with holes, it helps alot. I will be finding more help and then you can put that information into the first post.

Hope it helps:D

Hello everyone, I am having some controller problems and I was hoping someone could help me out with them. Well I bought an X360 Elite earlier this month and it was shipped with all the goodies the elite comes with, however the controller wouldn't work with the play and charge kit that I bought seperately.

The controller wouldn't hold a charge and would only work when plugged into the X360 via the play and charge kit, the light on the charge kit was not on, so I thought that the play and charge kit may be at fault, but my microphone also wouldn't work using either the play and charge kit or the battery pack, it would never turn red to indicate it is charging and it would never turn green to say that it was done charging. So I took it back to the store and got anew one. I used the new one on the original controller and had all the same problems. So I concluded that the controller had to be faulty.

So I took the controller back to the store, got a new one and now it won't work enough to turn on the X360 via the XBOX icon button on the controller. It only works when plugged directly into the console with the new play and charge kit, and still has all of the problems all of them had before it.

I am thinking about taking back my X360altogether and just sticking with my PS3 just because of this problem that seems to have no solution. If anyone can help, I will appreciate it greatly. Thanks.

O, here is one way of preventing the rrod, if you have somethign cold, bput it either under or ontop of the 360, that helps keep the 360 cool, but It might be a hassle at times, and here is another tip that helps alot, you know that power brick for the 360? Yea, keep it vented and hang it either of a rope, or put it on top of a box with holes, it helps alot. I will be finding more help and then you can put that information into the first post.

Hope it helps:D

mohammad93

Hey I'll add it in.

But for future notice for everyone, if you want something added to the FAQ, you can post it here of course, but make sure that you PM it too either me or Krall (although probably me, I think Krall has enough PM's already :lol:) and we'll add it in if we think it's useful.

Thanks :).

EDIT: Ok I added it in, hopefully you didn't mind that I rewrote parts of it, but it's all credited to you :).

i just wonder if MS will ever be able to resolve the problemdeimos113

If you mean resolve it completely? NO

They had their chance. Instead they choose to perform a band-aid operation change to the console. You have to understand, Microsoft could not give a crap about the customer. All they care about is MONEY.

Hello everyone, I am having some controller problems and I was hoping someone could help me out with them. Well I bought an X360 Elite earlier this month and it was shipped with all the goodies the elite comes with, however the controller wouldn't work with the play and charge kit that I bought seperately.

The controller wouldn't hold a charge and would only work when plugged into the X360 via the play and charge kit, the light on the charge kit was not on, so I thought that the play and charge kit may be at fault, but my microphone also wouldn't work using either the play and charge kit or the battery pack, it would never turn red to indicate it is charging and it would never turn green to say that it was done charging. So I took it back to the store and got anew one. I used the new one on the original controller and had all the same problems. So I concluded that the controller had to be faulty.

So I took the controller back to the store, got a new one and now it won't work enough to turn on the X360 via the XBOX icon button on the controller. It only works when plugged directly into the console with the new play and charge kit, and still has all of the problems all of them had before it.

I am thinking about taking back my X360altogether and just sticking with my PS3 just because of this problem that seems to have no solution. If anyone can help, I will appreciate it greatly. Thanks.

ElectronicMagic

sounds like theres something wrong with the controller recevier on the console, ring M$ and get them to sort it out.

[QUOTE="mohammad93"]

O, here is one way of preventing the rrod, if you have somethign cold, bput it either under or ontop of the 360, that helps keep the 360 cool, but It might be a hassle at times, and here is another tip that helps alot, you know that power brick for the 360? Yea, keep it vented and hang it either of a rope, or put it on top of a box with holes, it helps alot. I will be finding more help and then you can put that information into the first post.

Hope it helps:D

G013M

Hey I'll add it in.

But for future notice for everyone, if you want something added to the FAQ, you can post it here of course, but make sure that you PM it too either me or Krall (although probably me, I think Krall has enough PM's already :lol:) and we'll add it in if we think it's useful.

Thanks :).

EDIT: Ok I added it in, hopefully you didn't mind that I rewrote parts of it, but it's all credited to you :).

No problem, I'm glad to help, and thx for a useful thread, I will continue to find more helpful info:)

Ok, I found these useful tips as well, ok here they are

Number 1: Make sure that where ever you set your console, make sure you can at least have as much as your hands width of space between it and anything near by. (Make sure you can easily reach your arm between it and anything else next to it.)

Number 2: Relates closely to number 1 actually, do NOT set it right up against a wall. The Xbox 360 is powerful, and it gets warm quickly. If the console is too close to the wall, all that heat will build up quickly and come directly back onto the Xbox 360 itself and make it over-heat quicker.

Number 3: "If" you have a "Sturdy" surface to sit the console on, I would set it stranding up, not lying down. Because in my opinion, it looks like it would be easier for the heat to escape through the vented holes by doing this. (Make sure if you do that, the area its sitting on its nice and strong, and that nothing bumps into it knocking it over.)

Number 4: If you have a small fan you can sit blowing on the console, that would be a good idea as well when its turned on, to blow the hot air away from it and assist it in staying kool. Turning on the ceiling fan if you have one would probly be a good idea as well. I would reccomend buying a cooling kit, but I've read things about them not being good, so I don't know what to say on that one, sorry.

Well, these are very helpful tips, and I will keep looking for more ways on making people's 360 more enjoyable

My system RRoD'd on me after I had my system for a little over a year. It's like someone pushes a button to break it after the years warranty is up. Anyhow, I never took into account about keeping it well ventilated. I had it on it's belly on a glass shelf and the power supply behind my TV.Funny how I got a full year out if it tho. Received my replacement and ony got a month out of it. Might of had something to do with the fact that i didn't play it a whole lot till Mass Effect hit stores.This timeI will set my360 upin the fridge...

Thanks for all the tips for trying to avoid system overheating.I will definetly take it all into account this time around. Great Board btw. I check it everyday.