Open heart surgery...

Megaman_FTW · 07-07-2008, 05:19 PM

I bought an Xbox 360 from a member of a different forum recently, and it worked alright for 3 days and then choked and died. It won't read disks. Ever. I tried a lens cleaning disk, and even that didn't work. I contacted microsoft and they said that since it had a custom case put on it by someone other than a microsoft employee, they would not service the device. They also said that the machine had been rejected service once before when sent in by the previous owner (suspicious...). The good news is that the hard drive is in perfect condition.

I am left with few options.

1) Ask for my money back from the seller and abort the whole X360 thing.

2) Ask for my money back from the seller, use it to buy an X-360 without a hard drive and then use the hard drive from the broken system on it.

3)Attempt to repair the broken Xbox.

Since the Xbox runs fine aside from its failure to read any and all disks I place in it, my guess is that the problem is with the disk drive. What would it take to try and repair this? Is the Xbox like a PC in that the disk drive can be removed/replaced? If it can be replaced, what kind of disk drive would I need to replace it with? I doubt I could just pull any old CD drive and glue it in there.

On a side note: How do I get the case off?

If this fails, I'm going to need to know where I can get a good condition Xbox core system with no controller or hard drive cheap (around 150-200 dollars). Anyone know any reliable stores by which I mean not the internet or ebay that would have something like that for sale?

[Danny] · 07-07-2008, 05:38 PM

The Llamma's Game Console Parts and Accessories

Darth Melvin · 07-07-2008, 05:55 PM

ya just find a replace the drive

Bunnytard · 07-07-2008, 06:06 PM

Buy a new 360

Ifti · 07-07-2008, 06:22 PM

Ask for a refund from the seller.
Then buy a new 360 - preferably premum.

Quote:

2) Ask for my money back from the seller, use it to buy an X-360 without a hard drive and then use the hard drive from the broken system on it.

How will this work?? Do you think the seller will refund you, AND let you keep the HDD?? You could ask for some of the money back and buy the HDD off of hi, but if you are after a full refund you obviously need to return everything to him, including the HDD.

Madden 09 · 07-07-2008, 09:10 PM

No no no you don't need a new drive yet.

Rip open your Xbox, and clean the laser with rubbing alcohol and a q tip.

Dip one end of the q tip in rubbing alcohol, and just touch it to the laser lenses. It will transfer alcohol to the laser lenses just by touching it to the lenses. Then flip the Q tip around and gently dry the laser lenses with the dry side of the q tip. Try it out.

Megaman_FTW · 07-07-2008, 09:34 PM

Just buying a new 360 is too expensive. I'm short on money.

I think my best shot is to see if he will let me keep the HDD, or at least sell it to me cheap as he refunds the rest of the console. I would go for replacing the disk drive, but paying 60 dollars + 2 weeks + shipping for something I'm not 100% sure will work does NOT sound fun.

And madden, I've already ruled out a smudge lens as a possible cause. I've run the thing through 2 different DVD lens cleaners, one of them saying specifically it was made to work on Xbox.

Anyone know any reliable sources of cheap core Xbox 360 systems?

Madden 09 · 07-07-2008, 09:59 PM

No. Don't rely on those. You have to open the system and use rubbing alcohol. Those crappy cleaner discs don't do jack.

Megaman_FTW · 07-07-2008, 10:05 PM

Is it possible to remove the case without a special kit? Is there a set of instructions I can get somewhere?

EDIT: To clarify, it has been my experience that a dirty lens will make reading disks less reliable, but not make it fail perfectly 100% of the time like is happening now.

SUPER EDIT: Thanks to whichever admin/mod fixed the thread title.

ONE MORE EDIT:

I started opening the case to the Xbox to get to the lens. The first step was to remove the front cover of the system. The easily removable one. I opened it only to find that M$'s silver seal that stretches across the space where the other plates overlap is still intact. I called Microsoft again and they told me to my face that I was wrong because my tag was definitely broken on their record. I was half tempted to ask for a more competent customer service representative but instead I told them their records were crap, the seal was fine, and I was looking right at it. They said they had to consult the supervisor. I was put on hold for 10 minutes only for them to come back and tell me that the seal was definitely broken and the supervisor said that that stands. I told the crazy person that if they didn't believe me I would take a picture of the dang seal and email it to prove to them that it was just fine. They then gave me a reference number and told me that I should get the picture, upload it, then call again requesting a supervisor. This supervisor will supposedly give me an email address I can send the pictures to so that I can prove Microsoft's staff is retarded.

Or, in other words.

Megaman vs Microsoft

Round 3: Fight!!!