Xbox 360 - Major pain in the arse.

[pluck]

I've been fortunate with the 360....in that I've only gone throught 2.  My brother has gone through 3-4.  In all cases call microsoft...tell them you've had it for less than 3 years.  They send you a box, ship it to them, they send it back fixed...or new.  Sucks to be without it, but the process takes a week or 2 and is better than shelling out another 2-300 bucks.  I like to try to fix stuff, but certain things are just easier to send in imho.

[FYB]

I've been fortunate with the 360....in that I've only gone throught 2.  My brother has gone through 3-4.  In all cases call microsoft...tell them you've had it for less than 3 years.  They send you a box, ship it to them, they send it back fixed...or new.  Sucks to be without it, but the process takes a week or 2 and is better than shelling out another 2-300 bucks.  I like to try to fix stuff, but certain things are just easier to send in imho.

I'm not sure if they'll take it back now, I through away the useless bended x-clamps, put in the x-clamp kit and put on Arctic Silver 5 to the chips. I'm guessing they're not going to take a modded 360... And I'm not willing to pay for something that will break down in a month or two. Maybe a year at most...

Shelling out $180 for a brand new one is on the "FAIL" list for me.

EDIT: Anyone know what the thermal pads or heat absorbing pad things that are like band aids on the bottom four chips called?

[Tupac]

Okay, so I've tried EVERYTHING.

X-Clamp
Penny Fix
Arctic Silver 5
Over heat
Cooling systems

I don't know what to do! 

Please do not post any "Get a PS3" or anything of that sort. Any information would be very much appreciated!

try throwing it out, and gettign a PS3 

[Grayeagle]

Have had my Elite for a few months now .. no problems at all. . run thru two complete sets of batteries on the controller,
..wife plays on it durin the day now and then and I hammered it purty hard for months on Forza3.

Daughter and her family are hammerin on theirs playin Dragon Age:Origins since Christmas day ..they are all sucked into that game. . no problems at all.

Wouldn't hurt to ask MS if they will fix it or replace it. Worst they can do is say no after all.

-GE

[saggs]

Wow, I had no idea that Xbox's were this prone to failure. (I'm not a gamer, except for AH)

How on earth are they still so popular if so many people have had them fail?

Seems to me that Microsoft is just giving all you gamers the shaft, yet you keep coming back.

I mean really, name any other industry where a product can have such a high failure rate, and still be so popular? 

I'm baffled by this new revelation about Microsoft, maybe Bill Gates really IS the Antichrist!!!

[Estes]

well, i think xbox live is really what drives most to the xbox. that and xbox only games such as halo.

personally i never really cared for the ps3 controllers.

[branch37]

Ive had my 360 since early 2008 and it has ran great ever since, no problems at all.  Now that i say that its gonna crap out on me tonight 

[FYB]

try throwing it out, and gettign a PS3 

What part of Please do not post any "Get a PS3" or anything of that sort, did you not understand?

[Tupac]

What part of Please do not post any "Get a PS3" or anything of that sort, did you not understand?

tryin to knock some sense into you
<slaps FYB>

[FYB]

tryin to knock some sense into you
<slaps self in face>

Alright, cough up the $300 for a new PS3, otherwise, keep the trap shut please. I don't have the money to shell out, I've spent so much on my Xbox360 (games/controllers/mics) that I'd rather fix it or buy another for the $180.

[BoilerDown]

I know you can (or could) turn a 360 into a PC... is there a way to turn a PC into an X-Box?  Yes it would be vastly more expensive... but you could fix it yourself.

[OOZ662]

I know you can (or could) turn a 360 into a PC... is there a way to turn a PC into an X-Box?  Yes it would be vastly more expensive... but you could fix it yourself.

Technically, it's free.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Console_emulation

If you own a "copy" of the console (regardless of state of repair) and the games you play, it's all entirely legal as well. I'm not sure if PCs have matched the current generation of consoles, though.

EDIT: With the ability to hook the stock PS3 and wired xBox controllers to PCs as "gamepads," my laptop has become pretty handy for entertainment-on-the-go with all my PS1/PS2/N64/GBA games.
Totally off topic and random, but I love my GBA emulator for the sole purpose of playing Pokemon Gold. The actual cartridges had non-rechargable batteries in them and when they died...so did the game. Many beloved hours of my childhood wasted on it and one day, it was all gone.

[Paxil]

I love my Xbox 360... yeah it failed twice by they replaced it quickly both times... and I think I am still under warrenty because they keep extending it. I think I finally have a good one because I haven't had an troubles in a year. We use it for some many things... kids play all kind of games... we watch Netflix with it... play all our music on it... vids pics etc... might get another one for basement so we have music and Netflix down there too.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

You need to have a 360 with the HDMI port, thosealso have a "better" cooling system. My original Xbox suffered the RROD after a year. You can fix the RROD yourself  by making ur Xbox overheat. You warp ur Xbox in a bunch of blankets, and turn it on. After 30 min take it off the blankets and restart ur Xbox and it u should be ok. The overheating will reset the Xbox and get rid of the RROD. Mine worked an another week like that then it came back.

I threw mine away and bought a New one with the HDMI port ... that have been running great for 2 years. By one from Wall mart with the free xchange no question ask plan. No drama.

[OOZ662]

You can fix the RROD yourself  by making ur Xbox overheat. You warp ur Xbox in a bunch of blankets, and turn it on. After 30 min take it off the blankets and restart ur Xbox and it u should be ok. The overheating will reset the Xbox and get rid of the RROD. Mine worked an another week like that then it came back.

As you noticed, that's a very temporary fix. It heats the solder up so much that it re-melts and flows somewhat back into place. After long enough the solder will flow out of place. If Microsoft can tell you were using that "fix" when you send it in for repair, they'll charge you for it.