*sigh* friggin RROD

So i got myself a RROD on my 360. this is actually my 3rd xbox. I got one a long time ago and it started to crap out. it would get disk read errors. Luckily i had bought a warranty at the store at the time for like 25 bucks (think it was EB backw hen they existed) and i swaped it out for a new one.. that was DOA out of the box! So i took it back imediatly and got this one that now gave me the dreaded RROD

Im pretty sure its out of warrenty. The mfctr date is 7-2006. But i think i got it sometime in 2007. Xbox site shows it out of warranty. I'll try calling them and see if i can get it repaired for free but i seriously doubt it.

These things are such piles of junk. I dont know anyone who isn't at least on their 2nd one.

Anyway, does anyone know a good repair guide to fix these things? Ive got an average level ot technical skills im sure if i have a decent guide i can pop it open and mess with the screwed up solder/ect. I just need to know what i need to replace and what to remove. i did some goggling but most of the videos that look good you have to pay for or something. Most of the other stuff is stupid towel tricks. I want to actually open it, pull the bad solder off, resolder it, and replace the xclamp or whatever else needs to be swapped out. Maybe put a better heatsink in?

I really dont want to go buy another xbox. I just realized i droped over 1500 bucks the past month or two on retro grames on ebay =P

so can anyone point me to a good guide?

That sucks, I actually have a friend who has gone through about 8 360's and I tell him dude just leave the system alone and buy a PS3, but since he loves his FPS he sticks with it. I wish you luck with your 360, but my advice for you is just grab a PS3 if you can. I had a friend who had his 360 crap out on him not too long ago but he took it to Gamestop and got store credit for it (which surprises me) and is happy with his PS3 since he isn't on his 4th 360 haha.

I fail to understand why people who didn't own any "next generation" consoles continued to choose Xbox 360 despite its massive reputation at failure. Answer: The public is stupid. People like being treated like shit.

I see it as poor man's syndrome. Being that the 360 could be had at a cheaper price than a PS3 at one point many went towards it because it was the cheapest of the "next gen" systems. Now also add that up to all the mediocre FPS released on it along with the big name ones equals a formula in which many flaunted to it.

i do have a PS3. The only modern console i dont have is the lame wii. Ive got the ps3, 360,2 NES's, 3 Genesis's, 1 super NES, 2 ps2's, 2 xbox's, a PS1, N64 and a DC.

I couldn't give up my 360, i play it a lot. I have a LOT of 360 games. I just galnced at my console tower which has all the 'to play' 360 games i still havent played yet and theres over 30 of them up there. Plus my library of games i like to replay

honestly i have less than a dozen ps3 games. it has almost no good exclusives. For me, game selection is much better with the 360, plus its controller is way better for FPS's as you mention

anyway this isn't a thread about getting a different system, or even bashing MS (though i do hate them, god what a POS system) Its a thread asking for a good tutorial on what i need to swap out/replace to fix my 360

Hell, if i cant get it working i was wondering if anyone knows if costco still has that crazy return policy. maybe i can buy a new one there and take it back in a couple years when it no doubt breaks

Actually costco I believe does still have their return policy. I have to ask my sister in the morning but I remember they took my nephews 360 and his is over 2 years old and got it exchanged. So I could ask, but I would try finding a local place so you can geet it fixed might be cheaper at that. If you were in Souther Cal, I could list you a dozen places that do repairs at under 60 for the rrod.

What do you guys think of the chance of M$ having 360 support in their next console?

I used to own a 360, but I don't want the hassle of that RROD shit...

I have both the 360 and PS3 and I am just the opposite. I feel the 360 has next to no good exclusives. But I buy games like Little Big Planet, God o' War 3, Uncharted 1 and 2, 3D Dot Game Heroes, Demon's Souls, etc for the PS3 and I love 'em! I hadn't bought a 360 game in forever except Bayonetta which is better on the 360 and Alan Wake, which is the first exclusive in over 3 years that got my attention (and it's not really exclusive since it's also on the PC, as with most 360 games).

I just got an Xbox 360 'cause I found one for cheap($50), and even if it does Red Ring on me, I don't care. It's nothing a heat gun can't fix. Although, I don't think my Xbox 360 would Red Ring on me too soon, as it's got modified fans(the stock fans have the voltage applied to them bumped up from the stock 5V to 11V switchable power source on the motherboard to a permanent 12V). It makes A LOT of noise, but it keeps the console nice and cool. If you're willing to attempt your own repairs, get a heat gun. What typically fails when you get the Red Ring of Death is the GPU because the excessive heat buildup in the system causes the motherboard to warp due to the pressure of the heatsink on top of the GPU. As a result, the solder joints on the GPU crack(the solder joints also become fragile because the type of lead-free solder used by Microsoft is a type that becomes brittle if it's exposed to high amounts of heat for a long time). Since the chip is of the BGA(ball grid array) variety, you have no access to the solder joints since they're in between the chip and the motherboard. The only way to reflow the solder is to pass a heat gun over the GPU. And don't forget: make sure you use flux when you reflow the solder. If you'd like to see how you're supposed to use the heat gun, take a look at this video(I know it's for repairing the PlayStation 3's Yellow Light of Death, but on an Xbox 360, you have to use the heat gun the same way):



On the Xbox 360, you have to first heat up the bottom of the motherboard where the GPU is soldered for 15 seconds, leave it to cool for 15 minutes, then flip over the motherboard(DO NOT BEND IT!) and heat up the GPU itself for 15 seconds, then leave the motherboard to cool for another 15 minutes before closing up the Xbox 360. Make sure you use the heat gun EXACTLY like in that video; if you leave your heat gun just sitting there, you could possibly burn the board, so make sure you keep it moving.

This generation really sucks for failure rates, at the end of the day if you want to play current gen games you've got to take the chance you system won't crap out on you (I think the Wii's failure rate is really small but then most people don't really see the Wii as a next gen system, though it does have some really good software)

RROD is really easy to fix (the GPU caused ones). You need to open the 360 and you need 3 minutes and a heatgun...

I like X360, its got the best controller from this generation too (IMO)

I still don't understand why everyone here hates the 360, claiming it's a self-breaking console. We've only had to replace our 360 ONCE. ONE, SINGLE TIME, and it wasn't full blown RROD with the red lights. The video just up and stopped working, but audio could still be heard. Our current 360 (came with a 256MB card and has I think takes a 14 amp power supply) still works fine after the several months we've had it. Maybe it's the cold Canadian weather we often get? :P

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Originally Posted by salsays

Actually costco I believe does still have their return policy. I have to ask my sister in the morning but I remember they took my nephews 360 and his is over 2 years old and got it exchanged. So I could ask, but I would try finding a local place so you can geet it fixed might be cheaper at that. If you were in Souther Cal, I could list you a dozen places that do repairs at under 60 for the rrod.

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aww im in northern Cal actually =) Ya if you could double check with your sister that would be awesome. I may have to dot hat, but id like to get this one working again if i could


thanks for the video ace. Unfortunatly i dont own a heat gun. I may be able to see if my father or friends have one. I do notice that that video is for the PS3 though, not the xbox.. im guessing your just telling me to follow the technique and apply it to the gpy/CPU on the 360?

I have been looking at a lot of videos talking about messing with the x clamps. It seems i should do at least that, preferably that and the heat gun thing. But a lot of the stuff im finding is different. Some require drilling holes bigger o_O Anyone have any idea what the best method for fixing the x clamps is?
i found this
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fix-...ithout-towels/

but it seems excessive. Im really not sure what type of screws or washers to use. Some sugest nylon, some metal, some request something called a spring washer? Anyone know what i should go with, or a guide taht shows it properly?

I second Joe's statement, I feel like the 360 has very lil great exclusives, as opposed to the PS3 which has some interesting exclusives all around. But most of those failures the 360 has is because of the system being in non ventilated areas. All that heat the system takes in will eventually cause it to break down, especiially the way they placed the vents on the system which in my opinion was stupid.

And for sure I'll check up with my sister I'll post up later tonight to give you the news on it.

As a RROD veteran :bang: I have to say since getting one of the new 360s (late 2009 model) I've had no issues at all, it runs cool and stable.

Just a shame it took this long for M$ to sort it out.

Anyone remember having to stand a cold bottle of milk on your ZX80? the more things change the more they stay the same.

I have had my 360 since 06 it is so old it is a non HD version. Granted I may not play as much as others and the games I do play I copy to the system so it runs easier. But no problems at all.

Yeah, it's kinda bizarre to hear all those horror stories about multiple RROD's in a row. My first generation Xbox 360 has been in service for four years now, and it still works a-okay. Makes you wonder if it's just down to sheer luck or if there are some other forces at play.

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Originally Posted by mick_aka

As a RROD veteran :bang: I have to say since getting one of the new 360s (late 2009 model) I've had no issues at all, it runs cool and stable.

Just a shame it took this long for M$ to sort it out.

Anyone remember having to stand a cold bottle of milk on your ZX80? the more things change the more they stay the same.

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i lol'd at that. I dont even knwo what a zx80 is but thats hilarous =P

to those of you that have 2006 models that are still working, grats to you. Thats super rare. They will crap out eventually though. They just flat out have design flaws in them that make it pretty much inevitable.

I think it boils down to how much it gets used and how well you take care of it, as well as dumb luck. For me, i take excelent care of my stuff, but i did use the 360 a lot.

Anyway guys thnx tons for the help, i was all set to go to the hardware store and give it a shot, but i figured id call Microsoft to dispute the warranty for the hell of it. MS actually surprised me by honoring the warranty even though the website showed it was expired. I think the fact that i mentinoed i am on my 3rd helped, i dunno


still though, i think im going to buy a new one and keep the one that comes back and a 2ndary one on the 2nd tv. I may get the splinter cell LE bundle since i know it will be the latest jasper. I should upgrade from the old 20g i have anyway.

does anyone know the best way to transfer all my data from the old HD over to the new one? Even if i dont get a new one im sure i will have a different console back which wont work with all the stupid digital right stuff even if i slap the same HD on it

I know they used to offer a HD transfer cable, anyone know how to get ahold of one of those? I also remember hearing theres some way to fix teh DRM issues with changing the console

Honestly the DRM stuff is BS. Youd think with a system so prone to failure Microsoft wouldn't have made it almost imposible to keep your DLC and other items if you have to switch the console out >_< I like jumping from one console to the other for the olders systems on my HD and regular CRT tv. Its gonna be pretty much impossilbe to do this with the 2 xbox's

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Originally Posted by salsays

And for sure I'll check up with my sister I'll post up later tonight to give you the news on it.

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can you still check on that for me salsays? If im buying a new system i want to know their policy. I noticed amazon has the splinter cell bundle for 379 and no tax so that may be the way to go since ar egular 299 limited edition plus splinter cell @40 bucks will come out to about 374 bucks anyway because of my states absurdly high tax (9.75%!)

but it would be worth it to get it at costco if they do have that insane warranty. The problem is they're closed today and i think the amazon sale is only through memorial day so i probably gotta decide today. Im gonna goto bestbuy and see if they have any memorial day deals in the meantime

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Originally Posted by kenshin-dono

i think im going to buy a new one and keep the one that comes back and a 2ndary one on the 2nd tv. I may get the splinter cell LE bundle since i know it will be the latest jasper.

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People wonder how Microsoft get away with selling a faulty console, this is why.

I know tons of people who couldnt wait for their 360 to come back from repair so they just went out and bought another one.

MS havnt learn't anything.

I just got a 250gb hdd and it came with the cable. All 120 and 250 gb stand alones come with it. I'm not sure about the system bundle, I would guess not. I believe if you contact MS support, they will send you one free of charge.

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Originally Posted by kenshin-dono

i lol'd at that. I dont even knwo what a zx80 is but thats hilarous =P

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http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...280px-ZX80.jpg

When it got hot you had to stand a bottle of milk or some frozen peas on the back.

http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/repair...-clamp_fix.htm

that is a pretty good tutorial, only I don't recommend putting the new screws through the case, but rather directly to the board (with nylon washers on each side of the board, with metal washers against the heatsink and screw head). Also, DON'T clean the chips with goo gone, it can definitely interfere with the thermal paste adhesion, just use rubbing alcohol and q-tips and toothpicks to get off as much thermal paste as you can and then call it a day.





As for XBOX vs. PS3, Salsys mentioned it was "poor man's syndrome", but personally I see it as "financially short sighted man's syndrome". If you count the cost of each system considering that the XBOX will need a hard drive, Wi-Fi adapter (100 god damn dollars!), charge kit for the controller, XBOX live subscription, etc., it actually comes out to being MORE expensive than an equivalent PS3. I can't think of any good reason to get an XBOX over a PS3 unless there is an absolute must have exclusive on the XBOX (and don't give me that cross-game chat excuse, you can still invite across games and send messages on the PS3).


Guntz: the audio/no video problem is actually RROD minus the error code. It is literally the exact same problem and is fixed the exact same way.


I don't see the need to defend MS on the basis that "oh, I only had TWO RRODs". I say "wow, this thing is 2 years old and EVERYONE is having an epic fail? hi Sony, nice to meet you."

You do know that you can use just about any regular wi-fi adapter, and not pay for the overpriced MS one, right?

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Originally Posted by Melf

You do know that you can use just about any regular wi-fi adapter, and not pay for the overpriced MS one, right?

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really? I thought it was only if you plugged it into a router via Ethernet.

Yeah, it has to be through the ethernet adapter. MS's is the only USB adapter you can use, though I don't know why anyone would pay that much money just to go through the USB port though. You can get a router and cable for less money than that.

Personally, I have both consoles connected with a cable. WiFi is not great for playing online.

has anyone ever heard of an original x box suffering a rrod? i think i caused one on my friends a few years back while ripping music from some cd's.

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Originally Posted by Melf

Yeah, it has to be through the ethernet adapter. MS's is the only USB adapter you can use, though I don't know why anyone would pay that much money just to go through the USB port though. You can get a router and cable for less money than that.

Personally, I have both consoles connected with a cable. WiFi is not great for playing online.

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That's all fine and good when your house is laid out appropriately, but running Ethernet cables would be a mess for me. Wi-Fi works fine, though. The Apple AirPort is a beast of a Wi-Fi routher.

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Originally Posted by shinobimusashi

has anyone ever heard of an original x box suffering a rrod? i think i caused one on my friends a few years back while ripping music from some cd's.

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Not to the extent of 360s. It will give a RROD for a few things, but you really have to fuck it up for it to happen. I'd say the most common problem with original XBOXes is sticky trays (don't eject well) followed by disc read errors followed by hard drive failures. The processors and graphics chips tend to do well, though.

I actually heard about them using USB drives now so i may just format one for that and transfer data that way. i may call MS and see if they can give me one too since someone sugest that, they surprised me with extending my warranty.

I still dont know what to do with the digital rights managmant issue.. did they fix that now? I know in the past all DLC and other stuff along those lines was not only locked into your profile, but also to some kinda ID on the core of your MB or something along those lines. So if you got a new system or a fixed one with swapped parts, it would not work right and you would always have to be logged into live for it to work properly, or it just wouldn't work

is there any way to fix that? re-d.loading everything? i remember hearing about some solution a while back but i cant find it now

You just need to go to Xbox.com and transfer the licenses. Then you can play everything offline. I got a 16gb USB flash drive and transferred all my Live Arcade games over to it. It freed up around 6 gb of space on the HDD.

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Originally Posted by 17daysolderthannes

Guntz: the audio/no video problem is actually RROD minus the error code. It is literally the exact same problem and is fixed the exact same way.


I don't see the need to defend MS on the basis that "oh, I only had TWO RRODs". I say "wow, this thing is 2 years old and EVERYONE is having an epic fail? hi Sony, nice to meet you."

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I've only had ONE single RROD, not 6 like all the horror stories. One system failure isn't an excuse to call a manufacturer out on. I had a Platinum GameCube, which was purchased brand new right from the retail store, died after 4 - 5 years of use. Did I bitch about that? No, because that would be retarded. I never expect a disc based system to last forever, so it came as no surprise. That 360 was gonna die eventually too, it just went sooner than usual. I think you need to chill pill for your Sony-boy outbreaks 17days...

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Originally Posted by Guntz

I've only had ONE single RROD, not 6 like all the horror stories. One system failure isn't an excuse to call a manufacturer out on. I had a Platinum GameCube, which was purchased brand new right from the retail store, died after 4 - 5 years of use. Did I bitch about that? No, because that would be retarded. I never expect a disc based system to last forever, so it came as no surprise. That 360 was gonna die eventually too, it just went sooner than usual. I think you need to chill pill for your Sony-boy outbreaks 17days...

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How many times do I have to go over this? I used to work in console repair, and I literally made a living off of fixing 360s. All of the PS2s, etc. that came in for repairs had OBVIOUS signs of heavy use/abuse, but XBOX 360s were mostly pristine and looked brand new by comparison. Just trust me when I say that XBOX 360s have a short-term failure rate that is exponentially higher than any other popular game system ever made. I mean, really Guntz, you are in the minority only having ONE failed XBOX 360, most people have much more. Compare that to the few people that had a PS2 stop working after 8 years when many have never had an issue. I'm just speaking the truth here.

I'm on my first 360 still.

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

I'm on my first 360 still.

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view at :13 in.

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

I'm on my first 360 still.

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Originally Posted by 17daysolderthannes

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Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

I've named my JTAG X360 that I got RRODed and on which I experiment and refine my skills.... I call it "Pile Of Shit" since it has RRODed and had various other issues for 5+ times, most induced by me though :sweat:

I'm on my second 360. first one lasted me nearly 3 years.

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Originally Posted by MrMatthews

I'm on my first 360 still.

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I've got a friend who's still on his too, and it's an early model (within a year of launch) and not very well taken care of. Poorly ventilated, often used in the vertical position, moved around a lot, bumped, scuffed, knocked/dropped, etc (in a not especially tidy household with several young kids).
It overheated several times when he brought to my house last summer: had it in the >86 degree sun room set-up with a spare monitor, ended up taking it inside as it won't stop overheating (2 bar red ring), at least until that evening when the room had cooled off.
That incident made me wonder if one problem with overheating+desoldering related RROD was related to less sensitive (or poorly calibrated) or poorly installed heat sensors for the GPU. (it wouldn't stop overheating but at least prevent a CATO by force quitting)

Anyway, cases like that are probably the exceptions though. ;) (knock on wood)


Interestingly another friend who did have a 360 die didn't have it happen in the usual way. No red ring, no failure to boot, but the video output died (sound still worked), like part of the encoding circuitry got fried. (iirc there was some burning smell or other evidence when it happened) Not sure what video he was using, but I assume analog on an SDTV. (it might have only been a specific video output too -like composite/s-video- or possibly the entire analog portion -maybe HDMI would still work)

I've had 2 xboxes in 3 year span. Elite was working over 1 year before it boofed and I got my money back (was around 7500 kroons) and then a bit later I got Arcade which STILL works (Soon 2 years)

I love 360, i dont give a shit about it's RRODding

If you check your local Craigslist, then there's probably someone who can do the repair for you.

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Originally Posted by Melf

You just need to go to Xbox.com and transfer the licenses. Then you can play everything offline. I got a 16gb USB flash drive and transferred all my Live Arcade games over to it. It freed up around 6 gb of space on the HDD.

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I put my user profile on a thumb drive. I have my arcade games loaded onto both 360's and just log in with my user profile from the thumb drive.

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Originally Posted by FlackoWeasel

I've had 2 xboxes in 3 year span. Elite was working over 1 year before it boofed and I got my money back (was around 7500 kroons) and then a bit later I got Arcade which STILL works (Soon 2 years)

I love 360, i dont give a shit about it's RRODding

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Yeah, my Elite (August of 07) crapped out after 14 months of use; it was actually the power supply that failed. I ended up with an older Elite (March of 07) that's starting to have DVD drive read issues. I've bought a used 360 arcade (September of 09) as a backup and it runs as cool as a cucumber. I'm almost tempted to go back to the same place I'd bought the 360 arcade, to see if they have an Elite ($200) from 09.