The General 360 Owners/Buyers FAQ Thread (Updated 1/15/10)

[quote name='buffdrew84']i plugged it in completly and now its working...duh

but...i cleared out everything on the hard drive and it only says that i have 13.8 gb left when theres nothing saved to it. whats up with that?[/QUOTE]
20GB drive? The remaining space is reserved for system use. I believe it says that right there on the dashboard.
 
Odd thing. I ended up getting another new 4GB Slim today for the office, to replace the xclamped and jet engine-sounding oldie.

Set it up, turn it on and it starts up just fine. But then I noticed that the green LED(s) on the console don't light up at all. Not when booting, not when a controller is synched and connected.

I don't know if I should just return it now and swap it for another or just ignore it. My other 4GB slim lights up like normal.

EDIT: I contacted MS and they had never heard of the issue and advised either a)sending it in for repair (HA!) or b) exchanging it for a different one. I chose B.
 
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Is there a list somewhere of which USB memory sticks work on the 360, maybe with Amazon links?

The 2GB stick I got from my University won't work on the 360, even though it works fine on the PS3 and my computers.
 
I personally wouldn't, partially because I don't trust used anyway, but then also with a mechanical drive, they normally last a long time, but who knows what the previous person did with it.
 
Not sure where to post this or what's going on...

I was looking through my hard drive, and I have "Left 4 Dead 2: The Sacrifice" on there, taking up 634MB.

Was this a paid add on? I do not have Left 4 Dead. I've never played Left 4 Dead. I never told my Xbox to download this.

Is there a way to see a list of points transactions? I want to make sure I wasn't somehow billed for this.
 
Second, less important question. Can you rate games in the NNXE anymore? I don't see anything to rate them now.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']Second, less important question. Can you rate games in the NNXE anymore? I don't see anything to rate them now.[/QUOTE]

That's true, I don't seem to see any rate game area either?
 
Here's a question: I heard that a recent firmware update has enabled users to use a USB hard drive (up to 1TB, even) to store game data. Has anyone had any experience with this?
 
I think a USB hard drive actually will work, BUT, you still only get to use up to 16 MB of it. You don't get to use the entire storage space of the drive.
 
[quote name='DJP519']I think a USB hard drive actually will work, BUT, you still only get to use up to 16 MB of it. You don't get to use the entire storage space of the drive.[/QUOTE]
^true
 
I'm planing on getting a xbox360 for my christmas got a $15 gift card at toys r us so I got are katamari, blue dragon, fable 3, and tales of vasperia also assassin creed.

I plan on getting the kinect later on maybe once there's more games for it project draco looks nice..

I'm not sure how much of online I'd use probably just download a few games, download stuff for my games etc..

If I chose the 4gb one could I eventually upgrade it to 250gb HDD? This will probably be the new one..

:360: Xbox 360 4GB or 250GB Console w/ $50 Toys R Us Gift Card $199.99 and $299.99 is the deal I'm looking at.

Thanks for the help.

With the new xbox 360 I can play all the xbox games on it?

My question is it worth paying a little extra for the 250GB one?
 
[quote name='meerkatgamer']
If I chose the 4gb one could I eventually upgrade it to 250gb HDD? This will probably be the new one.[/quote]
Yes

My question is it worth paying a little extra for the 250GB one?
Click to expand...
If you plan on adding a hard drive anyway, it'll be cheaper to buy the 250GB version now.
 
I bought a 360 S hard drive case off ebay and I was pleased to find that it's a snap-together design. No need for glue. The other one's I'd seen listed were ones you had to glue together. Mind you, I haven't been able to try it out yet because I'm not getting my 4 GB 360 S until tomorrow. I bought from a US seller, for more then the chinese sellers, because I wanted it when my new 360 arrives. I'm going to put the drive from my Elite 120 GB into it. Will report if there are any issues or not. It looks pretty nice, though, at least at first glance.

I was pretty surprised by how tiny it is.
 
Got my xbox 360 S in and that hard drive case worked out great! Was very easy to get the drive from my old 360 into it and it worked perfectly. Only thing was that the license transfer was way more of a pain then I realized. You have to redownload everything (though it really only seems to download the license), one download at a time. Took way longer then it should have. Also the website was confusing. I had to look at the license transfer FAQ to find out how to actually download the licenses - it seemed to say it would happen automatically, but that's not really how it worked. They really need to improve the process and make it one-click easy. Oh well. I do like the slim a lot.

EDIT: I do have one disappointment with the 360 S, and it isn't entirely insignificant. It really doesn't seem to be any quieter then my Jasper Elite. Microsoft described the new 360 as "whisper quiet". It is in no way shape or form "whisper quiet" (unlike the Wii, which *is*) and that was one of the reasons I bought it, so that's pretty disappointing. Maybe the optical drive is quieter - I haven't tried playing anything from it yet, but I generally install disc games, and play a lot of arcade/indie games. You hear the fan rushing just like the Jasper. It is smaller, has more USB ports, dedicated Kinect port and built-in 802.11n wifi (which saves another USB port and I can have my flash drive plugged into the back of it), so I'm still pretty happy with it anyway, but it's not exactly all I was hoping it would be. Oh well. I'll definitely keep it and trade in the jasper. I like that the 4 GB model is matte black. It looks nice and won't be a finger print magnet. They should make the other model matte too.
 
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Anyone have experience with getting XBox's updated without a connection to Live? I've bought a 360 (last run of the Arcade model w/Viva & Banjo) that Walmart gave me a good deal for ($110 because they had to open and use it for their Madden tournament) that will be going to someone who doesn't use internet outside of their PC.

I know there's code in the more recent titles to update the dashboard, but after hearing a horror story from someone in a similar situation who asked my advice (got all kinds of weird errors after doing the update AC: Brotherhood prompted them to do as they don't have internet at all) I just don't want to be under a time crunch on Christmas Day when I know I'm going to have to be the one to install the 360.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I agree the license transfer process is a pain to do one at a time but before they allowed you to do it online you had to go through each item one at a time on the download history part. Now you can add items to your que through xbox.com. There should be a refresh all my license button though.
 
[quote name='MSUHitman']Anyone have experience with getting XBox's updated without a connection to Live? I've bought a 360 (last run of the Arcade model w/Viva & Banjo) that Walmart gave me a good deal for ($110 because they had to open and use it for their Madden tournament) that will be going to someone who doesn't use internet outside of their PC.

I know there's code in the more recent titles to update the dashboard, but after hearing a horror story from someone in a similar situation who asked my advice (got all kinds of weird errors after doing the update AC: Brotherhood prompted them to do as they don't have internet at all) I just don't want to be under a time crunch on Christmas Day when I know I'm going to have to be the one to install the 360.

Any advice would be appreciated.[/QUOTE]Wouldn't it make sense to set it up on your home network with your gamertag and update it from there? The last dash update from last month is likely it for a while, so it seems to think that we'd be good for a while with dash updates. Once you're done, delete your GT off of the system. If it's already opened like you had said, that seems to make the most sense to me.

[quote name='stoned99']http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/update-xbox-360-without-internet-or-xbox-live/[/QUOTE]That article is back from January of this year, so it doesn't cover the right dashboard update that's currently out there. The process makes sense, yes, though the dash update link may not be right.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']Wouldn't it make sense to set it up on your home network with your gamertag and update it from there? The last dash update from last month is likely it for a while, so it seems to think that we'd be good for a while with dash updates. Once you're done, delete your GT off of the system. If it's already opened like you had said, that seems to make the most sense to me.

That article is back from January of this year, so it doesn't cover the right dashboard update that's currently out there. The process makes sense, yes, though the dash update link may not be right.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I knew the article was old but it was just to make the point that it's possible.

Here's the link for the actual latest process.

http://support.xbox.com/en-us/pages/xbox-360/how-to/update-xbox-360/system-updates.aspx
 
So I got a new Xbox recently as I posted, and I transferred my licenses and "redownloaded" everything (really just the licenses) and that worked. However, today I purchased the Big Thrills DLC for TrialsHD, but did so from the web page. When I went to my 360 tonight it didn't download and when I looked at the queue it said it was purchased on another console. So am I screwed? And how do you get the web page to associate purchases with your new 360 instead of the old one I've transferred my license from?

EDIT: it looks like redownloading it did properly license it for my new 360 as I tried getting to the new levels from a profile that isn't on Live and I was able to see and play the new levels. So it does seem to have been licensed properly, but it's odd that the marketplace on the web is trying to license it for my old 360. I sent an email to xbox support to see if there's a way to fix this.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']Got my xbox 360 S in and that hard drive case worked out great! Was very easy to get the drive from my old 360 into it and it worked perfectly. Only thing was that the license transfer was way more of a pain then I realized. You have to redownload everything (though it really only seems to download the license), one download at a time. Took way longer then it should have. Also the website was confusing. I had to look at the license transfer FAQ to find out how to actually download the licenses - it seemed to say it would happen automatically, but that's not really how it worked. They really need to improve the process and make it one-click easy. Oh well. I do like the slim a lot.[/QUOTE]
Is it hard to take the drive out of the case for the old model? I'm curious about doing this. I would like to upgrade but don't want to pay the premium for the 250S and thought maybe if I just got the 4gb I could do something like this. I also don't think I can use the license transfer tool yet because I picked up my replacement system about a year ago (thinking it is less). So it would be a $200 upgrade. Don't know if it is worth it yet...
 
[quote name='crunchewy']So I got a new Xbox recently as I posted, and I transferred my licenses and "redownloaded" everything (really just the licenses) and that worked. However, today I purchased the Big Thrills DLC for TrialsHD, but did so from the web page. When I went to my 360 tonight it didn't download and when I looked at the queue it said it was purchased on another console. So am I screwed? And how do you get the web page to associate purchases with your new 360 instead of the old one I've transferred my license from?

EDIT: it looks like redownloading it did properly license it for my new 360 as I tried getting to the new levels from a profile that isn't on Live and I was able to see and play the new levels. So it does seem to have been licensed properly, but it's odd that the marketplace on the web is trying to license it for my old 360. I sent an email to xbox support to see if there's a way to fix this.[/QUOTE]

Just go to pending d/l's on the new xbox and say download, it will d/l to the new xbox.
 
[quote name='Renegade Moose']Is it hard to take the drive out of the case for the old model? I'm curious about doing this. I would like to upgrade but don't want to pay the premium for the 250S and thought maybe if I just got the 4gb I could do something like this. I also don't think I can use the license transfer tool yet because I picked up my replacement system about a year ago (thinking it is less). So it would be a $200 upgrade. Don't know if it is worth it yet...[/QUOTE]
Piece of cake. You'll need a T6 and a T10 driver to remove all the screws.
 
Yes, it's very easy to remove the drive from the old case.

Speaking of which, I discovered something that's pretty bizarre to me. If you install a retail disc-based game to the hard drive, that installed copy is actually licensed to the specific console. What this means is that if you move the hard drive to another console, the copy on the hard drive will NOT be used. End result is you have to manually delete all your installs and then reinstall them back onto the same drive!! Why in the world did they do this when the installs are of no use without the retail disc anyway? I wonder how many people have games installed and taking up drive space without the install actually being used?
 
[quote name='crunchewy']Yes, it's very easy to remove the drive from the old case.

Speaking of which, I discovered something that's pretty bizarre to me. If you install a retail disc-based game to the hard drive, that installed copy is actually licensed to the specific console. What this means is that if you move the hard drive to another console, the copy on the hard drive will NOT be used. End result is you have to manually delete all your installs and then reinstall them back onto the same drive!! Why in the world did they do this when the installs are of no use without the retail disc anyway? I wonder how many people have games installed and taking up drive space without the install actually being used?[/QUOTE]

Yeah it is a stupid way to do it but they do this process because of piracy. Not that those guys wouldn't think of a way around it I would assume.
 
I already have an older 360 (60 GB) and i will be getting a 4GB 360 S/kinect bundle from that BK contest next week. I am trying to decide if i should keep it or sell it, but i have a few questions.

1. Are the newer models any better? My old 360 sounds like a jet engine and gets very hot.

2. One of the biggest problems for me is the lack of HDD space on the newer model, are there any cheaper internal Harddrives that can be used for the newer model. I have already paid $100+ for a official xbox HDD when I upgraded my older 360 to a 60GB and i really dont want to do that again. I know that it can use thumbdrives but i dont really want multiple thumbdrives sticking out of my 360.

3. Do the newer models break often?

Any advice/tips on what i should do would be helpful.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']I wasn't saying that the process you posted was incorrect, just the dash file download.

Let's hope Microsoft keeps that page above up to date with the correct updates.[/QUOTE]

Problem is Shrike the console is in the land that broadband forgot, southern Illinois. My cousin actually has broadband cable, but the modem is connected directly to his pc with no router. I MIGHT have a CAT 5 cable that will reach to update but something simpler is appreciated.

Also I know someone who was forced to update their XBox offline when they put in their Brotherhood disc, but now they can't play DVD movies. It keeps giving them an error of not enough memory. Anyone know anything about that?
 
[quote name='bk187']I have a new 360 slim on the way and am a bit unsure regarding what I need cable-wise.

So to output 1080p, I need a dongle that has an HDMI slot and an HDMI cable to run from that dongle to the TV? Is this http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10830&cs_id=1083005&p_id=7526&seq=1&format=2 basically the same as the more expensive Microsoft branded dongle that you get with the dongle plus HDMI cable bundle?
[/QUOTE]
You don't need the dongle unless you're routing audio to a non-HDMI capable receiver.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']Question. Will I be able to transfer my already installed games from my 120gb hd to my new slim without having to reinstall them?[/QUOTE]

No but it shouldn't take too long to reinstall them.
 
I have a question about video playback. I've been viewing DVDs and streaming media to my HDTV and I've noticed that it seems to be...off. I connect to my tv via HDMI and the video seems to have a slight blockiness that I'm noticing that I didn't see before. It would seem that horizontally there are rough edges to images.

Am I explaining this well? Does anyone else notice this?
 
Does anyone know if there is a way to save your save files for an on demand xbox original game? I bought GTA San Andreas when it was on sale but now I want to delete the game to save HD space but I can't seem to find a separate save file.
 
Is there any way to get the DLC for the XBox Original games that is currently on my 120GB HDD onto my new (original style) 250GB HDD since there's no option on the XBox to copy/move any XBox Original data? I have the XPort device for PC that fits original style 360 drives if that helps.
 
I just set up the new Slim 360 a few days ago. It created a Player 1 profile for me since I had yet to transfer all my old stuff to the new system. Every time I turned on the 360, it would sign me in under Player 1 instead of my main profile. I deleted the Player 1 profile, and now every time I turn on the 360, I'm not automatically signed into my account. I have to manually sign in. Where's the option to automatically sign in?
 
[quote name='Blackout']I just set up the new Slim 360 a few days ago. It created a Player 1 profile for me since I had yet to transfer all my old stuff to the new system. Every time I turned on the 360, it would sign me in under Player 1 instead of my main profile. I deleted the Player 1 profile, and now every time I turn on the 360, I'm not automatically signed into my account. I have to manually sign in. Where's the option to automatically sign in?[/QUOTE]

Sign in to your main profile. My Xbox -> Your XBL Account -> Profile -> Sign-In Settings.
 
[quote name='sp00ge']Sign in to your main profile. My Xbox -> Your XBL Account -> Profile -> Sign-In Settings.[/QUOTE]

Thanks!
 
I just ordered a 4GB Slim yesterday. Going to get a HD in the next week or so.

Why are the 360 Slim HD's on Ebay as well as via other sellers on Buy.com so cheap? Are they crappy knock-offs compared to the Official 250GB HDs?
 
Yes. There are a lot of knock-off 360 drives, both for the S model and older models. All you need is the casing, the Western Digital drive that MS uses, and the knowledge on how to flash a hard drive.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Yes. There are a lot of knock-off 360 drives, both for the S model and older models. All you need is the casing, the Western Digital drive that MS uses, and the knowledge on how to flash a hard drive.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the heads up!

I'll probably snag one of the Official ones on Amazon, since I made some money selling off some old gaming consoles.
 
[quote name='LordVila']Do any of you have experience with getting on XBL with Sprint Wireless broadband?[/QUOTE]

I have. It works, but it isn't great. Real twitch games have a lot of lag, so no FPS. It does work well for downloading XBLA games and slower paced games. Just asking, but is that your only boradband option? I was stuck with it for a while, until I found a local provider that does wireless service(not cell based). That works great with no lag at all. I'd look around for something like that if you can. Good luck :D
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']It's still got a 5GB limit though, right?[/QUOTE]Only wireless Internet that doesn't seem to have a cap is the 4G WiMAX from Clear Wireless. Sprint sells a similar solution, though it's only the 4G WiMAX that is capless.
 
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Do any of you know if you call MS whether they will allow you to transfer licenses twice in one year? I had a 360 die so I bought another one last November (new Arcade model). I've been using my old 20GB HDD. I didn't find out until July that you had to do a license transfer so I'm not eligible for another one until July 2011. I am planning on buying a 360 Slim this weekend because I'm out of HDD space but it defeats the purpose if I can't transfer all of my DLC to the new console.
 
[quote name='javeryh']Do any of you know if you call MS whether they will allow you to transfer licenses twice in one year? I had a 360 die so I bought another one last November (new Arcade model). I've been using my old 20GB HDD. I didn't find out until July that you had to do a license transfer so I'm not eligible for another one until July 2011. I am planning on buying a 360 Slim this weekend because I'm out of HDD space but it defeats the purpose if I can't transfer all of my DLC to the new console.[/QUOTE]

Don't have an answer to your question, unfortunately, but do you need to do a license transfer? What I mean is, in my case, I never bothered, because I'm the only person who uses my console, and 99% of the time, I'm connected to Live. I didn't feel like redownloading all of that content, so I said screw it.
 
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