Xbox Banning Discussion

I'm not an expert on this but I've had my fair share of Xbox's that shit their pants. I'd just give up on the free games and on Black Friday buy a 4GB console for $99.99 or whatever they charge then and use your HDD in it. Sell your banned console for whatever you can get and don't buy an Xbox One.
A banned console is worthless if you removed the HDD.

Let the HDD go with it. Delete your own profile and make another local profile that can then access all the content in single player offline mode.

Profit -- especially if your main GT is still safe, you will be able to license transfer all your digital content to a different console and re-download.

 
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On a personal note, just finished my Home Media Server, 5 TB of storage for the entire house media collection, YAY! Gonna start on a BA gaming PC, for myself, since M$ is killing their consoles with their recent OVERREACTION. And last, my son and daughter WILL NOT be getting the Xbone. I will take them back to Sony. I loved my PS2 for many years! Hopefully they will love the PS4 as much. I WILL, however, go out of my way to no longer support M$, in my personal life and business. (Kinda crazy like that. Yes, I'm one of those people who WILL NOT go to WALMART. So M$ is on MY Blacklist now and should be on yours as well.
Your gaming PC going to be Linux or Mac?

Of course, Sony's done things over the years that has made people swear off them, either through anti-consumer tactics or incompetence. So they're no angels, either.

You avoid Walmart ... is it because of how they treat their employees, especially regarding benefits? If that's the reason, do you (or any other Walmart avoiders) also avoid Amazon?

You're free to support whichever businesses you want for whatever reasons you want. Just pointing out that the companies with the alternatives may not be that much better, and depending on how hardline of a stance you take on anti-consumer tactics, Nintendo (anything major against them?) and open source may be your only gaming options (given the accusations against Apple and Google WRT NSA spying, good-bye iOS and Android).

 
My two friends haven't been banned yet either and they did they exact same thing. Played all games online with their main account except for Dark.

Starting to wonder if the folks getting banned did more than just this.
People already thought that at the beginning, when there were only isolated cases. That is definitely not the case now.

 
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Reading about these bans has basically swayed me against buying an Xbox One. I didn't participate in the region changing/free games exploit, but the fact that they're banning consoles and tags rather than just revoking software licenses seems way over the top. Combined with the fact that I'm now seeing people worrying about sharing content across consoles they own in their own household (which I regularly do), it's enough to convince me that I don't want to be doing business with Microsoft. There's just no way I'm willing to give them $500 when the company is apparently so eager to push through a console ban.

 
I don't know why people assume just cause it was a weekend they just stopped banning people. If you looked up the Xbox forums people are getting banned then too.

 
Yes, discuss the bannings as much as you want. Do not argue over the ethics of it.
I wasn't, and yet somehow my post mysteriously vanished.

To repeat: this seems to only be happening for people who downloaded the "free" GoD games right? I'm not going to get banned over using my UK account to legitimately pay for DLC for a region free game?

 
I don't know why people assume just cause it was a weekend they just stopped banning people. If you looked up the Xbox forums people are getting banned then too.
People who didn't turn on their Xbox this past week wouldn't have seen that they were banned. Some don't play their Xbox evey day or they only play on the weekends. The banhammers aren't swung on the weekend.

 
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I don't know why people assume just cause it was a weekend they just stopped banning people. If you looked up the Xbox forums people are getting banned then too.
Who assumed MS stopped banning people? And pretty much all the people that have been banned within the last 2 days had nothing to do with the "free" games exploit... Most of the reasons are for cheating or some other crap.

 
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I wasn't, and yet somehow my post mysteriously vanished.

To repeat: this seems to only be happening for people who downloaded the "free" GoD games right? I'm not going to get banned over using my UK account to legitimately pay for DLC for a region free game?
no definite answer on that yet. I'd check your UK account though and see if you can still login to it.

 
no definite answer on that yet. I'd check your UK account though and see if you can still login to it.
We can. My wife uses our legit alt accounts every day for her millions of Dragon's Dogma saves and we haven't had an issue yet. The UK account is the only one I've put points on/paid for content with.

I'm just concerned that if I go through with my plan to buy JP MSP and download Virtual On that it'll get my console banned...really sucks since it was always a favorite.

 
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Starting to wonder if the folks getting banned did more than just this.
I didn't do anything besides get the free foreign content games. No way I can prove that, but you have my word I was both Account and Console banned solely for downloading free games from other countries.

 
I was curious about this myself. Their support forums look pretty calm today so I'm guessing no new mass bans. Maybe they had second thoughts about it?
Yeah they had second thoughts after I already got banned. But still I hope they stop banning people for this and hopefully they'll unban the console's that were banned. Can MS even ban consoles for a week, maybe they did it this way for that reason.

 
I got foreign accounts and console banned on 26th not main.(knock on wood)  I never share or do anything only the foreign thing. I even have my account so only friends can hear me.

I asked ms 3 times on the phone over 3 years time if i can get banned for making foreign accounts to download free stuff or buy them. They both said no and one was a high tier rep. They only said some content will not work and no refunds if it does not work.

I seen fable 3 dog dlc free day one but i was charged the rep refunded me was a high tier and i asked if i see more free stuff glitched and get can i get banned. He said no but it might glitch and charge me and will not be refunded next time. Then i see everyone doing it on here and other forums saying safe to do...

So i figured i was fine 100%... I spent over 7k on digital and have over 400 retail disc games. So if i buy a new 360 and transfer license to the new one my tag might ban that new console?

I am just shocked how ms can play like a demi god and we allow it.

I spent to much $ and no title updates really cause i cleared the cache a week before. So i need updates for some games cause there broke without... ahhhh

 
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Everyone got to keep the maps, they just did an update to the game and made it so if you got them for free you couldn't play with them online (through matchmaking).
I see. I didn't know what happened since the DLC got pushed through from the Halo store (I had the pass) so I only heard about this glitch.

Yeah they had second thoughts after I already got banned. But still I hope they stop banning people for this and hopefully they'll unban the console's that were banned. Can MS even ban consoles for a week, maybe they did it this way for that reason.
From what I hear/understand, as long as your Xbox is connected to the internet, they can unban you anytime they want. It's a server side ban, nothing special. It just means you specific console (the MAC/Serial ID) is barred from connecting to Live. They can remove that and voila, the console's unbanned.

 
I got foreign and console banned on 26th not main. (knock on wood)

I asked ms 3 times on the phone over 3 years time if i can get banned for making foreign accounts to download free stuff or buy them. They both said no and one was a high tier rep. They only said some content will not work and no refunds if it does not work.

I seen fable 3 dog dlc free day one but i was charged the rep refunded me was a high tier and i asked if i see more free stuff glitched and get can i get banned. He said no but it might glitch and charge me and will not be refunded next time. Then i see everyone doing it on here and other forums saying safe to do...

So i figured i was fine 100%... I spent over 7k on digital and have over 400 retail disc games. So if i buy a new 360 and transfer license to the new one my tag might ban that new console? I am just shocked how ms can play like a demi god and we allow it.
There's nothing we can do though. :(

 
Yeah they had second thoughts after I already got banned. But still I hope they stop banning people for this and hopefully they'll unban the console's that were banned. Can MS even ban consoles for a week, maybe they did it this way for that reason.
Yeah hopefully Microsoft will stop banning and will unban all these consoles. All they had to do is ban just the foreign accounts. They've gone too extreme!

 
So i figured i was fine 100%... I spent over 7k on digital and have over 400 retail disc games. So if i buy a new 360 and transfer license to the new one my tag might ban that new console?
Licenses are tied to the account that purchased the content. You said you made foreign accounts so you would need to log-in to those account and license transfer that content separately. I wouldn't even take a chance at this point.

Just license transfer your main account content.

 
I see. I didn't know what happened since the DLC got pushed through from the Halo store (I had the pass) so I only heard about this glitch.

From what I hear/understand, as long as your Xbox is connected to the internet, they can unban you anytime they want. It's a server side ban, nothing special. It just means you specific console (the MAC/Serial ID) is barred from connecting to Live. They can remove that and voila, the console's unbanned.
So does 360 have to be connected for unban or next time you put ethernet back in?

Can i move gta5 save to new console ok with new achievements going to unlock once i recover main tag or it gets flagged since save progressed farther on banned one? I am scared ms ban me for more dumb things.. I ask cause maybe ms thinks i cheated?

 
So i figured i was fine 100%... I spent over 7k on digital and have over 400 retail disc games. So if i buy a new 360 and transfer license to the new one my tag might ban that new console?
You're fine if you buy a new console all you have to do is delete the foreign Content/Profiles

 
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Licenses are tied to the account that purchased the content. You said you made foreign accounts so you would need to log-in to those account and license transfer that content separately. I wouldn't even take a chance at this point.

Just license transfer your main account content.
Yes true but they flag tags to ban later in the ban waves for end of oct early nov. I think this was a side ban wave imo for foreign mostly.

What if you have foreign theme and pic on it and when you recover on live? red flag?

Also since ban i stopped playing gta5 cause i figured i have to do all over so i can usb transfer my save ok and auto unlock new achievs i got since ban or sol?

Sorry for so many questions this ban made me paranoid.

 
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So does 360 have to be connected for unban or next time you put ethernet back in?

Can i move gta5 save to new console ok with new achievements going to unlock once i recover main tag or it gets flagged since save progressed farther on banned one? I am scared ms ban me for more dumb things.. I ask cause maybe ms thinks i cheated?
I'm not sure about it, but I think it would work like how an update works.

Next time you're connected you'd get unbanned I guess.

As for GTA V, I honestly have no idea.

 
Your gaming PC going to be Linux or Mac?

Of course, Sony's done things over the years that has made people swear off them, either through anti-consumer tactics or incompetence. So they're no angels, either.

You avoid Walmart ... is it because of how they treat their employees, especially regarding benefits? If that's the reason, do you (or any other Walmart avoiders) also avoid Amazon?

You're free to support whichever businesses you want for whatever reasons you want. Just pointing out that the companies with the alternatives may not be that much better, and depending on how hardline of a stance you take on anti-consumer tactics, Nintendo (anything major against them?) and open source may be your only gaming options (given the accusations against Apple and Google WRT NSA spying, good-bye iOS and Android).
First off LOVE the Grimlock pic! Now for the serious stuff.

I'm up in the air about the gaming PC, since it is still in the "idea" phase. My friend swears by Linux, BUT and it's a big BUT, all of the good titles (IMO) are on Windows. (So M$ gets more of my money, just less than they would have) I WAS a huge Mac guy until all of the iCrap came out. Two iMacs, 5 ipods and 2 ipads later, F'em. They just don't build'em like they used to.

Yes, I avoid WALMART, for may reasons, their treatment of their employees being the most recent. Sam Walton would climb out of his grave and kick his kids square in the a$$, if he could. The main reason I don't support WALMART is due to their lack of products from the AMERICAN market. Almost everything in my local WALMART is from F'in China. I believe in supporting my LOCAL economy. Even if it does cost me a little more to keep my neighbor's business going. It's worth it to me.

NO BIG COMPANY is going to be perfect, but here in America we have to choose between the LESSER OF TWO EVILS quite often. (Just look at our politicians) Really, it just falls to personal choice and M$ has helped make mine and the majority of my extended family since I'm the family "Tech Support".

 
This shit is crazy. Never played online with these games, nor did I get the Oman ones specifically, but damn. They obviously have the ability to issue revocations for licenses, so why are they trying to make a statement no one will like before the launch of their successor system? 

 
I'm not sure about it, but I think it would work like how an update works.

Next time you're connected you'd get unbanned I guess.

As for GTA V, I honestly have no idea.
Nice ty

I googled but nobody ever asked about save question like that.

 
Nice ty

I googled but nobody ever asked about save question like that.
Your GTA V save should be fine. You can easily move your profile and game save to a USB stick and then put that into a different console and it will sign-in as normal.

I would assume launching the game would present you with the "Choose Storage Device" prompt and you would then select the USB memory device.

I have moved GTA IV saves to different HDDs since I routinely switch drives connected to my console. I used 3 on the now banned system. I was still using the old style white (HDMI out) console.

 
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As far as the saves go, Microsoft used to corrupt everything from what I can tell, HD, account, and saves on a banned console. I honestly can't believe that people let them get away with that kind of overt maliciousness, but the original Xbox 360s were inherently flawed, and people still went out and bought new ones.

I've been trying to figure it out, but from what I can tell they don't corrupt things like they used to, so in theory at least a profile is fine if they didn't ban it, and saves and the hard drive should be fine to. But, Microsoft has abused their power before, so be careful as nothing is safe from them really...

 
I heard some people were getting banned for using "1 month codes"... So if you have a bunch of 48 hour and 1 month codes lying around and use one after another, this is grounds to be being banned?

 
I heard some people were getting banned for using "1 month codes"... So if you have a bunch of 48 hour and 1 month codes lying around and use one after another, this is grounds to be being banned?
No and yes. It absolutely shouldn't, but this is Microsoft we are talking about. Honestly, at this point if you have to ask, just assume yes. You can always ask Microsoft directly, but even that isn't a sure thing as they can say no, and still do it later.

 
I heard some people were getting banned for using "1 month codes"... So if you have a bunch of 48 hour and 1 month codes lying around and use one after another, this is grounds to be being banned?
Shouldn't be. The people getting banned were using a web link to repeatedly sign up for a month of gold, turning off auto-renew, and doing it over when the month expired. That's really Microsoft's issue for allowing gamertags to use it repeatedly. To ban people because of it is horseshit.

 
Shouldn't be. The people getting banned were using a web link to repeatedly sign up for a month of gold, turning off auto-renew, and doing it over when the month expired. That's really Microsoft's issue for allowing gamertags to use it repeatedly. To ban people because of it is horseshit.
Apparently, some people loaded multiple pages and used more than one at the same time, so it could be for that.

 
About Sony being evil also. I'd rather be with an incompetent company that a malicious one.

quoting from someone on TA directly, "[...] in MS' case it's more like you see something on the shelf for free, purchase it at the counter, take it home and then a few days later they come by with their moving trucks take everything you've ever purchased from them, rip up your membership card and then tell you that you can buy a new membership card and shop again at any point in the future. Oh and to have a nice day. All without explaining why they're taking from you the stuff you legitimately purchased."

yes they have the right to do it as it was you who didn't interpret ToS correctly and you signed up for it. Nevertheless, I consider their actions (of perm banning consoles and accounts all of a sudden without warning for small infractions like this) to be malicious and insulting. And I won't give any of my money to a mean-spirited mafia company like this.
 
Your GTA V save should be fine. You can easily move your profile and game save to a USB stick and then put that into a different console and it will sign-in as normal.

I would assume launching the game would present you with the "Choose Storage Device" prompt and you would then select the USB memory device.

I have moved GTA IV saves to different HDDs since I routinely switch drives connected to my console. I used 3 on the now banned system. I was still using the old style white (HDMI out) console.
Yes figured they be fine i was planning on live recover tag so my save would show i have achievements in save file but not on tag. So either when i load the save a bunch will popup or never do on that file. If a huge amount pop within seconds i bet xbox thinks i save edited or something. I just never seen this method talked about. I want to be safe i thought i was before lol.

 
Well as of yesterday i logged into my xbox console and I never received any notice of any console or account ban.
The way I understand it, if anything is banned, a message will automatically pop up once you turn on your Xbox right? So I think I'm clear as of yesterday since I didn't see anything. I've used the $1 month/Gold link multiple times over the past few years. I've renewed the $1 month/Gold only about 4 times this year thus far. I did not download any of the free games or create any region specific accounts like Oman or Hungary. Your story has me worried. By my count there's two members so far that have been account banned for using the $1 renewal link on cag. If MS is going to pursue this, a ton of cags are going to be screwed.
I didn't call today, was still trying to (and still now) cooling off. Still fuming that they have the audacity to ban people for using their own damn website for a free month trial. No I did not abuse it. Yes I used it when my trial ran out. One time I got the expiration email from Microsoft but my account wasn't changed to silver on my console. I logged on the website to try the free month and it said I wasn't eligible. Then I logged on the console, it forced me to change to silver. At this point I went back on my PC and the website said I was now eligible for a free month as a silver month.

Can this seriously be why they would ban me?!?!?! This needs to be fixed ASAP.
 
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Shouldn't be. The people getting banned were using a web link to repeatedly sign up for a month of gold, turning off auto-renew, and doing it over when the month expired. That's really Microsoft's issue for allowing gamertags to use it repeatedly. To ban people because of it is horseshit.
I did that on main tag 3-5 times in a year plus time. I paid monthly 10.86 w tax for rest on dash. Watch main go now for that. The sad part is you buy new console recover tag then ban console and main tag for this month link stuff. I love the 360 but like i said ms is a demi god. Do i lose all i put into 360 or run to the ps4 and use money on that then a new 360.

 
I did that on main tag 3-5 times in a year plus time. I paid monthly 10.86 w tax for rest on dash. Watch main go now for that. The sad part is you buy new console recover tag then ban console and main tag for this month link stuff. I love the 360 but like i said ms is a demi god. Do i lose all i put into 360 or run to the ps4 and use money on that then a new 360.
PS4!

 
Yes figured they be fine i was planning on live recover tag so my save would show i have achievements in save file but not on tag. So either when i load the save a bunch will popup or never do on that file. If a huge amount pop within seconds i bet xbox thinks i save edited or something. I just never seen this method talked about. I want to be safe i thought i was before lol.
DON'T RECOVER/DOWNLOAD the main tag profile. Simply move it manually along with the save file.

If you do it thru the recover method then you lose all the Gamerscore and Achievements you earned while playing in OFFLINE mode since your console is banned and unable to connect to Live.

Recover/Download profile would only load your gamerscore that was last updated from your console when it connected to Live -- before it was banned.

Your achievements will be listed in your profile but without a time stamp since you played offline.

 
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Someone should start a change.org petition and try posting it on Kotaku, IGN, looks like a busy night tonight at work or else I would. There are many of us that have interpreted the ToS wrong. A single warning email should be sent out, have the content liscense revoked upon next connection to live and be done with it. They would have far less instances of customers Not renewing XBL and moving to other platforms. But who am I kidding...this is Freaking MS, they have billions upon billions of $ and we as CAGs are definitely the minority when it comes to hunting down free deals and so called exploits that take the blunt of the punishments. For every CAG that uses the deals and such here there are probably 10k soccer mom's that will purchase Xbox 360's and games for their kids in the few years ahead.

Anyway, still haven't signed into live with my profile on my console but I did do the XBL connection test and it passed. I also booted up Batman Arkham Asylum on my PC and my profile signed in no problem. I deleted the account permanently that I used to get angry birds, haven't played it since the 4th, wasn't banned as of 9/27 and deleted it off my 360. Maybe if you recover your profile from live then sign in you might be OK? Do stored profiles carry a signature?
 
DON'T RECOVER/DOWNLOAD the main tag profile. Simply move it manually along with the save file.

If you do it thru the recover method then you lose all the Gamerscore and Achievements you earned while playing in OFFLINE mode since your console is banned and unable to connect to Live.

Recover/Download profile would only load your gamerscore that was last updated from your console when it connected to Live -- before it was banned.

Your achievements will be listed in your profile but without a time stamp since you played offline.
Did not know that ty. I did not game since banned figured profile was flagged or something. So safer to recover if i did not play since ban?

 
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