Help!!! My Xbox's disc tray won't open!!!!

BustaUppa

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All of a sudden my XBOX's disc tray won't eject. Everything else seems fine... the game in there boots up normally. The light behaves the same way it always does. If I press the eject button I get the Xbox dashboard, but once it reads the disc it boots up the game again. I checked the Microsoft support page... they talk about the manual release but I can't figure that out... I play around with the paper clip in there but I can't seem to find anything. I bought the XBOX new in October 2004 and I think it the manufacture date is like July '04, if that matters.

ANY help from CAGs here would be much appreciated!!!!!!
 
My PS2 is doing the same thing and I'm not too sure why. I have a flip top mod though, so I can hit eject and push the tray out. The weird part is, when I hit the eject button again, it closes just fine.
 
Mine's been doing that for awhile now too, although mine will eject whenever I turn it off and on, so I just eject discs that way.
 
I just listened carefully to the unit. I hear drive activity and the disc spinning, but I can't tell if it's even attempting to open the drive. And I can't figure out that manual release at all, I wish there was some sort of picture diagram I could look at because I don't know if I'm even doing that right.

EDIT: Slight update... well I just got it open using the "smack the top of the XBOX" trick. But I really don't want to rely on this...
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']I just listened carefully to the unit. I hear drive activity and the disc spinning, but I can't tell if it's even attempting to open the drive. And I can't figure out that manual release at all, I wish there was some sort of picture diagram I could look at because I don't know if I'm even doing that right.

EDIT: Slight update... well I just got it open using the "smack the top of the XBOX" trick. But I really don't want to rely on this...[/QUOTE]


I was about to recommend you that trick. That happens every once in awhile to mine, and a smack on the top usually does it. If it's like mine, it won't happen a lot.
 
[quote name='XboxMaster']I was about to recommend you that trick. That happens every once in awhile to mine, and a smack on the top usually does it. If it's like mine, it won't happen a lot.[/QUOTE]Ahhh that's encouraging! So far it does seem to be working like normal again. Hopefully that one good smack did the trick.

btw, I had been stocking my DS games on top of the XBOX shortly before this happened. It seems like a stretch but is there any chance that this would have caused the problems with the tray? Some light cases on top of a friggin' tank, I mean I assumed it was negligible.
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']Ahhh that's encouraging! So far it does seem to be working like normal again. Hopefully that one good smack did the trick.

btw, I had been stocking my DS games on top of the XBOX shortly before this happened. It seems like a stretch but is there any chance that this would have caused the problems with the tray? Some light cases on top of a friggin' tank, I mean I assumed it was negligible.[/quote]

The CD prolly just got caught between the front roof of the drive and the back of the tray... I wouldnt stress it.
 
The Xbox has a little pinhole between the second controller slot and eject button that works pretty much the same as the manual eject hole on any current CD/DVD drive for a PC. All you'd have to do is take a paper clip and straighten it out and stick it in that hole and it'll open up. Keep that in mind next time it happens so you're not abusing your Xbox.
 
In my 2nd box the disc "fell" out of the back of the tray and jammed it .
Dungeons & Dragons Heroes , haven't played it since .

I'm now on Xbox 3 & 4 .
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']The Xbox has a little pinhole between the second controller slot and eject button that works pretty much the same as the manual eject hole on any current CD/DVD drive for a PC. All you'd have to do is take a paper clip and straighten it out and stick it in that hole and it'll open up. Keep that in mind next time it happens so you're not abusing your Xbox.[/QUOTE]Yeah, I tried that hole, but for the life of me I couldn't get it to work!:whistle2:k And I've used the manual release on CD drives before, so I'm not sure what I was doing wrong.
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']Yeah, I tried that hole, but for the life of me I couldn't get it to work!:whistle2:k And I've used the manual release on CD drives before, so I'm not sure what I was doing wrong.[/QUOTE]
http://www.xbox-mod.co.uk/index.php?page=emergency-eject
Both the Thomson and Philips drives require that the paperclip is inserted all the way into the hole until it stops at which point you then remove the paperclip and repeat the process again several times. What you are actually doing here is manually turning a gear inside which opens the tray, the gear needs to be turned around approximately 6 times for the tray to open enough so that you can then easily pull it out. No force should be required to pull the tray out, so if it seems stuck use the paperclip again.
 
Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Since I was able to solve my Xbox's tray problem completely (for now) due to this site, I felt it necessary to contribute to the forum, in order to (hopefully) help the next person with the same problem.

First, let me note that my Xbox has a Samsung drive. This method may only work if you have a Samsung or Hitachi drive, as they have the lever action emergency release.


Issue:
A) Xbox DVD tray will not eject when eject button is pressed, instead making a clunk / thump noise, as if being blocked from ejecting due to media inserted incorrectly – irregardless if media is present in the tray.
B) Tray will sometimes eject if button is pressed multiple times.
C) Tray will only eject if Xbox is thumped upon directly above the tray.


Solution:
A) First, go to http://www.xbox-mod.co.uk/index.php?page=emergency-eject . Then, scrounge up a paper clip and proceed to manually eject your DVD tray.

B) Next, remove the Xbox logo front panel from the DVD tray. This is fairly easy to do, but you must be gentle, or you might break the tray or the front panel. The way to remove it is to take a pair of needle nose pliers and use them to gently pull the bottom clips away from the tray's underbelly before pushing the front panel up. You can also unclip one side, then the other if you are having difficulty.

C) Use the eject button to close the tray. Now open it again. If it still refuses to open (as did mine), use the paperclip and manually eject the tray.

D) Now, loop your finger through the open DVD laser slot in the tray, and gently pull the tray towards you – it will come out a wee bit more, and then stop. Do not force the tray to extend any farther than that.

E) WHILE THE DRIVE IS STILL OPEN, use your paperclip on the manual eject lever. It may take a moment to trigger it, as it is currently depressed, but if your Xbox and DVD Rom are like mine, it will actually draw the tray back in.

F) Poke the Eject button. It should pop open without any argument at this point. Try it a few times, just to be sure, if you'd like. Then, slide the front panel back onto the tray, and you should be good to go… until the next time the P.O.S. decides to slip a gear.

What's that? Slip a gear? Yep. As far as I can tell, that's exactly what is causing the trouble with the drives. Pushing them closed with your finger will force the motor to engage, yes? Well, eventually it seems the cheap DVD Rom's in the Xbox get fouled up, the motor kicks in a bit too late, closes the tray too far, and slips a gear. Then it will clunk / thump at you impotently until you fix it. What we have just done seems to reset the engagement point on the motor, and allows the eject button to work properly again. An easy solution to this problem is to always use the eject button to load and eject media, but you can't always ensure your guests are going to adhere to that policy (Or that the Xbox won't pull it shut too hard just to spite you, the foul tempered little…).

For Thompson and Phillips Drives, that use a gear to manually eject the tray, I would assume that pulling the tray forward, then advancing the gear manually until it refuses to do so, and then pushing the eject button might work. If anyone tries this and succeeds, reply to this message and let us know.

Thanks again for leading me to my solution (even if it may only be temporary), and I hope my suggestions have led you to yours.

-Ronin
 
My friend's that I borrowed sticks. I may have to try this... Mine works fine. Then again as Ronin said, I know he pushes his in, and I press the button every time... Stupid Halo 2 disc got cracked though and won't work in my xbox but will work in his. Strange.
 
I get the same problem with my Hitachi Drive on my Xbox. What I do is slip a Guitar pick undeneath the drive and while it is trying to eject I slide the pick and then it will usually open. It might take you a few shots though because you have to catch the belt on the gear that causes it to open.
 
I know this thread is old, but I have to add

Try laying it down.

I've seen a lot that will open laying down but not standing up. PP is right that they slip gears, if you really want to fix it PM me.
 
My xbox had the same problem that you talked about in your previous posts.

My tray would not open or close because the tiny black rubber band inside the tray snapped.

It is a simple quick fix matter

(items you will need)
2 paper clips
1 small 1 inch or smaller black rubber band

1) Unplug the xbox
2) there is a tiny pin hole "quick release" on the xbox
3) open out the paper clip and insert it into the "quick release"
4) the disk tray will pop out a tiny bit...
5) beneath this tray check adn see if your black rubber band is in place
(turn the xbox on and look at the gears spin)
( unplug xbox again and replace the black rubber band)
6) use the 2 paper clips to manuver the band into place
7) mission complete!!!! and it was free of charge!
 
file:///G:/DCIM/100MSDCF/DSC00158.JPG



that's it simple
hope u xbox360 people have good time playing if u wanna add my its drax1964

oh and sorry about the pic quality its off a phone :(
 
if you can get it to open take a q-tip dip it in alcohol and thers a wheel with a rubber band hold the q-tip on the wheel and keep moving the door open and shut make shure you un plug when door is open
 
I opened up my fat last week to clean it (broke off the tabs in the back but whatever) cause it was runnin gvery hot, after blowing out everyting I dusted off the eject button and reatched it and it works great now.

It WAS having to be really jammed to open not-via-controller, but now a simple tap gets it to pop! 

Maybe there's just some built up dus tin yours.  I'd recommend opening it up, as long as your out of warranty it's not hard at all, (at least once u get the white cover-shell off anyway XD  Damn that cover shell, but it'll take a damaged back cover over a RROD anyway!

 
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