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

I'm sorry if this is something that has been brought up a bunch, but in skimming the thread, ! didn't really see anything.

Last night, while playing Fable II, my Xbox just started opening and closing on its own. When I tried turning it off, it turned itself back on and continued to open and close. I finally just unplugged it.

I bought the system from GS less than a month ago, and it was a "Microsoft Refurbished" system.

Do you guys have any ideas on what might be causing this? Is this something that will go away, or should I just return the system to GS and get another (provided they will allow it)?

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Take it back and get a new one. Whatever you do, don't crack it open and try to fix it.

I don't know what happened to your system but most of us will tell you never to buy a refurbished 360.
 
For those looking for cheaper wireless network adapters, well, you have a couple of options.

1) GameStop sells them used for $70. Not great, but if GS issues a 20% off used games and accessories coupon, that would bring it down to $56 without an EDGE card. Only problem is that they have done a bunch of 20% off coupons lately, so I don't know if they will be dong another one anytime soon.

2) Stootsi has been selling "as-is" adapters in their "Salvage Mall" recently for very cheap...I got two for $26 shipped. As you would suspect, most of them don't work right, but some people have had success getting replacements accessories out of MS for only the cost of shipping. If the associate you speak to wants proof that you actually bought it new, give it a few days and try another one.

3) The adapter for the original Xbox works fine with the 360 and can be had for a lot cheaper...probably less than $50 new. The differences, though, are that it requires an external power source, is a bit bulkier, and can only be on networks that employ WEP.
 
[quote name='depascal22']Take it back and get a new one. Whatever you do, don't crack it open and try to fix it.

I don't know what happened to your system but most of us will tell you never to buy a refurbished 360.[/quote]

Thanks! I'm heading there now... although, I just tried it out again, and now it's working fine, and seems to actually be running quieter than it ever did before this happened. Still, with only 4 days left before my 30 days are up, I'd rather not run the risk of having it happen again, and then be forced to send it back to Microsoft.

Looking back on it, it wasn't my brightest moment when I decided to buy refurbished, but my reasoning was that it would be less likely to RROD on me, and it was cheaper (it was during the trade in your PS2 for $100 towards a new system). Although, now I can get the arcade and a hdd slightly cheaper than what I paid for this. Oh well... that's why hindsight is always 20/20, right?
 
I've been getting disc read errors since I got my system in summer 2006, though it isn't usually a problem except with games like GTA IV and now Fable 2 which access the drive constantly.

I wish Microsoft would release the "install" feature now instead of with the Nov. 19th update. I don't want to wait until November to install games. I want to play Fable 2 NOW. I'm a little worried that if I keep playing it anyway, and just taking a break whenever there's a read error, I'll eventually crap out my drive or the system entirely. Sending the system in would not be fun. Buying a replacement wouldn't be fun either.

Course installing will present new problems, specifically my tiny 20gb hard drive. It's too bad the 120gb is such a rip.
 
Your drive is going to break in less than 3 weeks. Send it now. If you get the RROD, the warranty that you have covered for "free" will disappear in the coming weeks. I'd send it now, because if you wait, you won't be able to return it at all.
 
Actually no he has a year left on the "free" 3 year warrenty. He said Summer of 06 this 2008 he has a year left. Fall 2005 was when the 360 was released.
 
[quote name='Goodeye']Actually no he has a year left on the "free" 3 year warrenty. He said Summer of 06 this 2008 he has a year left. Fall 2005 was when the 360 was released.[/quote]
Yes but that doesn't cover the disc read errors, only the 3 red lights. So actually, if he bought in summer of 06, he has no warranty, at least for that.
 
There shouldn't be any errors when installing. The errors usually come an hour or two or even three into the session, particularly with disc-intensive games.

And like I said, it's been like this since I got the system, and it hasn't pooped out on me yet.

I read somewhere that if you move your system without taking out the disc, it can scratch the lens, which then just needs to be buffed. No idea how to do that. I've tried a CD player cleaner.

So I feel like if it was going to break, it would've done it already. I might still be going for the ring, though, as I've got thick, blue bars across my screen and scrolling up. They can only be seen over dark images, but it still makes me wonder.

Sigh.

I just get tired of listening to the noisy CD drive and wondering, will I get an error tonight? I feel like installing will solve my problems, but maybe I'm wrong.
 
I would have returned the system if it gave disc read errors :( That really stinks.

[quote name='Mugen']Anyone know the easiest way to get audio if your using vga cables through a pc monitor?[/QUOTE]

Just use the adapters that came with it.
 
I've been contemplating buying a 360 ever since E3 because of the Final Fantasy XIII announcement and earlier this week I won $320 as a fundraiser prize at work. Now normally this would be put into my gaming PC but right now I'm very happy with my E8400 and Radeon 4580 and don't need to spend any more on my rig.

My Xbox will really only be used "casually" as I am mainly a PC gamer. I'm a WoW addict, and play most of the good PC games that get released (can't wait for Fallout 3). So pretty much any game which comes out on Xbox and PC I will be buying on PC.

So I've talked the wife into getting one and I've done a little research but thought I'd ask some questions here.


-Which system to get? I'm prettty much decided on going with an Arcade (probably the newer 6 game holiday bundle) and picking up a $20 Microsoft 20GB Hard Drive. Any reason to go with the 60GB system? I really don't see myself downloading movies and such (since I can do that on my PC or my TiVo already) and game previews/demos aren't too important either.


-Connecting the Xbox to the internet? As I understand it, the Xbox doesn't have a wireless internet connection built in like my Wii does. How do most people connect their Xbox? Right now I have my PC downstairs, connected to my router which is upstairs. The router is wireless but I ran a wired ethernet connection to it because I wasn't happy with my ping times and lag in WoW on a wireless connection. My wife's laptop and my Wii are both connected wirelessly to the network. I have another computer connected upstairs in what used to be my wife's office, with a wired connection. I plan on having the Xbox downstairs, about 15 feet from my gaming PC. I've tried reading all the connection options on Microsoft's site and I'm kinda confused about how best to connect them. The best (and cheapest) way I've come up with is to move the wireless router downstairs and connect the Xbox directly with a 15 ft ethernet cable to it, but that breaks the upstairs computer wired connection. Any way of using some kind of hub/switch to split the connection downstairs between my PC and Xbox?


-To Jasper or not to Jasper...that is the question. I honestly don't know much about Jasper except that its a die shrink on the GPU and therefore going to be cooler. For my PC, die shrinks are important because a) it usually means a price cut and b) better overclocking potential because of cooler temps and/or lower voltages. But in the Xbox's case, overclocking isn't an issue and I seriously doubt that Jasper is going to result in an immediate price reduction. In my case, should I care if I get a Jasper or not? What are the benefits going to be?


-How much to pay? I've been looking casually at deals over the last few weeks and there have been some good ones. Should I keep waiting and hope for even better deals or are we seeing some great prices now? One in particular interests me - the Target deal with the $25 gift card, because I have a $30 e-card from Target I'm waiting to use. But I don't know about tax+shipping and it may be better to use that $30 on something else.


-How is the Netflix deal going to work? My wife is a Netflix fan and I've kinda sold her on using Netflix with the Xbox. I've tried to find info on it and mostly I've only seen the E3 announcement and a recent announcement about needing to be an Xbox Live Gold member (whatever that is) to use it.


-What accessories am I going to need? Right now my Wii has gotten me spoiled with wireless controllers - it is painful whenever I have to play my PS2 with wired controllers. I understand a wireless controller is included with the Xbox (is that correct?) and I probably won't need a 2nd controller soon since my wife won't likely play the Xbox (she has the Wii anyway). What other useful accessories should I be looking into?


-Is Gamefly worth it? To be honest, the Xbox game prices are a major reason I haven't purchased a system yet. I own a lot of game systems and a lot of games (I have about 300 games from the Atari 2600 up to the Wii) and I like to own them. But since I'm coming into the Xbox 360 fairly late in its lifespan, there are probably a lot of games I'd like to check out but not purchase. Would Gamefly be worth it to do this, or should I be hitting up Gamestop for used games?


-What games to initially get? I've played most of the good Xbox/PC crossovers (ie Bioshock, Mass Effect, and soon Fallout 3). And its a long way until Final Fantasy XIII is coming out. What are the "Must have" games for the Xbox 360? Oh, and I don't want GTA4 - just not the kind of game I'm in to (I have GTA3 and hated it so I already know).


Sorry for the big post, but lots of questions. Thanks in advance!
 
If you buy the Arcade the hard drive will cost you $30. People who own the original 'Core' system sans hard drive get the $20 offer.

So right there you are looking at $230. If you have any inkling of playing any of the music games and downloading music I'd jump to the $300 60GB model or better.
 
Really no interest in downloading music...that's what my PC is for. Though I might be interested in something like Rockband in the future. Is the 20GB enough for that?
 
[quote name='Faithful']Really no interest in downloading music...that's what my PC is for. Though I might be interested in something like Rockband in the future. Is the 20GB enough for that?[/quote]


Yep... 20GB would be just fine for Rock Band.
 
You should get the Arcade from dell. Lately they've been selling them for 169.99 (before tax) with their 15% coupons. Add the 20GB hard drive for $20 and you should be good to go since you don't plan on downloading videos and demos.
 
Yeah I thought about the Dell deal but right now its dead and the target deal works out to only a few dollars more considering the gift card (169.99 vs 174.99).

Any thoughts on the other questions?
 
-Which system to get? I'm prettty much decided on going with an Arcade (probably the newer 6 game holiday bundle) and picking up a $20 Microsoft 20GB Hard Drive. Any reason to go with the 60GB system? I really don't see myself downloading movies and such (since I can do that on my PC or my TiVo already) and game previews/demos aren't too important either.

Arcade should be fine, and with many of the bundles that are coming out you'll have various choices. Though some of the better bundles are those for the 60 GB+. There's even one coming out for Sam's Club that will have Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, and GHIII (w/ guitar) for $350. It's mostly just how much you really want to spend and if you care what is actually bundled. If not perhaps the hard drive and the refurbished $30 HDD from Microsoft will be fine (it also comes with a 3 month Live membership).

-How is the Netflix deal going to work? My wife is a Netflix fan and I've kinda sold her on using Netflix with the Xbox. I've tried to find info on it and mostly I've only seen the E3 announcement and a recent announcement about needing to be an Xbox Live Gold member (whatever that is) to use it.

With the new dashboard coming out November 19th Microsoft has teamed up with Netflix to be able to stream movies from their database. So it should just have your system connected online, and it should have your one queue and everything. I think there are some videos out there. An Xbox Live Gold membership is pretty much what you want to play online. Unlike games on your PC (vice MMOs as you already know) gaming on your Xbox must be paid for. Normally you have your 1 month membership for 7.99, 3 months, one year etc. Of course there are various deals which you can find on these forums. Sometimes paying less than 30 bucks for a year.

This will only be worth it to you if you play online (or if you want to stream netflix it seems). Other perks would only be getting certain things on the Xbox Live Marketplace made available to you first before non-members. Things like demos and such, which you said don't interest you. So you'd be paying extra just for the ability to view Netflix through your 360.


-What accessories am I going to need? Right now my Wii has gotten me spoiled with wireless controllers - it is painful whenever I have to play my PS2 with wired controllers. I understand a wireless controller is included with the Xbox (is that correct?) and I probably won't need a 2nd controller soon since my wife won't likely play the Xbox (she has the Wii anyway). What other useful accessories should I be looking into?

I believe the arcade is wired...but I may be wrong, maybe that was just the core. If you do buy the arcade that will not come with HDMI nor component cables I believe. I think arcade only comes with A/V cables, Pro comes with A/V and Component cables, and the Elite comes with HDMI cable along with the others (also you can connect your 360 wireless with the Elite...or buy it separate, though I think it's like another $100).

So if you have an arcade and you want HDMI, you have to probably pay an extra 7 bucks or so at monoprice.com. That really should be it on accessories.

-Is Gamefly worth it? To be honest, the Xbox game prices are a major reason I haven't purchased a system yet. I own a lot of game systems and a lot of games (I have about 300 games from the Atari 2600 up to the Wii) and I like to own them. But since I'm coming into the Xbox 360 fairly late in its lifespan, there are probably a lot of games I'd like to check out but not purchase. Would Gamefly be worth it to do this, or should I be hitting up Gamestop for used games?

It depends on you then doesn't it. Do you want to own the physical game or just play through them. You can also purchase most of the games you get from Gamefly. So if the game interests you, you keep it. I have Gamefly and I enjoy it, but I know some may not. It's mostly on what you really want in the end.

-What games to initially get? I've played most of the good Xbox/PC crossovers (ie Bioshock, Mass Effect, and soon Fallout 3). And its a long way until Final Fantasy XIII is coming out. What are the "Must have" games for the Xbox 360? Oh, and I don't want GTA4 - just not the kind of game I'm in to (I have GTA3 and hated it so I already know).

Well...the games I was gonna recommend you already played on PC...so lets see. I greatly enjoyed Gears of War. How about Lost Odyssey? I enjoyed it, just cause to me it felt like playing some of the older style JRPGs just prettier looking. The random enemy encounters didn't even bother me...except in this one area, but still. I found Blue Dragon fun, but it seems to be a big hit or miss for many here.

You should also give a chance to some games on the Live Arcade. Some of there are a lot of fun.
 
The Netflix thing hasn't been fully undisclosed from Microsoft. Best of my knowledge it won't be ready until sometime next year and basically if you already have a membership with Netflix it'll work on your 360 as well so you can stream movies. The other downsides to that I guess is that the movie library offhand won't be anywhere close to what Netflix has now (like 10,000 or so movies to download on launch compared to however many it has now) and Gold membership is basically something you need to get to have full XBox experience (meaning multiplay and in your case Netflix, can usually find it for $50 for a card, but since you're on CAG you can probably do better).

As for accessories I say get an XBox original wi-fi adapter since the 360 ones cost an arm and a leg (and the XBox original is compatable with 360 and cheaper). Other then that I HIGHLY recommend a hard drive, XBox Gold membership, extra controller and I believe that's about it. Maybe a play and charge kit for your controllers so you don't got to buy batteries.
 
[quote name='Faithful']Really no interest in downloading music...that's what my PC is for. Though I might be interested in something like Rockband in the future. Is the 20GB enough for that?[/QUOTE]

I meant downloading music FOR Rock Band.

I just picked up an Arcade last week as a replacement system:

- controller IS wireless
- does not come with HD cables

[quote name='-GoodFella-']You should get the Arcade from dell. Lately they've been selling them for 169.99 (before tax) with their 15% coupons. Add the 20GB hard drive for $20 and you should be good to go since you don't plan on downloading videos and demos.[/QUOTE]

See post #2.
 
Hold out and see if Fry's lists up another insane bundle. They just had the 60GB Premium with Lego Indy, Kung Fu Panda, Saint's Row 2, Pure, and Star Wars: Force Unleashed for $350.
 
I am trying to find a resource that can tell me how to swap my 20 GB HDD from my xbox to a 60 GB that I got from an old laptop. I know it is possible, but I don't know what program I would need. Any help is appreciated.
 
Actually it isn't possible. Sorry.

The 360 uses hard drives that have a very specific firmware. I'm sure it is possible to acquire the right brand of hard drive with the right firmware that can be modified but it would be far more work and trouble than it's worth.
 
Looks like it can be done according to this. Hope it helps.

Edit: Looks like it's for a specific laptop hard drive not just any old one, but maybe you can look into it and find out if it's possible for your drive.
 
Well I just bought an arcade as a replacement when the price dropped and IT DOES COME WITH HD cables. They're component cables, not HDMI, but those cables will do HD.
 
[quote name='MSUHitman']Well I just bought an arcade as a replacement when the price dropped and IT DOES COME WITH HD cables. They're component cables, not HDMI, but those cables will do HD.[/quote]

Where did you get your arcade? Mine didn't come with HD cables that's for sure. Only came with the red white and yellow ones.
 
Is there a way for me to copy files off my Flash Drive to my 360? It took me a bit, but I figured out how to play some avi videos that I had on there, but I can't find a way to copy them

Also, does the 360 support MP4?
 
i am looking for a resource that can tell me how to upgrade my Xbox 360 20 GB HDD to a 60 GB that I got from an old laptop. Any help is appreciated.
 
[quote name='WarriorBlake']i am looking for a resource that can tell me how to upgrade my Xbox 360 20 GB HDD to a 60 GB that I got from an old laptop. Any help is appreciated.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure what happened to your original thread where I responded....

But you can't. You're out of luck. The drives are designed specifically for the 360 through a special firmware. You would have to find a way to upgrade the firmware on the drive which would require you get the exact same drive model Microsoft uses first, but to my knowledge, nobody has done it.

You can use any external hard drive with the 360 for playback of media. But you can't store save games or live content on it.

Conversely, you can easily use any notebook drive in the PS3; one of the few advantages the PS3 has over the 360.
 
[quote name='DaftPunkFan37']Also, does the 360 support MP4?[/QUOTE]

I can answer that with a yes. I have some Videos for my daughter on our PC and they play fine on the 360.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket'][quote name='WarriorBlake']i am looking for a resource that can tell me how to upgrade my Xbox 360 20 GB HDD to a 60 GB that I got from an old laptop. Any help is appreciated.[/quote]I'm not sure what happened to your original thread where I responded....

But you can't. You're out of luck. The drives are designed specifically for the 360 through a special firmware. You would have to find a way to upgrade the firmware on the drive which would require you get the exact same drive model Microsoft uses first, but to my knowledge, nobody has done it.

You can use any external hard drive with the 360 for playback of media. But you can't store save games or live content on it.

Conversely, you can easily use any notebook drive in the PS3; one of the few advantages the PS3 has over the 360.[/quote]

Try taking a look at this link here
 
I will keep this short and sweet.
For about two years I was hooked up wirelessly with the xbox 360 wireless network adapter and a NetGear MR814 v2 Router. We bought a new router when we bought a new computer, it is a NetGear WGR614 v9 and now when I hook up to xbox my connection is one little red bar. Sometimes I can do the test while I am on xbox live and it stilll fails, and playing a game is not possible. The customer service has been completely useless so I'm turning to you. What is the problem and how can I fix it?
Thanks

thanks for moving this, I wasn't aware it belonged here
 
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Thanks Stealth. I knew it was possible but wanted to know how exactly to do it. But it wont work with my HDD so I guess i'll need to wait to get it.
 
Well, as I have come to learn, my X-box 360 will need to be repaired over and over. Microsoft wants me to pay $100 to get it repaired and I thought I'd check if others have had this problem and what they did to fix it.

So, I was playing online the other day when the images on screen started to get distorted. Things started to turn gray and there were unusual lines on the screen. I thought I'd start the Box over, but when I turned it back on I only got audio and no visual. I did some minor trouble shooting but no luck.

Has this happened to any one else?
Any one have any suggestions?

Thank you!
 
Do you have to have a TV tuner card in your computer in order to watch live TV through your XB360? I'm mostly just wondering because i want to be able to record things. So if you do please post, and if you know of a good one that i can get for cheap that would be great!
 
I don't know about it on 360 but I recently got a TV tuner card and use Windows Media Center (in Vista). It works pretty well.. it gets you the guide info and you can set it up to record individual shows or a whole series. I recently got this card for $100 (its cheaper now)...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116015


This has a dual tuner so you can plug in your analog cable in one input and an over-the-air tuner in the other (for HD recordings). It also has S-video to plug a sat/cable box into if you want to go that way. This card comes with Happauge's software but I have yet to use it. One warning though, this doesn't work well in MythTV (atleast for me it didn't)...
 
I had a wireless controller for a few months. But then one day, it just crapped out. It'll turn on, but it won't connect to my 360. All my other controllers work, but this one is different. I've changed the batteries, re-syncing, but it won't connect to the 360 for some reason. Is my controller done for?
 
I'd guess. I haven't heard of that. If you can, I guess try it on a different 360/PC, and try to get warranty service for it if you can.
 
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