General XBox 360 problem Thread: - Page 15

I downloaded the demo and nothing bad happen.
I have only played it once ,out of fear for my box ,I deleted it. You play one zombie game ,you played them all.

It wasnt till the 3rd time i played Dead Rising that i encounterd problems

Just this past Sunday evening (10/22/06), after a couple of freezes (with a moire-like overlay), my X360 exhibited the red rings as well.

It actually froze the night before as well, on the main blade screen....not playing or watching anything at the time....same moire-like overlay pattern; but I turned it "off" and then "on" and it worked okay then. And I am not an avid gamer (more into Home Theater & High Def)...so my 360 averages about 4 hours of use maximum per week.

I got mine on Jan 01, 2006, and it has a MFG DATE of 11-14-2005.

I tried all the solutions...e.g., disconnecting/reconnecting hard drive, cables, deciphering the codes, etc., to no avail.

So I contacted the Support Center.....and I was happy they were AT LEAST available on a Sunday evening....it was about 10PM est........ and I was also told I'd have to pay for shipping the unit back to them and how I'd have to secure my own packaging, but they'd repair it for Free.

I was also told to only place REPAIR CENTER, the Return Auth/reference#, and the address on the label as well.

Since I wanted to expedite this entire process, I located a suitable box and some nearly perfectly-shaped styrofoam holders at home, and packed it that night...going to bed 2 hours later than I needed ....got like 4 hours sleep before work.

The funny thing (well maybe not funny ) is that the clerk at the UPS Store I mailed the unit from yesterday saw the label and immediately said, "oh....you got a Xbox 360 there huh?".

But I figure, for $15 to UPS it to Texas is a LOT cheaper than $150.

Not wanting to be without it for however long it might take to repair, on the way home from work I bought another one . This one has a MFG DATE of 05/2006.

I'd planned on simply getting a CORE, but they didn't have where I purchased the unit (believe it or not....when you don't want a CORE, EVERYONE has CORES )...because I'd just planned on saving $100 & attaching my hard drive from the original to the Core. The only thing Microsoft wanted me to return was the Premium console.

So eventually I'll have 2 units...hadn't really planned on having two of these.......but like having 2 cars....maybe it will insure I'll have something to fall back on if one of them should develop a problem down the road.

BTW, I think I'll purchase Microsoft's $60 2-year extended warranty for the one I just purchased yesterday. It would probably be "wishful thinking" to believe that Microsoft will provide FREE repair for out-of-warranty consoles exhibiting the red rings of death, with build dates of 2006.

I sent mine in a flat rate box through post office... the box was free and shipping is a flat rate $8. The box was like the perfect size for the 360.

But 15 or 8 is still more expensive than totally free...

Hey Jethro, sorry I didn't write back sooner as I told you that I would let you know what the deal was with my 360 return. Well, I called Xbox Customer Support to see what the deal was and it appears that if you placed your call in by last Saturday (Oct. 14th) you were provided with a box and free prepaid shipping. The rep said I was "lucky" I placed my call in when I did or I would have had to pay for the shipping myself (like you unfortunately had to). My shipping box finally arrived on Friday (almost a week after the initial trouble call) and contained the prepaid shipping labels and all. Although the reps that I have talked to at Xbox support have been polite and helpful throughout this minor ordeal, I believe they are throwing around the word "lucky" a bit too liberally. I don't think that anyone that is without their $400 console can be considered "lucky"! Oh well, at least it is football season! Good luck with your return and lets hope we all get our consoles back soon.

Thanks for the update Cletus, glad to hear you finally got your box and everything. I guess I was "unlucky" that my xbox didn't screw up until after the 14th. Oh well, according to my tracking number, they got my xbox yesterday, and I was told it would be 7-10 days before I get it back. Hopefully they are a little more punctual with the return shipping than they were with your prepaid box. And hopefully the new improved xboxs will last and hold up with the newer games.

Yeah, I just checked my tracking number this morning and it also arrived yesterday. I never heard the 7 to 10 day quote for return of my console, but then again I never asked. I guess I can wait that long (I have no choice anyway), but I sure hope I can get it back and up and running by the time Gears of War comes out! Thats not asking too much I hope. Take it easy!

I just want to know how it seems everyone recently has been able to get their 360 fixed by Microsoft without having to pay the $130. My 360 has officially kicked the bucket with the 3 red lights and nothing coming on the screen no matter how many times i plug/unplug everything. I have called Microsoft and they will not help me at all unless I cough up the $130 plus shipping because I am past the 90 day warranty and my 360 was built in 2006. Does anyone have any ideas that I can try, or am I SOL and need to stop moaning? I have tried nearly everything in this forum and nothing works. Please someone tell me to shut up and suck it up and move on with my life. I'm sorry, I just feel cheated somehow and want to curl in the fetal position and cry myself to sleep.

Hey Casper........sorry about your situation. The reason why I, as well as others, have gotten their 360 fixed for free is that Microsoft admitted that there was a high defect rate among the initial production batch made in 2005. Due to this issue, Microsoft decided to provide free repairs for any console that was manufactured BEFORE Jan. 1, 2006. I know that is not good news for you because you have a 2006 console in need of repairs, but that was the deal that Microsoft decided to implement. Again, I wish I had better news, but unfortunately that is situation at hand. I don't blame you for feeling cheated, so I will not tell you to shut up and move on Good luck!

My guess or suggestion it to complain that it broke du2 software(dead rising) and that xbox is responsible for the repair. Ask for a supervisor if you need to.

Cletus: I just got of the phone with microsoft and I have the tracking number for my fixed xbox... should be here 31st. You have any luck with yours?

Or anybody else?

What's up Jethro......that is a pretty quick turn around to be getting you console back. Pretty impressive. I totally forgot to call this weekend to find out what the situation was with my Xbox, so I will have to wait till I get home from work today to find out my repair status. Waiting for the prepaid shipping box to arrive seemed to increase my overall turnaround time (obviously). I think I would have rather just took the hit and paid for the shipping myself in order to get the console out the door and to the repair center faster as you did. Oh well, no worries I guess. I will let you know my status as soon as I find out later on today. Out of curiosity, did they mention that they actually fixed your console that you sent in or are they just sending a different unit than the one that was originally yours. If I am going to get a refurbished unit back (which I am pretty sure I will - not a new unit like some have claimed to have received), I would at least like to know that it was my original unit as I know the entire history of the console. I know that is being a little bit anal, but I think it is a fair request. Anyway, have a good one!

They didn't mention it to me when I called to get an update. But I think during my initial call, they mentioned to me that once they got my xbox, they would do 1 of 3 things.

A) Fix it and return it.
B) Send a refurbished console.
C) Send a new console.

I find it highly unlikely that they would send out a new console, unless they had a huge pile of broken 360s and no refurbished units on hand. I considered making some sort of mark on the bottom of my console to see if I get the same one back, but then I figured that just because you get the same outer case back, does not mean that what is inside is the same (except for the fixed part). If I remember correctly, the manufacture date was on the plastic outer cover, so you could get an outer shell that said the manf. date was x-x-xxxx but the actual guts were actually manufactured y-y-yyyy.

From what I've read about the numerous problems people are having with the original builds, I just imagine there being 3 piles of stuff at the repair center: Broken 360 innards waiting to be fixed, working 360 innards waiting to be shelled and sent back, and outer shells. I would doubt that they could actually tell you if you were getting your 360 back or not, but I would guess the chances are slim. Hopefully for your sake Cletus (and mine as I would like to get my original 360 back) I am wrong.

Heck, i'd take a new model. I didnt write down my tracking # when i sent back my unit last wednesday. I'll call them this wednesday to see if it has been received and if i can get any timeframe.

OK Jethro, you may get a kick out of this........So after a long day of work, I pull into my dark driveway (damn you daylight saving time!) and hit the garage door opener. Just as I was pulling my truck into the garage, I noticed something laying on the ground right in front of my bumper. I stopped and got out of my truck only to discover an oddly familiar box lying about 3 feet from my front tire. Well, not to drag this out too long, I go over and pick up the box (encased in a huge plastic bag) and realize that it is from the Repair Center in Texas. I was a little confused because it had these seals all over the box that said "If seal is broken, do not sign for package until inspection of the content has been made." (not the exact wording but it was something along those lines).

Anyway, I opened it up and checked out the serial number, etc, and it is the exact same console as I sent in. However, like you said, I have no idea what they actually did to the unit (I really wish they would tell you upon return of the console) so the innards could have totally been gutted out for all I know. I eventually got around to plugging it in and everything seems to be running smoothly (only messed around with it for an hour or so). It was a pleasant surprise that it was returned so quickly to me (and that it was my original unit to boot), but I was not too thrilled with the way that it was just dropped off at my house in a place where I almost ran over it. I am assuming that it was an UPS mishap and not a Microsoft error. However, both the MS reps on the phone, as well as the UPS tracking web site, specifically stated that a signature was absolutely required for me to receive the unit upon delivery.

Oh well, all's well that ends well I guess. I just find it funny that I ordered a $5 dollar hat for a Halloween party this past weekend and UPS refused to leave it at my doorstep as I specified, however, they have no problem dropping off my $400 electronic console in a dark corner of my driveway (on Hell night none the less!) Anyway, good luck with your console return today Jethro (Just be careful not to run over it if you are out and about today). If you are ever up for a game a Gears in the near future, my gt is McCletus74. Later!

My repair unit was just sitting at the front door too. This was after they told me several times I'd have to sign for it.

I got mine back about 3 weeks ago. Haven't had a single problem with it. It was a different unit than the one I sent in, which is fine with me.

Good news... I got my 360 back a little while ago.

Bad news... The ups driver told me that whoever sent the package did NOT pay extra to get my signature. The driver came to my door and gave it to me, and I asked them if they needed me to sign anything.

More bad news... My "new" 360 will not display 720p properly... i get like overlapping 3 images of the same thing on my tv... it worked perfectly on my old 360. When I set it to 1080i it looks ok to begin with, but when I play a game, I get the top and bottom of the screen cut off...

Oh well I guess microsoft will be hearing from me again... I'm going to be really pissed if they want me to pay to ship it back AGAIN.

I ran a quick search here (and at xbox.com, and several other places) and haven't found an answer; hopefully someone here can help me.

I'm having trouble with the Right Trigger of my wireless controller. Whenever it's pressed, it repeats that action continuously until I mash the buttons again. Occasionally, it even activates without being pressed at all.

Example: firing a single shot in doom will result in a continuous firing until I'm out of ammo.

I had the controller about 1 month before this started to occur. My primary controller does not exhibit this problem.

This doesn't happen with every game. (So far, only Doom and the FEAR demo.) I tried BC games (Halo:CE and Halo 2), and didn't experience the problem. I tried Burnout and Dead Rising (my only two disc-based 360 games) and didn't experience the problem.

So as of now, the problem is only manifest on games off the HDD, but I don't really have a large enough sample of games to thoroughly test it. Incidentally, I also tried other demos, like Vegas, and I didn't experience the problem - so at present, I've only experienced it on Doom and the FEAR demo.

Seems to me it's not the controller, because I would be able to replicate the problem in every game if that were the case.

Is there some sort of profile created on the 360 when a new controller is synced/registered? Perhaps it is corrupt, and I that I might erase or overwrite it? Would any of the HDD related commands possibly correct this?

Any help would be appreciated.

Sorry to hear about your problems Jethro. I would be extremely ticked off if they made me pay to ship it back again. If the problem cannot be resolved over the phone (unfortunately, that is the most probable scenario), I would try and see if they would be willing (again, not likely) to send you a new console immediately so you don't have to wait again. You might have to still pay for the shipping to send it back (which is most certainly unfair), but at least your downtime will be significantly reduced. I am not sure that I have heard of their policy referring to a situation in which a repaired console was returned to the owner broken. Realistically, someone like yourself could be without a console for over a month which is totally unacceptable (I would think any rationale person/company would agree).

By the way, was the console that they sent back to you the original one that you sent in for repairs or an entirely different unit? Just curious. Also, I think the whole UPS deal with them leaving the box (fortunately you were home at the time) unsigned for at one's door is completely unacceptable. Good luck Jethro and please keep us updated on your ordeal as it good to understand as much of this return process as possible.

So here is a picture of what my 720p setting looks like on my tv.



Also, Cletus... My original 360's build date was in october, and the one I got back is november...

You might want to see if you can dispute the charge if you put it on a credit card jethro. Give your CC company a call and see if you have a chance to dispute it.

Does the xbox 360 only output movies in 480i ? I can set the resolution to 480p, 720p or 1080i on the console and the games will run at the correct resolution, but all DVD movies seem to be at 480i, or at least that is what my Sharp LCD reads and reports the signal as.

Thanks

Well I sent my 360 out last mon (10/23) to the Best Buy Distribution Center in Texas via regular mail... and I have still yet to here from them! They are suppopsed to send me a Gift Card back for the exact amount I paid for the system and I want it before next week, Im getting behind in the Gaming!!! (I still need to play Double Agent, Marvel:UA, F.E.A.R., and then Gears Of War/Call of Duty 3 next week!!!). Has anyone on here had any dealing with B.B. and their return policies??? I know since it went out regular mail (Their preference, not mine) its going to take a while but its getting on 2 weeks and still no word. Thanks!

When playing Godfather the game I get dirty disc messages. I take the disc out, the disc is fine. Restart the game. It happens on and off, not consistently. Dont know if other 360 games do this yet.

I have the video from my xbox 360 hooked up to my Sammy HLS5687 via component (1080p looks great; HLS supports it through component). Because I have a 4+yr old Sony receiver with an inadequate number of digitial optical/coax inputs, I have the audio going via digital optical cable (premium from Monoprice) to a Toslink 3x1 manual switch; the audio from my Directv HD dvr also goes into the switch.

Here is the problem: I never have audio issues when watching tv, but when I am playing my xbox the sound will at times go dead/ loud piercing wail/ loud cracking or popping/ loud static. Again, this has never happened with tv. I have replaced all the digital optical cables, the switch, and even bought a new 360. It still is happening! (I took the new 360 back). I would blame my old crummy receiver, except that it has never happened when watching tv. Any ideas on what is happening and how I can fix it?

Thanks, and sorry for the long post.

Called the replacement center today. Xbox will be in on monday. Hopefully it was just a swap for a new model. They received it Wednesday, and sent it out Friday.

Well I am going to be on 360 number 3 now. Freakin thing died today. This reall sucks big time since I am getting GOW and the HD-DVD on wednesday. Oh and BTW no shipping charges for me either. That may just be because I have already sent one back and they are lucky I didn't tear into them.

I read jeepwrang3's comment about turnaround time (2 posts ago) so I called the repair center. I must say I'm impressed. I live only 2 days (UPS shipping time) from the repair site. I sent my 360 in for repair late last Wednesday and it's scheduled for UPS return delivery today (Tuesday). They must either be in a slow period or they are staffed up for an increase in future repairs.

I just purchased the Xbox 360 premium and hooked it up to Sharp aquos widescreen lcd using component cables. Set up to work on 720P. For games, DVDs, etc. when the xbox is on there is one dark black line going down middle of screen and each 1/2 of the screen has slightly different contrasts. This is very annoying and was wondering if anyone new what is causing this. It appears to be the xbox because this doesn't occur in any of the other inputs (tv, vcr).

Thanks

Just as Vandu said, 2 day turnaround. Im guessing it's a refurb, when i powered it up it had my locale/time zone as UK. I was afraid i was going to have to get another replacement, the new unit sounded extremely loud for the first hour. Everything has calmed down on the sound, and i'm back to gaming, just in time for GOW