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I had my second E74 error back in Febuary, but that one was after my original one year warranty expired, and Microsoft wanted me to pay $100 to fix it. I traded it in for a PS3 instead and only paid $50 for the difference. Figures that they do this now.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-435401-100x100.png\")
I've already had one 360 die on me, now I want to stuff the new one in my freezer. hmmmmmmmmm chicken wings or street fighter 4...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-450376-100x100.png\")
Crap, in before I could take them to small claims court...
\"we are aware that a very small percentage of our customers have reported receiving an error\"
lol. Rite. The damn boxes are still dropping like flies everywhere from RROD, E74 and gawd knows what else. Everyone I know with the system is on at least their first replacement, with a few on upwards of 4 replacements now.
I just don't understand why it's such a major issue! You'd think after 3+ years of developing the machine they'd learn to make one that'd last more than a year! (most don't make it that far)
@josephbloseph: Okay, this is a total \"n008\" (or however it's quasi-spelled), but what is a troll, in this sense, and what would make Brad Parker one?
-Thanks
@WOPDingo:
\"One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.\"
I don't think Brad qualifies as a troll here. He wasn't making a statement simply to piss people off and lead to a pointless, endless commenter war. Check out some of the other definitions to get a better idea.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-350350-100x100.png\")
@Alexander Saites: I work at a game retailer and I can say the vast majority of our 360 customers have been through more than one console inside of a year.
@josephbloseph: F*** you Joseph, you can't dismiss me comment with that trash.
@everyone else who replied before that - Perhaps I just know unlucky ones? Honestly, out of about 14 people I know with the system I'd say 2 have yet to have problems. It's not like I made the an argument for arguments sake.
@Brad Parker: Agreed. I know about 8 people with an XBox 360 and 5 of them have had to send them in for service. And they treat their systems well, not leave them unventilated and dusty.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-537475-100x100.png\")
@josephbloseph: Why is Brad Parker a troll? What he is saying is somewhat true, in that after launch, Microsoft should have fixed the problem once and for all. In every incarnation of the XBox 360, errors persist. Why haven't they fixed this?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-329134-100x100.png\")
@Brad Parker: Maybe you should get to know more people, or luckier people? I know 15+ people with 360s, of which 3 have had issues. Mine is over 2 years old, with nary a sign of a problem.
I'll give you that 20% failure rate is still far too high, but it's not quite the apocalypse of the 360 that you're depicting.
@Jakuub: The failure rate is actually much higher than you think. At one point, it was established that around 68% of all consoles being produced was defective and would fail eventually [www.gamespot.com] . For me, it has been 4 months, and Microsoft has been unable to properly fix my unit. What a terrible console...
@SmaShT: The reason the EB games warranty got messed up is because if you buy a new console and later return it to EB games, they send it back to the manufacturer for a credit...BUT certain conditions have to be met to receive the credit (for example Sony would NOT give credit for any hacked PSPs that were sent back). Evidently Microsoft cut off or seriously curtailed the credit line to EB so they got really picky about was and wasn't covered in their warranties, which as you pointed out were often sold under the guise that they \"Covered anything and everything\".
@Brad Parker: Bought mine Summer of 2007. Have had no problems whatsoever with it. Zero complaints at all.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-48863-100x100.png\")
@amorris525: You folks that like to brag about having no problems with your xbox will be in for a rude awakening when it eventually RRODs on you... right when the warranty has expired.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-345033-100x100.png\")
@dohtem: Brad Parker would only be a troll if what he was saying was not true. However, since I'm on my 3rd Xbox in 3 years, and my friend is on his 2nd in 2 years, I can tell you that from my experience it is more than true. If you think I'm trolling, feel free to lend me your 360 for Christmas 2009 and Christmas 2010 to make up for the Christmas 2007 and Christmas 2008 that I was without mine due to red rings.
My son went through three. THREE. Each one RROD'd within four months. Don't even ask me about the warranty, because this was before/during the \"okay fine, we'll cover it\" era - the first time, I was told that the warranty was only valid for machines produced up to about a month before his was made. They wanted $149 plus S&H both ways just for a diagnostic. I said not only no, but hell no.
He sweet-talked his grandparents into getting him a replacement machine around Easter of the following year (they were fully aware of the situation), and my mom paid for the \"extended warranty\" on that one. I can't even tell you what happened there, because I seem to have blocked the episode from my memory. All I remember is \"EB Games are LYING LIARS and they SUCK and I will never EVER set FOOT in there again.\"
When we couldn't get the second one fixed without spending another fortune, I said, again, tough. Court of last resort: He asked his dad to get him one for his birthday. He got it in early August 07. He ran two fans/coolers attached to the unit, and two room fans pointed directly at it/the power brick. Within three weeks, the third one had RROD'd too.
I was ready to set every XBox item he owned on fire. Microsoft AND whichever retailer he bought the third one from were spectacularly unhelpful. More useless or \"expired\" or \"doesn't apply to this\" warranties. (This was in part because I had no idea what I was talking about, trying to explain the problem, and was so mad I could hardly speak - I'll own that. It wasn't all them.)
BUT at about that time, my son found a Craigslist ad for someone who offered a repair service. I was skeptical, but after meeting the guy, he seemed upfront and trustworthy, so I said we'd give it a shot. We did them one at a time to make sure his repairs actually worked. All I remember is the phrase \"heat sink,\" although he explained it to me in great detail and even showed me step by step what he'd do. After the older one had been running like a dream for a month, we also got the second one repaired to have as a backup just in case.
Whatever he did, it worked like a charm (and he cautioned me several times that it would void the warranty, but they weren't honoring the warranty ANYWAY so whatever). My son's been running the older machine since ~October, with only the one cooler, and hasn't had a single problem with it, even when he pulls all-weekend marathons.
@ribblefizz: Oh wow, and I thought 4 replacement systems was a huge thing!
@lannister80 - Thank you! Nice to see someone else with insane failure stats to make me sound less crazy!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-98502-100x100.png\")
@Brad Parker: OH, you want insane failures?
You should have seen mine.
OK, the damn thing RRoD about 15 times before deciding that was it and never coming back.
The brick would go into RRoD and all I had to do was shut it down and wait for about 15 minutes and magically the thing would boot up as if nothing had happened.
Still, after I received mine back I went and said to hell with their supposed warranty and got a better heat sink into the machine. Now it takes abuse as if it was nothing.
@ribblefizz: So did you get the E74 error? Or did you RROD and just didn't realize there was a warranty?
If you had E74 you might as well file a claim for the out of warranty service you paid for. Even if they won't warranty it, they should pay your expense.
@Corporate_guy: NOW I know why my timeline's not making sense - I was wrong about the \"four months\" thing.
When I read dohtem's comment below, about \"right after the warranty has expired,\" I thought, \"exactly! Just like my son's.\" I don't know where I came up with \"four months\" in my original post.
Sleep would be good. Sorry.
@Corporate_guy: IIRC he got the E74 error a few times but was able to get the thing working again from that - the main, non-recoverable issue in each case was the RROD, and the problem was that Microsoft *WOULD NOT* cover it under warranty and that EB Games lied through their lying asses about their Super-Duper-Fabulous \"If it breaks you just bring it right back in and we'll swap it out on the spot, two minutes and you're out the door with a brand new machine\" ripoff of an Extended Coverage Plan.
Essentially Microsoft kept saying that EB Games had to eat the cost, and vice versa, and eventually I got sick of spending 4 hours on hold to India and told my son that I survived without video games just fine, he'd survive too.
Honestly, I don't think I could remember the specifics of it even if I HAD had any sleep in the last 36 hours; even as it was all happening I had to draw a little flow-chart to keep it straight for myself so I could explain it all again every time I got cut off and had to call their damned \"customer service\" line back. Sorry. I'm sure my son could resurrect every detail, but meh.
All I know is, he's got an XBox and a spare, and if they both crap out between now and the time he turns 18, afaiac he is SOL because I'm done with that particular cash-sink.
@ribblefizz: When I letter-bombed the EB Games people (before I knew that there was an official term for it; I was just pissed and wanted everyone to know), the ?regional manager? called and asked me to meet him at the store the next time he was in town, which would be a few days. I actually thought progress might be made - I am pretty sure this was for the second machine, though I can't be sure - so I showed up promptly with my little list of names, dates, numbers, etc.
The ?regional manager? unfortunately wasn't in this part of the state that day after all, but he had called and authorized the store manager to repeat the excuses I'd already heard and to offer me $5 store credit.
Five. Dollars.
I'm remembering more of this series of fiascos than I'd wanted to, yet not enough to piece it all together... Ah well. He's discovered girls now, anyway. (c:
@ribblefizz: I should add: After the first one, we read up about the heat issues and did everything we could do, short of routing it through the freezer, to keep it cool and make sure there was plenty of air circulation.
The XBox is now in the *same* place it was before (actually a bit more enclosed/less air-circ), with *fewer* exterior cooling devices on it, and getting more use than it was previously.
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When does the current Microsoft provided warranty end?
More of a reason I'm happy I bought a PS3. Xbox360 = trash, just like Windows (no, I'm not an apple fanboy). I don't think I would be able to take having to send off my console for repairs all the time. Not that I can't go without gaming, just be really pissed that I'd have to go through it all of the time. And, once out of warranty, I would be basically screwed if it RROD on me or something.
Stupid xbox.
@Jenkinsbball: Seconded.
I'm a PS3 owner (60GB EU Mk1), my brother is a 360 owner. He's on his second 360 (first one died of RRoD), I'm on my first PS3 (and even that was bought used). I'll admit the PS3 is a little sluggish (and the PS2 \"backwards compatibility\" is a total joke) but I'll take \"a little slow\" over \"worketh not a toss\" any day.
Anyway, I've got access to surface-mount repair gear and decided that seeing as his first 360 was utterly stuffed, I'd try and fix it. Not a chance. I eventually gave up, and decided to do an autopsy. Pulled the CPU and GPU, and both were absolutely covered in failed solder joints. These either didn't melt properly when the machine was being assembled, or they failed in use.
I've been toying with the idea of \"re-balling\" the chips (replacing the solder joints and resoldering the chips) but to be honest, the cost-benefit ratio is too low to make it worth bothering.
Definitely not impressed.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-929652-100x100.png\")
@philpem: LOL @ \"worketh not a toss.\"
I am female and not of the video game-loving persuasion, so I have nothing more to add.
@philpem: Most people repair the boxes with the failed solder joints (which are what cause most RROD and E74 errors) by replacing the heatsink mounting mechanism with good old bolts then deliberately overheating the machine and tightening the heatsink up when it's nice and hot to get the connections solid again. It doesn't work all the time, but it does surprisingly often. I don't have SMT gear, but even if I did, BGA packages would still scare me.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-251656-100x100.png\")
@Jenkinsbball: I'm not a fanboi to anything, but when I buy product, I expect them to last me a very long time...
I mean I still have my sega genesis from when I was 6, which was bought used... I should still have my PS3, Wii, n64, snes and etc when I am 40 (I'm 22 right now), providing that I take good care of my equipment like I do right now.
My life has no room for inferior products that can't last even when they are taken good care of =(
@SegamanXero: Definitely seconded. I have a couple Atari 2600's that still work to this day and they have NEVER been to a repair center. Plus I bought them used from yard sales. Actually I have many consoles that I bought used from yard sales including disc-based ones like the Dreamcast and even original PS1 that work just fine and I have had no problems with them. But the Atari is by far the oldest. Atari 2600 controllers are another story on the other hand but replacements are available cheaply or you can use anything with that same connector like a Sega Genesis controller.
Even though Nintendo is not the best for systems or games I am kinda glad I have a Wii because at least if it breaks they will take care of it. They did replace my DS Lite that started to have weird problems without question.
@Jenkinsbball: I too am glad that I purchased a PS3. I'm always wary of sending things in for repairs because who knows how my box would get handled by USPS/FedEx/UPS, despite my writing \"fragile\" on it.
@pecan 3.14159265: writing \"fragile\" on it is the worst thing you can do actually, from what a friend who used to work for UPS told me once. That's like putting a \"please play football with me\" sign on it.
And had to send in a 360 for my boss, and the return box microsoft sends out is quite secure and well padded, though I have heard lately that they are making people come up with their own packing materials.
... that's just fantastic.
What about those of us who junked our E74 generating original XBOX360 and purchased a new one?
(sigh)
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@Dave Arias: Why would you throw away an xbox that can be repaired for $100-150 dollars and spend twice that amount on a new one?
@Random_Tangent: Because you can get an Arcade unit for $200, then sell the accessories and have a unit that is in warranty for about the same price as the repair on an out of warranty box. Lots of repaired xboxes have problems again later on, if you buy a new unit you benefit from new hardware revisions that increase reliability.
Of course, I wouldn't throw away the old unit, I'd ebay it. There are surprising number of people who buy them to try the common fixit techniques.
@ogremustcrush: That's exactly what I did.
I had originally purchaed the \"Pro\" model with the 20GB HD. After mine crashed I went to the local BB and bought an Arcade with some BB credit I had, but yes, it cost me $199+tax.
Not an ideal solution, but they were going to ask me around $120 to fix the 360... I'd rather have a new one with HDMI for another $80 at that rate.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-414437-100x100.png\")
Hey don't sweat the tip I sent you guys... Oh, you didn't say thanks on the page! Nevermind. :)
I kid, I'm sure you get tons of tips for most stories.
On to a serious note, the Xbox has been plagued with issues since release. That's okay. Sometimes a product just sucks and needs to go through a revision before it works properly.
What is *not* okay is how slow Microsoft has been to acknowledge and take care of issues like this.
\"Sometimes a product just sucks and needs to go through a revision before it works properly.\"
Except in this case the \"sucking\" of the product was done deliberately. And hell no it's not okay. It's true that the majority of electronics just released into the market will have early failure rates, if they're anything close to the 33% debacle of the Xbox 360 then you shouldn't accept it.
@WiglyWorm: I'd say taking about a month to investigate the claims of a suddenly higher incidence of a particular error, look for potential liabilities re: that error (especially looking for defects or design flaws), summing up all that data into a report, and deciding to (once again) put a lot of revenue on the line and extend warranty service for customers, is not terribly slow.
Currently on my 8th unit. Purchase a new 60GB for $100 direct from Microsoft. First six died, then purchased the 8th unit because I wanted the new CPU and 60GB HD.
@shinseiromeo: Okay, I take back my \"can you believe it!\" attitude about my son's three units... 8 makes me feel better. (c;
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-542811-100x100.png\")
I wonder how they will handle those people that ended up buying new systems because they rather not deal with warranty or out of warranty repairs. Especially since a lot of people believed the claim that newer models would not have these errors anymore.
@Raekwon: I'm sure Microsoft will be perfectly happy honor their warranty on both systems, so long as the warranty is still in force.
@Raekwon: The new ones do not have the RROD error, at least, not with anywhere near the frequency of the first model. They have an improved 45nm process (as opposed to 60nm), which means the processor throws off a lot less heat. In addition they have re-engineered the cooling system to be more efficient. So... it would take a lot to get a new 360 to RROD.
This E74 error is a different animal entirely, and it strikes me as very odd that they didn't do enough testing to see it before the NXE came out. It strikes me as a software issue that they can hopefully fix with a firmware update.
As someone who is still rocking the PS2 many years after its demotion from state-of-the-art, I would be incredibly pissed at this rash of errors. Everyone knows you pay a penalty for being an early adopter, and part of the penalty is being the poor slob who finds out about the hardware failures in the first model. But it's not like the x360 is just hitting the market now...if this is a failure of the current version, M$ should be doing some serious damage control.
In my mind, it totally defeats the purpose of having a console if you have to spend a lot of time and hassle getting it to work properly. I want to plug in the shiny box and play fun games, not spend time talking to customer support or writing \"Fragile\" on boxes; if I bought a new console and it developed any serious problems, I think that thing would be going back to the store posthaste.
@opsomath:
is your PS2 part of the early runs that suffered laser failure because sony cheaped out on a plastic spring? my buddy got screwed on his because when his failed, sony had already ended the recall window.
@crazyasianman: my ps2 was running strong early this year despite being purchased in 2002...my new dog has laid a couple of wicked hits on it since then though, and it's started to take like two or three minutes between FFX cut-scenes. think it might be on its last legs. advice?
PS2 lasers generally died because they simply, well, burned out. The diode was craptastic in early models, and the controller chip was the issue in later ones. I never saw a spring problem for the laser in a PS2, and I opened at least a few hundred of these during my days as a modchipper.
Generally, a few more months of life could be eked out of a worn-out laser by upping the power (just tweak the pot on the laser). The ones that literally burned out were screwed (This happened due to the chip that powers the laser locking up due to bad commands from the mechacon--the error state was to turn the laser on full. This occurred often on chipped consoles as part of hacking them involves rewriting the mechacon data stream).
The problem slowly went away as Sony released new versions.
I think, though, you might be speaking about the issues with the PS1, which involved a mechanical problem (but I only ever had one in my shop, and it wasn't for that problem, so beats me what it was).
@shepd:
seems a little unusual as if I recall correctly, there was a problem related to a plastic supporting spring/housing-ish sort of thing for the diode that would fatigue and fail as sony apparently saved a few fractions of a cent going with plastic instead of metal.
@shepd: ah. you sir are the one I need to ask. please see my reply to the other poster above...any suggestions?
@opsomath:
This might help you.
If you have a slim PS2 (those didn't exist when I wrote that) you may be in luck for finding a replacement laser. Sony made few, if any, replacement lasers for the fat consoles. However, when the slims came out *lots* of replacement lasers were available. I don't have any left, sorry, and I haven't been repairing/modding these things full-time for a few years now. :(
*BUT* I expect you would be able to find parts for the slims. And, if you are not scared by smaller parts, you can relatively easily open up the console and replace the laser. I wouldn't reccommend messing around tweaking the laser except as a last resort, since mistakes will cause it to blow out, and then you're boned.
I am now reminded of what you're talking about. Yes, the sled would wear down on these lasers (or maybe the springs in the lasers, to be honest I didn't pay enough attention to which was the issue because the fix is the same). This only happened on fat units. The solution to that is in my ancient post as well. :)
Although, still, the majority of the fat units just had lasers that didn't last. That coupled with people using their (then) $600 console as a $29.99 DVD player and $9.99 CD player meant that the relatively limited lifetime of the laser was used on playing, well, crap. I honestly applauded M$ for not offering DVD support out of the box on the XBOX. It meant you only played games on the unit! Same thing with the NGC.
Almost every single person that had this type of console I asked \"Do you play a lot of movies on DVD-R in it or leave it on while paused in a game overnight?\" The answer was almost always \"Yes\".
If your laser is having trouble and you don't want to fix it/can't fix it, I used to recommend HDloader. In the older consoles you could eject the disc after it booted. Since HDloader let you play games from the hard drive, bingo, problem solved. As long as you could get HDloader to boot, you were good to go. If the DVD laser died, but the CD laser was still good (often this would happen) you could get a cheap modchip (Magic/ICE based ones worked well at the time for this) to allow you to play DVD based games despite loading HDloader from a CD-R since the maximum DVD size was reported to the mechacon and DSP.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-52435-100x100.png\")
@opsomath: For what it's worth, my original toaster NES finally gave up the ghost earlier this year, maybe a good 15 years after Nintendo stopped manufacturing for it. I wonder how long existing 360's will last in the wild once Microsoft decides to abandon it for the next new big thing.
@Brad Parker: Calm down he wasn't even referring to you in that comment.
Funny how I also singled out this exact line when reading the article. If it was a very small problem they wouldn't need a press release or mass refunds. As for comments about how nobody people know seem to have problems with Xbox failures I have 6 friends with them that all said the same thing. Now 4 of them have had theirs replaced including 2 who bought the newer elite systems that Microsoft claimed wouldn't have the problem.
small percentage lol... 5 of the people who I know who have a 360 have had 1 break on them in the past 2 years. I don't get how they don't just recall and fix it, cmon MS.
It seems almost surreal that they can't make that console stable yet. It's been long enough. I know my brother is on #3; all of them suffered from RROD. He keeps hounding me to buy one so we can play games online together. I just can't justify spending all that money for something that is pretty much guaranteed to fail.
@turkeyspam: Just buy one at Costco and you will be good to go if it fails. I bought my son's there because I knew of the high failure rate. Sure enough, 1 year in, he had the RROD. Took it into Costco, they handed us a gift card for the amount we originally paid for it, which he used to buy a brand spanking new sytem, and he even got an upgrade to the 60G HD. Plus he had $75 leftover to spend because the console had dropped in price since we bought it the first time. Costco FTW!!
Microsoft's warranty repair sucks. I sent my xbox in for the RROD repair, when it came back the fan was much louder than before, to the extent that it now makes it impossible to enjoy watching movies using the system. I likely won't renew my xbox live subscription because using the system is not enjoyable with a jet engine in the room. I guess it is time to upgrade to a Wii or PS3. Microsoft = Fail
@Adam Breslin: The Wii is weak, you are better off getting a PS3.
Personally I still think the Xbox is the better system in terms of game selection and hardware performance, but obviously that only holds true if the hardware doesn't break. The PS3 has better graphics, but the game selection isn't as good, and Guitar Hero doesn't work well on it.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-122634-100x100.png\")
\"a mysterious new error has been affecting the XBOX 360\"
There is nothing new about this error. This has been around for some time, just not as high profile as the RRoD. It just hasn't been finacially vesable for them to want to work on it yet.
@opsomath: Amen.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-325573-100x100.png\")
I was wondering why Microsoft repaired my Xbox when I did not have 3RROD. I sent it in hoping for the best and it was repaired and sent back. I guess they didn't notice that I had:
A)opened the Xbox to repair it myself a couple times.
B)took the X-Clamps off the bottom of the Motherboard.
C) Re-did the original thermal paste as well as a few broken solder points.
Oh well. Now I have 2 Xboxes. :)
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-149187-100x100.png\")
According to several fans of the Sony Playstation 3, an estimated 130% of XBox360s suffer from this mysterious E74 error, although they admit that number is just an estimate and actual E74 errors could affect anywhere from 120% to 140% of the XBox360s manufactured to date, adding \"Micro$soft is teh suk\".
@Cupajo: Wii players could not be reached for comment, as they are all either stoned out of their minds or haven't actually played the console since the first week they bought it.
@ogremustcrush: I owned a Wii once, I decided I'd never play it and sold it on eBay used for a $60 profit over what I'd bought it for new. This was a while ago...
@WOPDingo:
A troll is someone who generally posts inflammatory messages in order to cause a stir. Check here for a better description:
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-346324-100x100.png\")
I own both a PS3 and an Xbox360. And while I enjoy the PS3 more, and have had my xbox RROD on me once, the Playstation hasn't been perfect. When update 2.40 came out, it froze my PS3 and I ended up having to wipe my hard drive to fix it. I of course hadn't been backing up my saves, and I lost a lot of data.
This being a firmware update and not a hardware one, I do feel that the PS3 is better built and more reliable. That was a terrible pain in the ass though...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-66943-100x100.png\")
I think the bottom line is that Microsoft has dropped the ball repeatedly. This would not have become such a huge issue had they addressed the problem early and aggressively. It took them until late last year/early this year to release a version with a new chipset that supposedly runs cooler. I have one of the new units, but I don't really put it though the torture tests that most gamers do. People need to be somewhat reasonable though. I don't really think it is 'normal' to have the unit running 24-7 and running actively for most of the day. If you did the same to a laptop, it would probably fry too.
If this is happening with occasional users, then it's a really big problem.
I bet that they're still not going to cover the numerous 360s that suffered graphics failures without 3 red rings or this E74 error.
@Sam2k:
They can't cover *every single issue* that ever happens with a service extension.
Sometimes, things just die. Since there are a finite number of ways in which they can malfunction, the percentage of those whose devices have malfunctioned in a specific way is going to be higher for some things that for others, out of the total number of individuals whose devices have malfunctioned.
If they cover every single failure for eternity, how would they make any profit?
wow, I forked over a hundred bucks for this early summer last year. I guess I'm a hundred bucks richer! (They also broke my xbox - immediately upon receipt of the 'fixed' xbox, it RROD'd. They refused to refund the previous repair charge at the time.)
When my 360 got this error I raised holy hell with Microsoft, refusing to pay the $100 bucks to repair it. They eventually went down to 50 bucks, but I still sent out emails to corporate expressing my anger. Three months later I got a RROD, I raised even more hell about the $50 I spent to \"fix\" it and they told me repeatedly that they were not going to extend the warranties for people getting the E74 error. I told them that this problem was epidemic and they would be. Damn I hate being right all the time.
When I buy an expensive product, like a game console or a TV, I expect it to last many years. At minimum 5 years, but really it should be lasting more. I have consoles from many years ago that work better than the ones of today. Guess I know what I will be turning to for gaming in the future (older systems), just gotta hold onto my collection of systems. Cheaper and no paid DLC to worry about as well, the whole game is right on the disc!
I shouldn't have to go out and shell out 200$ on a console every 2 years because the previous model broke and the company won't take care of my needs in a reasonable manner. If that happened to me I would definitely sell what I could out of the system and games and just move on to something else. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think wasting money on unreliable products is cool.
Oh yay. Just requested a box for the one I have sitting under my bed that E74'd. Guess I'll have two boxes now. Wonder if I can still return the Arcade version replacement I bought back to Wal*Mart (if I can find the darn receipt).
@quagmire0: I actually tested my PS3 running a game for a week straight in a not well vented cabinet during the summer with no AC. Worked fine though it was hot to the touch. My Wii performed similarly. When I first got my laptop I also didn't realize the power button was set to log off and not hibernate so I left that thing on for 2 months 24/7. Good hardware is good hardware.
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Hmmm...got my 360 on 12/26/2008...it's an arcade version and I sent away for the 20GB HD. I always unplug it when not in use....it never gets hot at all it's got something called a JASPER chip?. I've had a wii since November of 06 cannot because I'm too busy making mii's and using the web browser or playing my ds
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@Brad Parker: I could also say the same thing on the other side. I know about 20 friends who have 360s (A mix of first gen and Jaspers). Of them, 2 have gotten RRoD sent them in got them back within 2 weeks. I have yet heard of any of my friends getting E74s.
Phew -- the 360's continuing failure rate is totally unacceptable.
I have also heard that some of the 360 disc drives have damaged discs.
Because I would use a game console to play DVDs, there is NO way I'd expose my precious discs to the possibility of permanent damage...
This has been a miserable generation of consoles. I don't like the graphics or controls of the wii, the xbox 360 keeps self-destructing and apparently taking discs with it -- and the ps3 was sacrified at the altar of corporate synergy: got to sell them blueray discs at premium prices, y'all!
Phooey.
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Good to hear. A lot of people were having this problem
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Honestly. Most of the people that get RRoD are stupid. They are probably laying their xbox on their bed with a comforter on it. I got the RRoD but I had mine sitting next to my tv. Last time I'll ever do that. Come on people, yes there are problems with the 360, but be smart about where and how you set your xbox. Keep it in a nice cool place with nothing really close to it. I keep it vertical, more area exposed to air, more easily cooled.
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@Kyle: Just a suggestion but if you want to offer advice, calling people \"stupid\" first is the wrong way to start.
@Kyle: Yes I am stupid for having my xbox in a fully open environment 2 feet away from any other type of device. I am stupid for something I had nothing to do with. I cleaned the fan with a pressurized air can, I'm stupid trying to keep things cool. I'm stupid. Thanks.
Microsofts mistake started on the day they awarded the contract to produce the XBox to E-Machines.
I'm not a technie , but I am fairly computer savy. I don't have enough fingers or toes to count the number of times I've had neighbors or friends ask me to come over because their E-machine computer is crapping out. They get sucked into buying them because of the cheap prices. There is a reason they are so cheap. Crappy construction. el-cheapo power supply. some unheard of brand hard drives. inadequate cooling....the list goes on. The only way Microsoft will ever redeem the Xbox is to clean house and find a new manufacturer. This poor choice has probably cost them millions already.
There's no such company. There hasn't been for what? Ten years now?
If you're going to troll, you should at least use a company that exists. Next time, try dropping the Acer name in there.
I stand corrected , your right. I never bought an Xbox to begin with knowing who the initial Mfg was. So I never kept track of all thge changes. However I know poor quality mfg when I see it and Acer is no different.......same low-ball products same quality issues.
Some day Microsoft will learn from their competitors.
Until then .....let the buyers beware !
Yeah right, keep it on a spot away from everything so it stays cool..
My shipping box should arrive today. My Elite 360 purchased 10/24/07 (my birthday gift to myself) died saturday. There was nothing wrong with where it was as the power brick is on a shelf beside the entertainment center and the 360 is on top of the entertainment center (I have a 6 year old so high is the best idea)
I had 3 rings light up and nothing when I powered it up. It would make a 'thunk' sound through my speakers and that was it. No error screen or anything. I have been blowing the dust out every other month as I like my electronics to last.
One MAJOR thing to point out:
The xbox website does NOT state that the issue is covered. You have to go to the 800 number and dispute the repair problem. They will send you a box and let you get the repair. If you go by the website when you put in your serial # you will be told you are out of warranty. I also thought the elite was improved and would not suffer from the issues of the regular 360. I was wrong. I havent played it a lot over the past year but I recently had a couple of games I REALLY like playing and now I have been using it in weekend runs of 3 to 4 hours.
Now we will see what happens with the repair.
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No matter how much the consoles seem to fail, I can't help but think I should get one - just to go through the Rite of Passage that is the RROD.
My brother picked up an Xbox 360 at Walmart some years ago, kept it for a while, then when he never played it, he handed it off to my kids. We've had it for about a year. It recently got the red ring of death, so I faithfully opened a case with MS and shipped it in. They refused to fix it on the grounds it had been \"tampered with.\" We have never even opened the thing - I wouldn't know how, nor would I dare. I had someone with some Xbox 360 experience open it up, then, and he told me someone had already tried to fix the E74 error. Huh?
I'd love to hear from people who got theirs repaired after opening them. I would take it back to Walmart if I still had the damn receipt, although I hear that isn't much better.
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Is that Russian on the screen?? HAX!
@Radi0logy: Nyet.