Xbox - Uplayable Disc Error

pmbuzz

pmbuzz

pmbuzz

Associate
Joined
25 Jan 2003
Posts
2,283
Location
Weston-Super-Mare
So, my xbox has finally given up the ghost and is giving me the "unplayable disc" error, i've had a good run so i'm not that bothered.
Rang up CS and reported it to be told my unit is out of warranty and it will cost me £60 to get fixed....."but i thought you'd extended the warranty to three years", i cried, "only for specific errors sir, unfortunately yours is not covered".
So, i took it on the chin and gave my cc details and await UPS who are picking it up tomorrow.
For my £60, i get a fixed console with (hopefully) a new (quieter?) DVD drive and another years warranty, not bad i thought, at first. Then i got to thinking, what if i could have got hold of my own DVD drive and fitted it myself? Would it have been cheaper? Easy to fit? Wouldn't have mattered if i'd opened it up as it was out of warranty.
All conjecture now i know, just interested in others opinions/experiences on this.
 
You might get a HDMI box too. As far as I know, you can't get your own DVD drive and fit it yourself. It's not like a PC.
 
HDMI would be good :)
You can buy DVD drive units on Ebay, they're about £20 not inc p&p.
 
Only thing is the 360 motherboard has a unique security key. This security key is also in the DVD drive's firmware and they have to match, otherwise the drive won't boot any games.

So, you could've fixed it yourself but it would've involved getting a dump of the firmware off your old drive and flashing that onto the new one, assuming you were to get the same make (there are Hitachi, Samsung and BenQ drives) and the same model (there's various revisions of each of the 3 manufacturer drives).
 
Phemo said:
Only thing is the 360 motherboard has a unique security key. This security key is also in the DVD drive's firmware and they have to match, otherwise the drive won't boot any games.

So, you could've fixed it yourself but it would've involved getting a dump of the firmware off your old drive and flashing that onto the new one, assuming you were to get the same make (there are Hitachi, Samsung and BenQ drives) and the same model (there's various revisions of each of the 3 manufacturer drives).
Click to expand...


Seems i took the right course then :)
 
Dude buy a PC, dont experience any more problems and have more fun in the 'PC Games' thread :)

or if you want a 2nd rate gaming experience buy a PS3 :)
 
I have come across two types of problems with the DVD drives on the 350.

1. The laser gives up the ghost.
2. The magnet that holds the DVD in place loses its magnetism.

Both of these can be easily fixed and there is no need for replacing the entire dvd drive.

Laser's can be picked up for around £15 off the net if you look in the right places.

If the magnet has come loose your drive will make a nasty crunching and scraping sound and will mark the inner circle on the top of the DVD drive. Again this is just a case of making the magnet stick in the right place with some good old fashioned super glue.

T.
 
My COD4 disc got quite scratched and would give unreadable errors every other game of multiplayer.

I fixed the DVD with AutoGlym Super Resin Polish :D
 
rtk said:
Dude buy a PC, dont experience any more problems and have more fun in the 'PC Games' thread :)

or if you want a 2nd rate gaming experience buy a PS3 :)
Click to expand...

Er haha, how did I miss this post?! I shall take your advice immediately.
 
Thesnipergecko said:
I have come across two types of problems with the DVD drives on the 350.


If the magnet has come loose your drive will make a nasty crunching and scraping sound and will mark the inner circle on the top of the DVD drive. Again this is just a case of making the magnet stick in the right place with some good old fashioned super glue.

T.
Click to expand...

very interesting, i have one making odd high pitch squeals. Dismantling the dvd drive sounds risky though. Whats it like inside? Simple enough?
 
Yeah there are no problems taking the drive apart. There are from memory 4 screws to take the top off the drive and only 1 ribbon connecting the laser to the drives circuit board.

T.
 
I am having intermittent dvd drive problems with my 360. Sometimes when I switch it on it says there is a dvd in xbox360 drive when it is actually a game and when I click to play I get an error screen saying to play this xbox360 game, please insert it into a microsoft xbox360 dvd drive. :confused:

Most of the time I can be playing a game happily when suddenly it sounds as if my 360 has started to eat my disc and then the drive stops spinning upon which I get a dirty disc error (which seems to be happening more and more often).

Could this be the problems with the magnet? If so I would be willing to have a go at dismantling my 360 and repairing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom