Microsoft can go to hell

[Mill]

I've had this console for less than a year. I've played it less than 25 times, but now that I have NCAA 2005 I'm loving it. That is, however, minus the dreaded "disc dirty or damaged" error. I had just set the NCAA record for most rushing yards in a game with Carnell Williams, 9 Rushing TDs, and 2 receiving TDs vs Tennessee. The game is over and I go to save. BOOM: disc dirty or damaged. It is a brand new fvcking game disc. Not a THING wrong with it at all.

I call Microsoft. They deny there is any problem with older Xbox drives and accuse me of breaking the console. She said they can repair it for 109 bucks + shipping. Yeah, right! I can buy a new one for that much. I've had a NES, SNES, SEGA, PS2, Dreamcast, etc and never had this type of issue. I take very good care of my consoles, and I KNOW this isn't an isolated error. Supposedly a supervisor is going to call me back in 24-48 hours. Microsoft is fvcked up to have these problems and then deny that they exist. The Console was manufactured in May 2002, so I'm not sure if it got a bad Thomson drive or not.

 

[RagingBITCH]

lol, all Thompson drives are pretty much defective. Well not defective so much as absolute sh!t.

http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/xbox_dvd_version_comparison.htm

How to tell which one you have. I was blessed to get a Samsung but my NIC is kinda on the wack. I might buy an older one and just swap out the drives.

 

[Mill]

Thanks for the link, RB. I checked the drive out. It is a Thomson. :| Should I call back and talk to them again?

 

[azazyel]

Buy one of those disc cleaner kits. You know the ones with the cd with a little brush on it. It worked for one of my friends.

 

[Chiboy]

Originally posted by: Mill
Thanks for the link, RB. I checked the drive out. It is a Thomson. :| Should I call back and talk to them again?

Its a Thomson so you are screwed, if the console is under warranty bitch at m$. If it is not buy a drive of ebay & replace it your self it very simple to do.

 

[Phoenix86]

Yes, and make damned sure you know about it being a common problem. I had the same thing with 1st gen PS2, lot of those drives stopped playing DVDs. I got mine replaced 3 months after the warranty expired.

 

[yukichigai]

I'm not sure if the disc-boiling trick will work here, but it might. Someone discovered that certain XBox demo discs wouldn't read properly until they had been boiled in water for a minute or so. Weird huh?

 

[Mill]

Ok, well this is happening with a brand new disc, so I'm not going to clean the disc, nor am I going to boil it. I'm certain myself that it is the drive.

 

[Homerboy]

I have a thompson and have been playing NCAA for days luckily without any issues at all.
now reading CDRWs... thats a dif story.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Chiboy

Originally posted by: Mill
Thanks for the link, RB. I checked the drive out. It is a Thomson. :| Should I call back and talk to them again?

Its a Thomson so you are screwed, if the console is under warranty bitch at m$. If it is not buy a drive of ebay & replace it your self it very simple to do.

Do you have to modify anything, or is it a simple swap? Have any links to an Ebay auction or store?

 

[atom]

Heh, I got the runaround from MS too. I got so sick of it I just ended up doing the switcharoo at a B&M.

 

[CraigRT]

damn, that's insane. I wonder if mine is a bad drive.. it hasn't given me problems yet.. but maybe soon
it's maybe a year old, maybe a year and a half now.

 

[hevnsnt]

Originally posted by: Chiboy

Originally posted by: Mill
Thanks for the link, RB. I checked the drive out. It is a Thomson. :| Should I call back and talk to them again?

Its a Thomson so you are screwed, if the console is under warranty bitch at m$. If it is not buy a drive of ebay & replace it your self it very simple to do.

Very solid advice!!

However if you are handy with a soldering iron (you wont use it, but don't attempt unless you are) I can show you how to fix it..

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt

Originally posted by: Chiboy

Originally posted by: Mill
Thanks for the link, RB. I checked the drive out. It is a Thomson. :| Should I call back and talk to them again?

Its a Thomson so you are screwed, if the console is under warranty bitch at m$. If it is not buy a drive of ebay & replace it your self it very simple to do.

Very solid advice!!

However if you are handy with a soldering iron (you wont use it, but don't attempt unless you are) I can show you how to fix it..

What does it entail? I'm haven't used a soldering iron in awhile, but I have used them.

 

[hevnsnt]

It entails taking the dvdrom apart and adjusting the laser strength... I think xbox-scene still has my article somewhere...

[edit] Here [/edit] That is not me writing.. That is someone who took my write up, re-wrote it, and posted it there...

 

[V00DOO]

I have the Thompson drive and experienced the same problem. Games take longer to load too. FU M$!

 

[StageLeft]

Yeah my old Xbox had the same problem, so i sold it. A lot of them do. MS Is ass if they are denying it.

My Xbox lasted a year before having this problem.

At least my PS2 made it two years before the controller port died.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: Mill
Ok, well this is happening with a brand new disc, so I'm not going to clean the disc, nor am I going to boil it. I'm certain myself that it is the drive.

Just because it's brand new doesn't mean it's not flawed. The Demo discs were brand new as well. Something about the manufacturing process made them screwy until they were boiled.

But it's more than likely your drive. Thompson drives suck. I'm happy with my Philips. Doesn't read CD-R, sure, but it reads everything else.

 

[MrDingleDangle]

yeah i had an xbox...with a thompson drive, no longer plays any games...

 

[Chiboy]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Chiboy

Originally posted by: Mill
Thanks for the link, RB. I checked the drive out. It is a Thomson. :| Should I call back and talk to them again?

Its a Thomson so you are screwed, if the console is under warranty bitch at m$. If it is not buy a drive of ebay & replace it your self it very simple to do.

Do you have to modify anything, or is it a simple swap? Have any links to an Ebay auction or store?

Its a simple swap, You can go to Xbox-Scene.com to find out how to open the xbox. You can get a working Thompson drive for $30 but I would spend a little more & get a Samsung or Phillips. Search "Xbox Thompson" or "Xbox Samsung" or "Xbox Phillips" on ebay for the drives.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: Chiboy
Its a simple swap, You can go to Xbox-Scene.com to find out how to open the xbox. You can get a working Thompson drive for $30 but I would spend a little more & get a Samsung or Phillips. Search "Xbox Thompson" or "Xbox Samsung" or "Xbox Phillips" on ebay for the drives.

Heh, nevermind, you just added in Philips.

Yeah, nothing wrong with a Philips drive. Just go with whatever's cheaper between Samsung and Philips.

Incidentally, while you're there you might as well mod the thing. That way you can run XBox Media Center and play all your DivX files n' crap on your TV.

 

[imported_FishTaco]

If you play on Xbox Live, make sure you know what you're doing before you mod. If Live detects a hacked BIOS they'll ban your xbox.

 

[Feldenak]

This really doesn't have anything to do with the subject but...how did I know you would be playing as Auburn.

 

[Chiboy]

Originally posted by: FishTaco
If you play on Xbox Live, make sure you know what you're doing before you mod. If Live detects a hacked BIOS they'll ban your xbox.

Make sure you get a 4th Gen Chip w/ switch if you plan on modding your box. If you have a switch you can turn the chip off to go on Live.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: Chiboy

Originally posted by: FishTaco
If you play on Xbox Live, make sure you know what you're doing before you mod. If Live detects a hacked BIOS they'll ban your xbox.

Make sure you get a 4th Gen Chip w/ switch if you plan on modding your box. If you have a switch you can turn the chip off to go on Live.

I have one that does just that. Xecuter 2.3B Lite+. Good chip thus far.