View Full Version : Xbox wont read disks...
super nes
11-20-2008, 11:56 AM
It just stopped reading them and would always go to the dashboard. So i opened it up cleaned the laser the disk spins now but says that the disk isn't a Xbox game disk or something like that, what do i do now?
BTW this isn't the 360.
The Shawn
11-20-2008, 12:26 PM
Go to a gamestop and buy another one for $50. Seriously I had the same problem with mine a few months back, I finally punched it a few times and it worked for a while but It has recently died for good. Not that I recomend doing what I did, so just go buy another one. If you still can you should transfer all of your saved files on to a memory card now. Luckily though I had obtained a back up unit in a recent trade as soon as it started getting wonky.
Sucky part of it was I lost all my save data as now all that comes up is some red screen in japanese which I can't get out of.
raylydiard
11-20-2008, 12:57 PM
http://www.llamma.com/xbox/
this website will help you and they have a store maybe able to sort out for less
super nes
11-20-2008, 04:14 PM
Go to a gamestop and buy another one for $50. Seriously I had the same problem with mine a few months back, I finally punched it a few times and it worked for a while but It has recently died for good. Not that I recomend doing what I did, so just go buy another one. If you still can you should transfer all of your saved files on to a memory card now. Luckily though I had obtained a back up unit in a recent trade as soon as it started getting wonky.
Sucky part of it was I lost all my save data as now all that comes up is some red screen in japanese which I can't get out of.
Ya i can do that but i spent around $500 on this one having to repair it then getting it modded. Just going and buying another one is like throwing $500 out the window...
SnowKitty
11-20-2008, 04:40 PM
Ya i can do that but i spent around $500 on this one having to repair it then getting it modded. Just going and buying another one is like throwing $500 out the window...
try tweaking the laser pot. do you have a samsung, philips or thomson drive?
SkiDragon
11-20-2008, 04:48 PM
Just swap the disc drive with a working one.
megasdkirby
11-20-2008, 07:37 PM
try tweaking the laser pot. do you have a samsung, philips or thomson drive?
Agreed. If nothing, replace the lens assembly.
I'm guessing thomson.
super nes
11-20-2008, 11:45 PM
try tweaking the laser pot. do you have a samsung, philips or thomson drive?
Agreed. If nothing, replace the lens assembly.
I'm guessing thomson.
Philips.
After messing around with the laser it now goes to the xbox dashboard and i get no message even with a game now so its back to the way it was before.
megasdkirby
11-20-2008, 11:47 PM
If you can change the lens, that would rock.
If not, just change the entire drive if possible. I love my Samsung drive. :)
super nes
11-21-2008, 12:04 AM
If you can change the lens, that would rock.
If not, just change the entire drive if possible. I love my Samsung drive. :)
Ok i know this might sound like a stupid question but if i change the entire drive wont my mod chip go out with it?
ProgrammingAce
11-21-2008, 12:34 AM
No. The drive is insanely simple to swap out, you can do it in 5 minutes. It's almost identical to a PC dvd drive.
super nes
11-21-2008, 12:40 AM
No. The drive is insanely simple to swap out, you can do it in 5 minutes. It's almost identical to a PC dvd drive.
I know how to swap it, hell i can probably do it with my eyes closed but i have no clue where my mod chip is located and if its on the drive then wouldnt i need to remove it then put it on the new drive?
OldSchoolGamer
11-21-2008, 03:26 AM
It has nothing to do with the drive, it lies deep in the depths of the xbox on the motherboard...................
megasdkirby
11-21-2008, 08:18 AM
It has nothing to do with the drive, it lies deep in the depths of the xbox on the motherboard...................
Had the problem occur to me in three different units.
Replaced the Thomson lens on two units and the Samsung on one unit.
Worked perfectly afterwards.
megasdkirby
11-21-2008, 08:20 AM
Ok i know this might sound like a stupid question but if i change the entire drive wont my mod chip go out with it?
There is no need to worry.
The Xbox optical drives are not console specific. Any optical drive will work in any Xbox revision.
I personally like Thomson and Samsung best.
So, I can open up my Xbox and just swap out the DVD drive for any one, or does it have to be a specific make/model? My Thompson crapped out on my about 3 years ago, and I'd really like to keep using it. I have about 50 games for the thing, and the 360's BC sucks.
super nes
11-21-2008, 10:54 PM
There is no need to worry.
The Xbox optical drives are not console specific. Any optical drive will work in any Xbox revision.
I personally like Thomson and Samsung best.
Ya i just got Thomson from my cousins xbox which he doesn't use, switched it and so far so good.
super nes
11-21-2008, 10:57 PM
So, I can open up my Xbox and just swap out the DVD drive for any one, or does it have to be a specific make/model? My Thompson crapped out on my about 3 years ago, and I'd really like to keep using it. I have about 50 games for the thing, and the 360's BC sucks.
If it worked for me it can work for you.
MarioMania
11-21-2008, 11:58 PM
Witch Xbox DVD drive fail the most..My friend has one that dosn't read anything
and the Drive is a Thomson, his also dosn't read CD-R's
ProgrammingAce
11-24-2008, 07:29 PM
Thomsons are junk. They're not designed to read CD-R or CD-RW, just DVD+/-R
megasdkirby
11-24-2008, 07:32 PM
Thomsons are junk. They're not designed to read CD-R or CD-RW, just DVD+/-R
I personally had no problems using it to read games. I will admit: I never used it for anything buy gaming.
It gave up the ghost a few months ago, and I got my console a year after launch.
spoon
11-24-2008, 08:46 PM
Samsug are the best. Read the most. Most reliable. Thomsons are the worst. I've went through three. All have Samsung drives now. I purchsed a few things from The Lamma to beef up an xbox. I had a good experience.
megasdkirby
11-24-2008, 08:47 PM
Samsug are the best. Read the most. Most reliable. Thomsons are the worst. I've went through three. All have Samsung drives now. I purchsed a few things from The Lamma to beef up an xbox. I had a good experience.
I heard more horror stories on the LG drives than Thomson drives.
It also depends on the level of usage the drives goes through.
I've repaired literally hundreds of these things. Thomson was the worst DVD drive by far, and Samsung was the best. Unfortunately, virtually all used Xboxes on the market right now have busted DVD drives. They were just built very poorly.
(As a side-note, I rarely find a 3DO system with a broken drive, despite the greater age of that system. This speaks volumes for how quality has changed over the years.)
Installing a new laser assembly isn't terribly difficult. But it *is* expensive compared to the cost of a new unit. If replacing the laser assembly on a Thomson, you will need a soldering iron. A new assembly will cost you about $20 or so after shipping. Considering the fact that you can buy a used unit from EB/GameStop for $40, it's just not worth paying 50% of the value on the unit to get a new laser assembly.
On the other hand, if you've made substantial modifications to the system, then maybe it is worth it.
But with that being said, it's pretty damn easy to mod an Xbox these days. With TSOP flashing techniques or software mods, it's pretty painless to modify a Xbox all on your own.
-RS.