Xbox "damaged, dirty disc" errors?

[odysseyzine]

I want to know how many Xbox owners out there have trouble with the "Your disc is dirty or damaged" error.

It's happened ever since I got my system (2 years ago) on rare occasions. Sometimes the games would freeze and that damned message would pop up and I'd have to restart the game. I figured this was probably a rare glitch and it was not a reason to worry, but it's starting to piss me off lately.

I seems to happen fairly randomly, although in some games it happens consistently. Like in DOA3, it happens most often, and regularly, just before an ending scene loads after beating the game. In Metal Gear Solid Sons of Liberty, it's totally random. Halo, as I understand, is a DVD-based game and it has always worked flawlessly on my system.

The weird thing is that I take meticulous care of my games. I don't leave them in the disc tray. I don't leave them laying around on the carpet or laying on the TV. They're not scratched at all. I always carefully place them back in the box after playing a game. Fable is a brand new game for me, and I started getting these errors on the first night I played it. I've experienced it once or twice with Splinter Cell and never on most of my other games. Sometimes a game will freeze with no error.

I called 1-800-4my-Xbox, and did not get any explanation of what could be wrong (although I already knew it was either a dirty lens or a bad DVD drive, I was basically hoping they could recommend a cleaning kit to me) and was just told that Microsoft could fix this for $80, which seems very expensive, especially since I don't know what they intend to do for that $80. If they just clean the lens, I'm not spending that kind of money. I feel that it doesn't happen often enough for me to justify spending $80 to fix it. The way I describe this, you'd think it happens all the time, but really it is only once in a while. Some days I can play for hours without any problems. I'm not even sure that fixing it will totally eliminate the errors. If I spend that money, I want my Xbox to work perfectly.

I wanted to know what you all think of this problem and if you're experiencing it with your own Xbox. Is this just a hazard of being an Xbox owner, or is there something seriously wrong with my system? Do you think I just need to get a console cleaning disc, or do I need to actually replace the DVD drive? Has anyone had good luck with a cleaning kit? I would love to hear your recommendations.

[sisko]

Yes. After about 60 hours of gameplay on the system, I frequently got that error while playing Crimson Skies. I've seen it happen to dozens of factory refurbished (right out of the box) and used XBoxes at the store I work at (mind you I've only been there about 1.5months).

The problem is still rampant, Microsoft is still producing units with the crappy Thompson drives though they know the product is defective.

Solution? Shmooze the clerks at your local game store and see if they will let you swap out the unit if you buy an extended warranty. Worked for me, and I walked out the door with only $25 less, and a new XBox with a Samsung drive.

[bargora]

Yeah, I used to get those errors. My Xbox had a Thompson drive that went south after a couple hundred hours of play time. So I bought a replacement Thompson drive from another forum member whose Xbox had (IIRC) a fried motherboard. Over 100 hours later the replacement has worked without any problems; I've got my fingers crossed.

As a side note, the problems did not crop up equally with all of my games. The original drive was never able to read Serious Sam with any reliability. It usually worked properly with Bloodrayne, and it almost always was able to read Steel Battalion. Interestingly, it was more likely to give me an error after the unit had been on for a couple of hours.

I went with a replacement drive because I was able to get it for $30 and because the installation is relatively easy (harder than cleaning lint out of the shoulder buttons of your GBA SP, but easier than an Afterburner install--no soldering required). There's a web site that has step-by-step instructions and pictures showing how to do it, too. I posted it in another thread, but I don't recall it off the top of my head.

[Oobgarm]

I've personally not had it happen once. My launch Xbox was perfect until I swapped it for a Samsung drive-equipped model. And this one is perfect too.

Sisko has a great idea there. Just don't be too obnoxious, and don't hang about too much. There's a line between a 'cool' customer and an annoying patron.

The only downside to that is save transferring. Some games (Ninja Gaiden and Burnout 3 I absolutely know of :P) will not transfer to another Xbox via memory card. If you're not hard up for the cash, I'd drop the the $$ intended on repairs, plus some extra $$ on a new unit and hang onto the old one. Then you'd have an instant LAN. ;)

[sisko]

Sisko has a great idea there. Just don't be too obnoxious, and don't hang about too much. There's a line between a 'cool' customer and an annoying patron.

Yes. I also should mention that I have been going to that particular store every other week or so for about a year, and would ALWAYS make a point to but something when I was there, no matter how small, just to help build a solid rapport with the staff.

Take care of them, and they will take care of you.

[evilmess]

How do you identify your xbox as having a Thompson or Samsung drive?

[Oobgarm]

How do you identify your xbox as having a Thompson or Samsung drive?

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?s=0b5a14b8133f08892244573b6d5415f6&showtopic=17216&st=0

With helpful photos! :)

[evilmess]

Thank you! :)

[odysseyzine]

I have a Thompson drive, so it looks like that might be the problem. Has anyone tried cleaning the drive with a system cleaner disc? Just wondering if that's a hopeless case or not.

Sisko, did you buy the Xbox at the game store you are talking about, or did they just take an Xbox that was purchased somewhere else? I would maybe consider trying that, but I'd like to hang on to my game saves (especially Ninja Gaiden since that game has given me enough aggravation, albeit the good kind).

If I wanted to keep my current Xbox, and swap in a Samsung drive, can I do that, or do you have to stick with Thompson if you're currently using a Thompson drive?

[robotriot]

Swapping the disk drive shouldn't be a problem ...

I've got a V1.0 Xbox (with modchip) with a Thompson drive, and the only time I got a DRE was when I tried to install Evox from a CD-RW. All my (original) games work flawlessly.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Do you get "dirty disc" or "cannot read" errors when you use your Xbox?


Sometimes..

I only get "cannot read" errors on my newer Xbox if I'm trying to play a fairly trashed/scratched disc.
Opening the drawer moving the disc a bit ...90% of the time works and It'll never crash or freeze.
Otherwise if I give the disc a good cleaning it works.

My older Xbox..(the one I mainly use)..Would freeze up on certain games after a very long period of gameplay.
Two come to mind "
Serious Sam
Pirates Of The Caribbean

.
Pirates Of The Caribbean I would play for extended amounts of time then it would freeze creating a screeching sound throughout the speakers and the TV would go a dark green..EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I have never tried the game on the newer Xbox since I just lost the desire to play it anymore.
However when I was playing Pirates in the older Xbox I put a small computer type fan blowing into the side of the xbox to give it additional cooling

That seemed to remedy the problem..The Xbox looked to be overheating..but only with these two games mainly.

I always thought it was the disc....I bought both of those games used cheap...Pirates is flawless/no scratches but it just seems to run crappy..slow.

[evildead2099]

The weird thing is that I take meticulous care of my games. I don't leave them in the disc tray.

How does leaving your games in a console's disc tray hinder performance?

[odysseyzine]

I don't think it does affect performance, It just means I'm anal about keeping track of my games & keeping them in nice shape.

[bargora]

Has anyone tried cleaning the drive with a system cleaner disc? Just wondering if that's a hopeless case or not.
Yeah, I tried cleaning the thing before looking into replacement. Cleaning had no discernible effect.


If I wanted to keep my current Xbox, and swap in a Samsung drive, can I do that, or do you have to stick with Thompson if you're currently using a Thompson drive?
I think I've heard of people swapping in a different type of drive, but you'll want to talk to somebody who actually knows.

[LiquidX01]

Ughhh, I have a Thompson thats been giving me shit for quite awhile now. Damn first release crap.:/

I'd say for the last year I have been getting DDE's with it only getting worse within the last 2 months. It now happens so frequently that I have come to expect it, certain games are worse than others when it comes to how constant I get them. I dont know whether to buy a new Xbox or just to dump the DVD-Drive.... :(


If I wanted to keep my current Xbox, and swap in a Samsung drive, can I do that, or do you have to stick with Thompson if you're currently using a Thompson drive?

Yes, You can use a Samsung. Expect to pay more than half the price of a new Xbox for it.

[Ed Oscuro]

I used to get DDEs in Morrowind...and they're not really DDEs, they're out of memory/memory corruption errors.

[Ed Oscuro]

I don't think it does affect performance, It just means I'm anal about keeping track of my games & keeping them in nice shape.
The extra handling as you put them in and take them out will doubtlessly put some wear on them; unless you're hauling the XBox around or somebody careless uses your system and swaps your games out carelessly, I'd just leave them in.

[evildead2099]

I don't think it does affect performance, It just means I'm anal about keeping track of my games & keeping them in nice shape.
The extra handling as you put them in and take them out will doubtlessly put some wear on them; unless you're hauling the XBox around or somebody careless uses your system and swaps your games out carelessly, I'd just leave them in.

That's what I figured.

[tholly]

I have a regular black box with a Thompson Drive in it = Piece of Shit
Mountain Dew Green box with a Samsung Drive = Perfect
Halo Green box with a Phillips Drive = Perfect

[TheRedEye]

For some reason, I misread the title as "damn dirty apes" errors. I need some sleep.

[Slate]

My Second Xbox does it on 11 of my Xbox games..

I'm going to get a New Phillips drive for it sometime..

[goatdan]

After owning it for a year and having it in service for well over 300 hours, including probably at least 150 of gaming (the other for DVDs and music), I have yet to see one DDE.

Damn dirty apes! LOL

[nate1749]

I've got a V1.0 Xbox (with modchip) with a Thompson drive, and the only time I got a DRE was when I tried to install Evox from a CD-RW. All my (original) games work flawlessly.


Microsoft changes the hardware inside their systems more than anyone else I've ever seen (not just dvd drives). Even if you have a samsung drive there a few different types. Some models will read dvd+r's, most will only read -r's.

I'm sure getting a MS contract is huge, so the companies will do whatever takes (using cheaper parts in drives, giving refurbished units) to get the contract.

From my experience the power of the laser in the dvd drives in xbox rivals that of a cd player from the 1980s.

When reading a cd/dvd there are 2 main components, and that is the reflection rate on the media (which will be dependent on the burner used, speed burned, and the dye in the media you're using) and the power of the laser reading the disc. The reflection rate of a cd-rw is around 35% where a pressed disc has over 90%, so if you have a weak laser it won't read at all.

However, that's why on systems like the dreamcast you can adjust a knob to make the laser more powerful so it will then have the ability to read cd-rws (although the dc may die quicker). There's nothing special about drives that can read RW's though, other than they have a more powerful laser to read the lower reflection rates.

The lasers used in these drives though are so freaking cheap that they even have trouble reading retail pressed discs sometimes. This is unacceptable and I'm actually surprised a class action lawsuit hasn't started yet.

Nate

[nate1749]

Pirates is flawless/no scratches but it just seems to run crappy..slow.

When a game is sent to the press the publisher of the game is supposed to order the game data in the correct position based on how it is going to be run. So the files that will be accessed most often should all be near each other so that the laser doesn't have to go running around the disc to find the data. Unlike when you burn a disc yourself the data will most likly just be burnt in alphabetical order by file name. Now I don't know if the engineer is drunk when he does this sometimes or what, but in my opinion it does seem that occasionally this process is either not done or not done correctly (probably the case in your pirates game).

When the data isn't placed in the best spot, the laser ends up having to run all around the place - this creates longer loading times and an overworked unit that creates more heat leading to the unit itself overheating. I always keep an eye on the temperature of my xbox, I don't have the factory dashboard so I can't remember if it's in there, but it's a good thing to look at from time to time.

Nate[/quote]

[Dobie]

I get them occasionally on my 1.6 'Box with a Samsung when I start up a game. My games are in excellent shape too, so I know that's not the issue. Usually after a quick reset it works fine though, so I never really give it much thought.

My 2nd "special" Xbox never has disc read errors though... ;)

[boozi2]

All the freaking time with Ninja Gaiden :angry: