HELP! Xbox refusing to recognise game disc or eject.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

A friend has given me his Xbox to look at.

He has a game inside, which the console won't acknowledge being in there ~ When trying to boot up the spindle inside sounds like it's stuttering, and the Xbox software does not show an icon for the game in the main title screen as it should...

To make matters worse, I can't seem to get the disc out either. Pressing the eject button has no effect whatsoever.


He has since bought a new Xbox, but he does want the game out if possible. He also wants me to salvage the hard-drive too and transplant it into his new Xbox, but that will have to wait until my Xbox screwdrivers come in the mail...


I notice there is a small hole just underneath the disc drawer... Is this a manual eject interface perhaps? If so, how does one use it (Obviously i'd need a paper clip or something, but then what?)


The last resort is (And will be) to take the whole machine apart, which I will need to do anyway when I do finally get those pesky special screwdrivers ~ But if possible, I want to get the game out sooner rather than later.

[evildead2099]

A friend has given me his Xbox to look at.

He has a game inside, which the console won't acknowledge being in there ~ When trying to boot up the spindle inside sounds like it's stuttering, and the Xbox software does not show an icon for the game in the main title screen as it should...

To make matters worse, I can't seem to get the disc out either. Pressing the eject button has no effect whatsoever.

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not sure what to say except that I had the exact same thing happen with my Standalone DVD player a week ago (it was a Panasonic DVD player which incurred only modest use and was kept in good, clean condition).

[anagrama]

That manual-eject only works with some models of the DVD drive - in my old XBox there was just a metal plate behind the pin-hole. I had to take the whole thing apart to get a disc out of it after it died.

[yok-dfa]

I notice there is a small hole just underneath the disc drawer... Is this a manual eject interface perhaps? If so, how does one use it (Obviously i'd need a paper clip or something, but then what?)

If you got this far, the next step isn't that hard -> Flatten out paperclip and insert it into the small hole. That will manually open the drawer

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I notice there is a small hole just underneath the disc drawer... Is this a manual eject interface perhaps? If so, how does one use it (Obviously i'd need a paper clip or something, but then what?)

If you got this far, the next step isn't that hard -> Flatten out paperclip and insert it into the small hole. That will manually open the drawer

Is there a specific method to doing this? Do I have to wiggle it or anything? How hard would you say I have to push?

The model date is 20th October 2002 ~ Is it possible I would just have a plate behind?


Does the power have to be on to do this manual eject as well?

[Kejoriv]

Check out www.xbox-scene.com. The people on there should be able to help you.

[Logicdustbin]

BTW - you don't need 'special' screw drivers to open the xbox, they are standard torx screws, I think you need #10 and #20 (I think)

any-how, you should be able to buy these any where, even places like walmart should have them.

[omnedon]

You will not be able to swapout the HDD's. You HAVE to mod the system to do HDD changes.

[Dobie]

If he's been on Live at all with the old Xbox, the hard drive will be "married" to the old Xbox too (well, the eeproms anyways). So he'll have to reconfigure those to avoid any bannage.

[omnedon]

Yup. No easy fixes here.