
Since yesterday's update, there are numerous reports about 360s being bricked. Some people suspect that this is being done by Microsoft intentionally to stop modders and hackers. Xbox Scene thinks it has more to do with certain combinations of hardware and firmware. That would explain why some people are reporting problems even with new, unmodded 360s. Other readers have informed X360F that they are unable to even complete the update download itself. Since the update can't complete, the 360 won't even allow users to play offline games for "security" reasons. It's worth noting that Microsoft is definitely aware of these issues.
Having heard about these problems, we tested our own 2005 360 with a few levels of Lego Star Wars II -- purely for research, of course. So far, we haven't encountered any problems since the update. How about the rest of you? Any bricked or otherwise nonfunctional 360s out there since yesterday? Leave a comment here and let your voice be heard.
Update: Microsoft has released a new version of the update that should behave with all console configurations now. If you've been afraid to update, it should be safe now. Those whose consoles have already been wrecked are advised to call customer support. Click here for more details.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
11-01-2006 @ 11:36AM
Ed said...
My Xbox 360 is working just fine, but i have a friend that is having some issues with his console, it seems that only a very few people are experiencing technical difficulties.
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11-01-2006 @ 11:43AM
kidd2446 said...
i dont have my 360 moded but after the update my system is dead it wont play any game/dvd disc im upset about this and dont think i should be caught in the cross fire of microsofts security problems
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11-01-2006 @ 11:52AM
dead360twice said...
My 360 has been dead since I played the DEMO for Splinter Cell Double Agent. It is my second exchange, and this one is taking a lot longer than the first exchange (mind you that I had to pay for the first exchange).
It is amazing how crappy the hardware on this machines is. I guess I will have to pray everytime there is a new game or a major dashboard update.
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11-01-2006 @ 11:53AM
DAK ATTACK! said...
Oh yes, I have a 4ish moth old xbox, its not modded and passed the spring update and now after the fal update its stuck in a update loop.
Please all feel for us rather than wave the finger that we have done something wrong as we have not:
http://forums.xbox.com/1/7778064/ShowPost.aspx#7778064
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11-01-2006 @ 11:54AM
cody said...
The update failed to download on my 360 last night the first three times I tried it. It kept telling me to check my internet connection or some lame generic error like that. I just kept on trying and eventually it worked and installed. I played some (updated but still kind of laggy) Saints Row online afterwards with no problems.
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11-01-2006 @ 11:55AM
8dot3 said...
No issues from me, sounds like a vocal minority again. Its lousy that they don't take care of exchanges better though.
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11-01-2006 @ 11:59AM
LCK said...
Mine's working fine. It's a Samsung from march 06 and not modded.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:00PM
bigbadTKO said...
Installed the update yesterday morning, then turned it off after installing successfully. Decided to watch a movie last night, froze during playback, and got the 3 flashing red lights at boot. First time i've had any problems with this machine, built 12/05. Support tried to convince me to wait for a software update - but unless I'm really stupid I don't see how that will work if i can't even get to the dashboard
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11-01-2006 @ 12:04PM
modeps said...
My 360 was purchased close to Christmas from last year, I have not had any issues other than the very random and infrequent lockup.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:05PM
Cameron Boyd said...
Heres how it happens(it does not brick Xboxes):
1.You install the Update
2.It Changes the systems files on the Xbox
3.The graphics card crashes because the Custom GPU does not support Higher than 1080p without changing the drivers
4.The CPU cannot start because the "New OS" does not support its firmware.
5.The Ring Of Light shows the color of "Hardware Failure"
6.Your Xbox 360 does not work.
This is not because of hackers it is because Microsoft released this update without proper testing because they wanted to beat Sony's "Perfect Video" record.Have you ever installed drivers on XP that says "Not Signed" well that is pretty much what happened on the Xbox 360 , Microsoft changed the GPU driver to beat Sony and Failed ,Microsoft changed the CPU driver to try to keep the Xbox 360 from over-heating.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:06PM
dead360twice said...
I don't think that having to exchange my xbox360 twice should be considered a "vocal minority".
One broken hardware, ok..sh*t happens. Now if you continually exchange xbox360s every 3 to 4 months as if I was part of a prototype testing team...hell, there is something really bogus with them. Maybe I'm just totally out of luck with XBOX360, because I never had a problem with any other console before in my life.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:08PM
ThweeSiddy said...
these problems have nothing to do with mods or hacks.
my connection with XBL did keep getting cut off several times during the download of the update but after it finally completed, no problems and i'm enjoying my hi-def movies off of DVD-Rs :-D thanks m$!
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11-01-2006 @ 12:12PM
jc said...
Took me two tries to update... working great now.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:12PM
Sooch said...
When the update restarted my Xbox the loading screen hung for quite some time. After finally loading a full 3 or 4 minutes later, I popped in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 to shoot a few holes. My screen locked up just as the driving range fly-over started.
I rebooted everything and was greeted with the 3 red rings of death.
Checked all my connections, rebooted, red rings.
Made myself a drink, rebooted...YAY..it came up this time. TW07 locked me up in the exact same spot and on reboot I was again greeted with the red ring salute numerous times.
I left the box alone for 30 minutes or so and finally came back with telephone in hand ready to eat some poor tech support guys lunch...but the box turned on perfectly this time.
Thinking that perhaps it was somehow related to TW07, I loaded up Ghost Recon. I hadn't played for a while so I downloaded the newest patch with no problems. I ran through a few single player missions with no problems, even stopping to idle for 20 minutes when my baby son started crying.
I have not had a problem since. TW07 even runs fine now.
I have rebooted multiple times and played various games for a few hours with no trouble now.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't run into any more problems.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:15PM
kidd2446 said...
i had my 360 since day one/launch day and never had a problem till this crappy update killed my system
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11-01-2006 @ 12:16PM
kidd2446 said...
do anyone know what microsoft is going to do about this wide spred problem
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11-01-2006 @ 12:17PM
TheJut said...
Mine's bricked. Freezes at the boot screen. Called tech support and they want me to send it in.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:17PM
Scott said...
No problems here
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11-01-2006 @ 12:19PM
Platinum Skeet said...
After I updated my 360 and it was booting back up. It got stuck at the boot screen with the X360 logo and it was trying to read the disc I had in the drive (even though I had it set to go straight to dashboard). So I took the disc out and waited for it to go to the dashboard. Waited for about 1 or 2 minutes and then the lights moving across the logo stopped moving.
In my head I was thinking "MS just bricked my 360". So I gave it another 10 seconds then turned it off.
When I turned it back on it took a little longer to load like it was loading something then it went to the dashboard as usual.
I do think there are problems with the patch and MS probably released it earlier then it was complete because they had to meet the deadline of the wireless headsets coming out this week...
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11-01-2006 @ 12:22PM
dead360twice said...
To #16: If your warranty is gone, they will make you pay $150 to have it replaced. And...you may have to pay shipping yourself as the policy seems to be changing...at least for some people/places.
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