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If you have a Microsoft XBox 360 chances are you’re a happy camper. Sleeker and more powerful than the original XBox, the 360 is a competent gaming console that can soak up your spare time and then some with scores of mostly very good (and some excellent) games. People may forever argue the relative merits of the XBox 360 versus the Sony PlayStation 3 or the Nintendo Wii, but it’s really a moot point. If you have a 360 you’ve invested in XBox 360 games, watch XBox 360 movies, and most likely have a subscription to XBox Live. And you certainly enjoy the XBox 360 games download capabilities made possible through speedy broadband connections.

Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a discrepancy between the wonderful XBox hardware, the blindingly fast Internet connections, and then fact that the XBox is a very closed system. There are some good reasons for that. Unlike regular PCs, game consoles are totally and completely standardized. You can’t add more RAM, change the drive, or upgrade the processor. You also can’t mess with the system software other than installing the necessary XBox 360 firmware or system upgrades. That’s because console hardware and software must be completely standard in order to optimally and reliably run games. The complete standardization also makes it possible for consoles to remain unchanged for several years. Games get better as developers learn how to squeeze the last bit of power out of a console, but other than that, every single game made for a particular console will always run on that console. No upgrades needed, ever.

The bad part about all this is that even though the XBox 360 is a computer, it’s a totally locked computer and you can’t even make backups of the very games you own. That’s not good. I’ve had enough hard disks crash on me and enough CDs and DVDs become unreadable that I’ve become pretty paranoid. In my work I’d never rely on a piece of software that I cannot back up. Yet, that’s exactly the situation gamers are in. They can’t back up their own games. If a game DVD goes bad – and that can easily happen given how much use they get – you’re simply out of luck. No one is going to give you a new DVD. You have to buy your own XBox software all over again. No XBox backup for you. That’s not a good situation.

So what’s the solution? There really isn’t a clean one. Microsoft knows its software and hardware, and they decided to not allow backups of their game DVDs. To keep people from doing backups of their DVDs, the game files are encrypted and the XBox will only run special XBox 360 media. Does that mean those who are determined to protect their investment via backups are simply out of luck? No, there are ways to get into the XBox 360 so you can do backups. In fact, there’s a whole community out there dedicated to XBox modifications and the ability to download XBox 360 games, XBox 360 movies, XBox 360 firmware, and Xbox software. It may very well be worth your while to check it out.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about XBox 360 Backup or Majon’s Gaming and Gambling directory.

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If your Xbox 360 120 GB hard drive is giving you trouble and you are encountering a lot of problems with it, you may do better by paying heed to the following tips and solutions:

If the problem is with your hard drive not being listed as a storage device, you have to undertake the following steps in consecutive order:

Step one involves inserting the hard drive into the hard drive bay completely. It should look level. Now you have to switch off the Xbox 360 console. Then you have to turn it on again.

At step 2 you should concentrate on switching off the console and the hard drive’s removal. Again the console has to be turned on and then switched off once more. Your next instruction is the reattachment of the hard drive.

The final step involves testing of the hard drive on a different console, but for that you have to get hold of one. The other alternative is to test another new hard drive on your existing console and see if the problem can be pinpointed or rectified.

Instead of hard drive, you may switch over to memory units which are portable and can store large amounts of data.

Troubleshooting the Memory Unit of Xbox 360

You first have to carefully insert the memory unit completely in to the memory unit slot. You will find the latter in front of the console of Xbox 360.

There is also another memory unit slot where you should insert it to gauge the problem.

Often it has been found out that the fault lies with the original memory unit. In case of such a possibility, you should try out the second memory unit.

Your Xbox 360 dashboard wont display and may be damaged through the insertion of damaged/crushed memory units.

Need an easy step-by-step troubleshooting Xbox 360 guide? Visit yourxbox360fix.com if you would like to repair your own Xbox 360 within 2 hours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Harlow

Do you really want to burn Xbox 360 games? Microsoft’s most advanced console to date continues to be one of the most popular consoles around, and more people than every want to learn to back up their games. Do you really want to burn xbox 360 games though? In this article we are going to try and explain why burning the games may not be the answer…

Ok first up, probably the biggest reason of all-it’s against the law to burn copies of games! The only time it’s legal is when someone already owns an original copy and would like to make themselves a spare in case of damage etc. So if you’re the kind of person looking to visit their local blockbuster and copy the whole collection of games, it looks like you are fresh out of luck!

Want another reason? How about the fact that to burn xbox 360 games, you’ll need to flash the firmware on your 360 in order for it to give you a different kind of access to the DVD drive. Now this may not be illegal, but it will certainly invalidate your warranty. Now imagine if you made a mistake-one dead 360, and Microsoft certainly won’t replace or fix it for you, because you broke the warranty.

Another huge reason is the amount of effort it takes to burn xbox 360 games. If you want to burn xbox 360 games, you’d better make sure you are committed. Running copied games on modded consoles is not for the faint of heart. There are quite often problems, and it’s not uncommon to have to make 2 or 3 copies of a disc because the first one comes out as a bad burn. Not only that, sometimes you’ll find that you get a game running just for it to not be able to load the second level, or any other number of glitches.

If you want to burn xbox 360 games, you’d better make sure you have plenty of free time on your hands and the patience of a saint!

Although there are some good alternatives around these days, so you may not have to go as far as burning.

The most obvious alternative to burning xbox 360 games is to buy preowned games. You can get these at all kinds of places these days, with the best selection probably available at ebay. You can get some serious bargains on ebay, especially if you wait until 2 or 3 in the morning to look.

Another helpful alternative to having to burn xbox 360 games is to join one of the new trade services. There are starting to be a few places online where you can list your game collection and trade with other members, paying a small fee each time. This is certainly more financially viable than paying out for every single game.

Hopefully this article has given you an idea of some alternatives and some extra information for those of you looking to burn xbox 360 games. Check out the links below for some of the best download sites.

Click HERE to get free downloads for your WII, 360 or PS3-whether you want games or movies it’s right here, and it’s fast and easy.

If you are looking for the best WII, 360 or PS3 download resources on the net, CLICK HERE and we’ll tell you where they are-this will save you a fortune

Herb Peterson is webmaster at yourdownloadreviews.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Herb_Peterson

So your looking for a Xbox 360 freezing problem fix are you? Well in this article I’m going to go over some possible things you can do to prevent your 360 from freezing up on your anymore. There are a lot of things that can cause this kind of error but they all pretty much stem from the same problem.

Ok so the obvious route would be to send your 360 back to Microsoft and get them to fix it right? This is all fine and great if your Xbox 360 is new and they will still repair it for you. However it usually takes weeks to many months to even get back your 360. Not only that but if your not under warranty then its going to cost a lot of money.

So how do I fix my Xbox 360 freezing problem for a cheap rate? Well theres this trick that has been going around lately about wrapping your console up in a blanket or towel. This is suppose to cool it off or something but the bad thing here is it breaks a lot of consoles. Yes it does solve the problem sometimes for like 3-7 days but you are left with a broken console after that.

Your problem could be some simple drive error which could be repaired at perhaps an electronics repair shop. But that’s only if you find someone who knows what they are doing. There are other methods to fixing your 360 and if you need more help check out my bio box below. Good luck on your quest to find a 360 freezing problem fix!

Corey is a self proclaimed Videogame Enthusiast. Fix Your 360 Freezing Problem In 1 Hour At http://xbox360redringfix.com And Get The Quick Xbox 360 Freezing Problem Fix

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_J_Thompson

The Microsoft Xbox 360 is an amazing gaming console, but even greatness has its flaws. The Xbox 360 comes with problems just like anything else on the market. But the great thing about the Xbox 360 problems, is that you can almost repair them all yourself. Some errors may be more simple or harder to repair then others, but it all comes with knowledge and practice.

Here are some tips I put together from personal experience to help you know and correct some of the Xbox 360 problems.

1. The Xbox 360 has four red lights, each representing an individual problem your console may be dealing with. When your console is presenting one flashing red light, this indicates that the problem is either a hardware or system failure issue. In most cases, it’s really difficult to fix these types of problems, and your 2 options are either to get your console repaired or replaced.

2. When the Xbox 360 is presenting two blinking red lights, this indicates that the console is experiencing an overheating issue. To correct this issue you are required to turn off the console and let it cool down. It’s best to put your console in a cool area, like near a window or fan.

3. When the Xbox 360 is presenting three blinking red lights, this indicates what everybody fears with there console, “the red ring of death”. The red ring of death indicates that there is a general hardware failure issue. The only way to fix this issue is to send your console into Microsoft, or buy an Xbox repair guide if this is your first time dealing with this issue, and don’t know how to fix it.

4. When your Xbox console is presenting four blinking red lights, this indicates that your system cannot detect the AV cable, and generally the best solution for that is to either plug the AV cable in, or if it’s damaged or broken, buy a new one.

Most of the problems your Xbox 360 has can be fixed by you, as long as you have a guide to walk you through it. You really want to try to avoid sending your Xbox 360 to Microsoft, for the reason that you will have to wait just about 2 months to receive it. Not to mention that if you don’t have a factory warranty it will cost about $ 200 for them to repair it, when you could either do it yourself or use the repair cost to invest in another Xbox 360.

The average guide costs about $ 30, and believe me the money is well spent. I learned this the hard way. When I sent my console into Microsoft I paid $ 180 to have it repaired, and the worst part is it broke again with the same problems 2 months later. I decided to take an alternative route and buy a guide so I could learn how to fix everything myself.

The guide that I bought was amazing, and is worth more then $ 30 by far. Ever since I bought that guide I have been able to fix every problem my console has had, not to mention some of my friends paid me to fix there console.

To get the Xbox 360 repair guide that has saves me hundreds of dollars go to http://xbox360mall.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Kamens

In this article you are going to learn some of the best tips to help you fix those 2 red lights on your Xbox. You can actually be gaming again in less than one hour, with only a small investment of time, effort and money. Don’t put up with having a broken Xbox 360 console for day longer – keep reading to learn the steps you need to follow to be able to the Xbox 360 2 red lights error.

Before you can fix your broken Xbox, you need to properly understand what has caused those pesky 2 red lights. The cause is actually as simple as excessive heat damaging the delicate components of your console. However, how does this heat build up and cause damage in the first place?

Well, the Xbox 360 was designed and built with a fairly cramped internal case layout, which means that heat can build-up quickly, but cannot escape so easily. Therefore, during prolonged sessions of gaming, this built up heat winds up causing large amounts of damage to components such as the graphics card and motherboard.

If you want to fix the 2 red lights on your Xbox, then you will need the right instructions. The best way to get these is in an Xbox repair guide, which will give you the necessary instructional videos. Text and pictures only are simply not detailed enough to enable you to accurately carry out the repair process.

So how can you get a repair guide?

These are readily available online, and come in digital download format. As long as you have a computer, you can use an Xbox repair guide. In order to get the best deal, you should look for a price of less than $30, a money-back guarantee, free customer support, as well as step-by-step video repair instructions, as text and pictures simply aren’t detailed enough you enable you to fix the Xbox 360 2 red lights error.

Click here to learn about a high-quality, easy-to-use repair guide that will enable you to fix the Xbox 360 2 red lights error in under one hour. Don’t settle for second best- with James Philipson’s recommended repair guide, you can be gaming again in no time.

Simply click the link to learn how to fix your Xbox quickly and easily. Get a discount, free money-back guarantee and more by using one of the links above. Don’t put up with those pesky 2 red lights on your Xbox a day longer!

James Philipson has been involved in the electronics industry for over 10 years and has repaired more than 30 Xbox 360 consoles since the platform’s release over two years ago.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Philipson

So your console has been affected by an Xbox 360 problem such as the red lights error, hard drive failure, critical system errors or some other glitch? If so, there is some very good news- you can actually fix a broken Xbox 360 yourself, and it’s not really that difficult at all. The first step in fixing Xbox 360 errors is to actually determine the exact problem that is affecting your console. After all, you can’t fix something if you don’t know what’s wrong in the first place.

There are a large number of different possible Xbox 360 problem codes that your console could have been affected with. What you need to do is check on the list below and see if the difficulties you are experiencing with your console resemble any of those listed.

1. Either one or three flashing red lights in the power ring of your Xbox. These indicate general hardware failures. However, If the light in the second quadrant (top right hand corner) is glowing red, then your console has merely overheated- leave it to cool for a while and things should be fine. If all four lights are glowing red the AV cable has become detached- fully re-insert it and this Xbox 360 problem should disappear.

2. Lock-ups, freezes, graphical errors or strange sounds coming from your console during gaming.

3. System errors with codes such as “e74″ or “e71″ etc.

4. A faulty hard drive or disc drive.

If you are experiencing any one of those above problems, then you will need to fix it ASAP. How can you do this?

The best way to fix any Xbox 360 problem is to use a video repair guide which will show you how to determine the exact problem in the hardware of your console, then repair it in the correct, safe, and easiest manner. You can get repair guides in digital download form of the Internet- just ensure that you are getting a video repair guide, as pictures or text will simply not be detailed enough.

If you want to fix any Xbox 360 problem on your console easily, and in under one hour, then please click the link to learn about the best video repair guide for all Xbox 360 errors. This is the best way to fix your Xbox360, and covers all errors including red light problems, Xbox 360 freezes and crashes, hard drive and disc drive errors and critical system errors.

It also offers a free bonus report on getting the newest Xbox 360 games before anybody else does- and for a good discount. Be the envy of all your friends when you get the games they want before they can even get a demo disc of them!

James Philipson has been involved in the electronics industry for over 10 years and has repaired more than 30 Xbox 360 consoles since the platform’s release over two years ago.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Philipson

Since the Xbox 360’s introduction in November, 2005, a significant quantity of Microsoft’s game consoles have experienced a field malfunction that is indicated by three flashing red lights on the front of the console. It’s The Xbox 360′ Red Ring Of Death or E74 error.

The “Red Ring of Death” is a very common problem. In July 2008, Microsoft admitted that over 800,000 people are dealing with it and 30% of all consoles sold are failing and the rest have a chance of failure. With an Xbox which suffer from the red ring of death, you will not be able to play games with peace of mind or any enjoyment and you can’t use Xbox live membership without constantly dropping from online games, and losing level progress.

Owning a broken $400 game system is annoying. If you don’t fix the red ring of death, your system will only get worse with time, and your Xbox may stop working altogether (which will cost you in the hundreds of dollars to fix).The sooner you fix red ring of death the better, but first you should know what is wrong with your Xbox 360?

The main cause of the 3 flashing red lights is overheating. In fact, it is an electrical connection failure between the CPU,GPU and the motherboard.due to an engineering flaw in the construction of the Xbox 360. When Microsoft designed it, they downsized the heat sinks ( which keep the system cool ) to accommodate the DVD drive, and they chose a slightly unusual way of mounting to link them to the processors. So when you play on your Xbox for too long, the temperature reaches beyond 120 degree, the motherboard heats up and begins to vibrate and flex against the X-Clamp plastic support . These vibrations loosen the soldering holding the graphics processing unit in place. This causes an electrical failure and the Xbox red ring of death error will happen.

** How do we fix this ? **

There is a myth going around that to fix the red ring of death errors by wrapping your Xbox 360 in a towel, turning it on for 20 minutes or so, and letting it overheat . BE CAREFUL !!! If you use this bogus repair method, you will risk turning a temporary problem into a permanent damage. This crazy method works for a few hours because when you wrap your console and turn it on, there is no ventilation for the heat to escape. It’s like putting vegetable oil in your cars gas tank, sure it may run for a block but you have just ruined you car for a 2 minute trip! Your Xbox 360 is a piece of high tech equipment not a toaster, avoid completely the “towel fix” and any “fix” involving heat.

** Is there a secure permanent fix for this ? **

Of course, believe it or not fixing the Xbox red ring of death is not a difficult process and you don’t need advanced technical skills or special tools to perform the “fix” yourself, I suggest you see a professional Xbox 360 repair guide with detailed clear video instuctions and pictures. These guides are developed by technicians with good knowledge and many years of experiences in the electronics and video game repair industry. They will show you step by step how to take your Xbox 360 apart safely, how to remove the X-clamp and heat sink, how to apply the washers and artic thermal compound, and put it all back together. There is also written instructions with the videos and the 24/7 tech support can assist you to save time and money and get your Xbox 360 up and running within 2 hours

Those Xbox red ring of death errors will be a distant memory and now you can enjoy gaming again without fear of freezing.

Be careful there are some repair guides in the market which are a total scam .

Here is an EASY step by step Xbox 360 repair guide so you can permanently fix your Xbox 360’s 3 red light of death errors!
Xbox 360 Red Light Fix Pro Gamer Edition : The Only Xbox 360 Repair Guide with Professional High Definition Video Tutorials, With In Action Camera Zooms , Fix in Less Time than it Takes to Mail Xbox 360 to Microsoft, Use Ordinary Household Tools ,Real Human, Knowledgeable Customer Support , No Special Skills Needed, Guaranteed Fix or Money Back, Be Playing Again – in 2 Hours or Less.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Bush