Monday, December 19, 2011

Xbox 360 Faults - The Problems And Errors Invoked By Them

By Andrew Taylor


When vast electronic enterprises create devices that are used by millions around the world, they have a reputation to uphold. Unfortunately for Microsoft, their Xbox 360 isn't known to be the most reliable device ever made. It's obviously difficult to create a games console that's immune to problems as its design is very complicated and always subject to improvement. However, it has experienced higher failure rates than other consoles and is in fact notorious for certain errors that pop up during every day use. Ever since the first release of the Xbox 360, the RROD and E74 errors have become infamous and as such, it's important for new buyers considering older consoles to fully know the problems that might occur. The Xbox 360 faults aren't vast, but when they do occur, they can be console-breaking and this is reason enough to do some research before committing.

The RROD

One of the most infamous errors of all time, somewhat of a parody of the equally notorious Blue Screen of Death, the Red Ring of Death occurs when there's general hardware failure in the console. This essentially means the console has become unusable and can be used no more until repair. The error manifests itself as a three-quarter red circle on the front of the console. Fortunately, it's covered under the warranty and should be sent in immediately for repair or replacement. However, many amateurs attempt repairs and fail, so it's advisable to leave it to a professional.

The reasons behind the RROD usually reside in the overheating area. Microsoft's tight-lipped status on such technical breakages makes it hard to pinpoint such sources, but investigations by third-parties suggests that the hardware is subject to such problems. They are incapable of holding electrical currents and high temperatures for too long before breaking and the RROD becomes inevitable with older machines. The newer models suffer less because the hardware is more efficient.

Disc Damage

Among the most destructive of the 360's problems is the scratching of discs. If the disc tray is loose it can often lead to damage to your discs if they are being dragged against a sharp edge inside the disk tray, especially when the console is moved for whatever reason why the disc is spinning. Such movements like hard vibrations are unavoidable and this has led to many studies as to how likely this problem is. While some found that common household vibrations can indeed cause scratching, Microsoft has taken the stance that it's the user's fault for placing the console where it can be damaged in such a way or for moving the console while it's working.

E74

This is an error in which the lower-right of the ring flashes red. The E74 System Error is caused by the video, when there's damage to the hardware. While it is included under the warranty, it can strike in many cases, but gives the user early warning signs, such as video artifacts. Essentially, the video quality will degrade severely and this should be enough warning that the E74 error is about to occur.




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