XBox open tray error...

[monkeymax]

Hi all,
Just after a bit of advice really. I popped over a mate's a couple of nights ago. He's got an XBox 360 which doesn't work anymore, it has a disc reading error on it; it doesn't recognize any disc and displays a message saying 'open tray' as if there is nothing in the drive and the only option is to eject.

Any idea on how to fix this? It's out of warranty so can't send it back to M$, and obviously the red light of death is different! Would it just be a case of opening it up and replacing the disc drive, or is there another (hopefully cheaper!) way of fixing it?

(Hopefully if I fix it, I get to keep it... )

[Jaspa]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-XBOX-360-LASE ... 45f505c9b9

For £6 you can't go wrong

[monkeymax]

Cheers dude; that's what I was thinking of too. But if there's something someone knows in that this may not fix it but something else would; it'd save me spending the money I don't have to...
Saying that, I've just found an online store that has replacement dvd drives for 25 quid, so perhaps will just get one of those...

[Jaspa]

I've just left a message for a friend who I know has replaced several Xbox drives asking for a price for the drive. I'll let you know when he gets back to me but £25 sounds very good.

Stuart

[monkeymax]

Cheers Stuart. I also read somewhere that replacing the drive risks the console being banned from XBox Live, etc. While this probably won't be a huge problem for me, I'd still like to be able to use it to play the odd game online when I'm done at Uni... So can you ask him whether this is true? Or will I be fine replacing the drive?

[H3RB]

Cheers Stuart. I also read somewhere that replacing the drive risks the console being banned from XBox Live, etc. While this probably won't be a huge problem for me, I'd still like to be able to use it to play the odd game online when I'm done at Uni... So can you ask him whether this is true? Or will I be fine replacing the drive?

if you replace the drive you will need to reflash it with the key for the original drive.... easy if you know how loads of reading and buying extra bits if you dont.

id replace the lazer, 4 screws to take the dvd drive apart and replace.
BUT there are several types of 360 drives.
if its an old drive it will be HITATCHI or SAMSUNG if its newer it will be BENQ or LITE- ON (both made by philips)

so make sure you get the right lazer.
also if you buy a new drive get a benq or lite on as they are the best but lite ons are harder to flash benq's are simple.

on the other had i have several spare drives send me you drive ill take the key off it and reflash one of my spares so it will work in your console.

up to you

[monkeymax]

Well, replacement laser didn't work.
Fitted it, fired up the xbox and when I put a disc in, it just pretends like nothing has happened.
Guess it's a new drive then. H3RB, thanks very much for the offer; I'll PM you later on.

[monkeymax]

on the other had i have several spare drives send me you drive ill take the key off it and reflash one of my spares so it will work in your console.

Thanks for the offer of help H3RB! I managed to fix it over the weekend! Originally I changed the laser but that didn't help at all. Waited until I could get an identical drive on eBay, which I did for a bargain (this was what's caused the delay - the wait for a cheap one!). Swapped the logic boards and installed the new drive. It's all working now. Borrowed Forza 2 from a friend, and loved it!
Now gotta finish Uni, then get Burnout Paradise and see how long it takes till it gets the red rings of death instead!!