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360 RROD - E74 error - should I mail to to MS or have a local guy fix it?

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DA-Bucks

DA-Bucks

Trick shot artist
Former FF The Deuce Champ
My Xbox is still likely under warranty with this error (I believe they extended the E74 error to 3 years), but I'd rather not part with the Xbox for 3 weeks. I dig the Netflix and I gotta get my Tiger Woods game going :biggrin:.

So I can pay a guy $40 and he'll fix it "properly". I know the repair isn't difficult and should only take about 20 minutes.

Does anyone have experience with fixing a RROD issue outside of MS? From the youtube videos I'm pretty sure I could even do it myself (I build computers and am fairly tech nerdy), but I'd rather have someone else with more experience working on Xboxs do it proper.
 
Not the towel trick. There's no way I'd let someone intentionally overheat my Xbox in hopes in would reset the thermal paste/solder.

Here's his ad from craigslist - I sent him an email and asked a few questions:

Contact: 588--5797.

If you wish to email me regarding a repair, please leave a contact # for me to reach. It will save us both time.

99% of red light issues are fixed by properly reflowing the cold solder joints on the console's main board. I do this with the correct tools and experience. The only other way to fix a broken solder joint (RROD, E-74, etc.) is by using a series of bolts and washers to physically force back the solder joint. The bad thing about this method is that it deletes the original x-clamps, and applies massive pressure to the cpu and gpu. This fix is often successful, but always fails a short time later.

I also fix DVD drive related issues. Stuck door/tray, white screen, unplayabe disc, and other errors.

The cost is $40, and only if I can fix it, no matter the problem. Lifetime warranty applies to consoles that have not been opened before, and or have not had the x-clamps removed or modified..

Future non-related fixes are only $15 if you are a repeat customer.

So if your console is out of the manufacturers warranty (2005- current month 2006 consoles with 3 red lights/ 2005-current month 2008 consoles with 1 or 2 red lights.) DVD drive issues are not covered past the manufacturers 1 year warranty. DO NOT pay Microsoft $95-$145 while suffering 3-5 weeks of down time.

NEVER overheat your console by disconnecting the fans or wrapping it up in a towel as seen on YouTube, etc.
NEVER use a heat gun on your main board. While it can reach the required reflowing temps, it is brash and not precise. Plenty of people ruin their entire console attempting this.
NEVER use pennies as a replacement for a heat sink or thermal pad.
NEVER a need to use new bolts and washers in place of the x-clamps ("x-clamp mod," found on eBay.) The x-clamps are never the source of any problem.

I repair many consoles. Although the results are almost always successful, there is a small minority of consoles that cannot be repaired. These are usually ones that have been repaired before without skill, correct tools or tactic. There has not been a single console with waranty seals intact that was unrepairable by me.

While trying to stay competitive, I do not charge more than what I think the fair value of the involved time and skill is worth. Turn around time is fast. Expect same day service. If same day service is not possible, second day return is promised.

Your console is handled with care and is promised to come back to you cleaner than when you gave it to me.

[email protected]

588--5797
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Putting aside the Tiger downtime, another option would be to pay for a TV movie channel package for a month to replace Netflix. It would cost less than this repair, and you aren't risking as much.
 
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Just wanted to give an update. I decided to go the Microsoft route and what a major, major pain in the ass this has been.

On the 13th I *tried* to submit a repair ticket through their online service and their website was essentially down. The support web pages would load after several minutes of inactivity. So I spent about a half hour doing that and said F*** it, I'll call them. (they usually charge $19.95 if you do it over the phone).

I called and actually spoke a person pretty quickly, so I thought it was going to be okay. They waived the "fee" for calling them directly since I was having an issue with the webpage. The lady from India gave me a ticket # and told me I'd have to print out a shipping label from.... the SUPPORT WEBSITE.

Alright, it's Microsoft, so I thought the support page would be back up and running smoothly in a couple hours, or the next morning at the latest.

So I on Monday, I got through to the "print shipping label" (after very, very slow load times) and the page timed-out and I couldn't print the shipping instructions. I went back an hour later and got an error message stating that the website was not available and was undergoing maintenance for 24 hours from 12:01 AM June 16th.

As of 10:00 this morning it still read that (~34 hours after the 24 hour message).

So I just checked now and the website is up and running. I go to check my repair status and it says they're awaiting arrival of my xbox and that I've already printed out my shipping label.

So now I have to call them AGAIN to reset the status so I can actually print out the shipping label.

I'm about to say f*** it and sell my xbox stuff for a PS3.
 
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DA-Bucks;1484404; said:
Just wanted to give an update. I decided to go the Microsoft route and what a major, major pain in the ass this has been.

On the 13th I *tried* to submit a repair ticket through their online service and their website was essentially down. The support web pages would load after several minutes of inactivity. So I spent about a half hour doing that and said F*** it, I'll call them. (they usually charge $19.95 if you do it over the phone).

I called and actually spoke a person pretty quickly, so I thought it was going to be okay. They waived the "fee" for calling them directly since I was having an issue with the webpage. The lady from India gave me a ticket # and told me I'd have to print out a shipping label from.... the SUPPORT WEBSITE.

Alright, it's Microsoft, so I thought the support page would be back up and running smoothly in a couple hours, or the next morning at the latest.

So I on Monday, I got through to the "print shipping label" (after very, very slow load times) and the page timed-out and I couldn't print the shipping instructions. I went back an hour later and got an error message stating that the website was not available and was undergoing maintenance for 24 hours from 12:01 AM June 16th.

As of 10:00 this morning it still read that (~34 hours after the 24 hour message).

So I just checked now and the website is up and running. I go to check my repair status and it says they're awaiting arrival of my xbox and that I've already printed out my shipping label.

So now I have to call them AGAIN to reset the status so I can actually print out the shipping label.

I'm about to say f*** it and sell my xbox stuff for a PS3.
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I can tell you where you end wrong. Expecting the same idiots who pushed out Windows ME and The Vista Virus to be good at anything is a BAD idea.
 
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