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General discussion

How does one copy a game to the Hard Drive on a 360 ?

Oct 22, 2009 6:49AM PDT

Just bought a 2007 XBox 360 120 GB with the Driver's wheel, Guitar hero guitar, two wireless controllers (rechargeable batteries) and head sets for $250 from some 50 year old couple who hadn't used it much. (I'm 66).

Will sell the 'Guitar Hero' on Craig's list for $40.

I was told by some folks that one can copy the Game Discs to the HD and then I wouldn't need to put the Disc in the tray. Yes? No ?

How would I do that ?

Can I use my computer's USB to recharge the wireless batteries ?

I put the NYKO Intercooler on it to keep it from overheating...($25).

I upgraded the system so it could run the older XBox games.

How do you use "Cheats" ?

I understand I cannot interface with USB Memory sticks on Bill Gate's Machine....

Any advice or information (questions above) ?

DoctorBill

Discussion is locked

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Well
Oct 22, 2009 7:19AM PDT

Well, that's quite the laundry list of questions.

Starting off with installing games to the hard drive. Unfortunately you do still need the game disc in the drive for validation purposes, but I still do it anyway given the issues with optical drives the 360 has had.

To do this, you need the "New Xbox Experience" dashboard update installed. When you start up the console, if you see a set of pastel colored "blades" then you have the old dashboard, and will need to connect to Xbox Live (it's free if all you need are updates). If when you start up you see some stupid goofy person standing around and a vaguely L shaped menu system where you have different categories you select on the vertical axis, with a bunch of options on the horizontal axis in each category, that's the NBE (New Xbox Experience).

Assuming you have the NBE installed, once you put the game disc in, and it's recognized it as a game disc, you hit the "Y" button on the controller, and then there will be an option to install the game to the hard drive. Select that, let it do it's thing for a while, and then you're done. Then when you want to play a game off of the hard drive, you do the same thing, only now it will say "Play from hard drive" instead of "Install to hard drive".

As for charging the battery pack. Yes, any USB port should work.

Those cooling systems are really a waste of money for any system.

To use cheats, you have to buy a cheat program disc like the old Game Shark and Action Replay discs from the older console generations. You load up that program with the cheats, then load the game. To be honest though, given the emphasis on online gameplay with the 360, Microsoft may not be allowing any cheat programs on the 360. I can't say as I've ever really gone looking for one, but I also can't say as I've ever seen one for the 360. That's not to say they don't exist, but your options may be pretty limited.

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Pretty much right on
Oct 22, 2009 11:59PM PDT

Also some people say they have problems from the cooling systems...
Best to avoid

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Thanks for the information !
Oct 23, 2009 1:43AM PDT

Thanks Jimmy, for that information on placing the Game on the Hard Drive.

It worked as specified.

As to the Intercooler - Like a computer, I believe more cooling keeps the machine alive longer.

How can anyone have "Problems" with a cooling fan setup like the NYKO fan system ?!
Be specific.
How have cooling systems caused problems?

I was told the 360 has two video cards - lot of HEAT made.

My system runs cooler now - the air coming out the back is not as hot
as felt by my hand.

Anyway...another ****** is that it is hard to get out of games -
at least "Blazing Angels - Squadrons of WWII" !

Is there some way to end the game or get to an end menu quickly ?
Like pressing ESC on a PC Computer usually brings up a menu to end the game.


How long do the Wireless Controller Rechargeable Batteries last ?


Can I input stuff to the Hard Drive with USB Memory sticks ?

Endless questions....

DoctorBill

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Loading Games onto Hard Drive - 360 games Only ?
Oct 23, 2009 2:34AM PDT

I got "Blazing Angels" onto the Hard Drive - a 360 Game.

...trying "MYST - Exile" (an Xbox Game) - but it doesn't load on...?

Do only Xbox 360 games load onto the Hard Drive ?

DoctorBill

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No problem
Oct 23, 2009 3:18AM PDT

No problem.

The issue some people had with those cooling fans is that initially some had the fans put in backwards, so they basically blocked all the air from getting out of the system. But really, they don't do anything to improve airflow. To do that, you'd have to put the fans INSIDE the case. Those external fans are pointless.

The reason the air feels cooler, is because it's moving faster due to the extra velocity boost from those fans. But we must remember Newton's laws, specifically that every action requires an equal and opposite reaction. So, let's just say that these fans are increasing the air flow going OUT of the 360. That just means that the air being sucked out has to be replaced. And if these extra fans are spinning faster than the stock 360 fans, to increase the amount of air flow, this forces the stock fan to spin faster than it was designed to, in order to keep up. And if the fans are running at the same RPM, then there's no real point to having them there. So no matter which way you look at it, these devices are not worth it.

And the 360 only has one GPU, but it does have a tri-core CPU which might be what you were hearing about.

As for installing games to the hard drive. I can't say as I've tried playing any Xbox games on my 360, but I would assume that hard drive play is 360 only.

Also, as for the menu for quickly ending a game, press the big "X" button in the middle of the controller. The same one you use to turn it on. That should bring up a menu with different options, and if memory serves, if you hit the "Y" button it will take you back to the 360 dashboard. That's the only real universal method. Different games will have different options. Gears of War will let you quit back to the title screen, but a game like Tales of Vesparia won't. Depends on what the developers choose to put in.

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Loading onto Hard Drive
Oct 23, 2009 3:39AM PDT

I purchased two used 360 games and two used Xbox games.

The 360 games will load onto the HD (the menu comes up).

The two Xbox games will play (did upgrade disk), but the menu to load
them onto the HD will not come up....ah, well....

My two Wireless Controllers (WC's) came with two Rechargeable Batteries.
One seems to charge up OK, the other not.

I suspect they are about 2 years old - maybe too long in the tooth.

I have the WC's USB Quick Recharge cord in my Computer as I write this.
Windows XP tried to load a "New Device", but I killed that.
The red light is on on the WC, so I suppose it is recharging.
I wonder how many milliamps the WC pulls. 5 volts - no ?

The battery pack is around 3 volts.

I just don't want to hurt my PC.

But I'd rather use the PC as it is on all the time versus heating up the Xbox 360 just to charge freaking batteries...

DoctorBill

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You can
Oct 23, 2009 4:45AM PDT

You can charge the 360 controllers even when the 360 is off. Even in the off state, it's still drawing "standby" power. So you don't need to use your computer or have the 360 on to charge.

And USB can carry a MAXIMUM of 5V, at I want to think 10mA, but you'd have to verify that last bit.

You can also buy new battery packs for those controllers. Think they cost about $12 or so for just the battery pack, and around $20 for the battery pack and charging cable. You can get these pretty much anywhere that sells the 360, so places like Target, GameStop, loads of online retailers like Amazon and NewEgg.

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USB and Xbox 360 - Power Off
Oct 23, 2009 5:59AM PDT

I respectfully disagree about the "Standby Power".

My 23 year old son told me that, also.

But....when I turn the Console off, the red/green indicator light on the
WC goes off after a minute or so.

That is the light that says "Charging" - (Red)
or "Charged" - (Green).

Being a Mr. Fixit Yourself type, I want very badly to check the voltage and current during charging, but MS has this WC device so enclosed and with such tiny plugs, that I can't easily get "in there."

THEN (!), there is a warning about plugging the charger into the WC if a battery is not present, such that I am chicken to just make a 5 volt charger myself with a female USB socket and an old 5 volt output wall charger. Black to Neg and red to Pos.

I could make a simple holder - the contacts are as follows:

(Battery Push Button Up)
.
I....I....I....I....I....I
....+.............-......
.
(MS Reflective Emblem Down)
.
2nd strip to right - positive, 5th strip to right - negative.

DoctorBill

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I had that problem
Oct 23, 2009 9:39AM PDT

I had that problem, and ultimately it ended with me having to send the console in for repairs.

Xbox 360 #3 does it just fine.

360 #1 had the standby power issue, and wouldn't even charge controllers while on. The optical drive also started dying a slow death, sometimes taking a half hour's worth of opening and closing before it'd read a game disc.

360 #2 had the same optical drive issue after about 36 hours, so it went back.

360 #3 is working as expected... So far. Think it just passed out of warranty, so hopefully it'll continue on like that. But you might have gotten sold a defective unit, that will continue failing, little by little, as time goes by.

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Cleaned the Xbox 360 out...
Oct 24, 2009 8:12AM PDT

I bought a large can of that spray dust remover (compressed gas) from Wal-Mart.

Took the Xbox outside in the breeze and hosed it down from every angle and into every grid and cranny.
Took the Hard Drive off and hosed it, too.

More crap came out than I EVER expected ! Even from the HD....

Tons of CHUNKS of dust - granular (! ?)

Brought in in and plugged it in and opened the Disk Drawer and hosed that out, too.

This thing was FILTHY inside!

I wish I could open it up easily and get the dust off of the components on the circuit boards...

It is way past the warrantee (2007)...how do you open them w/o damaging them ?

DoctorBill

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It takes a special tool
Oct 24, 2009 10:35AM PDT

It takes a special tool to undo the latch on the 360. The original Xbox was pretty easy to get apart. You just pried up the rubber feet and undid the screws. The 360 requires a special tool, which you can find if you look around a little.

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Opening the 360 to blow Dust off the components
Oct 24, 2009 11:09AM PDT

No warranty to worry about - bought 2007 by previous owner and sold used to me....

So - do I pry off the rubber feet on the 360 ?

Is the special tool required used to remove screws or some other alien fastening device devised by MicroSoft ?

If screws, then can anything be damaged by lifting off the case ?
Harbor Freight sells a box of 'driver tips' for just about everything ever made.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?itemnumber=93388&Submit=Go

Are there any "Booby Traps" laid by MicroSoft ?

Some Digital Cameras are made this way according to a friend who fixes cameras for a hobby...by opening some Dig cameras, the system software is scrambled and must be re-installed by a Corp repair center....nice.

Awaiting enlightenment.....

DoctorBill

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No
Oct 24, 2009 1:14PM PDT

No, there's a special set of latches that needs a special tool for the 360. If you do a bit of googling, you should be able to find a few places that sell it.

And if you also do some googling, you can probably find step by step instructions on how to disassemble the 360, complete with pictures.

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Maybe too much just to blow out the dust.....
Oct 24, 2009 5:03PM PDT