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The great red experiment - DIY fix for a broken 360
AgentMOO | 11:32 PM on 06.08.2008 17 comments




I am among those who just couldn't wait - I had to get a first run XBOX360. I'm sure you
can all see where I'm going with this. Literally one month after the original warranty expired I saw visions of the three red ring-men of the apocalypse. Having no warranty to void at the time, I cracked it open and unsuccessfully tried arctic silver and towel tricks. Then I just replaced it and moved on.

Since I have nothing to lose, I've decided to revisit this quagmire and test out a product
designed to fix this failure. The X-Clamp-Fix from The Next Generation operates under the premise that Microsoft's x-clamp warps the CPU connections under high heat. I am skeptical of such a cheap item fixing 300 worth of hardware but I would love to be proven wrong!

Step 1: Open beer
It's dangerous to go alone, drink this.



Step 2: Disassemble the 360
I'm not going to attempt to explain the full disassembly, mine involved more akward poking and prying than a prom date. Others have done a better job.



Step 3: I'd mount that!
Mount the heatsink back on, with the new screws and washers.



Step 4: Use GREAT POWER
According to the official instructions:



Step 5: Bake it!
Now, re-assemble the 360 enough so that you can put the top clamshell on it - making sure that the fans are disconnected. You'll want to cook it for 15 minutes. The machine will start with the 3 rings for the general fault, and then go into two rings when it is overheated. This overheating is part of the process of warping the board back into place.



Step 6: HEY NIKO!
It is well known that Nico Bellic is a bad mother-shut-your-mouth and he sticks up for his own. Apply him to your system to guard against Blu-rays and general misfortunes. If you don't have any stickers handy, ask cheeburga.



Step 7: Cool down
Now you just have to turn the system off let the components get back to room temperature. Make sure the fans are connected before closing it up.

Step 8: Live, damn you!
Pop in an old game and try booting up! If you are lucky like I was, then you'll be welcomed with the following comforting screen.



At this point my 360 was back up and running just as if I had towel tricked it. So far it has
been over 24 hours and I have left it on throughout, with occasional half hour cool downs
thrown in. I will keep you all posted with the progress, especially after I play through Lego Indiana Jones on this machine.

Verdict: Promising.



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17 comments | showing # 1 to 17

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tazarthayoot's Destructoid Blog
if anyone knows how to handle his alcohol, it's agent fucking moo.
Crunshii's Destructoid Blog
great job AgentMOO lol. You have completed Achievements: Liveeeeeeeeee!



but wont this totally void any warranty you may have?
AgentMOO's Destructoid Blog
Yes, popping that holographic sticker will completely void a warranty. I had already voided mine in the magical period where the 1 year had expired and Microsoft hadn't extended to 3 yet.
Elitechief27's Destructoid Blog
Nice work MOOguyver
Aziel13's Destructoid Blog
noice but you are a mad man
MAD!
brainderailment's Destructoid Blog
TOO.MUCH.THERMAL.COMPOUND.
Rifter01's Destructoid Blog
Brave Moo is brave. Beer is good nerve tonic sometimes too.. lol
mistic's Destructoid Blog
great job man! CPR rocks :-)
Samit Sarkar's Destructoid Blog
You are brave, indeed — but I suppose with nothing to lose, it was totally worth a shot. Nice work!
BlindsideDork's Destructoid Blog
The sheer fact you have to do this screams failure in the system to me.

I have been really pissed at my 360 recently.
Spitfire's Destructoid Blog
wow awesome stuff, I hope it continues to work. It would be great success for xbox360's everywhere.
Takeshi's Destructoid Blog
I love DIY blogs!
Conrad Zimmerman's Destructoid Blog
I'm surprised Microsoft didn't offer to fix it themselves anyway once the warranty program was extended.
Mxyzptlk's Destructoid Blog
AGENTMOO IS A VOODOO PRIEST!
keener's Destructoid Blog
truly awesome man. i recently had some intermitten locking up with my 360 so this is a boon. im gonna see if i can do some research about putting a quieter dvd drive in mine, if so i may wait for the RR and just kill two birds with one stone.

so awesome we could get a heads up on this fix without anyone having to risk losing a working 360.
AgentMOO's Destructoid Blog
Update: 72 Hours of endurance testing (non-play time) and this thing is still green.
Boji's Destructoid Blog
I tried this fix once. It almost worked for me, then it failed again. Congrats on it working for you!


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 about me



What is AMMO?
Agent MOO: Maximum Overdeath is a 2D deathmatch game featuring weapons such as rockets, guns, and the trusty sack of oranges. If that doesn't suit your fancy, climb in a car to get some vehicular homicide kills! Features original soundtrack by I KILL PXLS.

Where can I play it?
AMMO is now available for the XBOX 360 on the XBOX Live Indie Games Marketplace here.

AMMO Homepage: agentmoo.com/AMMO

Previously on Agent MOO's Blog
The Great Red Experiment
Cincinnati Mega-NARP: THE MUSIC
Look, I Brew - DESTRUCTOID Beer!
Short GTA4 Multiplayer Review
Poll: New Character in AMMO
Coming soon to NBC!
EA doesn't like wheels.
I'm an awful, awful person.
Taze in style
Prof. Moo's Gaming History Lesson: Why wasn't Johnny Cage in MK3?
Street Fighter IV Exclusive Gameplay Footage





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