Xbox Disc Drives

[Thom Grayson]

My Xbox has been having an increasing amount of trouble reading discs, even pristine ones, and I'm thinking the disc drive itself is at fault. Does anyone have experience replacing the drive, or any tips to share about that? If a replacement drive can be had for a reasonable price, and isn't too difficult to change out, I'd be more than willing to do it myself.

Note: I've already opened up and cleaned the system, and it didn't make a noticeable improvement.

[sebboh]

you can change it with a pc drive (but if i remember correctly if you do that then you can't use original dvd's with the xbox)

[segamer]

The original Xbox? If we are talking about the original Xbox, drives are only like $20 on ebay and are easy to replace. You just pull out the old one and stick in the new. Try cleaning the lazer with alcohol and a q-tip.

Also, there are dials on the laser that change the rate of speed the drive spins at. Increasing the rate which the disc spins usually will fix the problem but you'll need to research it.

 If you're talking about the Xbox 360, it's a little more difficult. You have to have the exact same model of disc drive. And you have to pull out the chip board from the old dvd drive and place it in the new drive.

[palmer6strings]

If you're talking about the Xbox 360, it's a little more difficult. You have to have the exact same model of disc drive. And you have to pull out the chip board from the old dvd drive and place it in the new drive.

Hey Segamer, do you have any experience with this? If so I have a 360 slim (model 2) that's having some disc drive problems that I would like to fix. Any help would be appreciated.

[segamer]

If you're talking about the Xbox 360, it's a little more difficult. You have to have the exact same model of disc drive. And you have to pull out the chip board from the old dvd drive and place it in the new drive.

Hey Segamer, do you have any experience with this? If so I have a 360 slim (model 2) that's having some disc drive problems that I would like to fix. Any help would be appreciated.

Xbox 360/Slim have proprietary DVD Drives. Either the System has to be re-flashed to match the new drive or you have to pull out the chip board from the old DVD Drive. I have done this before. There are tons of different models of DVD Drives for 360. So how complicated this process might be is subjective to the on DVD Drive model.

Here's a video I just found on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWpFMVKqlE8

[Thom Grayson]

The original Xbox? If we are talking about the original Xbox, drives are only like $20 on ebay and are easy to replace. You just pull out the old one and stick in the new. Try cleaning the lazer with alcohol and a q-tip.

Also, there are dials on the laser that change the rate of speed the drive spins at. Increasing the rate which the disc spins usually will fix the problem but you'll need to research it.

Original Xbox, yeah. So any old PC DVD drive will work? Doesn't require a specific size or style or anything like that?

[segamer]

No, not any old PC drive; a replacement Xbox DVD Drive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/230786216876?lpid=82

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Xbox+Disc+Drive+Replacement/1451

[FFXIK]

i have replaced a good share of 360 drives.  Note there are 2 make/model of 360 Slim drives.  

Philips-LiteOn DG-16D4S
Hitachi-LG DLN10N

You have 3 options when doing a replacement.  
1, De-solder the original motherboard from your DVD drive and solder it into the new one.  
2, Replace the pickup (laser) unit itself.  The model is on the bottom of the unit.
3, Flash the firmware of the new drive.  This option is a time consuming pain in the backside.

I myself just prefer to replace the laser.  It's cheaper, faster, and you don't have to break out the soldering iron for any real work.  Outside removing the anti-static ball on the unit.

If doing a pickup replacement invest in some white lithium grease.  When you go through the replacement clean the rails and the worm gear with a cloth and re-grease them, it doesn't take much. Do not use that crap WD-40 makes.

As far as original Xbox drives go they are interchangeable.  Just buy one and drop it in.

[Thom Grayson]

Between Segamer and FFXIK I'm hearing what sounds like different things... unless I'm misunderstanding and they are agreeing.

Even if any drive would work, I think I'd take a known Xbox drive over some random one.

[FFXIK]

Were agreeing I just worded it poorly. 

Like the 360 the original Xbox has several different branded drives, Phillips, Samsung, Thompson, etc.
Unlike the 360 these are not locked to the console.  So you can use any original Xbox drive in any original Xbox

[Thom Grayson]

Is there any reliability difference? IE, the Samsung usually lasting longer than the Phillips?

[marioxb]

Yes exactly that. Not sure about long lasting, but that is the compatiblity order from best to worst. Samsung, Philips, Thompson.

[sebboh]

No, not any old PC drive; a replacement Xbox DVD Drive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/230786216876?lpid=82

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Xbox+Disc+Drive+Replacement/1451

you can use an old pc drive if you have it too (and afford 30$ or more [in spain it's more cheap to buy a second hand xbox than buy a spare dvd drive], but if you do this option you can't play original dvd's.