[Archived] Error E74 - Red Rings Of Death (Xbox)

[snatchymcsnatch]

Right - with just a couple of days to go before FIFA 10 comes out I have got the Error E74 and the dreaded red rings.

It looks like I'm going to have to send my console away and it's only a year old. The last ones CD drive screwed up as well but I kept that for spares just in case.

Anyone had the E74 error before? Did you need to send it away? I was wondering what the service/turnaround times were.

Bloody typical - raging....

[Hughesy]

Sooo common on the 360.

I know a place that fixes it mate - usually takes them a day or 2, its in horwich.

Tel number if you want it.....01204 693928. Its on Lee Lane

[Paul]

Did you need to send it away? I was wondering what the service/turnaround times were.

Bloody typical - raging....

We had to send a console away this summer, to Germany. I was raging as well because I found it very difficult to follow the support etc. It seemed as though every click led to the same place and I was getting nowhere. Now this could be simply because I was so cross! In the end I went to Comet and started on about the Sale of Goods Act etc and how my contract was with the retailer. I got nowhere with this but a young man very calmly got hold of Microsoft xBox support and sorted everything out for me.

We go a new console very quickly. We had to take the faulty one to UPS in Leyland for shipping (easier than hanging around waiting for them to arrive), we received regular e-mails updationg the status of the repair / replacement and were then able to track the return journey with UPS. The web support says it takes 2-3 weeks which I thought was a long time but I think we waited about 8 days which I felt was good, considering the thing had to be shipped to and from Germany.

Overall I was very impressed once I understood what to do. This where the support falls down. For example the support guy on the phone asked me to remove the hard drive. I told him I didn't know how to!! Now I may be the only person on the planet to think this but for me hard drives are usually internal, I didn't know it was the lumpy bit on the outside! I thought I had to take the thing apart to remove the hard drive.

Lesson there for support people everywhere, don't assume your customer has any knowledge until you can see they do.

[snatchymcsnatch]

Thanks for the contact Hughesy, I think I might go down the "official" route though as I'm in Newcastle - bit too far.

Paul - I know exactly what you're saying - the website is INFURIATING - I just seem to keep going in circles. I've had run ins with the site before, everything seems to point you in the right direction then it just seems to loop back round to xbox.com/support.

I've got to a point now where it's asking for my windows live id, which I'd completely forgotten I had so I did a password reset (which doesn't bloody work) so now I've got to somehow link my Console, Gamertag and live id together, before I can order a repair (I ASSUME!) - AAAARGH! Think I should just pick up the phone and ring them?

[Hughesy]

Surely there is a shop up their that will do it?

Official way takes about 3-4 weeks - personally id rather pay £30 or whatever and get it back in a day.

[Paul]

Think I should just pick up the phone and ring them?

When we did this a ten minute phone call solved everything. All we needed was the serial number to confirm our original product registration

Surely there is a shop up their that will do it?

Official way takes about 3-4 weeks - personally id rather pay £30 or whatever and get it back in a day.

That's what the website says, the reality is it takes about 6 working days. We sent one on Saturday and had it back a week the following Tuesday. Plus if you have anyone other than microsoft play around inside it invalidates the warranty. Not a bright move.

[snatchymcsnatch]

Surely there is a shop up their that will do it?

Official way takes about 3-4 weeks - personally id rather pay £30 or whatever and get it back in a day.

Hmm yeah I've found a couple - they are charging 60 quid though which I think is a bit steep (thieving geordies). Plus I'm quite limited on funds this month and I've already got another £40 from my "gaming fund" earmaked for Forza 2 or Halo ODST. I'm quite sad really - if FIFA 10 wasn't due out it wouldn't really bother me sending it away for a couple of weeks. I've also got a "spare" xbox with a broken CD ROM - if I was feeling bold I could attempt to switch my new CD Drive to my old one but I'm a bit ham fisted so better not.

I'm going to have a ring around if I can get a repair done for less than 40 quid I might take it, otherwise its off to Germany.

If thats the case I will be wanting a full, comprehensive review from you when the game comes out Hughesy - just to keep me going.

[Guest Kamy100]

I would send it to Germany, you will have it back within a week.

Also what they have started doing recently is sending replacements which have the "new" chipset, this means that your 360 will be much quieter, consume less power and possibly also have a HDMI socket.

[snatchymcsnatch]

I would send it to Germany, you will have it back within a week.

Also what they have started doing recently is sending replacements which have the "new" chipset, this means that your 360 will be much quieter, consume less power and possibly also have a HDMI socket.

Guess it would be daft paying for a repair when they can do it for nowt. I'm also returning FIFA 10 for a refund (£40) and picking it up from Asda for £25 on release day (I believe). I only paid over the odds in the hope I'd get it today, which I think I will.

I set up the collection yesterday - got the UPS shipping label through on email this morning and I'm boxing it up now to drop off at UPS Gateshead. Apart from Microsofts horrendous website and it's insistence you have a Windows Live ID it was very efficient.

Now, seriously, does anyone know of anyone that still hires out XBOX consoles? (Blackburn area shops are no good I'm in Barcode Land)

[thebigguy]

LOL i sent my console off about 3 month ago and got it back within 1 week off ups collecting it.

Also i got emails saying they dispatched it two days after i had recived it at home.

They tried making me pay for it to be repaired but i ended up getting the repair costs cut down to free .

Lastly E74 error seems to be covered under the 3 year warrenty(which includes 3 red lights)

So i would send it off to microsoft to get fixed

[Seggie]

Ive spent a few times on the phone to Microsoft (for customers and myself) and each time I get off I feel like stabbing myself in the head out of pure frustration. When I worked for Gamestation(Only a few weeks ago) we were quite easy going on 360s that were under a year old and we would swap them in store as long as we saw the fault, it had a security seal in tact and didn't look like it had been misused. Most retailers like to tell you to go through Microsoft but in reallity if the machine is in warranty they should swap it in store as when they return it to Microsoft they would be credited back for the faulty goods as long as its in reasonable, complete condition. The reason why retailers dont like doing this for their customers is that its an absoloute BALLACHE boing the things up and sending them back. As far as Im aware GAME operate similar in their stores as do Blockies but this can vary from store to store.

[snatchymcsnatch]

Guys can i ask anyone who's reading this a favour?

I need the telephone number for Xbox support (I'm at work and anything XBoxy is locked down!). I've got a Service Request number and I wanted to check the repair progress online but it says the SR number doesn't exist - which worries me a bit!

Thanks for any help.

[Paul]

Call us

For questions relating to your console hardware, please have your console serial number ready.

For questions relating to Xbox LIVE, billing, or your gamertag, please ensure you have your gamertag, Windows LIVE ID and have set up a secret question in your Windows LIVE ID. Please note, we will never ask for your password!

To specify a question and secret answer on your Windows Live ID:

1. Sign in to your Windows Live ID account summary page with your Windows Live ID.

2. Next to Question, click Add or Change.

3. Enter your current password.

4. In the Question list, select a question.

5. In the Secret answer box, type the secret answer to the question.

6. In the Your information section, fill in your location details.

7. Click Save.

More information on gamer profiles and gamertags.

If you have the above information ready, please call:

020 7365 9792

or 0800 587 1102

Hearing Impaired (TTY device):

0800 587 1103

Hours of operation:

Monday-Friday: 09:00-22:00

Saturday: 09:00-20:00

Sunday: 09:00-17:00

[snatchymcsnatch]

Champion - thanks Paul.

I'm getting the feeling I'm going to be in for a bit of a tough time here.... My Live ID is linked but my xbox isn't for some reason (although it was). And my SR doesn't exist yet I've got the email to prove it.

Wish me luck lol - I suppose I'm hoping beyond hope to get someone with English as their first language.

[beerwins]

My friends xbox had the red ring of death and he asked me to take a look at it, as i had built a few pc's i decided to read up on its faults, its very much the same as a pc inside, the main problem which causes the red ring is the cpu and gpu overheating and its actually quite a simple fix.

The tough part is opening the xbox without damaging the case, the heatsink which cools the gpu and cpu isnt pressed hard enough to extract the heat properly it has some x clamp thing which in a word is just crap, remove that and put in some bolts and tighten up and hey presto, only took me about 2 hours to do, his xbox has gone 7 months without the slighest hitch.

My sons xbox had a problem with the drive and that had to be sent back and he had only had it 2 months, in short the xbox has had more problems than joan collins has had husbands and i hope to god they make the next one more reliable, even my son now seems to prefer my ps3 maybe because its free online and i wont buy a wireless dongle for £50 and x box live for £50 for him.

[snatchymcsnatch]

Yeah I saw a Youtube video of the fix for the processor. It was doing exactly the same as mine - I got a distorted video output a few times before my error 74 so that was definitely what was causing it.

I thought about fixing it but I thought sod it might as well get it done by microsoft because I'll probably balls it up - plus it's only fair they should foot the bill for such a lousily built product, although it's a drop in the ocean for them.

Mines currently in the repair centre so I might get it back in a few days - but a very kind work colleague has lent me his so I can play FIFA tonight - whooppee!

[beerwins]

Well xbox were quite good when my sons xbox broke down i got it back within 2 weeks, i suppose they have had enough practice in their tech support.

[ABBEY]

Will microsoft do it free even its a few years old and the 2nd useless crock of poop ive ever had? death rings,ah well ps3 on its way.

[snatchymcsnatch]

Will microsoft do it free even its a few years old and the 2nd useless crock of poop ive ever had? death rings,ah well ps3 on its way.

Error 74 are covered under extended warranty so probably yes. Go to xbox support and put your serial number in it will tell you.

It's my second crock of poop too, won't be getting a ps3 though - don't like the controllers and too many people say there are problems online - rather pay xbox live and not have any problems.

[Cocker]

It's my second crock of poop too, won't be getting a ps3 though - don't like the controllers and too many people say there are problems online - rather pay xbox live and not have any problems.

I have had a PS3 since they came out and have yet to have any problems online?

Also you do know that you can get a gadget that lets you use the 360 pad on the PS3? Havent used it myself but it is out.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

I've never had any problems either, neither has anybody I know. Think you've been fed a few porkies there.

[snatchymcsnatch]

I've never had any problems either, neither has anybody I know. Think you've been fed a few porkies there.

I'm not so sure, the MW2 thread has more than a good sprinkle of them, all PS3 and that's just one game. At the end of the day both consoles have their problems but in the end PS3 owners will prefer PS3 and Xbox would prefer Xbox.

[mellison24]

I have had a PS3 since they came out and have yet to have any problems online?

Also you do know that you can get a gadget that lets you use the 360 pad on the PS3? Havent used it myself but it is out.

I use a gadget that does the opposite (PS3 control on the xbox360). it means I can thrash my mates on FIFA10. We do world cup comps every month and I've won twice out of 3 so far! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Ninjathunder]

I'm not so sure, the MW2 thread has more than a good sprinkle of them, all PS3 and that's just one game. At the end of the day both consoles have their problems but in the end PS3 owners will prefer PS3 and Xbox would prefer Xbox.

I had a problem once getting online with MW2, but that was only once and for 5 minutes. You can't conclude 'that's just one game' = it's a problem with other games as I've never had a problem with online play with any other PS3 game. I would guess that it's teething problems with MW2. You're largely right about the owners though, who often get very defensive, though my mate's had 2 Xboxes fail and got sick of its loud fan noise so bought a PS3 recently (as he bought a 42" 1080 TV and wanted blu-ray) and is very happy with it.

[Guest Kamy100]

I have both consoles and never had problems online with either of them. COD MW2 and FIFA 10 did have initially have some problems on the PS3 but these were sorted within 24 hours.