Xbox 360 Repair: Understanding the "E" Errors

By Eric Frey

Imagine that you are enjoying an eventful game of Madden and your television suddenly becomes discolored or even fuzzy. Hoping that it is nothing more than a TV malfunction, your game freezes altogether. This is something every gamer doesn't even want to think about. There are a number of ways to go about fixing this situation.

There are a few reasons the Xbox may flash these errors. One problem many will likely experience, but there could be a number of varying problems that may factor in. To diagnose this problem, one must understand what are called the "E" errors.

An "E" error signifies when your Xbox 360 displays one red light in the bottom left hand corner. This will typically show up once the console is rebooted. After restarting the system, you should receive one red flashing light, followed by an onscreen error of sorts. These errors are conveyed by an "E", and will be paired with two numbers.

Should you receive an E64, E65 or E66 error, this means that there is something wrong with the DVD drive. This can deal with an issue of overheating, suggested that you look online for a guide on how you can repair your Xbox 360 when there are DVD drive errors. Restarting the system can sometimes be a quick fix of this.

If you come across an E67, E68 or an E69 error, this simply means there is a problem with the hard drive itself. You can try to forego your hard drive and play without it, or you can attempt to reformat it. If you are going to attempt to reformat it, make sure you have instructions from a reputable repair service or guide online and follow it closely. If you come across an E73 message, your console has a general hardware issue. The Ethernet or networking port may attribute to this. You can investigate and see if it is truly a cable problem by playing without the Ethernet cable plugged in.

Of the various "E" errors, the most common message is the E74 error. You may be experiencing this because the AV cables are not correctly installed. This can sometimes be corrected by unplugging your Xbox, and then plugging it back in. If the problem does not cease to exist, it may be because of a faulty ANA chip or a general hardware error related to your system overheating.

There is nothing more frustrating then having your gaming interrupted due to a mysterious "E" error. But before you can repair your Xbox 360, it is important to determine what exactly each error means. After diagnosing the problem, look online for some solutions, or refer to some of the simple methods listed in this article.

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