C:\ This is going to be a working process that will expand over time once new FAQ's become available from members of the community. What the thread will consist of is all the main issues and topics that are frequently asked on the UK forums. I know there are those of you that don't agree with the repetitive questions that circulate and that can't be helped. For those of you who are willing to help and assist your fellow gamers this is an opportunity for you to share your wisdom and help improve the community experience.

I don't expect everyone to feel like they have to contribute and create something and you must also respect that I am not going to pin every single user created FAQ. Take your time with what you do and you will be rewarded if it is a good post. 

I reserve the right to remove anything from this thread without contacting the person who authored the post. And also if new information becomes available I will update where possible so that what is covered in this thread is as accurate as possible !!

 

Xbox FAQ

FAQ provided by Maramoke and Darth Invidious :

This is the Xbox FAQ and more will be added as it is known, if you have any questions please send me a personal message and I will respond as soon as possible. Also for reference please refer to the support pages for the Xbox 360 available here : www.xbox.com/support and support.microsoft.com 

Creating Xbox 360 Dashboard Backgrounds v1.0 FAQ 

FAQ provided by Whagi :

The FAQ is aimed at anyone wishing to create their very own Xbox 360 Dashboard Backgrounds.

 

 

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Who cares what psychiatrists write on walls?
friendfeed.com/joedawson

FAQ provided by Maramoke and Darth Invidious :

C:\ This is a working progress so more will be added as it is known, if you have any questions please send me a personal message and I will respond as soon as possible. Also for reference please refer to the support pages for the Xbox 360 available here : www.xbox.com/support and support.microsoft.com !!

General 360 Questions:

 

Q: Can I play import games on my 360

A: Nope

 

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Q: Does the 360 support 1080i as well as 720p?

A: At present, all games on the 360 are 720p compatible. Although this is a lower resolution than 1080i, it is more suited for gaming.

 

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Q: I want to connect my 360 to my monitor, can I do this?

A: Yes, you'll need to purchase the VGA cable to do so. It even includes adapters for the sound cables and an adapter for monitors that have a fixed VGA cable.

 

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Q: Do I have to buy a play and charge kit to use the wireless controller?

A: The full spec 360 comes with batteries so you can play out of the box. If you wish to use the rechargeable battery, then you will need a play and charge kit (which includes one)

 

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Xbox Live issues:

 

Q: Can I use XBOX LIVE on the 360 without a credit card?

A: Yes. You'll need to purchase a pre-paid card from your retailer.

 

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Q: How do I migrate my XBOX LIVE account from my current Xbox to my 360?

A: Firstly, link your gamertag to a Microsoft passport (it can be done at xbox.com). You will then be presented the option when you first setup your 360.

 

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Q: What should I do if I get error code 80150010 or a Passport error when migrating my Xbox Live account?

A: If you are having problems, follow these steps:

 

1. From the dashboard logout of Xbox Live if logged-in

2. Remove any profiles on the Xbox 360 with the same name as the gamertag being recovered (This can be done on the “System” blade within the “Memory” option)

3. Using the “Xbox Live” blade, select “Recover Gamertag from Xbox Live”

4. When prompted, enter the gamertag being recovered and click “Next”

5. On the “Passport Network Account” page, press the “Y” button to “Recover with Original Xbox Info”

6. Proceed to recover the account by providing the information requested by the prompts

 

You will have to create a new Passport.  You (or your parent) also will very like have to create a Parent Passport as well.  Once the migration is successful, the Parent will have to grant your account permissions from the Family Settings section.  As for Reserved Domains, there are six that can not be used to create Passports in the dash:

xbox.com

xboxlive.com

passport.com

hotmail.com

msn.com

microsoft.com

You can use any other domain, real or imaginary, that's up to you, but I'd suggest using a real one so that you can get account related emails.  And if you want to use a Hotmail address as your new Passport, just got to www.Hotmail.com first and create a new email address, and then use that same address in the dash instead of trying to make a new one there.

 

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Q: Can I use my old XBOX LIVE headset with the 360?

A: Yes, it connects directly to the pad instead of through the expansion port block. You will have to use the dashboard to mute and control the volume though.

 

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Q: I have a USB broadband modem, what's the easiest way I can connect to XBOX LIVE?

A: By far the easiest solution is to buy a USB wireless adapter for you pc and the wireless adapter for the 360. In the dashboard networking options, you'll need to select AD-HOC network instead of Infrastructure.

 

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Q: What are are Microsoft points and why do I need them to download some content from the marketplace?

A: Microsoft points are the currency used to buy premium content over XBOX LIVE. It provides an alternative to the mandatory debit/credit card purchases on the current Xbox.

 

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Q: My friend's Gamercard shows he's achieved something, but I can't see what they've unlocked?

A: You can only see unlocked content/awards if you too have achieved them

 

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Backward Compatibility:

 

Q: Can I play my old Xbox games over LIVE on the 360

A: Assuming the game is compatible with 360 then it should work over LIVE

 

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Q: My current Xbox game doesn't play on the 360

A: Make sure the hard drive is connected securely and that the game appears on the European list of backward compatible titles

 

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Q: Will my current Xbox games look better on the 360?

A: It all depends on the game and how you connect the 360 to your TV. If you are playing Barbie's Horse Nonsense using a standard Scart cable then probably not. Playing Halo 2 through an HD TV/VGA (and even RGB Scart) will look better than on the old Xbox

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360 as a media centre and extender:

 

Q: Can you turn on the console with the controller or remote?

A: Yes

 

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Q: How do you watch videos from a pc through the 360?

A: Simply select media centre from the dashboard and you'll be presented with full control to your digital media library (Note: you must have a Windows XP MCE and there are certain format restrictions).

 

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Q: Will the 360 be compatible with future versions of Windows?

A: Yes. The 360 will have full streaming functionality with Windows Vista

 

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Q: The 360's a progressive scan DVD player - What does that mean?

A: This means every line of pixels on your TV will be refreshed simultaneously giving you a smoother movement on your screen.

 

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Q: When using my iPod through the 360, I can only see/play some of the tracks on it

A: The 360 cannot playback any content that has been bought through iTunes

 

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Q: Can I copy music onto the hard drive using a USB flash drive or over the network?

A: No, you can only stream music to your 360 or directly burn it from the original CD

 

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Q: Is it true I can see if my friends are online while watching TV?

A: Yes if you are watching TV streamed from a pc running Windows Media Centre

 

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Basic troubleshooting:

 

Q: The wireless pad(s) seem to not respond

A: Check the batteries and rebind them to the 360 (see manual). If using a wireless pad, try connecting a play and charge kit (if available)

 

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Q: The 360 turns off/freezes after a period of time

A: This is normally because it is too hot. Make sure that it is placed in a ventilated area and avoid keeping things on top of it

 

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Q: 3 red lights come on when the system turns on and nothing shows up on screen

A: The AV cable is not connected properly - try pushing it in the TV a bit more firmly

Q: When I start up my 360 it says I only have 11GB of space - what's up with that?

A: The hard drive contains preinstalled high definition sample software. You can remove this if you need the space

 

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Other Questions:

 

Q: Can I use the wireless pad with my pc?

A: No.

 

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Q: Can I use my wired pad with my pc even if I didn't buy the one with the drivers?

A: No unless you can find the drivers on the internet

 

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Q: Will the limited edition remote be in future batches of the 360 - not just the launch?

A: At the moment, the remote is due to be in the full system pack until Xmas although Microsoft may choose to extend this

 

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Q: Can I charge my PSP/iPod/etc using the 360?

A: Yes. If you have a USB charging cable for your device you'll be able to do this

 

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Seeing lights?  Read on!

 

Q: What does it mean of one light flashes red on the Ring Of Light?

A: This behaviour occurs when the Xbox 360 console experiences a hardware failure.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Restart the console.

2. If you continue to experience this behaviour, contact Xbox Customer Service.

Note If the agent cannot help you resolve this issue, you will have to return the console to Microsoft for repair.

 

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Q: What does it mean of one light flashes red on the Ring Of Light and I receive the error message, "System Error. Contact Xbox Customer Support."?

A: This behaviour occurs when the Xbox 360 console experiences a hardware failure.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Restart the console.

2. If you continue to experience this behaviour, contact Xbox Customer Service.

Note If the agent cannot help you resolve this issue, you must return the console to Microsoft for repair.

 

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Q: What does it mean if two lights are flashing red on the Ring Of Light?

A: This behaviour occurs when the console is too hot.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Let the Xbox 360 console cool.

Note You may have to wait several hours for the console to cool enough. Do not turn on the console when the console is hot.

2. Verify that the console has sufficient ventilation and that the fan is operating. For more information about ventilation, see the "More Information" section.

3. If the two lights continue to flash red after you try steps 1 and 2, contact Xbox Customer Service.

MORE INFORMATION

To try to prevent this problem, use the following precautions:

• Do not block any ventilation openings on the Xbox 360 console.

• Do not put the Xbox 360 console on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings.

• Do not put the Xbox 360 console in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well-ventilated. 

• Do not put the Xbox 360 console near any heat source, such as a radiator, a heat register, a stove, or an amplifier. 

 

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Q: What does it mean if three lights are flashing red on the Ring Of Light?

A: This behaviour occurs when the Xbox 360 console experiences a hardware failure.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Restart the console.

2. If you continue to experience this behaviour, contact Xbox Customer Service.

Note If the agent cannot help you resolve this issue, return the console to Microsoft for repair.

 

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Q: What does it mean if four lights are flashing red on the Ring Of Light?

A: This issue may occur if one of the following conditions is true:

• The audio-visual (AV) cable is not correctly connected to the Xbox 360 console.

• The cable is not being detected by the console.

This issue is not caused by incorrectly plugging the AV cable into a TV, a stereo, or a VCR.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Make sure that the AV cable is correctly connected to the Xbox 360 console.

2. Disconnect the AV cable from the Xbox 360 console, and then reconnect the AV cable to the Xbox 360 console.

For more information about how to connect the AV cable to your Xbox 360 console, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

906144 Xbox 360: How to connect the Xbox 360 console by using the Xbox 360 Composite AV Cable

906303 Xbox 360: How to connect an Xbox 360 console to a TV by using the Component HD AV Cable

906202 Xbox 360: How to connect the Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable

906203 Xbox 360: How to connect the Xbox 360 S-Video AV Cable

Note The cable often meets some slight resistance before being fully inserted. Not fully inserting the cable will result in either all for lights flashing on the ring of light, or may simply result in no video on the screen. The cable is fully inserted when the largest part of the connector is nearly touching the console’s case. 

3. If the four flashing red lights continue to flash, try wiping the metal area of the AV pack with a dry cloth. The metal area is the end that plugs into the console. Wipe the metal area thoroughly, and then try the AV Pack again.

4. If the AV cable is correctly connected but the four red lights are still flashing, substitute a different AV cable if you have one available.

5. If the four red lights continue to flash after you follow these troubleshooting steps, the Xbox 360 console may have to be repaired. Contact Xbox Customer Service.

 

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Q: What does it mean if my power supply light is red?

A: A fault has been detected in the external power supply.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Temporarily disconnect the power supply from the console and from the wall socket: Unplug the power supply cord from the console and from the wall socket, wait 30 seconds, and then again plug the power supply into the console and into the wall socket. 

2. Allow the power supply to cool for several hours. The red light may indicate that the power supply has overheated. The power supply should turn back on after it cools. Make sure that the power supply has sufficient ventilation during cooling. Do not try to turn on the console while the power supply is cooling.

3. If the red indicator remains turned on after you follow these troubleshooting steps, the power supply needs service. 

MORE INFORMATION

The power supply has several built-in safeguards to help prevent damage to either the console or to the power supply itself. The power supply can turn itself off in conditions of too much current, too-high voltage, or too-high temperature. Under these conditions, the light on the power supply will turn from green to orange or to red, or the light will turn off. When the power supply light is green, the power supply is functioning correctly.

Follow these safeguards to help the power supply work:

• Do not block any ventilation openings in the power supply.

• Do not put the power supply on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. 

• Do not put the power supply in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well ventilated.

• Do not put the power supply near any heat source, such as a radiator, a heat register, a stove, or an amplifier. 

 

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Q: What does it mean if my power supply light is orange?

A: An orange light is illuminated on the power supply when the console is turned off or when the power supply is disconnected from the console. This behaviour is normal.

If the power supply light is orange and the console will not turn on, there may be a problem with the power supply.

Note The power supply light can be orange and the console not power on if the power supply cord is not fully inserted in the console.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Disconnect the power supply from the console, and then reconnect the power supply. Make sure that the power supply cord is fully inserted in the console. You will hear a “click” sound when the power supply cord is fully inserted.

2. If the orange light remains illuminated and the console will still not turn on, the power supply may require service. Contact Xbox Customer Support.

MORE INFORMATION

The power supply has several built-in safeguards to help prevent damage to either the console or to the power supply itself. The power supply can turn itself off in conditions of too much current, too-high voltage, or too-high temperature. Under these conditions, the light on the power supply will turn from green to orange or to red, or the light will turn off. When the power supply light is green, the power supply is correctly providing power.

Follow these safeguards to help the power supply work:

• Do not block any ventilation openings in the power supply.

• Do not put the power supply on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. 

• Do not put the power supply in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well ventilated.

• Do not put the power supply near any heat source, such as a radiator, a heat register, a stove, or an amplifier. 

 

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Q: What does it mean if my power supply light is green?

A: When the external power supply is correctly functioning, a green light is illuminated on the Xbox 360 power supply.

MORE INFORMATION

The power supply has several built-in safeguards to help prevent damage to either the console or to the power supply itself. The power supply can turn itself off when there is too much current, too-high voltage, or too-high temperature. In these situations, the light on the power supply will turn from green to orange or to red or the light will turn off.

Follow these precautions to help the power supply optimally function:

• Do not block any ventilation openings on the power supply.

• Do not put the power supply on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. 

• Do not put the power supply in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well-ventilated.

• Do not put the power supply near any heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or amplifiers.

 

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Q: What does it mean if my power supply is not illuminated?

A: If the power supply light is not illuminated, the power supply typically is disconnected from the wall socket.

However, if the light is not illuminated but the power supply is connected to the wall socket, there may be a problem with the power supply.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Make sure that the power supply is connected to the wall socket with the power cord. For more information about how to connect and disconnect the Xbox 360 power supply, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

906205 Xbox 360: How to connect and disconnect the Xbox 360 power supply

• Determine whether there is a switch that must be turned on for the wall socket to provide power.

• If the power supply is firmly connected and there is no switch for the socket, try to use a different wall socket. 

2. Temporarily disconnect the power supply from the console and the power socket: Unplug the power supply cord from the console and from the wall socket, wait 30 seconds, and then again plug the power supply into the console and into the wall socket. 

3. Let the power supply cool for several hours. The power supply may have overheated. The power supply should again work after it cools. Adequate cooling may take several hours. Make sure that the power supply has sufficient ventilation during the cooling period. Do not try to turn on the console during the cooling period.

4. The AC power cord for Xbox 360 power supplies that are available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, and Hong Kong includes a 10-amp fuse. This fuse may have "blown.” Contact a qualified electrician to have the fuse replaced. 

5. If the indicator lights remain permanently turned off after you try these troubleshooting steps, the power supply needs service.

MORE INFORMATION

The power supply has several built-in safeguards to help prevent damage to either the console or the power supply itself. The power supply will automatically turn off in cases of too much current flow, too-high voltage, or too-high temperature. When such a condition exists, the light on the power supply will turn from green (normal) to orange or to red, or the light will turn off. When the power supply light is green, the power supply is correctly functioning.

Avoid the following problems to help the power supply work:

• Do not block any ventilation openings on the power supply.

• Do not put the power supply on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. 

• Do not put the power supply in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well-ventilated.

• Do not put the power supply near any heat source, such as a radiator, a heat vent, a stove, or an amplifier.

 

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Q: Why does the Ring Of Light not change orientation when I reposition my console between horizontal / vertical orientation?

A: If the green lights in the Ring of Light do not change orientation when the console orientation is changed, the console orientation sensor may be faulty.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Restart the Xbox 360 console.

2. Disconnect and then reconnect any wired or wireless controllers.

3. If these steps do not resolve the issue, contact Xbox Customer Service.

MORE INFORMATION

The Xbox 360 console detects the vertical posture of the console and rotates the display of the Ring of Light so that each quadrant remains fixed relative to the user’s perception of up and down.

For example, if the upper-left quadrant in the Ring of Light is illuminated on a vertically positioned console, the console changes which quadrant is illuminated when you move the console to a horizontal position. Therefore, the relative position of the illuminated quadrant remains fixed, regardless of whether the console is in a horizontal or vertical position.

 

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Accessories:

Q: Why is the charge light on my Play & Charge Kit not illuminated?

A: Typically, you experience this behaviour if you do not connect the battery pack to the wireless controller correctly.

THINGS TO TRY

1. Make sure that the battery pack is locked in the battery compartment on the wireless controller.

Note If you use a damaged battery pack, the battery pack will not charge and may damage your controller. Battery packs that have been crushed, immersed in liquids, or exposed to intense heat may be too damaged to use. Dispose of these battery packs in compliance with the local laws.

MORE INFORMATION

The charge cable will only charge the Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack. Other rechargeable batteries will not work with the charge cable.

 

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Q: Can I use my PC’s USB ports to power my Play & Charge Kit?

A: This depends on the type of USB port.  You will have to try it and see…

 

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Miscellaneous:

Q: What should I do if my screen freezes but I don't receive any error messages or see any flashing lights?

THINGS TO TRY

1. Restart the console.

2. Determine whether the issue has occurred more than one time. If this case is the first time that you have experienced this behaviour, the issue may not occur again. 

3. Determine whether the Xbox 360 console is overheating. Make sure that the console is not in a poorly ventilated environment or near a heat source. Heat sources include TVs, computers, monitors, and other electrical devices.• If the Xbox 360 console is in a poorly ventilated location, move it to a location that has sufficient ventilation, such as on top of a table or on the floor. If the issue is resolved, the previous location likely did not provide sufficient ventilation for the Xbox 360 console to correctly function.

• View the Xbox 360 instruction manual for information about correct placement of the console.

 

4. Make sure that the Xbox 360 console is set to the correct time and date.

5. Remove all unnecessary peripherals, and then test to see whether the problem still occurs. 

6. Determine whether the disc that you are using is the cause of the issue by testing several similar Xbox 360-compatible discs in the console. If the problem occurs with only one disc, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base to determine whether the particular disc has any known issues. Use a disc of the same type, such as a game disc, a DVD movie, or a music CD, to test whether the problem is the specific disc.

7. If these steps do not resolve the issue, contact Xbox Customer Service.

 

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Q: Which cameras and portable music players are currently supported by the Xbox 360?

A: The following media devices have been tested by Xbox and confirmed to work with the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. If your device does not appear on this list, it may still work with Xbox 360. We will continue to add devices as we confirm their compatibility.

 

Cameras

Casio QV-4000, EX-S100, EX-Z55

 

Canon PowerShot SD 200 Elph, PowerShot SDA520, PowerShot A95, PowerShot S1 IS, IXY 50 (Japan)

 

Fujifilm FinePix 2600Zoom, FinePix 2800Zoom, FinePix 1300, FinePix 2400Zoom, FinePix 4700 Zoom, FinePix 6800Zoom, Finepix 6900 Zoom, FinePix A101, FinePix 4800Z, FinePix 4900 Zoom, Finepix S602 Zoom, FinePix 30i, E550

 

HP Photosmart 315, Photosmart 735, Photosmart 935

 

Kodak Easyshare DX4330, Easyshare CX7430, Easyshare DX 4900, DX3600, DX3215

 

Nikon Coolpix 2500, Coolpix 5600, Coolpix 4800, Coolpix E7900

 

Olympus D-40 Zoom, D-510 Zoom, D-520 Zoom, C-4040 Zoom, C-60 Zoom, U Mini- Digital S (TruePic Turbo), M:Robe, X-500, C-700 Ultra Zoom, C720 Ultra Zoom, D-100, D-370, D-380, D-550 Zoom

 

Panasonic DMC-FX8

 

Samsung Digimax V50, Digimax 4010

 

Sony DSC-P9, Cyber-shot DSC-M1, Cyber-shot DSC-V3, DSC-P31, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1, Cyber-shot DSC-P73, Cyber-shot DSC-T7

 

 

Portable Music Players

This list includes some cameras whose abilities with music playback qualified them for inclusion.

 

Apple iPod

 

Archos XS10D, Gmini-XS 200

 

Canon PowerShot SD 200 Elph, PowerShot SDA520

 

Casio EX-S100, EX-Z55

 

Creative Labs PMC, Zen Micro, Jukebox 2, Jukebox 3, Jukebox Zen, Jukebox Zen NX, Jukebox Zen Xtra, Zen Touch, MuVo NX, MuVo Slim, MuVo TX, MuVo TX - FM, MuVo² (1.5GB), Zen Nano, Zen Nano Plus, Nano 128, Nomad MuVo² (4.0GB)

 

Dell Pocket DJ, DJ2, Digital Jukebox

 

Fujifilm E550

 

iRiver H10 (5.0GB), PMC, IFP-790, IFP-890T (256MB)

 

Kodak Easyshare DX4330, Easyshare CX7430

 

Nikon Coolpix 5600, Coolpix 4800, Coolpix E7900

 

Olympus C-60 Zoom, U Mini-Digital S (TruePic Turbo), M:Robe, X-500

 

Panasonic DMC-FX8

 

RCA Lyra

 

Rio Chiba, Carbon

 

Samsung PMC, Digimax V50, Digimax 4010

 

Sony Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1, Cyber-shot DSC-P73, Cyber-shot DSC-T7, DCR-DVD403

 

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TV Codes for the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote

To find a code that will let your Xbox 360™ Universal Media Remote operate your TV, try one of the codes recommended below for your TV's manufacturer.

Acer	0166
Acer	0405
Admiral	0008, 0110, 0154
Aiko	0047
Aiwa	0433, 0247, 0247, 0433, 0446
Akai	0044
Amtron	0038
Anam	0248, 0038, 0071, 0116, 0122
AOC	0005, 0022, 0050, 0062, 0126
Apex	0119, 0141, 0155, 0438
Audiovox	0038
Bell & Howell	0008, 0043
Benq	0227, 0198
Broksonic	0133, 0134, 0248
Celebrity	0044
Citizen	0005, 0038, 0047, 0055, 0062, 0085, 0156
Colortyme	0005, 0013, 0062
Contec/Cony	0248, 0016, 0019, 0038
Craig	0038, 0248
Crown	0038, 0063
Curtis Mathes	0005, 0664, 0043, 0053, 0062, 0085, 0152, 0156
Daewoo	0005, 0017, 0047, 0050, 0062, 0103, 0146, 0156, 0486, 0237
Daytron	0005, 0062, 0156
Dimensia	0664, 0152
Dumont	0001, 0005
Durabrand	0439
Electroband	0044
Electrohome	0005, 0037, 0044, 0062, 0066, 0071
Emerson	0005, 0011, 0012, 0014, 0015, 0016, 0020, 0021, 0035, 0038, 0043, 0052, 0056, 0062, 0069, 0124, 0129, 0137, 0156, 0248, 0486
Envision	0005, 0062
Fisher	0025, 0040, 0043, 0115, 0245
Fujitsu	0015, 0199, 0200, 0201, 0202, 0203
Funai	0015, 0038, 0248
Gateway	0207
GE	0664, 0005, 0018, 0032, 0037, 0059, 0062, 0071, 0074, 0104, 0147, 0152, 0248, 0469, 0488, 0489
Goldstar	0005, 0016, 0023, 0045, 0050, 0062, 0066, 0077, 0096, 0143, 0156, 0249
Hallmark	0005, 0062
Hisense	0125
Hitachi	0003, 0005, 0016, 0019, 0030, 0060, 0062, 0064, 0067, 0081, 0095, 0101, 0106, 0124, 0136, 0213, 0238, 0473, 0496, 0173, 0174, 0175, 0412, 0165, 0171, 0205
Infinity	0063
Janeil	0120
JBL	0063
JC Penney	0005, 0018, 0019, 0032, 0037, 0664, 0041, 0045, 0050, 0055, 0062, 0074, 0077, 0085, 0102, 0104, 0143, 0152, 0156, 0249
Jensen	0005, 0062
JVC	0217, 0435, 0010, 0016, 0019, 0024, 0033, 0051, 0056, 0060, 0074, 0132, 0142, 0217, 0435, 0470, 0475, 0477, 0497, 0503, 0504, 0505, 0216
Kawasho	0005, 0044, 0062
Kenwood	0005, 0062, 0066
Kloss Novabeam	0036, 0038, 0042, 0120
KTV	0038, 0080, 0137, 0156, 0248
LG	0050
Loewe	0063
Logik	0008
Luxman	0005, 0062
LXI	0664, 0041, 0043, 0062, 0063, 0104, 0117, 0152, 0249
Magnavox	0521, 0005, 0027, 0029, 0034, 0036, 0042, 0055, 0062, 0063, 0066, 0097, 0098, 0222, 0522, 0523, 0524
Majestic	0008
Marantz	0005, 0048, 0062, 0063, 0064, 0249
Megatron	0062, 0064
Memorex	0008, 0043, 0050, 0062, 0249, 0442, 0525
MGA	0005, 0025, 0026, 0037, 0050, 0062, 0066, 0076
Mitsubishi	0005, 0025, 0026, 0037, 0049, 0050, 0062, 0066, 0076, 0223, 0526, 0527
Mitsubishi	0223
Montgomery Ward	0008
Motorola	0071, 0110
MTC	0005, 0050, 0062, 0085
Multitech	0038
Multivision	0070
NAD	0041, 0062, 0106
NEC	0005, 0013, 0050, 0062, 0071
NET-TV	0163, 0192
Nikko	0047, 0062
Onwa	0038, 0248
Optimus	0106
Optonica	0054, 0110
Orion	0012, 0129, 0441
Panasonic	0135, 0150, 0215, 0063, 0071, 0074, 0127, 0135, 0150, 0215, 0528, 0530, 0566, 0228, 0228, 0170, 0179, 0180, 0211
Philco	0005, 0016, 0027, 0029, 0036, 0042, 0050, 0055, 0062, 0063, 0066, 0071
Philips	0005, 0016, 0027, 0032, 0036, 0042, 0046, 0055, 0063, 0066, 0071, 0214, 0235, 0299, 0540, 0541, 0543, 0545, 0548, 0550, 0553, 0554, 0522, 0560, 0562
Philips Magnavox	0413, 0299, 0413, 0521, 0540, 0545, 0548, 0550, 0552, 0553, 0554, 0522, 0524, 0523, 0560, 0562
Pioneer	0005, 0062, 0068, 0072, 0075, 0106, 0124, 0408, 0411, 0197, 0158
PlasmaSync	0169
Portland	0005, 0047, 0050, 0062, 0156
Price Club	0085
Prima	0139
Prism	0074
Proscan	0664, 0104, 0152
Proton	0005, 0016, 0062, 0065, 0249
Quasar	0071, 0074, 0080, 0127, 0228, 0565, 0566
Radio Shack	0043, 0152, 0248
Radio Shack/Realistic	0005, 0016, 0038, 0664, 0043, 0054, 0062, 0143, 0156
RCA	0436, 0664, 0153, 0664, 0005, 0022, 0050, 0062, 0066, 0071, 0087, 0092, 0094, 0100, 0104, 0107, 0109, 0118, 0124, 0130, 0146, 0152, 0153, 0248, 0436, 0568, 0488, 0486
Runco	0001
Sampo	0005, 0062, 0138, 0143, 0156, 0163
Samsung	0005, 0016, 0050, 0053, 0062, 0066, 0085, 0093, 0102, 0114, 0143, 0156, 0231, 0401, 0184, 0177, 0210, 0159, 0160, 0208, 0406, 0181, 0182, 0183, 0184, 0185, 0193
Sansui	0131, 0129, 0131, 0441
Sanyo	0005, 0026, 0040, 0043, 0079, 0090, 0115
Scott	0005, 0012, 0015, 0016, 0021, 0038, 0062, 0248
Sears	0005, 0015, 0019, 0025, 0033, 0664, 0040, 0041, 0043, 0062, 0066, 0104, 0108, 0115, 0148, 0152, 0248
Sharp	0005, 0011, 0016, 0035, 0054, 0058, 0061, 0062, 0073, 0089, 0110, 0156, 0218, 0574, 0575, 0172, 0234, 0187, 0188, 0194
Signature	0008
Sony	0044, 0111, 0123, 0151, 0190, 0206
Soundesign	0005, 0015, 0038, 0055, 0062, 0248
Starlite	0038
Supre-Macy	0120
Sylvania	0005, 0007, 0027, 0029, 0034, 0036, 0042, 0055, 0062, 0063, 0066, 0086, 0144, 0219, 0220, 0415, 0548
Symphonic	0014, 0038, 0148, 0445
Tandy	0110
Tatung	0071
Technics	0074
Techwood	0005, 0062, 0074
Teknika	0005, 0008, 0015, 0016, 0019, 0034, 0038, 0047, 0050, 0055, 0062, 0085, 0127, 0156, 0248
Telecaption	0083
Toshiba	0007, 0041, 0043, 0083, 0084, 0085, 0134, 0212, 0249, 0437, 0595, 0597, 0604, 0178, 0161, 0162, 0195
Totevision	0156
Universal	0018, 0032
Video Concepts	0248
Viewsonic	0404, 0163, 0164, 0191, 0416, 0418, 0419, 0420, 0422, 0423, 0424, 0425
Wards	0005, 0008, 0014, 0015, 0018, 0021, 0027, 0032, 0034, 0036, 0664, 0042, 0050, 0054, 0062, 0063, 0066, 0105, 0152, 0249
White-Westinghouse	0486
Yamaha	0005, 0050, 0062, 0066
Zenith	0001, 0005, 0008, 0078, 0128, 0244, 0482, 0615, 0617, 0618, 0209, 0157, 0236, 0225

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

Q: Who should I contact if I don’t see an answer in this FAQ?

A: I would recommend contacting Xbox Customer Support for further assistance.

Alternatively you could post details of your problem in our Technical Issues forum where other users and MVPs will be able to assist you !!

 

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Who cares what psychiatrists write on walls?
friendfeed.com/joedawson

This FAQ is to help all those having trouble doing this, as I have seen many ask on this forum and several other forums within Xbox.com.(By the way, this is my own written FAQ, not stolen )

Can I use a picture of my choice to set as my Xbox 360 dashboard background?

Yes you can, there are several ways to do this, but the first stage is to find the picture you want to use as your background first. Once you have the picture you want and saved it to your PC, there are several methods to get it onto your Xbox 360, you can for example choose to set up Media Connect on your PC to allow streaming of audio and picture files from you PC to your Xbox 360. Another method is to save them onto a memory stick that your Xbox 360 will recognise (i.e. iPod, flash memory stick). The easiest methods are these two and you can have your own pictures on your Xbox 360 in no time.

So how do I do this then?

I will break these into two different sections, one for Media Connect and the other for storage on another device (iPod etc):

Media Connect

If you have a wired/wireless setup in your house, or if you have your Xbox 360 plugged into your PC using ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) then you can set up Media Connect, which is a program by Microsoft to allow your Xbox 360 (or certain other devices) to receive content from your PC in the terms of streaming. To do this, you must first goto:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/pcsetup

On this page you will see a Setup button nearer to the bottom, if you click this it will take you to a new page, read this then click next, either choose to Run the program or Save the program. Once  it has downloaded, run the program and follow the intructions. It will take you through a step by step guide of how to get Media Connect up and running.

Note: You must ensure your Xbox 360 is connected to your network for this to successfully work. You must also ensure that you are sharing your My Pictures folder (or the folder you put all your pictures in) for your Xbox 360 to see these pictures later.

Once you have installed Media Connect scroll down this page to 'How to get the picture onto your Xbox 360'.

Storage on another device (iPod, memory stick etc.)

If you do not wish to setup Media Connect, you can always use your iPod, or memory stick to store the picture on. This method is just as easy, if not easier, and will not require you to download any software apart from what you already have.

If you are using an iPod (any model) there are two ways of doing this, you can either sync your iPod to your iTunes libary for automatic update of pictures (see iTunes help for this, and this method only works if you have and iPod Photo, iPod with video or iPod nano) or you can connect your iPod (any model) to your PC and if you have enabled it to be used as a mass storage device (see iTunes help) you can send the picture you want to use on your Xbox 360 to your iPod via Right Click > Send To > E:/ (Which is usually your iPod).

The best way to do the latter one is to open My Computer, make sure you iPod is recognised as a mass storage device and find the picture you want to send to it (My Pictures) then Right Click then Send To E:/

If you are using another form of storage (another MP3 player or memory stick for example), then just use exactly the same method as above (the send to E:/ part).

If done correctly, you can double check the picture is stored on your storage device by going back to My Computer, selecting you storage device and finding the picture file within it. You can then move onto the below stage.

How to get the picture onto your Xbox 360

If you have completed the above tasks, you are safe to assume this next stage. Once again I have split this into the two different areas, Media Connect and storage device.

Media Connect

If you have Media Connect setup on your PC and have followed the relevant tasks, you are ready to get your picture onto your Xbox 360. Assuming that your My Pictures folder is set to share in Media Connect, fire up your Xbox 360and goto the Dashboard. From here follow this:

Media Blade > Pictures > Computer > My Pictures > Find the picture you want then press X to Apply as background.

It's as simple as that.

Storage device (iPod etc)

Connect your storage device to your Xbox 360 via USB, once your Xbox 360 has recognised the device do the following:

Media Blade > Pictures > iPod (if you're connecting an iPod, or whatever the name of your device is you're connecting) > Pictures > Find the picture you want then press X to Apply as background

It's as iSimple as that

Can I set a different picture for each blade?

Sadly the answer is no, at least for now, there are many different views of to why this is. Some say because Microsoft want people to buy Themes from the Marketplace, but others say there could be a download (patch) to allow this function, whatever the reason is, don't count on it until it happens. If it happens.

Shady Pioneer...your FAQ was very helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to do this for the community, is there any way myself or the rest of the community can repay you?

As a matter of fact the is, you can send funds to my PayPal account as a gesture of good will or pay me in cash to 76 Seat.....actually no lol! I did this for the community in hope that people find it useful and I just want the community to appreciate it, nothing more. But if you want you can add me to your friends list and get in a few games of PGR3 or DOA4. It's up to you guys.

Some last words...

I did make this FAQ myself, not stolen, it's now copyrighted  to me so if anyone tries to steal it and pass it off as their own this community will banish you. I hope you find it helpful and to hear from you all soon.

Shady P.

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The Project II is my personal and Live lover. We make each-other...very happy!

Quite a few people are looking into using Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to steam videos to their 360. It seems like there’s quite a lot of myth and misunderstanding surrounding it so I’m going to explain what it is and how to install it. It’s worth pointing out here that there is no need to install MCE if you are happy streaming pictures and music (as this works better via the dashboard anyway).

Here I will explain 2 different ways to install Windows XP MCE 2005 – there are others, but I’m only going to cover the simplest here. They are a clean install replacing your existing copy of Windows and as a separate operating system (dual boot).

 

 

1. Things you should know before you install:

1.1. The myths:

The biggest misconception with MCE is that it is something you can download or add to an existing copy of Windows XP. In fact, Windows XP MCE is a complete operating system. Another bit of bad news, you can’t upgrade XP Home/Pro to MCE. I’ll explain more about that in a second. Lastly, a few people have been trying to find a copy of MCE in the shops with no luck. This is because there is no retail version available. But how can I get it I hear you ask?

 

1.2. Why can’t I update XP Home/Pro & how do I buy MCE?

I’ve put these two questions together as the answer is pretty much the same. MCE is only available as an OEM product, which means that it is designed for installing on new PC’s. It also means that is aimed at system builders rather than the typical home user. It won’t come with instructions and Microsoft doesn’t offer support either. Don’t let you put this off though! Anyway, if you are going to bite the bullet you can pick up a copy online for around £80.

 

1.3 Difference between MCE and Windows Media Connect (WMC):

A lot of people have been asking why it’s not possible to stream videos using WMC and the reason is that the way MCE and WMC work is very different. With WMC, the entire file (be it music or image) is streamed to the 360 which then handles opening it. This is very useful for smaller files as it means you don’t get interruptions from weak network signals or interference. As the 360 opens the file, it must have all relevant codecs installed for the music and image formats you wish to use (which are fairly manageable for photos/music).

 

MCE works by opening the file on the host PC and then streaming a basic interface and the file output to the 360 (think of it as connecting another monitor to your PC). This means that larger files can be opened remotely within seconds rather then minutes or hours. It also leaves the codec’s down to the PC which are much more complex for video than they are for music and images.

 

1.4. Choosing which method of installation:

As I mentioned, I will be covering two different ways of installing MCE. If you are unsure about installing MCE or simply want to try it before fully committing, I recommend installing it along side your existing copy of Windows as this gives you a back up to fall back onto if everything goes wrong. If you don’t want 2 copies of Windows on your PC or you don’t have the hard drive space to do so (I recommend 10GB of free space), then a clean install is the way forward.

 

1.5. Installing via Windows:

Regardless which choice of installation you go for, neither of which should be done via an existing copy of Windows. The reason for this is that MCE isn’t designed to be installed this way as its OEM, some people may disagree, but you really should avoid installing any operating system through another (think blind leading the blind…).

 

 

2. Things to do before you install:

2.1. Back up your PC:

This is really important – make sure that everything on your pc that is of value is backed up and you have all the disks with your hardware drivers at hand. There are a variety of ways you can back up your data including the obvious such as CD-R/DVD-RW and external hard drives (including ipod’s or similar). Also, if you have more than one hard drive, simply copy everything you wish to keep across from the drive that contains windows to the other.

 

2.2. Create a new partition your hard drive:

If none of the mentioned back up methods are available to you, you can create a separate partition using an application such as PowerQuest’s Partion Magic. I won’t go into the details how to use that here, but once you’ve created your new partition copy everything you wish to save on to it.

 

2.3. Remove unnecessary hardware:

This stage isn’t essential, but over the year’s I’ve found that physically removing hardware that isn’t essential to the running of your PC significantly reduces the chance of problems occurring once MCE has installed. Ideally, remove all PCI devices such as sound cards, video capture cards, etc. The only exceptions to this should be graphics cards if yours is PCI (you’ll need that to see what you’re doing!) and network cards. It’s worth noting that if you happen to have a TV tuner card that isn’t supported by MCE, you might want to think twice about going any further. Check the manufacturer’s website for more info. 

 

2.4. Create SATA boot disk:

If you have a serial ATA hard drive, you will need to create a boot disk as the Windows setup does not support them by default unfortunately. To create a boot disk, check the manual that came with your motherboard or visit the manufacturer’s website. I can’t go into details here as it varies from motherboard to motherboard. It’s also worth pointing out that if you have a SATA hard drive, you will need a floppy disk drive for the boot disk.

 

2.5. Enable boot from CD:

You must make sure that your PC checks the CD ROM drives before it boots of the hard drive. This may already be the case on your system without any change, but just incase I’ll cover how to do it here. The first step is to turn on your PC and press delete almost immediately (when the PC/motherboard manufacturer’s logo appears). This will enter the bios settings. This is different for each motherboard, so apologies if this bit is vague. What you are aiming to do is check/modify the boot order/sequence. On some boards I’ve seen, there is an option in the main menu, others its in advanced options. Either way, make sure your CD ROM drive is listed before the hard drive, then save and exit.

 

3. Installing Windows XP Media Center Edition:

Here’s where you make the big decision, clean install or dual boot. I’ll cover dual boot first as there’s a bit more to it and will probably be the more popular choice. One last thing before you get going, the setup will not mention media center at all until it has completed. Until then it will look very much like you are installing Windows XP Pro – this is normal. Another thing that has confused some people is that the installation will ask for the Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 disk. I believe this is actually disk one of the two you have for MCE (I’ve never needed a third disk).

 

3.1. Dual Boot installation:

The first thing you need to make sure of when installing a second operating system is that you have either 2 physical hard drives or you have a partition for each copy of Windows you want to run (i.e. running XP Home and XP MCE would require 2 partitions). See section 2.2 on how to partition a drive.

Once you have your new partition, restart your PC and insert MCE disk 1 into your CD ROM drive as soon as possible. The boot process will run as usual, but should check your CD ROM drive and ask you to press any key to boot from CD. Hit the space bar and the set up will start. If you did not see this option, you might need to run through section 2.5 again.

 

If you have a serial ATA hard drive you will need to press F6 when the bar at the bottom of the screen indicates to do so. Follow the instructions on screen to install the SATA driver using the boot disk you created in section 2.4. If you have an IDE hard drive, just let the setup do its thing.

 

Once the initial setup has run, you’ll need to select install Windows from the options menu you are presented (normally by pressing enter). You will now normally have to accept the License Agreement (F8), after which, you should get a list of locations to install Windows to. If you get a message saying the setup cannot detect storage media or the drive you wish to install to is not listed, you’ve not specified the driver for your SATA drive correctly. Exit the set up and try again.

 

If it is listed, select the new partition you created or the hard drive that does not contain your other copy of Windows. Don’t worry if you get the wrong one as you’ll be given a warning if you do and will be recommended to select another location. Once you select the location you’ll be given the option to format the partition/drive. I would recommend doing a full NTFS format as its good for the drive’s health. If you are pressed for time, the quick format will do.

 

Once you’ve formatted the drive, the setup will copy all the files it needs to continue onto your hard drive and will then prompt you to remove any disks that are in your PC. If there’s a floppy disk in the drive, take that out, but leave the CD in. The PC should reset itself (hit enter to speed it up if you wish), the boot process will look normal (ignore the boot from CD option this time around), but where the grey blocky progress bar should be, you will be presented with a list of options of which operating system to load. By default, it should select Windows XP Professional Setup (I know, it should say MCE, but it doesn’t – trust me, everything’s going to plan). Again you can intervene to speed the selection up.

 

Setup will continue to do its thing albeit in a slightly more graphical form. Again, it will automatically restart your PC (don’t take the CD out). Don’t touch anything and the setup will start its final stage. You’ll be asked to enter your CD key that came with the disks and the pointless book. Once you’ve done this you will be asked to confirm languages you want to use and possibly, network settings. Select these and you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the setup!

 

Now when your pc boots up for the first time, you’ll see a new menu presenting you the option to pick which operating system to load (similar to one you saw during the set up). By default you will be given 30 seconds to pick which operating system to load or it will continue to load the default operating system. This can be changed once you are in either version of Windows by right clicking on My Computer and selecting properties. Select the Advanced tab and open the Startup and Recovery settings. Here you can change the default operating system and the time to display the list. Hit ok and then the changes you made will come into effect the next time you start up your PC.

 

3.2. Clean install:

If you’ve read the dual boot installation instructions, then you’ll see that this is fairly similar:

Restart your PC and insert MCE disk 1 into your CD ROM drive as soon as possible. The boot process will run as usual, but should check your CD ROM drive and ask you to press any key to boot from CD. Hit the space bar and the set up will start. If you did not see this option, you might need to run through section 2.5 again.

 

If you have a serial ATA hard drive you will need to press F6 when the bar at the bottom of the screen indicates to do so. Follow the instructions on screen to install the SATA driver using the boot disk you created in section 2.4. If you have an IDE hard drive, just let the setup do its thing.

 

Once the initial setup has run, you’ll need to select install Windows from the options menu you are presented (normally by pressing enter). You will now normally have to accept the License Agreement (F8), after which, you should get a list of locations to install Windows to. If you get a message saying the setup cannot detect storage media or the drive you wish to install to is not listed, you’ve not specified the driver for your SATA drive correctly. Exit the set up and try again.

 

If you have data backed up on a separate partition on your hard drive, select the other partition as the installation location. If not, I advise you to select your drive from the list and press D to delete the partition. Now press C to create a new one, the maximum size the partition can be will automatically be shown so just press enter. Now select this new partition as the installation location. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be given the option to format the partition/drive. I would highly recommend doing a full NTFS format as its good for the drive’s health and it’s very rare you get the opportunity to do so. If you are pressed for time, the quick format will do.

 

Once you’ve formatted the drive, the setup will copy all the files it needs to continue onto your hard drive and will then prompt you to remove any disks that are in your PC. If there’s a floppy disk in the drive, take that out, but leave the CD in. The PC should reset itself (hit enter to speed it up if you wish).

Setup will continue to do its thing albeit in a slightly more graphical form. Again, it will automatically restart your PC (don’t take the CD out). Don’t touch anything and the setup will start its final stage. You’ll be asked to enter your CD key that came with the disks and the pointless book. Once you’ve done this you will be asked to confirm languages you want to use and possibly, network settings. Select these and you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the setup!

 

4 Setting Up Windows XP Media Center Edition:

4.1 Updating Windows XP MCE 2005

This is a really important step to get the extender working on the 360 – without doing so, it simply will not work. The chances are, if you are connected to the internet, Windows would have already prompted you to download and install available updates. While this should work, its worth running through the manual instructions below to make sure the required updates have been installed.

 

To manually check for updates, open the control panel and double click Automatic Updates. At the bottom of the window that has just opened up, there is a link to the Windows Update Web site. When the option appears, click on Custom and wait until the checking process has completed (it can take a couple of minutes). Once that has completed you need to find the Update Rollup 2 item and install that. It is usually under the Software, Optional menu, but can differ depending on your machine. Once that’s installed, restart your pc.  

 

4.2 Installing MPEG2 Codecs

This is worth pointing out as the DVD/MPEG2 codecs for the actual Media Center application itself are very specific and being able to watch TV and DVD’s on Windows Media Player often does not mean you will be able to watch them via Media Center itself. The problem lies in having to have MCE compatible codecs. At the time of writing, there are around 4 or 5 more commonly used ones, however, I recommend the Intervideo WinDVD 6.0.6.56 codec or higher. It gives a very good image for TV broadcast and DVD playback while not putting too much strain on your system.

 

I also recommend downloading the Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility as this is a really useful application for seeing what codecs are installed and setting your preferred option for MCE playback.

 

4.3 Setting up Media Connect

This is actually different to the setup process for Media Connect on Windows XP Home and Pro as it includes extra steps to authenticate your 360 for the Media Center extender facilities. Before you start installing anything, make sure you have the .net framework 1.1 installed on your PC. If you’ve run the update, chances are you already have it, if not, you can download it from here. Before going any further, disable any antivirus software and firewalls (except the SP2 one) that might be running on your PC as they can cause problems for the next few steps.

 

Now, rather than downloading Windows Media Connect 2 (WMC) from Microsoft’s website, you must download it from www.xbox.com/pcsetup. Before actually installing WMC, you must turn on your 360 and head to the media blade in the dashboard and select Media Center (the green windows icon). This should start up the initial setup wizard for the Media Center extender. Follow the on screen instructions and make a note of the 8 digit code it gives you. Now head back to your PC and start the installation of WMC. Again, follow the instructions on screen, making sure that you select the option to install for Windows XP Media Center Edition rather than the generic XP option. Use the 8 digit code from your 360 when prompted and your PC should now connect to your 360.

 

This is often the point where a lot of people have problems connecting which is normally down to firewall or antivirus applications running. If you are having problems getting your PC or 360 to recognize each other, visit the Official Microsoft Troubleshooting page for Windows Media Connect.

 

4.4 Additional Information

This only applies if your PC is close to your 360 – if it is in a separate room, then you do not need to worry about the following.

 

If your PC is in the same room as your 360, you must make sure that your 360 is setup to receive IR signals only from the 360 remote (limited edition or universal media remote). The 360 by default can receive IR signals from the Windows Media Center Edition remote which has its uses, but can often cause problems and is best to disable. To do so head to the Console Settings in the settings blade on the dashboard. From here, select Remote Control and change it from All Channels to Xbox 360 Media Remote.

 

 

So there you have it. I think I’ve covered everything, but every PC is different and so can act slightly differently. I’ve written these guides from experience in installing various versions of Windows XP on hundreds of different PC’s so hopefully most of it should apply.

 

It is also worth noting that in all versions of the upcoming Windows Vista (bar the very basic), all MCE features will be incorporated including the ability to stream videos to the 360 so if you don’t fancy installing Windows MCE 2005, you could wait until later this year for Vista.

 

A quick disclaimer: I provide this information solely for interest purposes. If you follow the instructions here you shouldn’t have a problem, but neither shreddies nor myself will be held responsible for any loss of data you might have from not backing up your system properly or any other problems for that matter. If in doubt, don’t install it!

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Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat

NAT Issues

So, you’re a subscriber to Xbox Live and have been gaming away merrily but have noticed some issues during online play that are cause for concern.  In particular you may find that you are unable to talk with all players in the game, or that you are unable to join certain games.

When this happens it can be quite a distressing situation to experience and you may find yourself questioning the quality of your console and other gaming equipment.

Well fear not, because if you are experiencing these problems when playing Xbox Live the most likely culprit is a NAT issue either with your router or the other players’ routers.

NAT?  What’s all that about then?  NAT stands for Network Address Translation and is designed to translate the IP address of a device on one network into an IP address on a different network.

 

Xbox 360 Network Settings

Now that you have a brief overview of what NAT is, you need to establish if this is the source of your online gaming woes.  In order to do this, you will need to run an Xbox Live Test from the Dashboard by following these steps.

1. Navigate to the System Blade
2. Select Network Settings
3. With Test Xbox Live Connection selected, press the A button.
4. A pop-up will warn you that everyone will be signed out when testing your network connection.  Select Yes to continue.
5. The Xbox Live Connection Test will then commence, and test your Network Adapter, (Wireless Network), IP Address, DNS, MTU, ICMP, Xbox Live and NAT
6. When the test is complete, play attention to the results for NAT and if the settings are either Moderate or Strict you have located the source of the problem.

 

In order to ensure the best experience on Xbox Live, it is highly recommended that all players in involved in a session have a NAT setting of Open.  Ok, but how do we achieve this?

 

Xbox Live Compatible?

The first stage is to verify that your router is compatible with Xbox Live.  The following page provides a list of Xbox Live compatible networking equipment - http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/support/xbox/connect/faq/routers.htm

Although this list appears small, there are other devices in existence that are Xbox Live compatible, such as the Thompson Speedtouch 530.

If you are considering a new router, check the product’s official website and look for the Xbox Compatible Logo.

 

Firmware

If your router is compatible but you are still experiencing issues, your device may require a firmware update.  To update your product’s firmware visit the manufacturer’s website and search for your device.  Any updates for the firmware should be displayed on the router’s official website.

If your router is not Xbox Live compatible and updating the firmware has not resolved the issue, it may be time to don the surgical gloves and get up close and personal with your router!

 

Ports

Xbox Live requires the following ports to be opened in order to ensure a stress free experience online:

UDP 88

UDP 3074

TCP 3074

Now, there are far too many routers to list instructions on how to forward ports for each model, however, you should always check the official documentation or website for guidance.

Additionally, there is an excellent website available that proves detailed steps on how to forward ports for several routers - http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm Simply pick your router from the list and follow the instructions.

 

Demilitarized Zone

Another method to ensure that your NAT setting is Open is to add your Xbox 360’s IP address to your router’s DMZ.

DMZ?  DMZ (also known as Perimeter Network) Stands for Demilitarized Zone and is designed to protect devices on a private network from attacks originating from the Internet.

Your Xbox 360’s IP address can be found by navigating to the System Blade and selecting Network Settings.  Scroll down to Edit Settings and press the A button to see the details of your console’s network settings.

The following website provides another excellent collection of instructions on how to set up a DMZ - http://www.firewalling.com/routers.htm  Simply click on the name of your router and should be able to see a link that will take you to the DMZ setup instructions.

Alternatively, you can visit your product manufacturer’s website for further details regarding the DMZ,

 

Additional Links

The following links provide an official resource for creating a DMZ in the following products:

Netgear - http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101146.asp

D-Link - http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=1212

BT Voyager 205

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the creators of http://www.firewalling.com/ and http://www.portforward.com/ for producing some fine, comprehensive router guides!

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If you are one of the 3-5% to have a 360 failure please paste this into your sig.

                        Xbox Live and networking

• Does the Xbox 360 have built-in Wi-Fi?
  Nope. If you want to connect the Xbox 360 to your wireless network, you are going to have to buy a Wireless Networking Adapter, which supports 802.11a/b/g wireless modes. (That, or you can use a third party networking adapter.)
  
  
• Can I use third-party Ethernet-based networking adapters instead of the "official" wireless adapter?
  Yes, any wireless/Ethernet bridge product  will work. However, if you use an older 802.11b bridge, you won't be able to stream video to the Xbox 360 from your Media Center PC. You can also use the 360's Ethernet port to hook up with a power-line network.
  
  
• What's the difference between Xbox 360 Live Network and that of the original Xbox?
  They actually both run on the same network, but Xbox Live 360 is greatly enhanced from the original, which is currently on version 3. Automatically when you get the Xbox 360, you get a free Silver membership to the Xbox 360 Live service, which gives you basic access to the network and its marketplace.
  
  
• What's the difference between the Xbox Live "Silver" and Xbox Live "Gold"?
  The Silver is the free portion of Xbox Live to which every Xbox 360 owner has access. It provides access to the Xbox Live Marketplace, the ability to send and receive text and voice messages, and the ability to download backward-compatibility profiles for supported Xbox1 titles. In addition to all the Silver services, Xbox Live Gold adds the ability to play multiplayer games online, but it requires an annual fee, it is £40 a year at the moment
  
  
• If I already have an Xbox with Xbox Live, can I use my Live account on the Xbox 360?
  Yes. Simply use the Account Recovery function on the Xbox 360's main menu, and make sure to have the usual verification information. Once entered, your existing Xbox Live account will be accessible on your 360 as a Gold membership.
  
  
• Will you be able to communicate and play original Xbox via Xbox 360?
   Xbox 360 users can communicate and play compatible online games (such as Halo 2) with users of the original Xbox.
  
  
• Will your Friends list transfer over?
  Yes. Your friends list will transfer over

FAQXbox 360 faulty console return procedure

 

 

 

If you are still having problems after trying the advice listed is the FAQ "Seeing lights?  Read on” then you will have to contact Microsoft Support via email / Telephone.

 

 

If you live in the UK and are within the 12 month warranty period or have the Microsoft extended warranty, any repairs / replacements will be free of charge for the outstanding time of the warranty, after this time you will /may be charged for any repairs undertaken by Microsoft, but they will advise you of the price before work is carried out.

 

 

Make sure you are sitting in front of the Xbox 360 if you telephone Customer Support line, since they will need to have you check a few things, even if to you your 360 appears to be completely dead.

 

You will also need a pen and paper handy to write down your reference number, items to return and who you speak to, in case you need to call again.

 

 

 

 

How do I contact Support for a repair /replacement console?

 

You have the following two choices:

 

Contact Microsoft Xbox360 Customer support via email:

 

Get Xbox 360 Hardware assistance via e-mail.

 

 

Emailing may be slower, than telephoning, due to the time taken to receive and process emails.

 

The support procedure is fairly straight forward and they will contact you directly via the email address you have supplied and ask you any questions they need. This can take a lot longer than simply calling them on the telephone, since you have to be there to answer any and all emails they send, since they have to diagnose the fault / problem so the telephone option may be faster and better.

 

 

Contact Microsoft Xbox /Xbox360 Customer support via phone:

 

Assistance by phone seven days a week:

0800 587 1102

or 44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

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

 

The 0800 number is a free call from any UK landline – however if you use a mobile phone you will be charged at your mobile networks normal rates, and since you may be on the telephone for a long while, it’s best to ring from your home phone.

 

When you call you will need to press 1 for “Xbox 360 support” and then after the recorded message, press option 2 for “Games console” – you will then be transferred to the next available Customer Support Representative.

 

Please remember that during busy periods you may have to wait in a small queue, but if you’re ringing from your home phone, calls to the 0800 number are free of charge.

 

http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/support/contact/

 

 

 

What will I need to tell them?

 

If it’s the first time calling /emailing them they will ask for your serial number and or the name and address used to register the console, if you didn’t register it before hand they can do that for you at the same time.

 

The serial number can be found on your 360’s dashboard under the System blade and in “System Info” – if you can not access your dash it’s also at the rear of the console and under the flap at the front that covers the USB / controller ports.

 

IMPORTANT INFO!!

There is a problem with consoles that have been registered online and via the console concerning a mix up in country, so many UK users have Cambodia set as their country, so double check to make sure your address information is correct!

 

You will then need to outline the problems you are having, and make sure to tell the Customer Support Representative any onscreen error codes or red lights on the “Ring of light”.

They will ask you to perform a series of tests to diagnose the true nature of the fault, and you should be ready and willing to help them, since the more testing you do, the better their idea of the problem will be, and the faster your console will be sorted.

 

So please do be prepared to remove the hard drive and any memory cards /leads etc.

 

 

 

What will they say to me?

 

If they do diagnose a hardware fault with your console, they will start up a log of your case / problem and give you a reference number, which you should write down in a safe place.

 

IMPORTANT INFO!!

Make sure you write the Case reference number in a safe place, as you will need this number in any follow up calls, since it makes it faster to find your info on Microsoft’s system!

 

They will also tell you what items you need to return to the Repair centre. Because of different problems being caused by different things, and the different types of consoles, they may want just the Xbox 360, the 360 and your hard disc drive or the 360, hard disc drive and power supply.

 

IMPORTANT INFO!!

What you return may differ from the items your friends return, and be different again from people who post on the forums. Only return the items they ask for, since if you return any thing else, you may not get them back!

 

Remember to write down next to your case number the items you need to return.

 

They will then offer you a console return method, there is currently a few different ones they offer, so yours might be different from someone else’s.

 

• Email you a pre paid label for you to print out and supply your own box
• Be sent by courier a pre-paid sticky label e.g. via USP/DHL and supply your own box
• Be sent a pre paid box via USP/DHL  

 

They should also tell you the expected “turn around” time – the time taken to repair /replace your console, if they do not – ask them!

 

 

Before you hang up make sure to double check the following info:

 

• Your name, telephone, emails and address on file is correct.
• You have a reference number for the case /repair -and have it written down.
• You know what items you are returning for repair.
• You have an idea of when you should be receiving your return label /box.
• You have a rough idea of how long it should take for you to receive back your repaired/replaced console.

 

 

If you choose to be emailed the label / sent the label you must package your 360 and any hardware /accessories they have asked for into a suitable strong plain cardboard box, with extra padding such as “bubble wrap” and then fix the label to the outside. After this you call the number listed on the email / label and arrange for your console to be picked up.

 

You can use your original box, but you will not get it back, since they shred all the packaging, so look for a strong box and padding from the post office

 

If you are sent the pre-paid box, you simply pack your console / hardware/ accessories into it and ring the number listed on it to arrange a pick up.

 

IMPORTANT INFO!!

Make sure you get a receipt from the courier and a tracking number! If in doubt ask the driver and double check with him/her you understand where you can track it.

 

Without a receipt it could be a problem, if for some strange reason your console goes missing in transit!

 

Once the repair centre has received it you will receive an email saying it’s arrived safe and sound.

 

 

 

 

How long do I have to wait?

 

When you ring/contact Customer Support they will advise you of the current “turn around” time – if they don’t remember to ask them!

Normal waiting times is about 7 to 10 working days, but please remember that does not include the weekends.

 

You can also ring Customer Support back at anytime and quote your reference number, and they should be able to tell you the status of the label or your repair, but do remember that Customer Support Centre is in a different building to the Repair centre, so they might have to email them, so you should be prepared to ring back.

 

When your console is ready to be returned to you, you will receive an email from the repair centre with an expected date and a tracking number.

 

 

 

I have heard I will get a new console? is that right or do I get a re-furbished / repaired one?

 

The answer depends on the cause of the problem with your faulty console. You may receive a new machine, or a repaired fully working console.

 

Many people have received a new console – and new hard drives. Simply depends on the problem and if it is a simple fix. So not everyone has had there console repaired, but not everyone has had a new one!

 

Your returned console should work fine, but accidents happen in transit etc, so if not contact support as soon as possible.

 

 

And please remember above all else that Customer Support are working very hard to sort out everyone’s problems, and please don’t get angry at them! They are only trying to help!!

 

 

 

 

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This post is provided "as-is" and confers no rights or lefts.. Guidelines

Creating Xbox 360 dashboard backgrounds v1.00

 

I thought it was about time that I wrote a quick FAQ on designing and implementing your own Xbox 360 dashboard backgrounds. I will keep it brief, to the point and in an easy to understand format without any techno babble. Let’s get started shall we…

 

What software do I need?

You can use almost any bitmap drawing package to edit and create your backgrounds.

 

Two of the most popular are:

• Photoshop
• Paint Shop Pro X

 

These are great packages for creating backgrounds and for all your other artistic need you may have. Photoshop of course being the king, it is used through out the graphics industry, although it might me a little expensive for most people.

 

Of course there are many more and cheaper packages on the market that can do the job at hand, so don’t feel restricted to the two packages I mention above.

 

Common TV Screen sizes

First of all I will explain the two most commonly used screen sizes as used by the 360 on both SDTV’s (Standard UK PAL) and HDTV’s.

• PAL - This screen is 720 X 576 pixels in size
• HDTV - This screen is 1280 X 720 pixels in size

 

I have created a set of templates for you to download and use to create your own backgrounds depending on which TV you own. They include some guidelines and suggestions on where to keep the main focus of your image, as the 360 blades can interfere with extreme left and right sections of the background image.

 

I have produced these templates in various formats, depending on which you wish to use.

 

 

PAL templates:

• Click here to download the PAL template (JPEG) >>>
• Click here to download the PAL template (PNG) >>>

 

HDTV templates:

• Click here to download the HDTV template (JPEG) >>>
• Click here to download the HDTV template (PNG) >>>

 

Example created backgrounds:

• Click here for an example PAL background (JPEG) >>>
• Click here for an example HDTV background (JPEG) >>>

 

For most people, just use the relevant PAL/HDTV JPEG or PNG guide template.

 

Note for PAL TV users: Sometimes the background or image you create can appear off the edge of the screen of CRT PAL based displays, this is known as “Over scan” where the CRT tube goes behind the front facia of the TV etc. Use the guides and suggestions on the PAL template to create your backgrounds and keep your image centralised as much as possible to avoid these issues.

 

Using and converting images

If you are going to create a background based on game screenshots or any other image, you really need to find the highest quality image you can in the first instance, this will give you the best looking background once placed on your 360 and also would allow you to manipulate the images more without them getting worse in quality. Scaling an image down is always the way to go, rather than trying to scale an image up and as you would be scaling up any artefacts and pixels within the image.

 

Once you have found your chosen image or images, you then have to layer them over the template you chose earlier, be that PAL or HDTV. Take into consideration were the main focus of your chosen images are and try to keep that centralised within the background template.

 

If your chosen software package allows, try keeping everything on separate layers, this will allow your to move the images around, add text and effects as much as your want, until you are happy with the final image, then you can flatten all of the layers into the finished image, ready for saying.

 

Saving your background image

Once you are happy with your image. You need to save it to a location on your PC, ready to transfer to your 360.

 

You can save the image in two formats:

• JPEG
• PNG

Either will do, but if you can, try and save it as PNG as you will get slightly less compression artefacts showing up.

 

When saving as JPEG format, make sure you save the image as the highest quality JPEG you can. This will use the least compression on the image and minimise JPEG compression artefacts also.

 

Transferring the image to your 360

There are a few options available for you to transfer the image to your 360. These include:

• Windows Media Connect (See here for more details >>)
• An MP3 player (Can me used in a similar way to a USB Memory stick, see here for a list of compatible MP3 players >>)
• A USB Memory stick 

For simplicity I will focus on the use of a USB Memory Stick.

 

Connect your USB Memory Stick to your PC and copy across the image or images you created on your PC.

 

Connect your USB Memory Stick to your Xbox 360 via one of it’s USB ports. Once your Xbox 360 recognises the Memory stick complete the following within your 360’s Dashboard:

• Media Blade
• Pictures
• USB Memory Stick (or whatever name is displayed for your storage device)
• Find your image your created
• Press “X” on your controller to apply as your 360 background

 

You should now see your newly created image as your 360 backdrop across all of the Dashboard blades. I hope this has been useful to you and you can now create with ease any background you wish for your 360, good luck and have fun.

 

 

All the best,

Whagi LOL ;O)

---

Xboxholic

Your official guide to the world of Microsoft’s and Xbox 360 (and original Xbox)

 

Welcome fellow gamer.  So you have taken the first step into the world of Microsoft’s gaming and home entertainment system.

 

Whether this is your first experience with console games or you are a seasoned veteran, the following guide will always prove useful if you are in need of assistance or looking to get more involved with the Xbox community.

 

Contents

1. Getting started
2. Troubleshooting
3. Game on
4. The games
5. New to the community
6. Xbox Live
7. Getting competitive
8. Original games and the Xbox 360
9. Work in the industry
10. FAQs
11. Directory of links
12. Credits

 

1. Getting started

As a new user, the first thing you should always do is read the manual for your console and accessories as they contain not only the basic operating instructions but also common troubleshooting tips that may help to resolve your problem.

Even as a gaming veteran, it doesn’t hurt to refer to the manuals every once in a while!

If you have lost any of your manuals then fear not, as a list of PDF manuals are within easy reach.  Please note that you will need Adobe Reader which can be downloaded from this URL - http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

 

Xbox 360 and accessory manuals.

Xbox 360 Advanced SCART AV Cable

Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable

Xbox 360 Console (Core System)

Xbox 360 Console (Full System)

Xbox 360 Console Warranty

Xbox 360 Faceplates

Xbox 360 Hard Drive

Xbox 360 Headset

Xbox 360 Memory Unit

Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit

Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack

Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote

Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable

Xbox 360 Wired Controller

Xbox 360 Wired Controller for Windows

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter

 

Original Xbox and accessory manuals.

Xbox Console Instruction Manual (2 MB)

Xbox Live Instruction Manual (100 KB)

Xbox Communicator Instruction Manual (510 KB)

Xbox Wireless Adapter (1.8 MB)

Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox (1,712 KB)

Xbox Advanced AV Pack (213 KB)

Xbox Controller (84 KB)

Xbox Controller S (81 KB)

Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit (241 KB)

Xbox High Definition AV Pack (246 KB)

Xbox Memory Unit (116 KB)

Xbox RF Adapter (87 KB) Xbox Standard AV Cable (134 KB)

Xbox System Link Cable (70 KB)

 

(Please note these original Xbox instruction manuals have been taken from the US site as I was unable to locate them on the UK region!)

 

 

2. Troubleshooting

Now that you are familiar with the operating procedures for your Xbox 360 and its accessories, what should you do if you encounter a problem that isn’t covered in the manual’s troubleshooting section?

Before you panic, remember that you have a large variety of resources at your disposal to help overcome a number of problems.

 

The first thing you should do is visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support.  Although this URL takes you to the United States version of the support page, you may find the information you are seeking is quicker to access.

You can also find answers in the Microsoft Knowledgebase - http://support.microsoft.com/xboxsupport.

Still can’t see what you are looking for?  Then let’s delve a little deeper.  www.xbox.com includes a search facility that is most useful when you are unable to immediately see the information required for your problem or query.  The search box can be found at the top of the page next to the “Sign In” button.  Take a test drive of the search facility by entering keywords such as “freeze” and “media connect”.  The search results will include a variety of resources, including links to the Microsoft Knowledgebase and some of xbox.com’s personalities such as Elle.

 

So you have a more specific issue and none of the above resources have proven useful so far?  Then turn to your fellow gamer for guidance!

 

The forums are a great place to not only discuss the latest and greatest in gaming, but also to tap into the vast knowledge of other gamers.

Undoubtedly the best location for assistance is the Technical Issues forum - http://forums.xbox.com/9/ShowForum.aspx.  This particular forum has at least three members of the Xbox Customer Support team on hand to reply to most queries.  Look out for Lucky 13 X, Rockpen and ILBCNU.  In addition to the Customer Support staff, assistance is also provided by the MVPs (identified by a V on their Gamercard) and members of the Xbox Product team (identified by an X on their Gamercard).

You can also find a wealth of information from the regular forum users as well who are always more than happy to provide assistance.

When using the forums for technical support, please try to provide as much information as possible about the issue.  Any specific error messages or symptoms that you are experiencing will help greatly.  If you are having difficulties connecting to Xbox Live, try to supply details of your connection such as the make and model of your router (where applicable) and your ISP.

 

Still having difficulties?  If you have exhausted all of your troubleshooting options, then your last port of call will be to get in touch with the Xbox Customer Support team.

 

For contact information, select your country from the list below:

USA - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/contact/?WT.svl=nav

United Kingdom

Australia - http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/

Canada - http://www.xbox.com/en-CA/support/contact/

New Zealand - http://www.xbox.com/en-NZ/support/contact/

Singapore - http://www.xbox.com/zh-SG/support/contact/

 

For more information about what is involved when dealing with Xbox Customer Support, please visit Shade360’s excellent guide at the following URL - http://forums.xbox.com/2425641/ShowPost.aspx

 

 

3. Game on!

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals of the system and how to troubleshoot any issues, we’ll want to consider the best ways to make the gaming experience even better.  Four letters that have become synonymous with next generation gaming are HDTV.  There’s no denying that an HDTV can vastly improve the gaming experience, and thankfully we have some resident experts who have put together numerous guides for this subject.

 

If you are thinking about purchasing an HDTV, be sure to check out Nielo TM’s fantastic guide right here - http://forums.xbox.com/2402592/ShowPost.aspx

 

Not only should the games look great, but you’ll also want to experience the best possible sound (I can tell you now that a good 5.1 speaker kit turns Call Of Duty 2 into an altogether different kind of animal!).

Deathwish238 has kindly put together a guide for surround sound systems here - http://forums.xbox.com/2818957/ShowPost.aspx

 

 

4. The games

Ok, so the games are looking good but what kind of games are actually available, and how do know if they are killer titles or to be avoided at all costs?

 

Firstly, check the list of games available for the Xbox and Xbox 360 from the official xbox.com page - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games.  I have referred to the United States version of this page as the content is generally more substantial than other regions with more screenshots and descriptions.  However, to view the details for your own region, simply amend the website address and replace ‘US’ with the following (for English speaking countries):

Australia = AU

Canada = CA

Ireland = IE

New Zealand = NZ

United Kingdom = GB

United States = US

 

Now that you know how to find out what games are available, you might want to refer to a couple of reviews to help sway your decision.  I have included links to a trio of Xbox dedicated websites that are friends of www.xbox.com

 

http://www.xboxusersgroup.com/content/section/3/135/

http://www.xboxsolution.com/reviews/

http://reviews.teamxbox.com/

 

 

5. New to the community

If you are new to the Xbox community, you might want to take a look around before dipping your toes in the water, therefore I have included various links to community oriented themes and some general tips of my own.

 

Firstly, remember to check out the various posts that are pinned at the top of each forum.  These generally consist of frequently asked questions or breaking news such as downtime for Xbox Live maintenance.

Most of these FAQs will be listed later on in this document for quick reference.

 

Second, the forums have a search facility.  Using the search can lead you to the information that you require.  http://forums.xbox.com/search/  Please note that while this facility does not offer many options, such as date searches, it’s always worth utilising as it can cut down on the number of duplicate threads which can help to keep a forum clean and tidy.

In addition to the search tool, it can also be a good idea to quickly skim through the first few pages of a forum.  Quite often when a big event has occurred, such as the release of a hotly anticipated demo, you can often find multiple threads with the same subject quite easily.

 

Thirdly, the forums have a feature that allows you to report any post that violates the Terms of Use or Code of Conduct.  The report function can be activated by clicking the link titled “Report” at the bottom of each post (next to the PM icon).  Do not hesitate to use the report feature if you run into anybody flaming / spamming / trolling or otherwise being an unpleasant member of the community.

Also remember that you can use the report feature to grab the attention of the Moderator / MVP team.  If for example you are having a specific issue, create a thread in the relevant forum and then use the report feature to express your concerens.  This saves waiting for a Moderator to actually notice your thread or respond to a PM.

 

Fourth and finally, avoid getting into petty arguments with other members.  Some people are determined to cause trouble on a forum and are more commonly known as trolls.  They will post inflammatory comments in the hope of causing a huge argument.  Please report these individuals and if possible avoid replying to the troublemakers.  Not only do the replies help to keep a pointless thread towards the top of the forum, but you may also incur the wrath of a Moderator and end up banned for displaying the same behaviour as the trolls.

 

Useful links for xbox.com and the forums.

litheon’s forum guide - http://forums.xbox.com/4504338/ShowPost.aspx

XboxLackey’s guide to xbox.com - http://forums.xbox.com/4959271/ShowPost.aspx

Major Nelson’s Xbox Forums Guidelines - http://forums.xbox.com/20/ShowPost.aspx

 

 

6. Xbox Live

So you’ve decided to take your gaming online?  Then read on!

Some of you will have no trouble setting up your Xbox Live account and will be able to start gaming online in a very short space of time.

However, setting up a network prior to connecting to Xbox Live can be a daunting task.  This section is for you!

 

You can find just about everything you need to know on how to connect to Xbox Live on the following pages:

UK gamers - http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/support/xbox360/connecttolive/

US gamers - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/connecttolive/pickconsole.htm?WT.svl=nav

Australian gamers - http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/live/xbox360/overview.htm and http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/live/xbox/overview.htm

New Zealand gamers - http://www.xbox.com/en-NZ/live/xbox360/overview.htm and http://www.xbox.com/en-NZ/live/xbox/overview.htm

 

For UK gamers, I strongly advise that you visit the ultimate resource for all things related to Xbox Live and networking - http://www.xboxlivetheguide.co.uk/  Special thanks to Shad0wmanUK for taking the time and effort to create this brilliant site!

 

Now that you are connected to the online gaming community, what should you do next?  If you are in need of friends, take a look at the list of Xbox Ambassadors - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/ambassadors/default.htm

The Ambassadors program was setup to not only help with any queries but also ensure that your initial experience in worldwide multiplayer combat is a friendly and unthreatening one.

Click on the link above to locate an Ambassador in your locale.

Want to add an Ambassador to your Friend’s List?  Press the Guide button on your controller and then select “Friends”.  Press the A button when “Add Friend” is highlighted and then enter the Gamertag of the Ambassador.

You can also send Friend request from this webpage - http://live.xbox.com/en-GB/profile/Friends.aspx

 

If you are a UK gamer and want to get involved in some friendly competition with your fellow countrymen, F1Senna has kindly arranged “forum games” for Perfect Dark Zero and Call Of Duty 2.  Check it out here - http://forums.xbox.com/2304683/ShowPost.aspx

 

If you are looking for other gamers who are 25+, then check out Leigh Outrage’s creation at http://forums.xbox.com/5070518/ShowPost.aspx

 

Looking for a more gender specific community to socialise with on Xbox Live?  Being a “gamer chick” carries its own difficulties, namely men!  So our very own trixie360 has the solution with a new program titled GamerchiX!  Be sure to investigate this section of the community so that can feel comfortable with your online gaming.

 

I can’t finish a community section without giving an honourable mention to the ever cheery Whagi, who has setup a website with plenty of wallpapers to liven up your desktop and Xbox 360 Dashboard - http://www.whagi.trafalgarweb.net/ LOL

 

 

7. Getting competitive

Already a veteran gamer and looking for a challenge?  Want to show off your l33t Gamerscore?  Read on!

Clans are a big part of online gaming and a great way to involve yourself in some heavy team-based competition on a regular basis.  Your first stop should be the Clan Discussion Forum where you can look for clans that are currently recruiting.  Alternatively you might be thinking of setting up your own clan, and this is a good place to find like minded gamers who may be interested in joining.

While in the subject of clans look out for the most famous clan on Xbox Live, PMS Clan, the largest group of all-female gamers.  Visit their website at http://www.pmsclan.com/ for more information.

 

Don’t feel like teaming up for some multiplayer 0wnage?  You’d rather show of your skills in solo combat?  Then looking to get a high Gamerscore is a good way of doing this.  While each game provides information about the achievements available, a lot of them can be fiddly to unlock by meeting certain criteria.  Look no further than http://xbox360achievements.org/ for numerous achievement guides that can help you progress with your aim of reaching the top of the Gamerscore leaderboards.  If you feel you’re good enough, off that score at http://www.mygamercard.net/

 

 

8. First Xbox, now Xbox 360

If you have been a devotee of the original Xbox there is a good chance that you’ll be wanting to keep most of those original classics.  But what if you decide that you no longer have the space for two consoles and come to the conclusion that it’s time to part ways with the original black box?

Well, Microsoft has the answer with “backwards compatibility”.  A downloadable update provides you with an emulator that allows your Xbox 360 to play a large number of original games.

Here are six good resources for understanding how backward compatibility works

Q & A: Backward Compatibility

How To Get Original Xbox Game Support for Xbox 360

Original Xbox Games Playable on Xbox 360

Backward Compatibility FAQ

Technical Support and Known Issues

Family settings and original games

 

The list of original games that are compatible with the Xbox 360 varies between regions, so you will want to check out your own region to verify if a specific game is supported by backward compatibility.

 

 

9. Working in the industry

Whether you have been gaming for twenty years or twenty weeks, many people feel inspired to work in the games industry but are often at a complete loss as to where they should begin their search for the ideal career.

 

Although I don’t personally work in the industry (yet!), I can point you in the direction of some excellent resources that provide advice on what skills you would need and how to carve a path towards your dream job.

 

The first thing I would suggest is looking at the websites of various developers and publishers.  Check out their recruitment section to see what vacancies they have and what they are looking for in a potential candidate.  Some companies place a passion for games ahead of specific skills, no doubt because skills can be acquired through education but passions is natural.

 

In addition to job listings, there are several websites that I’ve listed below:

http://www.relic.com/industry/industry.php

http://www.probegames.com/

http://www.gamestester.com/

http://www.gamasutra.com/

http://www.microsoft.com/playtest/default.mspx

http://corporate.sci.co.uk/Who_we_are/Careers/industryinfo.aspx

http://www.sloperama.com/advice/

http://www.gamesjobnews.com/

http://www.rare.co.uk/vacancies/faqs/all_faqs.html

 

No doubt you will find many more on your quest for dominance in the games industry and I wish you every success if you choose this path.

 

 

10. FAQs

Xbox Forums FAQ

User community level FAQ

The Forum icons FAQ

HDTV Primer - Please read before asking HDTV Questions!

Xbox Technical Issues FAQ

Xbox Live Connectivity: Self Troubleshooting Your Connection Issues.

The Network Settings Menu Explained (Xbox and Xbox 360)

Top Support Links

Xbox 360 FAQ by goverland

 

Xbox 360 games

Amped 3 FAQ by BLUELINE976

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat™ FAQ by oOSGT DuffmanOo

Blazing Angels FAQ by Surly Duff

Call of Duty 2 FAQ, by Rebel Razer 360

Chromehounds: FAQ by oOSgt DuffmanOo

Chromehounds - Communication Walkthrough. By Svenn 22

Full Auto F.A.Q. by Avenging Titan

Hitman:Blood Money FAQ by KJmp32

Kameo: Elements of Power guide to A rankings by Draekon

MotoGP 06 FAQ  by Darth Invidious

Peter Jackson’s King Kong™ FAQ by tabby171

Prey FAQ v1.5  by Mosler

Project Gotham Racing 3 FAQ  by MatrixArchitect

Ridge Racer 6 F.A.Q. by Avenging Titan

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion FAQ by ProffesorChumly

The Outfit F.A.Q  by xTheGunslingerx

Splinter Cell Double Agent FAQ  by oOSgt DuffmanOo

UPDATED: G.R.A.W. FAQ by HANDLEBARS

Rainbow Six: Las Vegas FAQ  by TW BLAZED

 

Xbox Live Arcade games

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved FAQ by haloaded

Hexic HD FAQ by motosan

Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting FAQ  by F1Senna

 

Index of original Xbox games

An index containing FAQs for the original Xbox games can be found at the following page - http://forums.xbox.com/5/ShowForum.aspx

 

Media FAQs

litheon’s media connectivity guide - http://forums.xbox.com/1076872/ShowPost.aspx

Darth Invidious’ media FAQ - http://forums.xbox.com/1005870/ShowPost.aspx

 

Third party FAQs

http://faq.teamxbox.com/detail/1/Xbox-Console-FirstGeneration/

http://features.teamxbox.com/xbox/1245/Xbox-360-FAQs/p1/

http://www.xboxfaqs.com/

 

 

11. Directory of links

Thanks to AW36OME for the following directory of useful links for all things related to Xbox:

Xbox Forums FAQ's

Xbox Customer Support

Xbox US

Forums Terms & Conditions

Xbox Live Section

Major Nelsons Page

Friendspot

News, Gossip, Cheats & Reviews.

Planet Xbox360

IGN

CVG

360Gamespy

XboxUsers Group

News

TeamXB

The 360 Fanboy

365

Gamespot

Online Retailers for Software & Hardware

www.play.com

www.blahdvd.co.uk

www.game.co.uk

www.cd-wow.co.uk

www.play-asia.com

www.gameplay.co.uk

www.hmv.co.uk

www.kanection.co.uk

www.gamestation.co.uk

www.cex.co.uk

 

HDTV Suppliers & Retailers

www.pixmania.com

www.dabs.com

www.flattelly.com

What is HDTV

What is HDTV?

HDTV News and FAQ's.

See Nielo or

HDTVUK

HDTV.net

Other Various.

Xbox Team Blog

OXM

XBOX 360 On Wikipedia

Google Search Engine

Gameseek

EuroGamer

Gamesindustry

Xboxic & XB Cam

GamesTracker

Forum Members Suggestions.

360Voice By g30R9e

XboxyDe By Munkee Ninja

www.360leaderboards.com By ImpulsiveMayhem

www.mygamercard.net By Infernal Edge

Achievepoints & 360achievements By Brunch Monolith

www.livecard.net By MetalMikee

www.chaptercheats.com By Infernal Edge

www.stuckgamer.com By ImpulsiveMayhem

www.gamerevolution.com & www.gamefaq.com By Furbey

www.news4gamers.com By InitialSparx

www.wonderwallweb.com By willdev

Games Rental Sites ( Supplied By ImpulsiveMayhem )

www.nimblethumbs.com

www.gamesfrenzy.co.uk

www.swapgame.co.uk

www.flirtrental.co.uk

Voucher & discount Code Sites

www.greedymoose.co.uk

www.cantbarsed.co.uk

Whagi's HD Background Site

Whagi

Xbox 360 Sections Of Other Retailers

Woolworths

Asda

Tesco

PC World

Virgin Megastores

Amazon

John Lewis

Simply Games

Argos

Price Comparison Sites

www.nextag.co.uk

www.pricerunner.co.uk

www.shopgenie.co.uk

www.text4price.co.uk

www.kelkoo.co.uk

Alternative Search Engine

www.ask.co.uk

 

 

12. Credits

My thanks go to the following people for being fantastic sources of information.  Shad0wmanUK for his networking expertise and Neilo TM for knowing far too much about televisions.

Special thanks to all the members who have contributed FAQs, walkthroughs and other guides.

Many thanks to the MVPs, Moderators and Xbox product team for bringing everything together and making the Xbox 360 and community a great experience to be a part of.

 

Also, special thanks to the following community sites for expanding the scope of the Xbox’s world:

http://www.xboxsolution.com/

http://www.xboxusersgroup.com/

www.teamxbox.com

http://www.mygamercard.net/

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/

www.pmsclan.com

---

If you are one of the 3-5% to have a 360 failure please paste this into your sig.

Ok guys, for this nice feature you will need TwonkyMedia, Winamp and a little bit of computer knowledge (This is by no means hard, dont get me wrong).

Installation:

• First of click on the download and select "Run" The program will now download (5 seconds or so) and then begin to start (You may get a security warning here but just click "Run" again)
• Select English (If your English of course)
• Read the terms and accept if you agree
• I personally allowed it to install all the components, that is upto you. Click next...
• Ok, here you want to install it as a system service (Tick top box) The other two options are self explanitary so i'll leave that upto you... Click next...
• Destination folder will be as it comes up automatically... Click next...
• Start Menu name will be set as TwonkyVision as default, you can change this if you like... Click install...
• Leave to install...(Takes 20 seconds or so)
• Click next and it will open up a internet browser for advanced setup (Make sure the box is checked)

The next part of the tutorial im going to do in red, just so it doesnt look so much of a looooong list.

First Steps:

When the advanced setup appears, heres what to do...

• Language - English
• Servername - Upto you but i use "TwonkyMedia"
• Content Locations - Here you'll need to go to the folder where you keep photos, music and videos. Right click on the folder containing these files, click on properties. Now you'll see "Location" Highlight the location (C:/....etc) copy and paste into the correct spot on the Advanced Setup. Do this for all three.. (NOTE: Make sure you make the 3rd directory "Music" in the drop down menu...)
• Rescan - I set this to 120 but really, you can set it to 0 and just rescan the server whenever you add anything new. Entirely upto you.
• Click "Save Changes" at the top...
• Click "Restart Server"

Internet Radio:

Here we configure the Internet Radio - Click "Internet Radio" on the right menu bar to access the setup.

• Internet Radio - Ensure that "Shoutcast" is ticked
• Shoutcast reread - Leave as default (Should be 60)
• Genre Filter - They are all selected as default so skip this unless you have any preferences
• Shoutcast Node - I use "Internet Radio" Upto you guys though
• Click "Save Changes" at the top and then "Restart Server" again...

Once the above has been done, minimize your windows and start TwonkyVision from your Desktop, it will then show up in your System Tray (Bottom left) NOTE: You may get a security warning with the option "Keep blocking, Unblock and something else. Select "Unblock"...

Xbox360:

• Turn on your Xbox360 and go to the Dashboard
• Go to the "System" blade and select "Computers"
• IF there is an option to "Disconnect" select it
• Go back to the dashboard and go to the "Media" blade
• Select Music>Computer and it'll show a screen about connecting to a computer, select "Yes, continue"
• It will now search for a computer...
• In the list there should be "TwonkyMedia" Select this
• Once it connects, restart your Xbox360
• Go to the "Music" blade and check how much media is there (Not all of it will be)
• Press "B" once to go to the "Music Player, "Hard Drive" etc...) List
• On the advanced setup browser, restart the server. Give it 10 seconds
• Now, check back in your music and more will appear (Not all music will appear, i only use this for Radio...)

Back To The PC...

This is pretty much the end of it, providing it works...

• Go to Shoutcast.com and search for the radiostation or genre. I use "Idobi Radio" for rock/punk...
• Click "Tune In" on the radiostation you want and it should open in Winamp.
• Once opened, go to file and "Save Playlist"
• Save the Playlist as whatever you want (ie - Idobi Radio) and save it into the directory you put for "Music" in the advanced setup...
• Check the "Saved Playlist" list on your Xbox360 and it wont be there...
• IMPORTANT On the Advanced Setup, click "First Steps" on the left menu. At the top there is "Rescan Content Directories" Do this two or three times. In the top right of the browser, there is an "I" click on this to see the server status, this will tell you how much media is being streamed...
• Swtich off your Xbox360, restart the TwonkyVision server and switch on your Xbox360.
• Now, in the "Saved Playlist" list, you should find the radio station (ie - Idobi Radio)
• Click on the "Play Playlist" and voila, Internet Radio streamed to you Xbox360...

This may look very tedious and difficult but its not that hard (Quite simple actually)

If you do come across a problem, switch off your Xbox360, restart the server and turn on your Xbox360...

If you continue to have problems, give me a shout and ill do my best to help...

One slight niggle, the name of in the playlist doesnt change (It always says "Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness" although it is past this song, but still well worth it...)

A Quick Xbox 360 Vision Camera Guide

 

This is my quick guide to the Vision Camera and Installing it on an Xbox 360 plus Windows PC.


The Packages Available:-

The standard Xbox Live Vision package:-

Contents…

•    Xbox Live Vision Camera
•    Xbox 360 Headset
•    Arcade games UNO and Totemball (available for download from Xbox Live Marketplace)


The Xbox Live Vision Gold Package:-

Contents…

•    Xbox Live Vision Camera
•    Xbox 360 Headset
•    Arcade games UNO and Totemball (available for download from Xbox Live Marketplace)
•    Twelve-month Xbox Live subscription
•    200 Marketplace Points
•    Robotron 2084 (available for download from Xbox Live Marketplace)


Features of the Vision Cam:-

•    Video Chat and Video Messaging (Xbox Live Gold membership required for video chat).
•    Put a face on your Gamertag and make yourself known to the people on your friends list.
•    Bring gesture-based games to life using your body movements to control the action.
•    Supports games designed with "face in game" technology for a personalized gaming experience—add your face to your character in-game.
•    Crystal-clear images are a snap with VGA 640H x 480V video at 30 frames per second and still photos are 1.3 mega-pixels.


Setup The Xbox Live Vision on Your Xbox 360 Console:-

Quick Notes: Do not touch the camera cable terminals or lens glass with your fingers or allow metal parts to touch them. Doing so may damage the camera.

Before you can use your camera with your Xbox 360 system, make sure you've signed in to Xbox Live to automatically receive the latest Xbox Live update.

Connecting to Vision to an Xbox 360 console:

1.    Turn on your Xbox 360 console with no disc in the tray. When the Xbox Dashboard appears, connect the camera cable to one of the console's controller ports. The Ring of Light on the camera will blink to indicate that the camera is connected.
2.    Position the camera on a stable base, pointed toward you or what you want to shoot. The Ring of Light on the camera will glow when actively shooting video.
3.    For audio, connect the Xbox 360 Headset according to the instructions in your Xbox 360 Headset manual.

Diagram Here

Once you have done that, To get started, select Xbox Live Vision from the Xbox Live area of the Xbox Dashboard after connecting the camera to your console.
To test video and configure additional Xbox Live Vision settings, select Xbox Live Vision from the System area of the Xbox Dashboard.
If no selection for Xbox Live Vision exists, get the latest system software update by signing in to Xbox Live and consenting to the download.
   
* When the camera light is on, the camera is shooting video. You can limit video communications by applying Xbox 360 Family Settings in the System area of the Xbox Dashboard.

 
Camera Effects:-

Once you have the camera working, you may notice a new effect in your background, here is how to edit / change it if you want to... 

• Press Guide button on your Controller
• Go to personal setting
• Themes
• Customise
• Camera

And then you can make a selection from 3 diffrent effects or you can just turn off the effects.

The 3 effects are:

Edgy

Water

Dotted

 
Personal Gamer Picture:-

To change your Personal gamerpic

Go on to your Gamertag on the Xbox 360 Dash
 

• Click Edit Gamertag
• Click Change Gamerpic
• Click Take New Personal Pic
• Then Click OK and all is done
  
   

*Only people on your friends list will be able to see your Personal Gamerpic.
 

 

Setup The Xbox Live Vision on Your Windows PC:-
 

To connect to a PC:

1.    Turn on your PC and connect the camera cable to an available USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) port. Microsoft Windows XP will display the Found New Hardware Wizard. In the wizard, select the options to allow Windows Update to automatically find and install the free Xbox Live Vision driver file. Your computer needs this file in order to work with the camera
2.    Position the camera on a stable base, pointed toward you or what you want to shoot. The Ring of Light on the camera will glow when actively shooting video.

Diagram Here

Quick Notes: To test video and configure additional Xbox Live Vision settings on your PC, click Start, My Computer, USB Video Device.
You must connect the camera to a USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) port. Earlier versions of USB are not supported.
The Xbox Live Vision camera works only with PCs running Windows XP SP2 or later.
Initial setup requires the installation of a driver file. To automatically find and install the Xbox Live Vision driver file, use the Found New Hardware Wizard, which launches automatically the first time you plug in the camera.
If you have a microphone connected to your computer, you can use it for audio in conjunction with your Xbox Live Vision camera.


Cleaning Your Camera:-

Clean only with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Using cleaning solutions or attempting to clean connectors may damage your camera. For the lens, use only soft, dry, lint-free cloth or lens paper.

---

EnemyDown.eu - For all your console gaming needs!

I’m Mr Campo!

C:\ Please PM me if you need to edit any of my posts, thanks in advance !!

---

Who cares what psychiatrists write on walls?
friendfeed.com/joedawson

Thought it was about time i made my contribution to the forums with this accessories FAQ.

Descriptions From Xbox Accessories List Homepage

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

High-performance wireless gaming is here! Using optimized technology, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller lets you enjoy a 30-foot range and up to 40 hours of life on two AA batteries—and when they run low, you're given ample warning so you can connect a Play & Charge cable for uninterrupted play. Plug the Xbox 360 Headset into the controller for full duplex voice communication: a wireless first.

RRP £32.99

Features

My 360 controller turns on but will not connect to my Xbox 360?

This is simple to fix your controller may have become unsynced from your console or you may have it synced taken it round to a friends and played it there.

Solution

To solve this press in the little button next to the memory unit slots and then press the small button on the top of the wireless controller next to where you plug in the play and charge kit at the same time

 

The lights on my controller are flashing from 1 quadrent to another?

This means the batterys in your contoller are slowly starting to die and will start to flash more often as they get closer to death you can check how many bars of life they have left my opening the guide button and looking in the top left hand corner.

Solution

Simply replace the batterys or plug in your play and charge kit and if your really posh you will have the quick charge kit that comes with two rechargable batterys so simply swap them over and charge the dead one.

 

What if my controller breaks or develops a fault?

You can phone Microsoft and im sure they will send out a replacement or if you have the reciept return it to the shop you bought if from

Solution

Phone those numbers to get in touch with support

0800 587 1102

or +44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

 
Advantages And Disadvantages

Ad-There is no wires when gaming if your fully charge or using normal batterys

Dis-Replacing batterys is a pain and if you have the play and charge kit then theres a long wire involved i recommend a quick charge kit

Prices

Dvd.Co.Uk Price £17.99
SoftUk.Com Price £24.99

 

Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel

Racing has never felt so real! Hold on tight as you hug corner after corner, skid through the sand, or trade paint with rival cars fighting for position—the wheel simulates all the resistance and force, immersing you in a relentless and unparalleled racing experience.Featuring sleek design and cutting edge technology like dual Rumble motors and powerful Force Feedback, the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel is a masterpiece of form and function.

RRP £89.99

Features

•     Drive with confidence and zero loss of performance knowing that the wheel is powered by the same award winning wireless technology used in the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller.
• High quality force feedback performance replicate the yanks and shudders that a racecar driver feels while blasting around the oval.   

• Real world automotive design with comfortable and intuitive ergonomics immerses you in the action with a uniquely authentic racing experience.

•     Choose the Lap mount or the Table mount to race the way you want to.

My wheel turns on but will not connect to my xbox 360?

To solve this press in the little button next to the memory unit slots and then press the sync button located on the wireless wheel

 

The wheel i have is not centred its slightly off to the left or right?

This is a problem amongst a lot of gamers. There is no fix for this im afraid you will have to just stick with it or get it replaced

Solution

Return it to the shop you bought it from with a valid reciept claiming its faulty

 
What if my wheel breaks or develops a fault?

You can phone Microsoft and im sure they will send out a replacement or if you have the reciept return it to the shop you bought if from

Solution

Phone those numbers to get in touch with support

0800 587 1102
or +44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

 
Advantages And Disadvantages

Ad-An excellent piece of kit would highly recommend the best wheel on the market

Dis-A tad expensive but if you have the money then buy real quality

Prices

Gameplay.Co.uk Price £79.99
Gamestation.Co.Uk Price £79.99

Xbox 360 Wireless Headset

Experience enhanced voice chat with the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset. Designed specifically to work seamlessly on your Xbox 360, this hands-free, wire-free headset employs the same technology as the award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Pair up both accessories for superior performance, freedom, and comfort.Use up to four Wireless Controllers and Wireless Headsets simultaneously on one Xbox 360 for the most intense multiplayer gaming sessions ever.

RRP £34.99

Features

•   Experience enhanced clarity and performance without wires to tie you down.

• Embrace the stylish, ergonomic design that fits comfortably on either ear, with two sizes of removable ear grips for a perfectly snug fit.

• The headset utilizes the same 2.4 GHz radio technology employed by the award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for clear communications within a range of up to 30 feet.

• Take command of the situation and communicate with superior audio quality over Xbox Live.

• Up to eight hours of battery life per charge, with an AC wall adapter for quick, convenient recharging.

• Supports Voice Command for select games.

• Conveniently located Power On/Off, Volume, and Mute Controls are right where you need them.

How do i sync my wireless headset and xbox 360 together?

Like most of the accessories they will not sync to the 360 on there own the first time you take them out of the box.

Solution

Press the little white button on the controller next to the play and charge kit slot and the little button on the wireless headset where the four quadrent lights are at the same time.

 

I try to sync my headset to the contoller but it sends me two quadrent two instead of one?

I believe this is a known issue with the launch controllers wont sync with the headset

Solution

Phone microsoft support and ask for a newer contoller to be sent out

 

What if my headset breaks or develops a fault?

You can phone Microsoft and im sure they will send out a replacement or if you have the reciept return it to the shop you bought if from

Solution

Phone those numbers to get in touch with support

0800 587 1102

or +44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

 

Advantages And Disadvantages

Ad-No wires to mess with just turn on and your away

Dis-The battery life is very weak IMO

Prices

Dvd.Co.Uk Price £29.95
HMV.Co.Uk Price £29.99

---

Eli Manning :D
Healthy Gaming Guide

Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Adapter

Designed for versatility and ease, the Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter enhances your Xbox 360 experience in the digital home, seamlessly synchronizing with the Xbox 360 system. You can easily transfer videos and music to your Xbox 360 system from your Media Center PC, chat with your friends, play games via Xbox Live, and more all without the clutter of wires.

RRP £59.99

Features

•  Dual band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wireless A/B/G home network compatible

• Compact, high-performance design

• Powered by Xbox 360 to eliminate adapter clutter

• Streams photos and music from Microsoft Windows® XP and recorded TV, movies, and videos from your Microsoft Windows XP Media Center - based PC

My wireless adapter wont connect to my router?

This maybe to do with you not searching for your wireless network as it will not automatically find your internet connection the first time you ever use the adapter or you may not have entered the wpa or wep correctly

Solution

Make sure you select your wireless network and enter all of the relevant passcodes and keys correctly and your settings if needed

 
My wireless adapter is flashing red what should i do?

Bad news this means you have a hardware failure

Solution

You need to phone support and get a new one or return it to the shop you bought it from

 
What if my adapter breaks or develops a fault?

You can phone Microsoft and im sure they will send out a replacement or if you have the reciept return it to the shop you bought if from

Solution

Phone those numbers to get in touch with support

0800 587 1102
or +44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

 
Advantages And Disadvantages

Ad-A great piece of kit very realiable

Dis-A tad expensive for what it really does to be honest even though it does it well

Prices

HMV.Co.Uk Price £54.99
PC World.Co.Uk Price £54.94

XBOX LIVE VISION CAM Covered By Mr Campo Above

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player

You've experienced next-gen gaming on Xbox 360™ … now experience next-gen DVD movies with HD DVD. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is the most affordable way to jump into the next generation of DVD technology, along with the flexibility to enter when you are ready. Just plug Xbox 360 HD DVD Player into Xbox 360 and enjoy the ultimate home theater experience with more clarity and detail than broadcast, cable or satellite HD. Feed your HDTV the high definition content it craves with HD DVD on Xbox 360!

RRP £129.99

Features

• Stunning video and immersive surround-sound audio with up to six times higher resolution than standard DVD.

• Innovative interactive content enables PIP commentary, scene selection, and menu access, all while the movie is playing!

• Only HD DVD offers a 'combo' disk: DVD on one side allows playback on all your existing DVD players in your home or car.

• Enjoy hundreds of great HD DVD movies this holiday from major studios such as Universal, Warner, Paramount, Studio Canal, and more.

• Independent research of gamers and players shows HDTV owners prefer HD DVD two to one over Blu-ray.

Are HD Dvd's currently region free as i want to import some?

At the moment i believe most hd dvd's are region free im not totally sure so try a quick google search

Solution

there are many places that sell hd dvds in uk such as HMV and gamestation although a tad expensive

 
Ive set up my hd-dvd player by pluggling it in but my 360 does not know its there?

There is some drivers software to download before you can get going

Solution

Above

What if my Hd Dvd Player breaks or develops a fault?

You can phone Microsoft and im sure they will send out a replacement or if you have the reciept return it to the shop you bought if from

Solution

Phone those numbers to get in touch with support

0800 587 1102
or +44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

Advantages And Disadvantages

Ad-Excellent movie play back dvds look amazing

Dis-You have to have your xbox 360 switched on to use it

Prices

PCWorld.Co.Uk Price £104.94
Play.Com Price £109.99

Xbox 360 Cable Connections

There are three types of connections at the moment soon to be four they are Component HD AV Cable, VGA HD AV Cable and the Advanced Scart AV Cable. Also there is soon to be a HDMI connection through the xbox 360 elite in the uk already out in America.

Xbox 360 Play And Charge Kit And Quick Charge Kit

Play And Charge

Recharge your Xbox 360 Wireless Controller while you play and kiss disposable batteries goodbye! Complete with a charging cable and rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit is all you need to juice up your Wireless Controller – even in the midst of battle.

Quick Charge

Recharge in a flash and kiss disposable batteries goodbye with the Xbox 360™ Quick Charge Kit. Quickly recharge up to two battery packs at the same time. Your Xbox 360 Wireless Controller needs a new battery? Swap in a fresh pack from the Quick Charge Kit. Multiple wireless controllers? Pick up a couple of extras, so you'll always be ready with a fully charged battery that's ready to go.

Features For Both Include

• Play & Charge Cable enables continuous game play

• More than 25 hours of play per charge

• Battery fuel guage through the Xbox 360 dashboard

• Includes Play & Charge Cable and NiMH rechargeable battery pack

I plugged my play and charge kit into the xbox but the red light does not appear?

This usually means the battery has died well it did for me anyway

Solution

Contact ms and get a replacement battery or from the shop you bought if from.

How long does it take to charge the quick charge batterys because its taking for ever?

Its usually 1 battery 2 hours but if your charging both at the same times its 4 hours if its taking long it must be faulty or not plugged in properly

Solution

Plug it in properly or call ms and get a replacement

What if my play or quick charge breaks or develops a fault?

You can phone Microsoft and im sure they will send out a replacement or if you have the reciept return it to the shop you bought if from

Solution

Phone those numbers to get in touch with support

0800 587 1102
or +44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

Advantages And Disadvantages

Ads-Quick charge is much faster than the play and charge

Dis-You have to be wired whilst using the play and charge

Prices

Dvd.Co.Uk Price For P&C £9.99
Gameplay.Co.Uk For QCK £14.99

---

Eli Manning :D
Healthy Gaming Guide

Xbox 360 Wired Controller

Based on the acclaimed design of the Xbox Controller S, the Xbox 360 Controller features an extended nine-foot cable and an improved ergonomic design. The centralised, glowing Xbox Guide Button grants you quick access to your digital movie, music, and games libraries. The ultimate in gamer flexibility, precision, control, quality, and comfort are all yours.

Features

• Compact ergonomics for comfortable play

• Integrated heatset port for Xbox Live play

• Works with most Windows XP-based PCs, provided the relevant drivers are downloaded and installed

• Adjustable vibration feedback for a personalized gaming experience.

My controller is not working?

This can be from a number of things faulty usb ports and stuff etc

Solution

Make sure your controller is plugged in properly also ifs plugged in properly try the different usb ports as they may be faulty if it is a controller problem then return it to the shop you bought it from or Microsoft

 
Can the controller be used with your PC?

Yes it can

Solution

The drivers should auto download when you plug it in

 
What if my controller breaks or develops a fault?

You can phone Microsoft and im sure they will send out a replacement or if you have the reciept return it to the shop you bought if from

Solution

Phone those numbers to get in touch with support

0800 587 1102
or +44 20 7365 9792 from a mobile phone

Advantages And Disadvantages

Ad-Not charging required so not more money needs spending on battery packs etc

Dis-Wires very annoying as you know

Prices

Play.Com Price £17.99
Amazon.Co.uk Price 22.98

I will edit this FAQ when new accessories become available with the help of TR1GG3R MAN,Whagi and the rest of the moderation team

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Eli Manning :D
Healthy Gaming Guide

Campo's DivX + Xbox 360 Guide.

Hello!

This is my short guide on where & how to download High Quality DivX Videos and play them on your Xbox 360.

For this to work, you need to have either Media Sharing setup from your PC to Xbox 360, or an External USB device which you can plug up to your Xbox 360 and view the videos off. If you are going to use an External Hard Drive, you need to make sure its formatted with the FAT32 File System. Otherwise the Xbox 360 will not be able to play videos from it.

And id like to point out now that there is no converting / encoding needed in this, all you need to do is download the video from Stage6, pop it into your sharing folder, and away you go!

The best site ive found to download high quality videos from is "Stage6". Stage6 is owned and ran by the DivX Company. (So everything is fully compatible with the Xbox 360!)

 

Here is some background info about the Stage6.

DivX Stage6 is a place for people who love video. It's a high-quality platform that lets anyone upload, download, view, share and experience everything from short clips captured on mobile phones all the way up to full-length, high-definition feature films. Anyone can become a publisher, anyone can build an audience and every video available on Stage6 is compatible with over 70 million consumer electronics devices from every major manufacturer, making it easy to play back Stage6 videos on your television or portable device.

Follow the following to get glorious HD Quality Videos onto your Xbox 360....
 

Useful links...

Stage6.com Xbox 360 Related Videos

Stage6.com 1080p Related Videos

Stage6.com 720p Related Videos

Once you have found the video that you want to watch on the Xbox 360, you need to do the following steps...

(Its worth mentioning, that its best to use Internet Explorer for the following)

1. Got to view the video and wait for the video menu to appear, you then need to download the video by clicking the arrow pointing down. Screenshot.

2. Click "Save" on the file download prompt. Screenshot.

3. Then select where you want to save it, id suggest the "My Videos" folder in your "My Documents". Important - You need to select "All Files" in the "Save As Type" drop down box. You then need to give the video a name in the "File Name" box, then you must type .avi after the name. Screenshot. The reason why you need to put the .avi at the end is because the Xbox 360 seems to have a few problems recognizing and playing .divx files, if you save it as a .avi, then you wont have any problems!  (Screenshot)

(Move the video to an external device if you are using one such as an external hard drive).

Once you have done that, its time to go onto your Xbox 360 and play the video. (No extra encoding / converting is required!)

Make sure you have selected the correct source of the video file on the Xbox 360, whether it be your PC or External Hard Drive.

The video should show up like this. Screenshot.

That's all there is to it, its pretty simple

Any questions feel free to PM me!

 

Enjoy!

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EnemyDown.eu - For all your console gaming needs!

I’m Mr Campo!

By lowestformofwit

One of the best features contained within the New Xbox Experience (NXE) is the ability to install games to your hard disk drive (HDD).  This guide will give instructions on how to do it and attempt to answer all the questions you may have about the feature.

Benefits of hard disk installation:

• No continuous disc spinning in the tray means the console will be quieter and also results in less wear and tear on your DVD drive.
• Faster loading times which may also alleviate pop-in textures on games such as GTA IV, Mass Effect, Oblivion etc.
• Games which may be prone to read errors work perfectly when they are installed to the HDD and not read from the disc.
• Installing to the HDD acts like a back-up, keeping your original disc safe from damage or scratching.
• Once installed to your HDD the game will persistently appear in your game library allowing for quick launching and easy access if you wish to remove it from your hard drive.

Limitations

• You MUST have the original disc in the tray in order to play the installed game.
• Installed games are also licensed to the console.  You cannot take your HDD to a friend’s house and play your installed game there, even with the correct disc in the drive.  It will only play on the console it was installed from.

Conclusions

Probably the best feature of the New Xbox Experience.  It’s a shame the disc load times aren’t super noticeable in every game but it’s worth installing everything you play purely for the fact that it keeps your Xbox quiet, your disc safe from scratches and gives you peace of mind when using discs which were previously prone to read errors.

FAQ:

How do you copy a game to the HDD?

Very simple.

1. Insert the disc into the tray.  The console can be set to auto load the disc or remain on the dashboard when a disc has been inserted.
2. From the dashboard select the “My Xbox” channel and the first option in the channel is the currently inserted disc/game.
3. Press the Y button to access the game details.
4. You will see the options “Play Game”, “Downloads” and “Install to Hard Drive”.  Select the “Install to Hard Drive” option to start the process.
5. It doesn’t ask for confirmation, it just starts automatically.  Installation progress will be displayed on-screen throughout the process.
6. Once complete press the A button to return to the “My Xbox” channel.

You cannot “background install” a game.  I.e. when installing a game to the HDD you cannot do other things until the game has finished installing.  However you will still receive pop-up notifications from friends etc.

How do you play a game from the HDD?

You can start the game in two ways.  With the disc in the drive or without:

1. Enter the disc into the tray and start the game as normal.  There are now two ways to start a game.  If your console is set to auto-load then the game will start as soon as you place the disc in the tray.  If not, the game will display as the first entry in your “My Xbox” channel (with a nice graphic) and you press the A button to launch.
2. Browsing through your recently played games or games library and selecting “play from hard drive” from the games options.  This will prompt you to place the disc in the drive.

How do you remove a game from the HDD?

There are 3 ways to do this.

1. When the disc is in the tray you can press the Y button too access game details.  You will see an option to “Delete from Hard Drive”.  Select this to delete the game from your hard drive.  The process only takes a few seconds.
2. From your Games Library in the My Xbox channel select the game you wish to remove from the hard drive.  When selected, you will see the option to “Delete from Hard Drive” on the first page.
3. The last option in the “My Xbox” channel is the system settings.  Choose system settings and you will see the familiar system settings page.  From the options choose “Memory”, select your HDD then choose “Games”.  This will show you a list of game data stored on your HDD, sorted alphabetically by game name.  Select which game you want to remove from your hard disk and you will see all files associated with that specific game including games saves, DLC and the new one, the game files installed onto the HDD.  You can delete them from here also.

What is being copied?

The whole game.  All the game data from the disc is copied to your hard drive so it can be played entirely from there.  This means after the initial validation check the game disc will no longer spin in the drive.

So can I rent a game, install it and take it back?

No.  An original game disc must be present in the drive before it will start the game.  If you try and start the game without the disc in the drive it will prompt you to place the disc in the drive before it can launch the game.

Can I share one copy in the house so two people can play the same game simultaneously?

No.  Once you have successfully loaded the game from the HDD you cannot remove the disc from the drive even though it is not spinning or being read.  Ejecting the disc from the console will reboot the console.

Does this mean no more swapping for games with multiple discs?

I’m sure this was a previously advertised feature but having tested this I found it was not the case.  Sadly for games with multiple discs you have to treat each disc as its own separate game.  For example, if you have installed all 4 discs of Lost Odyssey and you come to the end of disc 1, you will still be prompted for disc 2 and still have to swap the disc over.

How long does it take to install a game to the HDD?

It’s a relatively quick procedure taking between 5-10 minutes depending on the game.  Here are some example times I have taken:

Call of Duty 4 - 9m53s

Dead Space - 9m48s

GTA IV - 10m10s

Oblivion - 10m02s

Rock Band - 6m55s

Rockstar Table Tennis - 5m10s

On average most games take no more than 10 minutes to install and will probably be complete just as the screensaver kicks in.

How much space does a game take up?

An Xbox game uses the DVD-9 dual layer DVD format.  Typically this can store up to a maximum of 8.5GB of data.  Most games fall around 5-7GB.  This does mean however that you would only get 1 or 2 discs installed on a standard 20GB HDD (depending on the games).  Maybe time to think about investing in a larger HDD? Some typical values:

Call of Duty 4 - 6.7GB

Dead Space - 6.6GB

Fallout 3 - 5.9GB

Fable 2 - 6.8GB

Gear of War - 6.5GB

GTA IV - 6.8GB

Mass Effect - 6.8GB

Oblivion - 6.7GB

Rock Band - 6MB

Rockstar Table Tennis - 3.4GB

So the majority of modern AAA titles are hitting between 6.5-7GB.

How do I find out how large a game is?

You won’t know until you install it.  Once installed choose ‘Memory’ from the ‘System Settings’ and browse to the game you have just installed.  You will see all files associated with the game including save files, DLC and the entry for the installed game which is tagged “Xbox 360 Game”.  The size of the file will be shown on the right.

Is it quieter when playing from HDD?

Very.  You won’t realise how loud the disc was until you try this feature and if the noise of your Xbox is something which always bothered you then this feature will be your new best friend.

How much faster is it when loading?

It very much depends on the game.  The effect is quite subtle for some games but more noticeable in others.  For games which required a lot of streaming from the disc when loading textures, for example in GTA IV or Oblivion, the effects are more noticeable.

If you have any feedback or comments please let me know.

All the best.

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Xboxholic