Has your Xbox 360 been plagued by the recently emerging E74 error? Microsoft’s now going to include it as part of the special three-year warranty.
Microsoft last month stated that the E74 error that recently fell many Xbox 360 was unrelated to the three flashing red lights (also known as the Red Ring of Death).
“E74 is a general hardware error on Xbox 360 indicated by a single red flashing light in the Xbox Ring of Light and an error message visible on the television. This error is unrelated to the three flashing red lights error and there is not a single root cause,” Microsoft said in a statement released in March 2009.
This means that customers who experienced this error outside of his or her one-year console warranty had to pay for any repairs for the console. This understandably upset the Xbox 360 community, as it saw many consoles inexplicably keel over and die for no apparently user-related reason.
Microsoft today changed its tune on the E74 error, now including it as part of the three-year extended warranty that previously only covered the three flashing red lights error.
“While the majority of Xbox 360 owners continue to have a great experience with their console, we are aware that a very small percentage of our customers have reported receiving an error that displays "E74" on their screen,” read a Microsoft statement released to Kotaku. “After investigating the issue, we have determined that the E74 error message can indicate the general hardware failure that is associated with three flashing red lights error on the console. As a result, we have decided to cover repairs related to the E74 error message under our three-year warranty program for certain general hardware failures that was announced in July 2007.”
Those who have already sent in and paid for repairs for their Xbox 360s will be receiving a refund shortly.