Microsoft Stores Providing On-Site Xbox Repair

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Microsoft Stores will repair Xbox 360 consoles right there in the shop.

Has the Red Ring of Death got you down? Has it seized up your Xbox 360 without any relief? What about that long list of other failures that seem to plague Microsoft's current console? Fear not, as soon gamers just like you will be able to waltz into a local Microsoft Store and tell tech support exactly what they can do with that Xbox 360. That's right, fix the darn thing, and fix it real good.

Conrad Zimmerman of Destructoid is reporting that Microsoft opened its very first store in Scottsdale, Arizona yesterday. After walking in and checking out what the store had to offer, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Microsoft is now offering in-store repairs for the finicky console.

"Microsoft stores will be equipped to handle some basic repair tasks," he said. "All you have to do is walk in the store with your console, drop it off at the Answers Desk and a Microsoft Store employee will then diagnose the issue that you're having. If it's something simple--such as a faulty power supply causing the Red Ring of Death--they'll rectify the situation immediately."

He added that if it can't be repaired within the store, the main distribution center is notified. Consumers are thus sent a replacement unit immediately. That's a good thing for angry consumers not willing to wait forever for repairs. Then again, Microsoft hasn't erected new stores on every street corner like CVS, either.

Kevin Parrish

Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then, he’s loved all things PC-related and cool gadgets ranging from the New Nintendo 3DS to Android tablets. He is currently a contributor at Digital Trends, writing about everything from computers to how-to content on Windows and Macs to reviews of the latest laptops from HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more. 

14 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jecht
    I've never had a problem with my xbox but this sure will be nice to have if I ever do
    Reply
  • maigo
    they put it in an oven for 20 minutes? good for them
    Reply
  • hakesterman
    I highly doubt they do the oven trick, if you go through all the trouble of takeing the console apart to get to the motherboard, it's just as easy to replace the MB. The board itself is probably $ 30.00 or less.

    Reply
  • PodSix
    hakestermanI highly doubt they do the oven trick, if you go through all the trouble of takeing the console apart to get to the motherboard, it's just as easy to replace the MB. The board itself is probably $ 30.00 or less.
    I wouldn't doubt if this is exactly what's being done. Swapping refurbished boards in broken consoles while sending your old MB back to be refurbished and taking apart the console isn't too too bad, once you get used to it you can have the MB out in 10 mins. The real pain is the damn clamshell casing but they have a specialized tool for that which i also bought on ebay. Makes it a hell of a lot easier.
    Reply
  • maigo
    hakestermanI highly doubt they do the oven trick, if you go through all the trouble of takeing the console apart to get to the motherboard, it's just as easy to replace the MB. The board itself is probably $ 30.00 or less.
    sorry bro, wont work
    1) new boxes have onboard memory
    2) dvd drives/boards are matched, there 10-20 dvds and at least 5 board revisions
    Reply
  • anamaniac
    Great.

    Last one fried, and this one eats discs... so come build a Microsoft store nearby please. =D
    Reply
  • cybrcatter
    This may possibly be a huge factor in bringing foot traffic into the store.
    Think of all the people in the surrounding area-ASU has 50k students alone-that have Xbox360s. If even a small portion of those owners have issues, that would be relatively huge for this single store in the area.
    Reply
  • Neog2
    maigosorry bro, wont work1) new boxes have onboard memory 2) dvd drives/boards are matched, there 10-20 dvds and at least 5 board revisions
    Yes for us normal consumers this might be true, but microsoft has
    the ability to reasign the keys. I have sent several red ring of
    death boxes in, before I sent it in with my $125 I marked the motherboard, and the dvd drive. Alot of the time I recieve the
    same dvd rom back, with a different motherboard.

    Just because the scene cant change drives without spoofing doesnt
    mean big daddy cant.
    Reply
  • denroy33
    Just had to send the 360 off. It can back within 9 days. A pain in the butt, but fast turnaround. This was with me sending myself at the UPS store with shipping label downloaded from Microsoft.
    Reply
  • xophaser
    that is going to be a long line
    Reply