Guide: Replacing The Xbox DVD Drive & Laser Assembly

[beavis]

Ok, before we proceed, I would advise NOONE to remove their dvd drive if the Xbox is still under warranty.

Opening the Xbox voids the manufacturers warranty entirely.


A quick note about xbox dvd drives and replacement laser assemblies:
- Both can be found on ebay!
- Complete dvd drives sell for generally between $70-$130 aud. + postage
- Laser assemblies sell for around $40 aud. inc. postage
(this is what i paid for my Thomson laser assembly, from Tech Consoles >link<)



Now onto the guide....

What'll you'll need -

Xbox, small diamond head screwdriver, torx 10 screwdriver, torx 20 screwdriver, refreshment



If you are going to replace the laser assembly, you will need the drives tray open before you start. (To do this, pull the power on the xbox while the tray is open).

If you are going to replace the entire dvd drive, leave the tray closed, just make sure you haven't left a game in there



Start by turning the xbox over. There are 6 torx 20 screws to be removed. 1 under each of the 4 rubber feet (outside corners) and 2 under the stickers.




With the screws out, turn the xbox back over. The top of the case comes off with a bit of wiggling.

Try & work one side up, then the other & it should lift off fairly easily.




Next unplug the flat grey cable from the DVD drive and the hard disk. There are no locks, it just pulls out & pushes in. Same goes for the yellow wires, unplug them from the DVD drive too.

Also unhook the coloured power cables going to the hard disk. Leave it plugged in, just unhook the cables from the cradle.




Now there is just 1 torx 10 screw to remove (between the DVD drive & the hard disk)

and then you can lift out the hard disk cradle

With the extra length in the unhooked power cables, you can sit the cradle off to the side.




There are 2 torx 10 screws to remove to get the DVD drive out.
Front left of the DVD drive

Front right of the DVD drive

With these out the DVD drive & its cradle lift straight out




There are 2 small plastic clips holding the DVD drive to the cradle

Unclip the DVD drive & remove it from the cradle.



This is all you have to do to replace the DVD drive.
The re-assembly process is easily done by following this guide in reverse.

NOTE: WHEN YOU ARE PLACING THE CRADLES (dvd drive & hard disk) BACK INTO THE XBOX, BE CAREFUL & TAKE YOUR TIME. THE CRADLES LEGS SHOULD SIT DIRECTLY ON TOP OF PLASTIC MOUNTS.

Please see the end of this guide for a tip for putting the Xbox lid back on.

If you want to replace the Laser Assembly in the DVD drive, read on....



There are 2 small diamond head screws, countersunk on either side of the DVD drive

With these out, you can remove the top cover of the DVD drive




This is the Laser Assembly

First unplug the white cable leading onto the Laser Assembly. To do this you will need to pull out the bottom part of the black plug the cable slides into. This unlocks the cable and allows you to pull it out.

Now you will need to remove the 4 small diamond head screws that hold down the 2 guide rails.

With these removed, lift out the Laser Assembly & guide rails.




Remove the guide rails & set them up with the new Laser Assembly.
Make sure the catch is open on the new Laser Assembly for the white cable before it is inserted.



Follow these instructions in reverse order for re-assembly.

NOTE: WHEN YOU ARE PLACING THE CRADLES (dvd drive & hard disk) BACK INTO THE XBOX, BE CAREFUL & TAKE YOUR TIME. THE CRADLES LEGS SHOULD SIT DIRECTLY ON TOP OF PLASTIC MOUNTS.



The Xbox Lid
The Xbox lid can be a little tricky to get back on. I've found the best way is to line up the "teeth" at the front of the lid so they go to the inside of the xboxs "frame".

With a little pressure the lid should slide all the way down.
Be sure to apply pressure evenly to both sides when sliding the lid down, don't push down one side then the other as it can be hard to pull back off & straighten up.



And proof that my xbox still works....

(This was taken directly after i had finished putting my xbox back together ).


Hope this guide is useful for someone, and sorry for any dodgy pictures

Disclaimer: Under no circumstances can or will Xbox World (XBW), or the author of this guide, be held responsible for any damages incurred from following this guide.

[Flexbox]

Hmmm.... Okay, so what's with this laser assembly business? Where are you meant to get a new laser assembly? Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper just to replace the whole drive with a new PC DVD drive for 50 bucks or less? You've just jumped into this 'laser assembly' business with no explanation about where to get a 'laser assembly' from or anything. I think if someone already knew how to get one they probably wouldn't need your guide. No offence, I'm just trying to be constructive.

Edit: Also, it might be a good idea to link to the tutorial from here, because there are a lot of pictures that will be pretty painful to load on dial-up every time the thread is accessed.

[katz]

Originally Posted by Flexbox

Hmmm.... Okay, so what's with this laser assembly business? Where are you meant to get a new laser assembly? Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper just to replace the whole drive with a new PC DVD drive for 50 bucks or less? You've just jumped into this 'laser assembly' business with no explanation about where to get a 'laser assembly' from or anything. I think if someone already knew how to get one they probably wouldn't need your guide. No offence, I'm just trying to be constructive.

Edit: Also, it might be a good idea to link to the tutorial from here, because there are a lot of pictures that will be pretty painful to load on dial-up every time the thread is accessed.

**cough cough** You might want to settle down a bit mate. Just because this dosnt apply to you, there will be someone out there that does need this tut. There are cheap laser replacments on ebay for ur information. Just stay out if it dosnt apply to you, beavis has taken alot of time to make this, and his first reply is of someone bitching. That is one thing i cannot handle, someone taking the time to help the community and being scrutinized.

Good work beavis, ive bookmarked this!

[beavis]

Originally Posted by Flexbox

Hmmm.... Okay, so what's with this laser assembly business?

Its a well know fact in the online Xbox community that the Thomson DVD Drive in the Xbox has been problematic. It is the main cause of DDEs and game freezes. However its not only the Thomson, some Philips and Sumsung drives have problems too. Its the actual laser assembly in the drive which becomes faulty, all other parts of the drive are fine.

Where are you meant to get a new laser assembly?

These are available on ebay, specific to the make of drive. Meaning you can get replacement laser assemblies for the Thomson, Philips & Samsung.
This has been mentioned several times (in this forum) in threads regarding problems with the xbox dvd drives.

Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper just to replace the whole drive with a new PC DVD drive for 50 bucks or less?

Exactly what i was thinking. I did ask the question here - would there be any incompatability issues by just plugging in any old dvd drive..... ? I didn't get a deffinate answer. So i guessed that it would not be that simple thinking about specific drivers and drive speed.
I tried to source a new drive from a few computer shows, the same make and model that was in my xbox, but noone could help out.
Next best bet was ebay for a second hand, original xbox dvd drive. When the bidding reached $100, that was more than i was willing tio pay for a second hand drive. Now understand, that was late last year, there are probably more drives floating around on ebay for cheaper prices now.
I then found the replacement lasers on ebay, delivered for $40aud. For that amount I was willing to take a chance. Very happy i did.

You've just jumped into this 'laser assembly' business with no explanation about where to get a 'laser assembly' from or anything.

Fair enough, I'll edit the post to mention something about that.

I think if someone already knew how to get one they probably wouldn't need your guide.

The point of this guide is for people not to be intimidated by the option of changing the laser assembly or the dvd drive themselves. I have no experience as a computer technician what-so-ever, and simply wanted to show how easy it is.

If you frequent this forum at all, you should know of the number of posts made regarding DDEs, noisy drives, games freezing/not loading, due to problems with the dvd drives. People ask what their options are, what can be done? This is a very inexpensive and easy way of fixing the problems.

No offence, I'm just trying to be constructive.

Hmmm, yer, ok

Edit: Also, it might be a good idea to link to the tutorial from here, because there are a lot of pictures that will be pretty painful to load on dial-up every time the thread is accessed.

Not quite sure what you mean by that?

Sorry for people on dial-up, pictures do tend to paint the best picture!


Katz - thanks for the support mate, really appreciate it

[Big Col]

a PC DVD drive cannot read xbox games, so there's not much point putting one in your xbox as it wont be able to read anything

btw i think he meant "ask shane if he'll host the pictures on xboxworld's site" instead of just linking to them.

[Flexbox]

There are tutorials on replacing the Xbox DVD drive with PC drives. The one I skimmed over wasn't as simple as I thought though, because I didn't think about the obvious, the eject button. It does obviously require soldering to get the Xbox's eject button working with a PC drive.

Sorry for not saying anything positive in my last post, because you've done a great job on the guide, Beavis.

EDIT Digital Chaos:

I removed the link for the following reason:

Rule [6] :: Mod Chip discussion is not allowed. We encourage developers and publishers to visit these forums and their view on Mod chipping for software piracy is one that we share as well. No discussion on where to buy Mod Chips or pirated software will be tolerated. Posters will be given one warning and one warning only. Posts mentioning imported games are fine, posts mentioning copying software to modded xbox hard drives etc are not. We agree, it's a contentious issue and there are many cool things that you can do on a modded Xbox but Australian laws have made the sale of mod chips illegal. And please respect our request on this subject. If you have any questions please PM Shane before posting.

[Big Col]

Flexbox, my original point still stands. The PC dvd drive wont be able to read xbox games, unless your xbox has a modchip and you're using a "backup" copy on a burnt dvd. So, there isnt much point to putting one in a standard xbox

[=Maverick=]

Well god knows my xbox is pretty much F**KED and has alot of trouble ( obviously a thompson, what else? ) and now i know what to do, thanks to your guide, i will require a new laser assembly to replace the one that WORKS SO DAMN WELL on my xbox.

A friend mentioned to me that the big grey cable is a 40 type, and can be replaced with an 80 type, so you get faster loading times, know anything about that?

[crimsonhellkite]

I have a POS Thomson in my Xbox I bought from someone. He has a bunch more and I'm going to get him to switch me a new one. This thing wont read disks worth crap.

In the unlikely chance that I can't get a new one, could I put a Samsung xbox dvd drive in there in place of a Thomson?

[Jamie 86]

Originally Posted by crimsonhellkite

I have a POS Thomson in my Xbox I bought from someone. He has a bunch more and I'm going to get him to switch me a new one. This thing wont read disks worth crap.

In the unlikely chance that I can't get a new one, could I put a Samsung xbox dvd drive in there in place of a Thomson?

Yep, you can do that.

And if you are unsure how to do it then you can just read beavis' guide (the first post in this thread) up until where he says "This is all you have to do to replace the DVD drive."

[crimsonhellkite]

Sweet if I get screwed over this guy doesnt get his other 50 bucks and Ill just buy a new drive.

Other question, Would I be able to put a samsung laser assem. in a thomson case?

[Jamie 86]

Originally Posted by crimsonhellkite

Sweet if I get screwed over this guy doesnt get his other 50 bucks and Ill just buy a new drive.

Other question, Would I be able to put a samsung laser assem. in a thomson case?

Hm, that's a good question, i'm afraid i wouldn't be able to help you there, sorry. Maybe beavis or someone else would know.

Oh and welcome to Xbox World!

[crimsonhellkite]

Ok ill shoot him a PM and thanks!

[beavis]

Originally Posted by crimsonhellkite

Sweet if I get screwed over this guy doesnt get his other 50 bucks and Ill just buy a new drive.

Other question, Would I be able to put a samsung laser assem. in a thomson case?

Hmmm, i'm not 100% sure but i would think no. Reason being, you get replacement laser assemblies specific to the make of drive.

From what i can remember, the laser assemblies look different too.

If you follow the link in my guide to Tech Consoles ebay store, they have pictures of all three....

I just checked there myself, and the three laser assemblies are deffinately different from each other. And looks like the prices have gone down too.

Don't be put off too much by the Thomson crimsonhellkite. My replacement laser assy has been going great for just about a year now. Not one single DDE on any game since i replaced it.

[crimsonhellkite]

Good if it comes down to it and I have to replace it myself, and the prices are cheep enough I will buy 2 laser assem. just incase the other craps out in the future.

[Flexbox]

Originally Posted by Big Col

Flexbox, my original point still stands. The PC dvd drive wont be able to read xbox games, unless your xbox has a modchip and you're using a "backup" copy on a burnt dvd. So, there isnt much point to putting one in a standard xbox

Sorry bout the super late reply, but I'm sure you'd be able to read original Xbox DVD's with a PC drive. You're probably right about needing one of those things we're no supposed to talk about for it to work though, but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't read retail Xbox games.

[Pecker]

thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!

Found a place that sells Thomson's cheap and put a new one in with a little help from the above guide.

My xbox is as good as new (at least until this one wears out). So many games I thought had died are working beautifully.

thanks again.

[beavis]

Thats great to hear Pecker!

I honestly believe a faulty or worn out laser assembly is the cause of most peoples DDEs.

Enjoy some frustration free gaming!

[Rylos]

Quick question for you beavis. I'm thinking of replacing the laser assembly in my friends Xbox. I'm looking at the Tech Consoles ebay store and just need to clarify something, I would need to get the 'Xbox Thompson Laser Lens Assembly Parts' and not the 'Laser Lens Parts for TGM600 DVD Drive'. Is that right?

[beavis]

Nah, you got it the wrong way around...

You'll need the:

NEW XBOX THOMSON LASER LENS PARTS FOR TGM600 DVD DRIVE for $15.99usd.

which is just the laser assembly by itself.


This one:

NEW XBOX THOMSON LASER LENS COMPLETE ASSEMBLY PARTS for $18.99usd

comes with the mounting board which you won't need, your existing one in the drive should be fine.

If you do decide to get the one with the mounting board (not sure why anyone would?), take note of the anti-static solder point which must be removed. Its refered to on the items description page.

Good luck with the new laser install.... actually i don't know why i bothered wishing you luck - its so easy!

[Rylos]

See, this is why I double check these things.

Thanks for the info beavis!

[Oyeah]

My Xbox is pretty frigged up. It keeps coming up with that message "cannot read....disk may be dirty or damaged" and games and dvds have a habit of stopping and starting. If I got a new dvd drive and lens would this fix the problem?

Also, can I get them anywhere other than eBay?

[beavis]

Originally Posted by Oyeah

My Xbox is pretty frigged up. It keeps coming up with that message "cannot read....disk may be dirty or damaged" and games and dvds have a habit of stopping and starting. If I got a new dvd drive and lens would this fix the problem?

Also, can I get them anywhere other than eBay?

Installing a new dvd drive or a new laser assembly in your existing drive will probably fix your problem, as it sounds like your laser is struggling to read discs. I obviously can't guarantee you it will fix your problem, but its so cheap compared to your other options (repair shop or replace xbox) its worth a try.

I'm sorry, i don't know if they are available anywhere else. At the time when i needed mine replaced, i could find no suppliers in Australia. This might of changed by now, but i wouldn't be sure where to look/ask?

[Oyeah]

Ok I think I'll give it a try.

Cheers, Beavis!

[Big Col]

Went to the link provided but all it came up with were xbox cables? Have they stopped selling them? Wanted to buy one because im fed up with dvds that keep pausing/skipping from the video store, it doesnt happen on the dvd player.

*EDIT* Thats strange, its working now. It was the same link, dunno wats up with that. Just finished purchasing it (or at least i think i have) First time on ebay, so it took me freaking ages cause i was reading everything! Getting a mate to install the laser when (hopefully!) it arrives. Turned out to be AU$30.38 for me, howzat! Cheers for the link and install guide beavis.

[beavis]

This link Big Col?.... (same as one at the beginning of the tut.)

http://stores.ebay.com/Tech-Consoles

Works fine for me, laser assemblies and all.

[oops, bad decision]

Hi Everybody,
Well all you guys seem to know your stuff, unlike me.
Anyway, I've had an Xbox for almost 3 years. I know nothing about this sort of stuff. Just lately the xbox stopped working and from what I read above, the things my xbox is doing indicate a problem with the laser. I do not want to change the laser, so I am choosing to put a new DVD Drive in my Xbox. I have found a Drive on Ebay that would be good. Its a Phillips and its brand new out of an XBox 1.6. However my Xbox has a Manufacture date of 22-2-2002. Would this Phillips drive work in my Xbox? Man, I tell you, I am freaked about doing any of this, but I would prefer to pay $80 rather than $160 for Microsoft to repair it.
Thanks a million everyone.

[oops, bad decision]

I have just done some research and my Xbox is version 1.0
Will a new DVD Drive work in it?

[beavis]

Provided it is a genuine Xbox dvd drive, it should work no problems at all.

[Big Col]

I got mine in the mail just over a week after ordering it, but havent been able to get it installed till today. Just tried it out and it seems to do the trick well! I had one game that wouldnt load until the 5th/6th try and now its booting up first time! Thnx for the link to the laser beavis!