XBox "dirty disk errors"

[polktiger]

OK - I am a late adopter for game boxes. Basically I can't see paying $300 just to play NCAA football (the only game I am interested in).

I purchased an Xbox (used) off ebay. But I am getting regular errors that the disk is dirty. The disk looks like it is in good shape, and I can eject and put the disk back in and it runs - for a while.

Is there a disk cleaner like you used to be able to get for CD players? The MS web site says to wipe off the disk, but has no help if it is a hardware problem(since it must be a problem with the disk all MS products are flawless and never need fixing). Is this just a bug in the Xbox system that people just deal with?

[jkn]

I get this on certain discs. I tend to have to eject and reinsert the disc and most of the time it works. It doesn't happen on all discs. My xbox is about 4 years old I think - and I think it's more of a hardware problem than the disc itself (although granted, I agree since it's an MS product it obviously can't be that... ;) )

Nothing appears to be wrong with the discs - I don't see any obvious dirt, smudges, or scratches.

[Lsi9]

I get it alot and I know it is not the disc...GOW does it to me everyday.
My theory is that the disc is not in fact dirty but that the console is indeed too hot which effects the reading of the disc . I came to this conclusion when I noticed how warm the game disc was after one of these error mesages. I could be wrong but the discs are not dirty either.

[Polk65]

open: http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/c..._that_xbox.htm
clean: http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/c..._dvd_drive.htm
repair: http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/xbox_dvd_repair.htm
bypass: http://xbox-scene.com/articles/dvddrive.php (for modded xbox's)