At the time of its release, the original Xbox was a gaming powerhouse. It featured a cutting-edge custom 733 MHz Intel Pentium III processor and had its own 233 MHz NVIDIA GPU to boot – a first for any console released at that time. Not only that, the console was also majorly responsible for the birth of console multiplayer gaming because of its broadband connectivity and the release of Xbox Live.
It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the Original Xbox revolutionized several aspects of console gaming for good. Take the console’s first-of-a-kind hard drive integration for example. It seems a no-brainer now but back then it was a ‘Eureka!’ moment for many gamers. The HDD meant that players no longer had to rely on their CDs and memory cards to play games and could enjoy faster loading times as well.
The Original Xbox set the stage for Microsoft’s continued success with the Xbox series till date. They released the console and sold all units at a massive loss of $4 billion, but their gamble paid off in dividends considering the latest successor generated an annual revenue of $16.28 billion during 2021.
Even with all its glory, it has been over 2 decades since Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced the Original Xbox release. Even if machines back then were built to survive an apocalypse, there is no changing the fact that the console has highly outdated components. And what do outdated components result in? Tons of complicated error codes.
The system, like it’s older brother which we covered in our article on Xbox 360 Error Codes, is notorious for its errors which is why we are covering all of them in this detailed guide so that you too can breathe new life into your first console friend.
What Are the First Steps Towards Solving Most Original Xbox Issues?
We would love to head into specifics as much as you, but these basic steps below can save you tons of hassle and free time if you’d ever counter another error in the future.
- If your Xbox starts burning up after powering it on, turn it off and repair it as soon as possible. If you are especially trying to run an OG Xbox after years of disuse, you should be double checking everything power related. Check if you have the proper power cable for the Xbox, check the Xbox’s PSU either by opening it up or checking the model online and plugging it in a safe connection. Older Xbox Foxlink PSUs are notorious to have bad soldering for their capacitors and have full potential to cause a house fire if given the chance. If your console has a Foxlink PSU, get it replaced through Ebay or your local repair shops. In case you have a different brand, try opening up the console and thoroughly cleaning the inside of your motherboard with isopropyl alcohol. If you can get one, a power cable replacement will also go a long way ensuring your console’s safety.
- If your console can’t detect your game disc, try cleaning the drive lens. A console sitting idle can accumulate tons of dust and grime inside and if your system won’t detect your game disc when you use it after years, a dirty disk drive lens might be the culprit. A simple solution to this is opening up your device, taking out the disc drive and manually cleaning the lens yourself. A simple wipe from a microfiber cloth and some isopropyl alcohol should do the trick.
- If your console’s disk drive won’t open or makes a cranking noise, try manually opening it or replacing it entirely. All DVD players come with a tiny hole that can be used to manually open the drives. If your game disc is stuck and your system isn’t cooperating, inserting a safety pin or a paperclip in the gap to the left of your eject button should do the trick and get your CD out. Once open, clean the drive out and see if there are any obstructions that are making the sound and blocking the drive from opening up. Alternatively, you can take the console to a repair shop and get the entire drive replaced itself.
- If your console keeps freezing or crashing mid-gameplay, you need to clean it up and take it to a cooler place. Even the most well-maintained consoles can gather dust inside and in an environment that is already hot, this can result in your console reaching unbearably hot temperatures. When this starts happening mid-gameplay, your game will start freezing and crashing suddenly. The only way to fix this issue is opening up your Xbox and thoroughly cleaning it from the inside with isopropyl alcohol, compressed air, brushes and a screwdriver. Here is a great YouTube tutorial on how to do it.
- If you don’t get any audio or video from your console but it powers on, try using standard A/V cables instead of the HD ones. If your Xbox powers up but you are not getting any audio or display signal, turn off your console and replace your high definition A/V cables with standard A/V cables. Turn your console on again and the issue should be resolved. This might lower the overall resolution and picture quality on your screen but at the very least there is a chance you’ll get a display and audio signal.
- If you want to identify your Xbox’s model version, follow our steps. Identifying what version of Xbox you have is a crucial step to repairing it and modifying it. The model versions are not inter-compatible and modchips made for one revision DO NOT work with another. Since the hardware is also different, our guide also features version specific solutions (such as the pre-1.6 solution just below this) which makes it all the more important to figuring out what version your Xbox has. Fortunately, the Original Xbox community has come up with several incredible resources on how to identify your exact Xbox model. ConsoleMods’s amazing wiki has several different methods on how you can figure out your Xbox version. Additionally, Tinker Mods lists several motherboard parts that are revision specific and GamingDoc lists DVD drives and hard drive brands that were made for each specific revision.
- If you have an original Xbox with a pre-1.6 model, open it up and save your console from rotting away. The Original Xbox consoles with pre 1.6 model versions featured real time clocks but they didn’t do it with a battery like their successor consoles did – instead, they opted for capacitors that remembered the device’s time for at least a few hours without electricity. The problem is, these capacitors were made during the capacitor plague of 2001 where they had a destructive tendency to leak. When they leak, they also corrode all the nearby parts which has brought ruin for countless motherboards and internal parts. We can write out the steps to resolve the issue, but, honestly, you are way better off going through this video that not only goes over the topic in detail but tells you exactly how to remove the capacitor (and replace it need be).
- If your Xbox specifications are lacking, try using a modchip. Modchips allow you to install custom BIOS that circumvents the device’s original one and allows you to install more RAM, more storage and better security in case of hard drive failure. Installing modchips, also known as hard modding, isn’t essential to run the console today but it does serve as a solution to the console’s BIOS errors. If you’re interested, all you need to do is figure out your console’s model version and then get a compatible modchip for it – for example, this Aladdin XT modchip works with the Original Xbox 1.6. Do note that installing any modchip will screw up the LED as well as the normal error codes.
- If your console’s EEPROM chip has gone bad, reflash a new one and plug it inside. To flash your EEPROM chip, you can take the easy way out and take it to a repair shop or fix it yourself if you are confident in your DIY skills. The process is complicated because you’ll need to learn how to extract a working chip, buy a raspberry pi that can read/write it, change the values and then plug it back in your own console. You also need to ensure that the EEPROM chip you’ll be getting is from the same model version of the console that you are trying to repair since they have different data formats. Thankfully, there are guides and resources for everything and also an amazing community at r/originalxbox to guide you. Here is a beginner’s guide to get started.
Original Xbox LED Error Codes
Unlike modern consoles, the Original Xbox did not have innovative solutions to indicate error codes of their video output – all they had were LED error codes. By checking the LED around the eject button, one can determine what type of display error the Xbox has even without a video output.
One thing to note here is that these LED codes have a very specific pattern for their respective errors. If the light is ‘flashing’, it means that it’ll blink its respective color in short bursts. If it’s ‘solid’, it means that it’ll remain one constant color till the end. But for errors like Flashing Red 25% and Green 75%, for example, it means that the light will blink red and green alternately for half the time and then blink green till the end. With that clarification out of the way, let’s get started with our first LED error code – Solid Green.
LED Error Solid Green
- Severity: Moderate to Severe
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Solid Green Explained: This error indicates that there is either a bad video connection or the BIOS is corrupt.
How to solve LED Error Solid Green: First, reseat the cables once firmly and restart again to see if it helps. If it doesn’t, and you are using HD A/V cables, replace them with standard ones to see if that helps. If that doesn’t work either, the issue is likely with the motherboard. Here’s where things get complicated –
Find out if you are using a 1.0 or a 1.1 console by checking our section above on how to find out your Original Xbox revision. If you do, open up your device, carefully remove all the parts, unscrew the motherboard and remove it intact. Then, flip the board carefully and find Capacitor C6R3 and Resistor R7R2. The A18 and A19 points should be around them. Solder a jumper wire from A18 to the right side of the capacitor to ground it. Put your console back together and see if that resolved the issue. If it didn’t, repeat the same steps as above with the A19 point, disconnecting the A18 one. If that doesn’t work either, connect BOTH A18 and A19 and try again to see if that works.
If the issue persists: Or if you have a different Xbox model, the issue is most likely to be BIOS related in which case you can try installing a modchip. Feel free to take a look through our first steps section to check how to do that.
LED Error Solid Red
- Severity: Minor to Moderate
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Solid Red Explained: This error indicates that either your console is either overheating or your EEPROM chip has been destroyed by said heat. If you recently installed a modchip, the error could also indicate an improper mod installation.
How to solve LED Error Solid Red: If you did install a modchip recently and got this LED error, reinstall it and make sure to follow the instructions of whatever guide you are using to a T. But in case you didn’t, and you get this error out of the blue for the first time, immediately take it to a cooler and well-ventilated place and let it cool down. Once the room temperature is amicable, try turning your console on again.
If the issue persists: If the LED still stays red, your hardware i.e. most likely your EEPROM chip, has been fried. You can replace the fried chip with a new one that is flashed for your console or you can install a modchip and circumvent the issue altogether by eliminating its usage. We have guides for both in our ‘first steps’ section.
LED Error Flashing Green
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Green Explained: This error indicates that your EEPROM chip has been fried or your BIOS isn’t loading correctly, with the prior being most likely.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Green: Similar to the error above, to resolve the issue you need to flash a EEPROM chip through a console repair shop or DIY with a working chip, raspberry pi and tons of patience. If that doesn’t help, install a modchip compatible with your console version – make sure to go through our detailed ‘first steps’ section to figure out your Xbox revision and how to install a modchip.
LED Error Flashing Orange
- Severity: Severe
- Problem Category: LED Error
LED Error Flashing Orange Explained: This error can mostly indicate that your components have been damaged – either by a capacitor discharge or by you during soldering.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Orange: If you soldered recently, you already have a pretty good starting point to work with since the problem most likely was caused by a solder splash or a solder bridge. Open your console up and go over the motherboard carefully desoldering everything that isn’t required by your modchip or motherboard repair and sucking them up with a plunger. Alternatively, if you haven’t tinkered with your console then a thorough cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, brushes, compressed air, and a screwdriver should fix the issue.
LED Error Flashing Red
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Red Explained: Your EEPROM chip is definitely fried.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Red: Just like the previous errors, the only solution to a fried EEPROM chip is to reflash a new one for your console using a raspberry pi and basic soldering or installing a modchip that removes the necessity of a EEPROM chip altogether. For both of these solutions, we’d heavily recommend giving your Xbox to a console repair shop if you find yourself utterly confused throughout any part of the process.
LED Error Flashing Orange – Overheating
- Severity: Moderate to Severe
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Orange (Overheating) Explained: This error indicates that your console is rapidly overheating while it’s powering on.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Orange (Overheating): Unlike the previous flashing orange LED error, this one will also make your fans go at 100% speed until your Xbox eventually powers off. The first thing you should do is keep your console at a cool, well-ventilated place to ensure the temperatures are regulated. There is also a very high chance that the thermal paste for your GPU and CPU heatsinks might’ve dried up. Buy any decent thermal paste from the market, open up the heatsinks, clean the old paste with isopropyl alcohol and replace it with the new paste – here’s a handy guide to help you out. While your system is opened up, find the U6F1 sensor chip, clean it with isopropyl alcohol and inspect it for any damage. If it looks damaged, either solder it yourself if you know what you are doing or hand it over to a console repair shop to get the sensor replaced.
LED Error Flashing Orange 50% And Green 50%
- Severity: Minor to Moderate
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Orange and Green Explained: This error indicates that there is some problem with your A/V connection.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Orange and Green: First things first, check if the cables are properly seated in their connectors. If that doesn’t help and you are using HD A/V cables, revert back to standard ones to see if it helps. If even that doesn’t help, try brand-new HD as well as standard wires to see if they fix the issue.
If the issue persists: There is a chance that the traces between your A/V connectors and your IC have been damaged. You can try your hand at repairing the traces yourself using a conductive pen, give it to your console repair shop or just get a new Xbox.
LED Error Flashing Red 50% And Orange 50%
- Severity: Moderate to Severe
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Red and Orange Explained: Depending on your console version, this error either indicates there is an uplifted trace, RAM failure, or a problem with the video hardware.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Red and Orange: If you have an older revision like the 1.0, which we hope you’ve found out already by referring to our ‘first steps’ section, there is a likely chance that it’s a trace error or RAM failure. To resolve the prior, follow this guide to a tee – you’ll need a conductive pen. If that doesn’t help, replace the RAM chip on your console by following any of the simple tutorials out there – it’ll also help you get a nice upgrade over your previous RAM.
If the issue persists: There might be an issue with the video hardware. Swap HD cables to standard ones and see if they help. Some users have also reported getting a RF adapter cord and switching up the video mode as a potential solution.
LED Error Flashing Red 50% And Green 50% (FRAG)
- Severity: Severe
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Red 50% and Green 50% Explained: This error indicates a general hardware failure either caused by an improper mod installation or the notorious leaking capacitor.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Red 50% and Green 50%: If you recently installed a mod, redo it again properly and check for any solder splashes or bridges. If there are, desolder them immediately. If you haven’t modded your console, open it up and remove the leaking capacitor and clean any discharge around it – we have a guide to this in our first steps section. If that doesn’t help either, try installing a compatible modchip to navigate around faulty parts using our ‘first steps’ section.
If the issue persists: Your motherboard is most likely dead but you can still try installing a new thermal paste on your GPU to see if that helps the console boot up.
LED Error Flashing Red 75% And Green 25% (FRAG)
- Severity: Minor to Moderate
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Red 75% and Green 25% Explained: This error indicates that there is some major problem with your Hard Drive.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Red 75% and Green 25%: Please refer to our ‘hard drive related error codes’ section below which specifically targets each potential hard disk error and resolves them.
LED Error Flashing Red 25% And Green 75% (FRAG)
- Severity: Minor
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error Flashing Red 25% and Green 75% Explained: This error indicates that there is a major problem with your DVD drive.
How to solve LED Error Flashing Red 25% and Green 75%: Similar to the previous FRAG error, check out error codes 10, 11, and 12 below which target specific DVD errors and provide their solutions.
LED Error 3x Boot Fail Then FRAG
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error 3x Boot Fail then FRAG Explained: This error indicates that either you have a bad PSU, or an incorrectly placed modchip or IDE cable.
How to solve LED Error 3x Boot Fail then FRAG: If you modded your Xbox recently, the first thing you should do is go over your motherboard carefully looking for solder splashes and bridges and then desolder them while making sure the modchip is properly installed. If you haven’t modded your console, find the IDE cable which is usually attached to your hard drive and make sure that it’s plugged in with the correct alignment.
If the issue persists: Replace your PSU yourself or take it to a console repair shop to get repaired.
LED Error 3x Boot Fail Then FRAG Then Power Off
- Severity: Moderate to Severe
- Problem Category: LED error
LED Error 3x Boot Fail then FRAG then power off Explained: This error indicates that the EEPROM chip inside your system is corrupted (not fried).
How to solve LED Error 3x Boot Fail then FRAG then power off: A EEPROM chip can only be corrupted if it’s not formatted correctly, not hashed properly or flashed with the wrong Xbox version. The only solution to this is reflashing your EEPROM chip with the correct version this time and following a detailed guide to do the steps properly. Alternatively, you can just hand the work off to a console repair shop.
Any Other LED Error
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: LED error
Miscellaneous LED Error Explained: Any other LED error than the ones listed above is likely to be an EEPROM chip error.
How to solve Miscellaneous LED Errors Explained: Refer to LED Error Flashing Red and follow the instructions in the solution.
Original Xbox Motherboard Related Error Codes
The Original Xbox motherboard was a one-of-a-kind component for its time and went through several revisions that fixed its several faulty chips and connectors. This section will help you resolve the issues that stem from broken components and hopefully give your Xbox a few more years of life.
Error Code 01
- Severity:
- Problem Category: Motherboard error
Error Code 01 Explained: This is a general system failure error indicating that your motherboard is not functionable anymore.
How to solve Error Code 01: Unless you are an electronic engineer and are a genius with PCB machines, it’s extremely difficult to resolve this issue. We’d highly recommend replacing the motherboard entirely or getting a new Original Xbox.
Error Code 02
- Severity:
- Problem Category: Motherboard error
Error Code 02 Explained: This error indicates that your EEPROM check failed.
How to solve Error Code 02: If you recently installed a newly flashed EEPROM chip, flash it again and make sure it’s the correct version for your console this time. If you recently modified your Xbox or installed a modchip, open it up and look for any solder bridges or splashes. Desolder any of them you find and try again. If that doesn’t work, you might need to replace your motherboard.
Error Code 03
- Severity:
- Problem Category: Motherboard error
Error Code 03 Explained: This error indicates a general system failure with your motherboard.
How to solve Error Code 03: Similar to Error Code 01, we highly recommend replacing the motherboard entirely or getting a new console.
Error Code 04
- Severity:
- Problem Category: Motherboard error
Error Code 04 Explained: This error indicates that there is something with your RAM chip.
How to solve Error Code 04: S If you modified your console, check for any solder splashes or bridges and desolder them. On a similar note, if you upgraded your RAM chip to 128MB, remove it, verify the chip’s functionality and retry the installation with an alternative guide. If you haven’t done any modification, your chip is fried and likely needs to be replaced. You can either do it yourself through guides like these or hand it off to a console repair shop.
Original Xbox Hard Drive Related Error Codes
While the Original Xbox was the first console to feature hard drives, it had a severe storage limitation of 128Mb. As time went on, this limitation annoyed users enough to force them to mod their Original Xbox to have larger storage limits. Problem is, inexperienced modders can often mess up the process and lock their hard drives or make them undetectable. This section serves to undo these mistakes and resolve all potential all hard drive related error codes.
Error Code 05
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: Hard Drive error
Error Code 05 Explained: This error indicates that your Hard Drive isn’t locked.
How to solve Error Code 05: Microsoft used to lock the HDDs on the Original Xbox with an unique password to prevent people from hacking and accessing its contents. If you recently installed a modchip, and started seeing this error, it means that your modchip flash process had issues. Redo the modchip installation, confirming the BIOS version’s compatibility this time. Alternatively, if you or someone else softmodded your console before, then you need to find your EEPROM backup which is most likely sitting in your E: drive. Plug the HDD in your PC, download and run XboxHDM and choose option ‘3’. Follow the on-screen instructions to lock your HDD and resolve the issue.
Error Code 06
- Severity: Moderate to Severe
- Problem Category: Hard Drive error
Error Code 06 Explained: Related to the error above, this code indicates that the password on your EEPROM doesn’t match the password on the BIOS.
How to solve Error Code 06: Remove your EEPROM chip and reflash it with the EEPROM backup from your hard drive. See the solution to the error just above this one to check how to do this.
Error Code 07
- Severity: Minor
- Problem Category: Hard Drive error
Error Code 07 Explained: This error occurs when your HDD takes too long to boot or times out suddenly.
How to solve Error Code 07: Go through your cables and wires as specified in the solution to Error Code 08 below, making sure the jumpers are in the right place. If you have a SATA to IDE adapter, try another adapter and another HDD to check if any of them is the issue. It’s also likely that your DVD drive is preventing power access from your IDE bus to the hard drive. Try swapping the disk drive to see if it fixes anything.
Error Code 08
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: Hard Drive error
Error Code 08 Explained: This error occurs when your console is unable to detect your hard drive.
How to solve Error Code 08: Open up your console and find the gray and flat IDE ribbon cable that should be connecting your HDD, DVD drive and motherboard. Inspect it thoroughly for any cuts or scraping and if you find any, replace the wire entirely. Alternatively, if you recently purchased a SATA to IDE adapter, make sure you are using a 80-wire IDE ribbon cable not the 40-wire default one. If that doesn’t help, check if your hard drive’s power cable is properly connected and isn’t wiggling around. If it is and wiggling around the cable resolves your issue temporarily, you need to replace your PSU. If even that doesn’t help, take your HDD out and check where the HDD’s jumper cable is connected. There should be a diagram on your HDD that tells you how to connect your jumper wire in different ways, like this. Either set it to CS or Master or disconnect the cable itself.
If the issue persists: Try replacing your IDE cables even if they are intact to see if that helps. If it doesn’t, your hard drive might have just succumbed to old age warranting a storage upgrade from your console.
Error Code 09
- Severity: Severe
- Problem Category: Hard Drive error
Error Code 09 Explained: The error indicates that there is some hardware issue with your hard drive.
How to solve Error Code 09: Check if the power cable is plugged in properly and not wiggling in the power supply. Referring to the solution to the error above, check if the jumper cable is in the right spot in CS or Master.
If the issue persists: Unfortunately, your hard drive might be beyond repair and it’s best to replace it.
Original Xbox DVD Drive Related Error Codes
The DVD drive is one of the most fragile components in a Original Xbox and even the slightest cable scratches or damage can permanently lead to tons of unique error codes. This section will help you identify these errors, resolve them and guide you in alternative ways to run your games without using your disc drive, starting off with Error Code 10 –
Error Code 10
- Severity: Minor to Moderate
- Problem Category: DVD drive error
Error Code 10 Explained: This error occurs when your DVD drive keeps timing out and doesn’t load properly.
How to solve Error Code 10: The likely culprit for this error is a loose/faulty cable similar to the errors before this. Open up your Xbox and find the yellow cable connecting your motherboard and DVD drive. Make sure it’s connected properly to either end and check it for scratches, cuts or any damage along its length. If you find any scratches or the like, replace the cable immediately.
If the issue persists: Replace the cable entirely even if it’s not damaged. If that doesn’t fix the issue either, you’ll need to replace the DVD drive.
Error Code 11
- Severity: Moderate to Severe
- Problem Category: DVD drive error
Error Code 11 Explained: This error indicates that your console was unable to detect your DVD drive.
How to solve Error Code 11: The issue likely stems from a damaged or loose cable which is why we’d recommend going through Error Code 10 to see how to resolve the issue. If nothing else works, try replacing the DVD drive itself. While there is a very slim chance of it happening, your disk drive itself might have gone bad and replacing it might fix the issue.
If the issue persists: You can try softmodding your console which will allow you to play games without the help of a DVD drive. Here is a handy guide on how to do it.
Error Code 12
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: DVD drive error
Error Code 12 Explained: This error occurs when your system can’t detect your DVD drive’s parameters.
How to solve Error Code 12: Refer to the solution to Error Code 10. If that doesn’t work, try a replacement drive to see if that fixes the issue. Alternatively, you can always softmod your console to allow you to install games without your DVD drive or a modchip that allows you to access games that are already present on the hard drive.
Original Xbox Software Related Error Codes
Error Code 13
- Severity: Minor
- Problem Category: Software error
Error Code 13 Explained: This error indicates that the dashboard failed to launch properly due to a missing key or an unspecified error.
How to solve Error Code 13: This error is usually caused by a kernel version mismatch and you’ll need to softmod your console if you haven’t done so already. Here is an extremely detailed guide on how to do it using Rocky5. If you did softmod previously, go through the installation again and make sure to use Rocky5 as your installer if you weren’t using it before. Alternatively, if you receive this error only when you launch games, access your Xbox’s hard drive through your PC and try deleting the E: drive, if it exists, to see if it fixes the issue.
Error Code 14
- Severity: Moderate
- Problem Category: Software error
Error Code 14 Explained: Similar to Error Code 13, this error indicates that the dashboard failed to launch because of a generic error.
How to solve Error Code 14: Problem: Dashboard failed to launch (generic error).
If you recently plugged in the HDD on your console and changed the file names, plug it in again and revert all the changes. Changing the boot order or the names and types of the files in your Original Xbox hard drive can wreck your hard drive. If you didn’t mess with your hard drive, we’d recommend softmodding your console using the steps above.
Error Code 16
- Severity: Minor to Moderate
- Problem Category: Software error
Error Code 16 Explained: This error occurs when you run into a generic error while trying to set your internal clock.
How to solve Error Code 16: To fix this, start the Xbox with the Eject button if your console supports dual-boot. In case it doesn’t, but your system is modded, you can also try booting into AID or Slayers from your PC and then trying to install the stock dashboard on the console’s C: drive. If that doesn’t help, find someone who has a working Xbox, and plug in your HDD to the working system to reinstall Microsoft stock dashboard. Once your console is back working again, make sure to softmod your console to the latest version to avoid something like this happening again.
Error Code 20
- Severity: Severe
- Problem Category: Software error
Error Code 20 Explained: This error indicates a general system failure when starting the dashboard.
How to solve Error Code 20: When this error occurs, it means that your console couldn’t boot at all and could only verify that your DVD drive is responsive. You can try replacing the console’s HDD with a new one that is softmodded according to your system’s kernel version – you can refer the solution to Error Code 13 to see how to do it.
If the issue persists: You can try giving your Xbox to a console repair shop but if even that doesn’t work out, you might need to replace your console.
Original Xbox Miscellaneous Related Error Code
If your Xbox encounters an unspecified issue in your system, the console’s first response is to display this error. This section will help you resolve the issue on both the hardware and software side of things.
Error Code 21
- Severity: Moderate to Severe
- Problem Category: Miscellaneous
Error Code 21 Explained: This error indicates that your Xbox couldn’t boot due to an unspecified dashboard or motherboard error.
How to solve Error Code 21: If this error occurs after you’ve softmodded your console, a reinstallation is in order. This time, make sure that the USB device you are using works properly. If you used XBEShortcutMaker, regenerate the shortcut file as it could’ve gotten corrupted. If you suddenly encounter this error when playing a game, plug in your hard drive to your PC and delete the E: partition if it exists.
If the issue persists: Xbox’s notorious clock capacitor might be behind the issue and we’d highly recommend removing it if you haven’t done so already.