Xbox DVD Drive ?Switch?!

[T-FiNGeR]

Yo all,
I have read alot bout people having problems with their old "Thompson" DVD drives, going to a store, buying a new Xbox, then switching their old Xbox and keeping the new one. The only problem with that is the serial codes... right? Either way, I am having BIG problems with my old Thompson drive lately, and I need to fix it NOW. So i thought about buying a new Xbox, opening it up, switching the two DVD drives around, and then returning the new Xbox that contains the old DVD drive. I now doing this isn't being 100% honest BUT im outta $cash$ and need a new DVD drive FAST... cuz my games are skippin and slowin down on me. Anyways, I was wonderin if by switching my old DVD drive with a new DVD drive, will there be any way for the store to figure out I did this? If I decide to do this, I will be very careful with the feet(ive opened an Xbox up b4) and try to fix the label on the bottom after I open it. I would really appreciate any info you guys have, THX.

Later Peeps,

[Reclaimer]

You can't completely swap drives out from what I know. The bios for an xbox that has a thompson drive, expects to see a thompson drive when the drive reports in during the "POST". There's something in the firmware of the drive that checks against what the bios has. That means whatever series of Xbox you have, with whatever optical drive.. the drives are not interchangable.
In short, the xbox has a conventional security measure to secure against just that.

I am not going to condone you swapping drives and defrauding a store. That's what it boils down to in the long run, and in the past we shut down threads that discuss these manners.

Here is something that you can do. Since you already opened your xbox, search on the internet, or just go here..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20385&item=8106850985&rd=1
Order the laser assembly for under 20 dollars, and do it yourself.
From the people I talked to, it's easy, no soldering involved, and it takes a small screwdriver.

[T-FiNGeR]

Thx for the info man!

Later,

[Variation-XBA]

And your the reason that my store never returns open merchandise

[Brutus]

Yo all,
I have read alot bout people having problems with their old "Thompson" DVD drives, going to a store, buying a new Xbox, then switching their old Xbox and keeping the new one. The only problem with that is the serial codes... right? Either way, I am having BIG problems with my old Thompson drive lately, and I need to fix it NOW. So i thought about buying a new Xbox, opening it up, switching the two DVD drives around, and then returning the new Xbox that contains the old DVD drive. I now doing this isn't being 100% honest BUT im outta $cash$ and need a new DVD drive FAST... cuz my games are skippin and slowin down on me. Anyways, I was wonderin if by switching my old DVD drive with a new DVD drive, will there be any way for the store to figure out I did this? If I decide to do this, I will be very careful with the feet(ive opened an Xbox up b4) and try to fix the label on the bottom after I open it. I would really appreciate any info you guys have, THX.

Later Peeps,
No. Once you break the seal, you can't return that thing anywhere.
They could really care less about the Serial #.
No! Wait! When I bought my Box they Jotted down my Boxes Serial # and coded it exactly with that sell! I was quite shocked! When I asked them about it, they turned on me and said they were watching me leave my house by satelite and that they weren't going to let me return that on!
Just put the old one in the new box!
Or if you're like me, you've been playing on the same box for about 2.54 years & could never see yourself get rid of all of those tunes and game saves.
Take it to your Local Computer Shop. They'll whip you up either a New Dvd eye (Probably what it is, off center) A new drive, or just clean the thing for you!
That made me a happy man!