Xbox 360 HDD preventing game from reading

dylanbrantley · Apr 22, 2015

I have a aftermarket 320 GB external HDD for the original Xbox and it everything just fine haven't had a problem with it. Accept when I found the that I couldn't get past the main menu in mass effect without the "disc is unreadable sign" I thought it was
the disc at first but after sticking the game in other Xbox's I found that it wasn't lame or even the *** console it was my hard drive, anybody know why this is? I cleared the cache and even installed the game still no dice. I don't have enough room to move
my saves to import mass effect 2.

:)

STANNY08 · Apr 22, 2015

Xbox One "Unlikely to support external storage at launch"

I thought the games had to be installed to HDD because the read speeds from HDD are quicker than from blu-ray?

epic FUZZ · Apr 22, 2015

Console not reading game install...

My 360 is not reading a game install. I was trying to play Tekken Tag 2 which is installed my HDD, but the 360 is spinning up and reading from the disc instead. And also, why can't I rip a certain CD to my Hard Drive, all the tracks come up with the little
cross

Worst. Console. Ever.

Irixion · Apr 23, 2015

If it gives you a disc is unreadable error, then the game is having a read error. The console assumes that the HDD will always have proper (no error) reads. If the game is on your HDD and it gives you that error, it could mean your HDD is starting to flake
out. If the game is read off of the disc, then something else is causing it to give you the error. Free up some room on your HDD and try to install the game.

Irixion

If it gives you a disc is unreadable error, then the game is having a read error. The console assumes that the HDD will always have proper (no error) reads. If the game is on your HDD and it gives you that error, it could mean your HDD is starting to flake
out. If the game is read off of the disc, then something else is causing it to give you the error. Free up some room on your HDD and try to install the game.

IgotTSondabrain

maybe he deleted the system items by mistake? that will prevent your xbox from reading the hdd right, i think,,,not sure about that yet tho

IceStorm III

Games are written to run from disc. Installing the games to HDD does not change this. The games still behave as if they're running from optical media, not HDD. Read error on the HDD? You get a disc read error in-game. If they cache to the 360 HDD, when installed
to HDD they then thrash the HDD as they try to cache from a HDD image to the cache area on the HDD (big problem for Halo 3).

For better or for worse, I would not expect anything to change this generation.

Julian_

Hi! Have you tried to install the game on your Xbox 360? This can help the console in order to read the disc/content from your HDD.

GreyPilgrim-CE541714

The issue with the update preventing games from being read was on a very small percentage of the original 360 consoles, it was not related to the s model.

It seems you have listed most troubleshooting tips for disc read errors already, have you tried running through the steps in the

disc wizard yet or removing your HDD completely?.

You are running out of options though before a service repair will be the next step.

Xbox 360 HDD preventing game from reading