Microsoft to cover ‘E74’ Xbox 360 error
Problem linked to three flashing red lights
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The Xbox 360’s infamous three flashing red lights error has returned to bite Microsoft, with the company now confirming that it’ll cover “E74” errors under its three-year warranty programme.

The "E74" error is now covered under the three-year Xbox warranty
Image courtesy of 8BitJoystick
Microsoft admitted that a “small percentage of gamers” have reported receiving “E74” error messages on their screens and – following an investigation – it’s concluded that the problem can indicate a general hardware failure associated with the three flashing red lights problem.
Back in July 2007 Microsoft extended the Xbox 360’s warranty period out to three years to cover gamers against “certain general hardware failures”. Although it’s fair to say that the three red flashing lights problem – also known as the Red Ring of Death – was the main driving force behind the warranty extension.
By classifying the “E74” error as a general hardware failure, some afflicted gamers will now be able to get their consoles repaired under the three-year warranty programme.
Microsoft will also refund gamers who’ve previously paid for repairs caused by the hardware failure.
Although Microsoft has “made improvements to the console” to help reduce the likelihood of E74 errors occurring in future, the firm hasn’t said what the specific problem is.
But, according to a report by website 8BitJoystick, the error could be caused by hot air from the CPU and GPU flowing over the console’s ANA image scaling chip.
Further information about the three-year warranty programme is available online. ®
COMMENTS
as a huge mac fan...
i love my 360 and the games are great. it brings "cheap" hd gaming to the masses, it's a nice little (ish) box.
i did have to take it back to toysrus when the memory card flaps broke, and it never starts up first time, and it sounds like a jet engine, and you can't play all old xbox games on it (please why?) but apart from that i enjoy playing it and xbox live (updated) is superb.
down with microsoft
MS have bullied their way into most markets, luckily most have failed. They have messed up big style with Vista, people dont want it.
Xbox is a failure, most consoles have been replaced, mine twice. They wont release the figures for how many replacements have been made, only how many consoles have been shipped (these include the replacements) not forgetting the games are at their peak performance wise, they can go much further, so every xbox user will have to buy the next heap of crap with tech that should of been included in the 360 anyway.
As far as im aware, the PS3 is planning on beinging around for another 7 1/2 years, Sony own the Blu Ray rights - it wouldnt suprise me if it appeared on the next Xbox console, but Sony will have MS by the balls, no exclusive games for Xbox "720" using a blu ray disk. Downloads only im affraid!! I wouldnt like to have to download a 20GB - 40GB file to play a game, it would take forever to download!!
Haha!!
Where is the old Microsoft?
Seems they have totally lost the plot.
Apache > IIS
Opera > Firefox > Safari > IE
MacOS > Vista (desktop)
LInux > Windows (server)
PS3 > Wii > PS2 > Xbox360
Java > Flash > Silverlight
Walkman > iPod > Zune
Blu-Ray > HD DVD
See the trend, the Microsoft items at the bottom...
About the only things left they havn't totally fooked up, is their developer tools (Visual Studio) and the Office Suite (although with Office 2007, they are clearly working on it.)..

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