# Xbox 360 elite error: 74 | how do i fix it?



## Ripknot

I was playing my 360 elite and I saw green and red streaks over the screen. I restart the 360 elite and I get the error: E 74 on the screen but, when i take out my hdmi cable out and restart the 360 elite it runs perfect but no display. Then I put the hdmi cable back in it goes to the error: E 74

It is because of a video hardware failure. I have researched it and it sounds like the buffers for the GPU heat sink needs to be replaced and the thermal paste... 

My question is that is this true? So I stripped it down to the motherboard. Nothing looks wrong and i take it as a heat problem.

If you heard of the towel trick. You will know what I am talking about. wrap it in towels and overheat it! (says it temporary) Sounds crazy i did it with it open and the fan unplugged in till I was to scared of it getting fried so i turned it off and let it cool. IT WORKED, for that one moment... then the streaks happened again!

I guess i will just get new buffers for the heat sinks and replace the thermal paste.

I will post some pictures if requested.

If you have any advice PLEAZ post :grin:

Thank you in advance,

Ripknot (Matt)


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## Steviee

Hi Ripknot

E74 Error is a AV cable Error



> E74: AV cable error... There is a problem with the AV cable, try using a different AV cable. If the cable is known to be working then there is a 90% chance it's a scaler chip problem (the "ANA" or "HANA" chip connected directly to the AV cable) in rare cases it is the GPU.


This comes from the Microsoft site

You could try to help the problem yourself by :




> 1. Shut down your console
> 2. Unplug all cabels
> 3. Plug in all cabels.
> 4. Turn on your console
> 
> If that did not fix the problem try this.
> 
> 1. Turn off your console
> 2. Remove all extra stuff Example,Xbox 360 controllers, Xbox 360 memory chips and the Xbox hard drive.
> 3. When finished do your Xbox on again to see what actually does not work anymore.


I don't know if i can link websites but i heard this Youtube link is very helpfull

YouTube - xbox 360 how to fix error E 74


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## Ripknot

Ok I opened it and tried "The penny Trick" and put washers on for more pressure with some thermal paste. (After cleaning it off) put it together THE THREE RED RINGS OF DEATH NOW!  so them I took the washers off and put the X-clamps back on. I didn't notice how ever the X-clamps did slipped a little (sounded like it clicked, like a not so fit position) started it up and NOW I only get 3 red rings of death and nothing runs... no fans are runnign and the disk drive wont open. the battery goes orange/yellow the switches to red i a 0.5 seconds nothing happens...

"excuse my gramma and mis-spells" 

Thank you, (!I WILL TAKE ANYTHING YOU GUYS GOT!)

Ripknot (Matt)


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## McNinja

Did you re apply Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste?


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## firefightjason

after cleaning it id imagine so.


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## 40sondacurb

The component may already be shot.

You know... if you didn't break the warranty by opening it up MS would have fixed it for you at no shipping or repair cost.


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## Ripknot

Its fine, I got a warrenty anyways being repair as we speak


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## 40sondacurb

OK, when you said you opened it up I thought you cut the sticker.


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## JeremyC

40sondacurb said:


> OK, when you said you opened it up I thought you cut the sticker.


M$ has been known to let you repair it for free. Ive been hearing for the past few years that they have been repairing RROD when people use the Xclamp. My old boss did so a few month back. M$ has been pretty lenient when it comes to things that they knew would screw up.


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## Ripknot

40sondacurb said:


> OK, when you said you opened it up I thought you cut the sticker.


nope, i didn't, why would anyone do that? it's kinda like "shoot my self now" if i did

it's cool should be on it way back

thanx,

Ripknot (Matt)


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## Carey7090

I had the same problem...odds are the encoder chip is either fried or the soldering has come undone. This problem has been quite common since I think about March or so. There's been a swift rise in E74 errors since one of the most recent system updates. I'm not sure if MS covers E74 errors or not. I ended up getting a new system anyway. One of the Jasper units...I'd recommend doing that to be honest. They're a lot quieter, and they don't run as hot as the old units. The old units were doomed from the start. The encoder chip is placed right in the direct path of the hot air flow from the CPU and GPU heat syncs. I honestly don't understand how such a design flaw made it past their engineering department.


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## Chulo

Just a heads, up, Microsoft won't be sending anymore boxes, you're on your own finding a box, you can just print out the label that you will paste on the box so there is no shipping charges.


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## xKLoW

I was also seeking some help on this error. What is happening to my xbox 360 elite when i turn it on the green light in the center turns on but the lights dont flash green around the ring but the fans turn on and the cd tray will open and close just fine, but i will have no sound and no video. when i turn the xbox off and on and after doing that about 4 or 5 times then the xbox turns on and i can play it. sometimes it takes 10 times of turning on and off till it will turn on. But sometimes as i am turning it off and on i will get an error 74 then i turn it off and back on and the xbox usally comes on ok. i am just having trouble with it when i havent played it till the next day and go to turn it on. once i get it to start up i can play all night and no red lights and it plays just fine no resetting and no freezing. This system is only like 4 months old brand new still not much play time on it either because i bought it just before i moved and had to unpack everything so not much playing time at all. any help would be aweswome thanks..


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## Carey7090

I would recommend you send it back. It sounds like a piece of hardware is failing. Possibly the GPU or the sound card, as you said the sound doesn't work right. But the best thing you can do is send it back, you should have at least a 1 year factory warranty on it (assuming you bought it brand new and not refurb.). Most errors regarding E74 and a red ring are related to the soldering coming undone on the bottom of a chip. 

The GPU is usually the culprit, but in other cases it can be the CPU or the encoder chip. If the soldering comes undone, you can fix it with the towel trick (look it up "RROD towel trick" on Youtube) you can also fix it with a heat gun and place a penny on top of the chip. Or even the X clamp fix, which doesn't involve much heat. If you wanna fix it yourself, I'd recommend looking up some videos on Youtube. Lots of people have done many different kinds of repairs.

But if you still have a warranty, USE IT. Because keep in mind that attempting to fix the Xbox 360 console with little or no knowledge of it's working, can ruin it completely causing you have to buy a new one.



xKLoW said:


> I was also seeking some help on this error. What is happening to my xbox 360 elite when i turn it on the green light in the center turns on but the lights dont flash green around the ring but the fans turn on and the cd tray will open and close just fine, but i will have no sound and no video. when i turn the xbox off and on and after doing that about 4 or 5 times then the xbox turns on and i can play it. sometimes it takes 10 times of turning on and off till it will turn on. But sometimes as i am turning it off and on i will get an error 74 then i turn it off and back on and the xbox usally comes on ok. i am just having trouble with it when i havent played it till the next day and go to turn it on. once i get it to start up i can play all night and no red lights and it plays just fine no resetting and no freezing. This system is only like 4 months old brand new still not much play time on it either because i bought it just before i moved and had to unpack everything so not much playing time at all. any help would be aweswome thanks..


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## Tux

I've done this to about a thousand 360's and they work fine after I fix them, after you put the heatsinks and thermal paste on, disconect the fan and let the 360 overheat untill to two red light appear then turn it off reconect the the fan and wait for it to cool off for several minutes, and it should be ready to go.


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