360 Disc grinding - Info for prevention & recovery

To catch up those who need it, here is the scoop with the Xbox 360 disc grinding issue. When you have a disc inside the 360, the xbox will spin the disc anywhere between 2,000 and 6,000 rotations per minute (RPM). If there is a disc spinning in the xbox and the console is tilted, the disc inside the disc tray will not hold straight and strike some of the edges surrounding the disc drive, thus "grinding" the disc and usually rendering it useless.

While moving any technology while it's running is a bad idea, sometimes accidents happen so most technology with a disc drive puts foam pads in place to protect the disc if it moves, the xbox 360 lacks this fail safe. Pop open an old discman or something similar and take a look. They're in there.

Fairly recently there was a lawsuit filed against Microsoft because of this flaw, claiming there were "tens of thousands" of people that have been victims of disc grinding. It was in this court case that most of the details regarding this flaw came to light. One of the excerpts of the case shows Microsoft may have known about the flaw very early on and took no action. The excerpt:

"This is...information that we as a team, optical disc drive team, knew about. When we first discovered the problem in September or October, when we got a first report of disc movement, we knew this is what's causing the problem."


Shortly after, SeattlePi.com received a reply to some questioning of this issue and the court case:

"Xbox 360 is designed so that it will not damage a game disc as long as the console is not moved while the disc is spinning. Too much movement of any game console, not just Xbox 360, can cause scratches on a disc. That's why we put a warning on the face of the disc tray, which the user has to physically remove before the initial use of the system. We also have warnings posted online and in hard copy instruction manuals."

The warning they are speaking of:

IMPORTANT:
To avoid jamming the DVD drive and damaging discs or the Xbox 360 console:

* Remove discs before moving the console or tilting it between the horizontal and vertical positions.

* Never use cracked discs. They can shatter inside the console and jam or break internal parts.

* When the console is vertical, do not use discs that are smaller than standard DVDs and CDs.

Microsoft also started their "Xbox Disc Replacement Program" Which will kindly replace a small list of Microsoft titles if they are damaged for a small fee.

A good prevention idea is to invest in "D Skins", this is a simple plastic case that fits flush over your disc, preventing damage, scratching, fingerprints.. you name it. A good investment considering average game price is $60. Here is the link: D Skins

Hope this provides some insight and saves some poor soul from losing a game. Happy Fragging everybody.