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Tricks for an Xbox 360 Hard Drive

Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console features the ability to connect an official Xbox 360 hard drive to the unit to store music, movies, games and player information. Occasionally, users experience issues using the hard drive -- either data not being saved at all or files becoming corrupted on the drive. A number of processes can remedy this issue, but solutions should be tried one at a time and tested to see if the issue is resolved before moving to the next.

Connection
- Reconnecting your Xbox 360 hard drive may address any issues you are experiencing. It is possible the drive was jarred or positioned improperly when originally inserted. To ensure a proper connection, turn off your Xbox 360 and completely remove the hard drive. Reconnect it by sliding the back of the hard drive under the lip on the console, then press the front end of the hard drive into the Xbox 360 until the tab makes a clicking noise.
Free Space
- You may be experiencing issues saving data on your Xbox 360 hard drive because it is full. Deleting unneeded data from your hard drive is a quick way to free up space and may address all of your issues. To delete files from your hard drive, go to "My Xbox," "System Settings," then "Memory." Highlight your hard drive and press the "A" button on your controller. Select a category to begin browsing your files and highlight an unwanted file and press the "A" button, then highlight "Delete" and press the "A" button again. The "Demos" and "Videos" folders are usually an excellent place to locate unneeded files to free up hard drive space.
Clear the Cache
- Clearing the system cache won't remove your gamertag, downloaded content, saved files or console updates. It will remove game updates, though, that may have caused issues on your system. Game updates can be easily reapplied, as the next time you play the game while connected to Xbox Live, you will be required to reapply the update. To clear your cache, go to "My Xbox," "System Settings," then "Memory." Select your hard drive from the list of storage devices and press the "Y" button on your controller. Select "Clear System Cache" and select "Yes" when prompted. Once the process is complete, restart your Xbox 360.
Reformat
- Reformatting your Xbox 360 hard drive should be a last resort, as it will remove all data from your console, including saved games, gamertags, etc. To format your hard drive, go to "My Xbox," "System Settings," then "Memory." Highlight your hard drive and press the "Y" button on your controller, then select "Format." Select "Yes" when prompted to complete the process.
Contact Microsoft Support
- If none of the above processes fix your issue, you will need to contact Microsoft's Xbox 360 support center, as your console or hard drive may need repaired or replaced. Call (800) 469-9269 for customer service.

Xbox 360