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Error Screen
The screen for the E79 error appears after you press the power button and the gaming console cannot complete its boot-up process due to a hard drive malfunction. At the top of the error screen, it reads "System Error. Contact Xbox Customer Support." At the bottom of the screen, it shows the error code. In this case, it reads, "E79" and gives the online support website at Xbox.com/support to get assistance with your problem.
Causes
A couple things may cause the E79 error on your Xbox 360 console. Since it's hard-drive related, it must be a faulty hard drive, which means the hard drive is going out, is fried or completely failed to read or transmit data. A second possible cause is a loose cable that connects the Xbox 360 motherboard to the hard drive unit.
Fixes
Xbox recommends that you take the following steps to resolve the E79 error message. First, disconnect all accessories, then reconnect the items and see if it resolved the problem by booting up the game console again. If that didn't work, then you'll have to open the Xbox and remove the hard drive. In addition, remove all USB flash drives, since the E79 error can relate to these drive types, too. In the last step, reconnect all the drives back into their appropriate slots, making sure the cable is firmly connected from the board to the drive. Close and secure the case, then press the power button and see if your Xbox returned to its normal start-up process.
Contact Support
It's possible the hard drive is completely shot, where it cannot be recovered. Before replacing the hard drive, you should contact Xbox customer support as a precaution and to see if they can be of any further assistance to your problem. Xbox can fix the problem for you at a fee, however, you may choose to fix the problem yourself by buying and installing a new hard drive and hard drive cable.