Error message, play dvd when playing games

This is going to be a bit long -- but very detailed, so please read it carefully. There are several reasons that an xbox 360 system will have problem reading discs. The error messages also vary from unreadable disk, no message at all but the game skips, "please insert disc in a 360 console" to "open tray." There are a few reasons this may happen:

1.Bad disc. Check the back of your disc for scratches. If it looks good (or plays fine in another console), then the disc is probably fine. Also-- try more than 1 game to be sure.

2. Bad laser. The XBox 360 has a DVD drive very similar to a PC's DVD drive inside. The drive contains a bunch of parts including a few motors and gears and a laser.The laser is the part that actually reads the disc. The reality is...with all the hours and hours of game play, lasers do eventually wear out. The laser isn't very easy to replace, but it is replaceable. You can find any and all XBox 360 lasers at the following website:

http://store.richspsxparts.com/xb360ac.html

3.Bad DVD Drive. Sometimes other components inside of the DVD drive can become bad such as the motor that spins the disk, the motors that open the tray, etc, etc. You can get a new DVD drive to just replace everything,including the laser, in one shot but there is a catch. The XBOX 360's DVD drive is tied to the motherboard using a software lock.The easiest way to overcome this lock is to buy the exact same manufacture DVD drive that is in your system now, remove the circuit board from the old DVD drive (which contains the software key) and transfer the circuit board into the new DVD drive that you purchase. If you do this simple procedure, there is no flashing involved. The following website carries DVD drives and also provides instructions on swapping the circuit board from the old drive into the new one.

XBox 360 parts: http://store.richspsxparts.com/xb360ac.html

DVD Drive Swap Info: http://store.richspsxparts.com/imnooninxb36.html

When you try to play a DVD movie or an Xbox 360 game disc on your Xbox 360 console, you may receive an error message. This article presents step-by-step guidance to help you determine whether your disc is playable.
SYMPTOMS When you try to play a disc, you may receive the following error message: Can’t read this DVD.
CAUSE The DVD or game disc may be dirty or damaged. Because the console cannot read the disc well, it may even mistake a game disc for a DVD and report this error. If this problem occurs with multiple discs, even clean and undamaged discs, there may be a problem with your Xbox 360 console.
Note If you receive a different error message, such as one of the following messages, the problem is a different problem:
Error message 1 Can't play DVD. Wrong region code. Error message 2 Can’t play DVD. Family settings restrict playback of this DVD. If you receive one of these error messages, see the corresponding Knowledge Base article: 907620 While attempting to play a standard DVD movie using your Xbox 360 console, you receive the error message: "Can't play DVD. Wrong region code" 908645 While attempting to play a DVD movie using your Xbox 360 console, you receive the error message: "Can’t play DVD. Family settings restrict playback of this DVD"

THINGS TO TRY Here are some things that you can do to try to fix the problem or to determine what caused it.

Determine whether the disc is dirty or damaged Discs that are smudged, scratched, or otherwise damaged cannot be read by the Xbox 360 console. You will want to examine the disc to see whether it has smudges, scratches, or other damage. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Examine the disc for dirt or damage: a. Pick up the disc by its edges. Do not touch the top or bottom surface. b. Examine the shiny side of the disc to make sure that the disc is clean and has no damage.
NoteScratches that follow the curve of the disc are very damaging and prevent a disc from being read. If your disc has even one of these kinds of scratches, the disc is damaged, and you will no longer be able to play it. If this is the case, see step 4. 2. If the disc is dirty, clean the disc by hand: • Use a soft, clean, dry, chemical-free cloth to clean the disc. • Lightly wipe from the center of the disc outward. 3. After you clean the disc, try to load it in the Xbox 360 console. If the disc still will not load or you receive the same error message, the disc is damaged, and you will no longer be able to play it. If this is the case, see step 4. 4. If the disc is damaged, do one of the following: • Because DVD discs are not game discs and the disc was damaged because of misuse of some type, such as not storing the disc in its case, the only thing that you can do is buy a new one. • If you feel that the disc was damaged by the Xbox 360 console in some way, please contact Xbox Customer Support. To do this, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.xbox.com/support/contact

You will get this error when your laser is in need of replacing. The other message you will get is open tray. If your system will play regular movie dvd's but not games then replace the laser. You can find them pretty cheap on ebay.

the lens of the disc drive needs a check up...

try going into your settings and family prefrences and if tht doesnt work tht means your game is scratched

Need a little more information on this. What error message are you getting when you try to play a game? Will your console play dvd and/or cd's? Give us a little more info and maybe we can help.

Best.
Bob

Error Codes XBOX360
http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/repair/Xbox-360-error-codes.htm

bad dvd drive common for these to have.