XBox Controller - How I Fixed It

Boyfriend and I don't buy cable.  It's expensive and we don't spend much time at home.  So instead we use my Hulu and Netflix subscription to watch any TV we might want to watch.  In order to do this, we use the XBox to watch it directly on the TV.

However when the XBox failed, I died.  I was determined to fix that damn little box to give me back my TV!

So below I will describe what the issue was, what I tried, and what worked.

The issue:

Our wireless controllers wouldn’t sync to the console. When we tried to turn on the controller, the lights continued to blink sporadically indicating it wasn’t syncing.

Attempted Solutions:

1. Re-synced the controller with the console through the re-sync buttons (the 3 squiggly lines)
2. Turned off the TV and console, then turned on the console first and TV second
3. Replaced the batteries
4. Removed/replaced the hard drive
5. Got super close to the console
6. Eliminated all possible distractions (router, DVD player, etc)
7. Unplugged all cords from the TV and Xbox for 10.20398 seconds
8. Did a hand stand
9. Sang the ABC’s with one foot in the air
10. Wore a metal helmet with a spatula in one hand and my finger on my nose
11. Took a nap
12. Consulted Best Buy

Thank you Google for failing me. Best Buy’s solution was to pay $90 to send the Xbox into Microsoft and have them “fix” whatever the problem was. Our darling TWO MONTH OLD Xbox already needed to be fixed? You’re shitting joking me.

What Worked

So while complaining at work one day about my ill two month old Xbox, a brainstorm session started where the ultimate solution was introduced:

Wired Controller

AND THIS WORKED! Boyfriend bought a wired/corded (excuse my lack of gaming jargon) controller for cheaper than it would cost to send the Xbox in for repairs, and not only were we able to stop the blinking-lights-of-death, but miraculously THE OTHER CONTROLLERS WORK NOW TOO!

What the…??

But really – this worked for us when we thought our Xbox took a dump sleepy nap. If anyone else is having the same issue, perhaps they’ll stumble across my bloggy and I’ll save their day (and $90 too).