So since I have posted the following over on the xbox forums and seem to get back quite a bit of feedback that it has solved several others RROD August 11 System Update deaths, I figured I would post it here as well before MS decides to pull the whole thread to make sure they don’t admit that they had anything to do with everyone’s consoles dying!

So my console was completely dead after working with MS support related to the Aug 11 update failure on my 3 year old Pro console. They basically wanted me to send it in saying I had a hardware failure (even though initially didn’t have RROD) and wanted the 100 bucks to repair since it was long past its warranty.

Since I wasn’t going to pay for any old hardware to be fixed that was broken by their software, I figured I would find a solution on my own since their support was pretty useless on the phone.

Since the console was working fine before the update I started to see what options to clear the system of the update. Since mine was not even getting past the 360 startup logo before it completely froze and then showed RROD recently, I had nothing to lose. It was going to meet the dumpster at this point!

First thing I did was use the sync clear method stated early on in the post and several others places in the forums and web:

1. Held the sync button (on the console to the right of the 2nd memory module port).
2. Pressed the power button (still holding down sync button the whole time) until it was at the dashboard.

Mine didn’t say anything, but oddly enough it got me past the logo and I actually could see the NXE dash now. I have not seen this for days (say the last 8 tries of starting the console). That was positive.

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Next I used the 360 Clear Cache method (the new method, since the August 11 update was still in place at this point apparently). Not the long (X,X,LB,RB,X,X) combo.

I quickly navigated to the system blade (thinking I had less than 30 seconds before it RROD on me):

1. Selected Memory.
2. Selected Hard Drive.
3. Selected Y for device options.
4. Selected Clear Cache (3rd Choice).

In my case it freed up about 5 gigs worth of disk space by clearing out the “cache”. Dang all those software updates for games!

Restarted the console to be safe and see if everything still worked. Sure enough it started up, the lag I noticed after the August 11 update was not there and I actually was able to play two XBL games and even some Fable II. All of which was impossible the previous days.

Does this solve all my problems, probably not, but things are working again until the next failure or RROD. I find it interesting that MS doesn’t force these kinds of clearing of the cache if they can be problems with system updates.

Since both of these steps together has currently (and maybe only temporarily) fixed my RROD. This leads me to believe it is really not hardware failure! Does anyone else see something wrong with this if my console lives on and MS was going to take my 100 bucks to just clear the cache on my box and send it back to me!!! Or is there really changes to the latest system code that is taking a border line stable console and sending it over the edge?

This was the first time I ever had any failures on my 360, which would lead one to believe something not right with this system update. I wonder if these steps works for anyone else out there with the Aug 11 failures!?”

I have verified that this has worked on my console (still working many gaming sessions later) and at least 8 reported instances of others consoles (ranging from 3+ years old to not even a month old elite) being fixed by these steps above. Even with complete RROD’s. Of course I can’t guarantee this will work for anyone else’s 360 or that it will last, but it has worked on ours at this point.
Thanks for nothing Microsoft, maybe you would like to test your stuff before releasing. All for new avatar and netflix junk!? Dang, what happens come fall with the Twitter and Fackebook stuff piled on top of this… I smell smoke in them there hills?

It appears Microsoft is updating their virtual earth product with all new imagery.  To do that, they are updating 48 Terabytes of data.

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/01/01/microsoft-virtual-earth-gets-a-48tb-update

That takes backing up and moving data around to an all new level.

Can you only imagine the hardware infrastructure in place to handle that upgrade, roll-out and production support.  I know I read specs on their server farm for virtual earth when they first turned the switch on quite a while ago, but I am sure that has only grown as they have continued to one up Google.

Ok, IMO, Yahoo is a wounded animal these days. They have been the big kid on the web block for what over a decade now? They were it, hmmmm, 7 years ago before the dot com burst. Heck, there site looks like a grand parents garage. Brick-a-brack piled high to the ceiling with everything but the dog, oh wait that is stuffed and mounted above the garage door.

They have some great web guru’s at Yahoo and the brain trust is nothing to laugh at all. Awesome stuff, period. BUT… does any one (other than Yahoo’s board and Jerry) see anything good coming from this buyout? Heck everyone outside of Bill and Steve at MS should be screaming, “NO… DON’ DO IT MAN” and looking for the nearest life boat. 44 Billion is a lot a coin to buy what?

First, it would have to happen and who knows if the government would let this little monopoly continue. Probably, only the UK has the bones to do anything against MS.

Second, is Steve and Bill still really thinking they need to beat the Google monster this way? If so, eating Yahoo does not make Microsoft better than Google I hate to inform them. Nope, won’t do it.

Third, what does Yahoo + Microsoft = ? What would Yahoo’s name become? Microsoft. Just like Oracle, things acquired either go their to die, or ripped apart and the organs thrown about the room and you get things like MS Bob!

Seriously, has MS changed the way the “web” works today? Personally, it just seems like every move they make is a bad copy of what Google has already done. Office Live is a prime example.

I could see Jerry and board saying yes, since Yahoo is laying folks off and those earnings just keep going down the bowl. For 2 years the stock has just kept going down, down and down. Heck take the money and run right. Y A H O O O O… I can hear that tag line ringing right for someone finally!
At the end of the day, the thing that really sits in the mind.

If they really do some re-branding of Yahoo.com… does it become:

• M + OO = Moo.com? (MS would have to buy up a print company)
  
• Y + SOFT = YSoft.com? (MS would have to send a legal letter to Yankee Software to stop using their domain!)
• MICRO+OO = Microoo.com? (Go for this one MS, domain stumpers are easy push overs… plus doesn’t it roll right off the tongue!)

Lastly, I put in my plea for a feeble .01% of the sale price please Bill? Not 1%, nothing dramatic, heck not even .1%… I am not a 3rd world or have curable childhood diseases, but I am a hostage to your stolen software since the 80’s. (BASIC, DOS, WINDOWS……) I know the folks at Parc love you Bill (heck and Steve J).

It use to be the big eat the small.. now it is the big eating the big that are sick.

Update: Yahoo released a small FAQ for this “unsolicited proposal”:

“Q1. How is Yahoo! responding to Microsoft’s proposal?
The Yahoo! Board is undertaking a deliberate review process. They’re going to take time to thoroughly evaluate the proposal in the context of Yahoo!’s strategic plans. This will include evaluating all of the Company’s strategic alternatives – including maintaining Yahoo! as an independent company. That process will take some time, but the Board will ultimately pursue the option that it believes can best maximize value for our shareholders.”

pursue the option that it believes can best maximize value for our shareholders. = pursue the option that puts the most money in our pocket.

Update 2:  Yahoo has rejected MS bid.

“After a series of meetings over the past week, Yahoo’s board determined that the $31 per share offer “massively undervalues” Yahoo, the person said. It also doesn’t account for the risks Yahoo would be taking by entering into an agreement that might be overturned by regulators. The board plans to send a letter to Microsoft on Monday, spelling out its position.”

So is this over and Yahoo better come up with its game plan on how to stay alive before it hangs itself?  I am sure next week will reveal more.

There is a article of The 5 Sins of Vista over at IntelliAdmin.

The three times (beta, RC and final) I have tried Vista it always comes down to two things for me:

1. Has this made my tech life better? NOPE
2. Did I lose any functionality I use everyday now? YEP

Then why the heck would I want to pay MS more money for something that just plain annoyed the hell out of me. Nope, no thanks, passing, please drive thru.

Steve did an exceptional job listing some very key points about Vista failings. Worse yet, how many years did it take MS to get to this? Personally, someone should of dumped and run years ago. Someone should of learned something from the Windows 95 & NT 4 days of OS merging and development. That was painful, this is gun to the head painful!

Last note, but isn’t pretty? Make sure you have your graphic toaster cranked up to max in your box if you expect any prettiness. You might as well take your prom date back to XP.

Mac / Linux crowd… if this is not your chance I don’t know what will be? Vista is DOA IMO.

For those poor Windows users out there that ran Microsoft’s January 2007 security and products updates that had not ventured down the IE7 path yet, it came a knocking for them.

Unless you did a custom update and unselected IE7, you gave permission for it to install Internet Explorer 7.0 on said machine. Apparently in many cases, post IE7 install, users ran into crashes, web site functionality and rendering issues. In some extreme cases, Windows machine that was completely unable to do any web browsing.

Many of the problems are usually related to ActiveX controls and custom pre-IE7 hacks in web apps that just dont work anymore in IE7 or the default “secure” IE7.

A good rundown of the fallout of IE7 can be seen over at eWeek’s – Is Internet Explorer 7 Too Locked Down for You?

These are the days that so many people remember why they love Microsoft with such adoration.