Xbox 360 Error E79: What It Means and How to Fix It

Do you have an Xbox 360? So there’s a good chance you’ll come across or at least hear about the red ring of death. The Red Ring Of Death (great name) was caused by overheating inside the console. What is less well known is that the red lights on the front of the console can also indicate a series of error codes or electronic codes, such as the Xbox 360 error e79. E codes are so called because, on standby, they start with an E and then they have another 2 digits after it, so we end up with E71, E74 and so on.

Unlike the normal 3 red light error, an E error is indicated by a single red light in the fourth segment of the ring, i.e. the lower left corner. You usually only get this type of error right after you turn it on.
The most common E error is E74.

• E64, E65 and E66 – problem with the DVD drive. Reboot the system and sometimes this goes away.
• E67, E68 and E69 and E79 – Disk drive problems Unplug the drive, reboot and see if this clears the error code.
• E73 – General Hardware Error – Usually network related. Disconnect from LAN if connected and try again.
• E74 – More complicated problem to diagnose. The first suspect is the AV cable: make sure it’s seated properly. If this does not fix the problem, then it is either overheating or a faulty ANA/HANA chip. If this is the case, I’m afraid you’ll have to open up the machine and troubleshoot yourself. My advice is to get a good repair guide and give it a try.

The simplest error to try to fix is ​​Xbox 360 Error E79: Bad Hard Drive. You don’t even need to open the case to fix this one. Fixing this error does not even involve opening the case. Just remove the hard drive and reboot. However, before you throw the drive in the trash, try reconnecting it as it might have slipped out of the connectors. If this doesn’t work, just get a new drive.

Well, I hope I have shown you that the red lights error may not be caused by overheating alone. Hopefully, you will now see that the little ring of lights on the front of your Xbox 360 can be very helpful in troubleshooting.

I recommend that if you get an E error, or any other kind of hardware failure on your Xbox 360, get a good repair guide from the internet. They only cost a few dollars, but they can help you get your Xbox up and running again in no time.