It seems like this one's been building steam for quite some time, but it's reached a point where "user error" just seems unlikely. Judging by the seemingly widespread outcry on a variety of forums and review sites, a substantial amount of
Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows customers have essentially ended up with an unexpected paperweight. Put simply, it seems that a number of customers have found this very device to suck the life out of their
USB ports, meaning that all other USB peripherals kick the bucket when this power-hungry gizmo gets plugged in. To make matters worse, these same users are also reporting that
Microsoft's tech support has been anything but helpful in solving the issue, and while you can always shell out even more dough for a powered
USB hub, where's the fun (or justice) in that? So, what's the deal here, folks? Has anyone else been pulling their hair (and subsequently, their other USB devices) out over this thing?
[Thanks, Jamie P.]
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posted August 24th 2007 1:25AM
i used it for probably a good 20 hours beating bioshock and replaying a couple other games and the USB ports are still working perfectly. haven't even heard of this problem myself.
Maybe Microsoft should do a little more R&D on their products before rushing them out the door. I was looking foward to using this on my computer. Alas.....
R&D != QA/Testing
I had the same problems as described with 2 adapters & 2 different PCs. Nothing I tried could make it work at all. Returned to store & gave up!
I'm sorry...but can Microsoft ever do anything right? Does anything they design or build just work right out of the box? Ever? No..whether its the Zune (software set-up?), Vista, 360 (steering wheel issue, heat issue, scratch disk, etc)..there is always some problem that Microsoft doesn't address and doesn't care about. That is until enough people start talking about it..then maybe...just maybe...there is a response. Oh..one more thing...god forbid their customer service be worth anything. That's it..done.
Ever use their Mice, Keyboards, Mics, etc?
They are pretty damn good. Sometimes even better than Logitec's stuff.
Also last I heard the 360 controller is regarded as one of the best controllers, if the the best controller ever for gaming. I don't remember the Pippin controller making any lists or anything.
Of course Apple is so godly they can throw a Laptop keyboard, hocky puck, or broke "two button" mice in with their computers with everyone calling it a revolution in computing and a break away from "the man"
I sometimes feel horrible knowing that I use OS X. It seems like every other Mac user out there has to lick Job's ass and bash every other company for no apparent reason.
I'll admit that Microsoft needs some work on their software. And they need a lot of work on the 360 (43% death rate IIRC. That's bullshit on their part), but I don't see how they always do things wrong.
Rock on Miles! Well said. Not bad on your part either Eric, maybe the two of you should conspire together and we will all get a company where they produce good hardware without any ass licking anywhere. :p
Miles..
"Ever use their Mice, Keyboards, Mics, etc?"
Yes I have. I bought a Microsoft mouse once. In less than 2 months it was broken..
Yeah, I *really* don't get the love some people show for MS keyboards and mice. Have you guys ever even used anything else? Logitech doesn't count - you're comparing junk with junk.
Compare an MS keyboard to an older IBM or Northgate keyboard, or any of the several manufacturers still making copies. You know, keyboards used to be $300 peripherals and there was a good reason for that. You can't build a decent keyboard for $50, even today. MS keyboards may be decent compared to other keyboards in their class, but in both an absolute sense and compared to a really *good* keyboard, they're cheap rubber dome junk.
Mice have received more real advancements in technology over the years, but I have had more problems with the scroll wheels on my MS mice than any other brand I've used. I now have a (surprise) IBM Navigator Pro that I've been using for about 5 years and it has never let me down. And it's an optical 4-button mouse (with an LED-backlit scroll-wheel!), so it's not like I'm just stuck in the past.
MS is like the Chevrolet of hardware manufacturers. Yeah, if you're gonna compare their stuff to a Yugo, then sure, it's better. But that doesn't mean it's "good" hardware in an absolute sense.
I have been using my Logitech Wireless keyboard for 4 years now and it is a good as the day I bought it, and the keys are responsive, nice travel, feel sturdy and the wireless signal is instantaneous. In fact it is the only keyboard I have used that is comfortable to type on.
Logitech mice are also great, the only letdown is the recharchable batteries in newer models can't be replaced.
So before you start calling a keyboard junk just because is doesn't cost hundreds of dollars, answer me how much does it cost to mould some plastic and soulder some wires. As long as it is well designed and manufactured to a high degree, and works fine, which Logitech products do, then I don't care how little it costs.
I use a Model M and if it built extremely well.
But for current hardware I still find Logitec and Microsoft to be on top.
They actually make rubber dome keyboards that I can type on.
I use a G7 and it's the best mouse I've ever used.
Hasn't broke yet.
On my grandfathers computer he has a Microsoft Laser Mouse 6000 or something, and it's pretty damn comfy.
But this all boils down to personal opinion. So, to each his own I guess.
Why the hell do you need a backlight scroll wheel?
. I now sit at home with the brand you call "crappy", logitech, and im happy whare im at, the keyboard ive got (G15, yes, I actually make full use of the G keys and LCD), and i freakin love my G5 (middle click is the second most important button in 3DS, or even sketchup, it controlls your view, my side button is maped to it, so the left/right scroll tilt is no issue, try it some time). ive put this setup through intense gaming, and it hasnt failed at all, my G5 has all the paint worn off the bottom (logitech was happy to ship a new one, yay), and my keyboard had a deadly encouter with an old 1.4Gb IDE 1995 harddrive that knocked a key out and scratched off enough plastic for light to shine through, Logitech was happy to replace the entire board, Logitech has replaced many things for me with little questioning, almost to the point whare i feel they actually cared about me, but still my money (dented cones in X530 cheep-ass 5.1, shipped out 2 brand new ones no questions asked, nothing shiped back, what a happy event). Ive had other crappy keyboards, like the prepackaged Mouse and keyboard that came with my HP a735w, mouse stoped responding, and i had to switch to a crappy cheep Dynex $5 optical, man was that a fun experiance, my mouse would glitch every now and then and spin my view around in circles, was freakin hilarous when i was in a tank. optical isnt very good tech, get a laser mouse, and ditch the mousepad, thats quality, my G5 works on freakin glass tables, carpet, and kitchen tile, its laptop friendly :)
I've had PLENTY of problems with my one of these. Aside from the fact that it didn't work at all with the original software (upgrading to 1.3 helped), if I unplug the receiver, I have to reboot before it will sync to it. It HATES being moved from one PC to another, so much so that it no longer works on my media centre PC at all. The controller just will not sync, and when you finally does, no input is registered on the PC from the controller.
I can't plug it into the USB ports on my keyboard either, it doesn't have the power to drive it.
I transfer mine from one machine to another with mine with no problem.
1.3??? I only can find the Dec 2006 1.1 drivers for this porcupine. I swear, when it works it's awesome (except for the fact that the controller registers the two triggers as one axis -lame- unless you are playing a PC game that uses the specific 360 interface calls). but I have to go through voodoo majik of restarting/unplugging all my usb shit/reinstalling drivers to get it to work again. Otherwise I get the typical: try to sync... get flashing 4 green lights on the controller.
This is totally unacceptable at this time in the USB game. This thing dies instantly when I plug any MS mouse into my USB ports (all from the mobo fyi) It hat usb keyboards and it doesn't work half the time when I don't have ANY usb shit plugged in.
But I keep it because I'm hoping for some awesome driver update that makes it work, and when I do get it working it is the best for playing Flatout on my projector. :)
Haha and we have all these xbox 360 fanboys
I'm glad I got my ps3 wifi was built in I also didn't have to pay $179 and $100 for wifi and a form of hd dvds
And your calling us fanboys....
This has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand...
Yes, but I am not forced to have those features. I'd never use WiFi, Ethernet is much better. And, I don't have an HDTV. And if I ever want them, I can always get them, it costs a little to have that luxury, but it's not being forced on me.
Inside the PS3 fanboys head: "... Ohh, this looks like a prime time, for me, the Evil Dr. Playstation Fanboy User28738392392202889823 to preform my most diabolical scheme to date!" *typing* "Haha! This message will show those Xbox 360 fanbots kahahahaha! 'lol 360 sux im glad i hav ps3!!111' Muhahahahahahaha hahahahahaha hahhahahahaaaa!"
(Read with dramatic, fast paced piano music playing.)
Wake up!
http://www.intelco.com.br - rede
What an annoying topic. The facts are that the box is much less cost effective, and the station has no games whatsoever.
Is anyone shocked that this cropped up here though?
people still defend microsoft as one of the greatest companies ever. my question is why?
i've met more people who are unhappy with vista than satisfied with it.
i've got 10 friends who own an xbox 360 8 of them had red light units.
come on microsoft i dont like you as a company at all but how can you even compete?!
I can say I've met more people who like Vista than dislike it.
I can also say I have much more than 10 friends with a 360 and no one has had RRoD. The only 360 that died was in a flood.
As far as the hardware issues go, how easily we forget the problems of other manufacturers when they entered new industries. For example, I know several people whose PS2's bricked with a DISC READ ERROR that Sony would not do anything about.
However, just because MS is still relatively new to the gaming industry that isn't a good excuse. Do you honestly think they chanced it? I don't think the company would ever intentionally put themselves in this position.
If the issue is a widespread problem it will eventually be addressed. It is too bad they won't act faster. At least they have shown that they are willing to back up their products with the 3 year RRoD warranty.
I am not saying MS is a saint, but when you are on top people are always criticizing you. They aren't doing that bad of a job.
Wow I don't know a single person with RRoD and my adapter has been working perfectly in multiple computers for about a year now.
As far as Microsoft being a bad company read:RootDisk and/or Sony being the only major computer manufacturer to not upgrade their customer's Windows Media Center computers to version 2005 when it came out.
Microsoft does a pretty good job of what they do and these problems are less widespread than they seem. You just think that they are huge problems because websites like this constantly make reference to them. I personally love engadget by they blow things out of proportion the same way as all media.
One outlet reported that RRoD failures are about 33%. That's a 3/10 chance of getting a Xbox 360 which POTENTIALLY could cause a RRoD error. The disk scratch issue was on a single batch of Xbox 360 consoles which was fixed long before the media came arond to claim blood and the only reason you hear more about failures than sucesses, is because people don't report when a product is working correctly, but they complain when it goes wrong. A LARGE MAJORITY are happy with MS products and the only people who would disagree are people who still use "M$" as an insult.
My friend had his 360 over four months prior to me getting mine. He treats his 360 like shit compared to mine. His is completely covered in VHS cassettes in a dirty, dusty room (which he smokes in quite often). He's a good friend with a dirty room that has a working 360 at all times.
On the contrary, my 360 is externally immaculate. I dust it occasionally, lay it flat and keep it in a well ventilated area. It died 5 months after I got it (drive stopped working suddenly). 3 weeks later got it back only for it to die 2 weeks later with the RRoD. At that point Microsoft held it for 6 weeks during which the warranty was extended to 3 years.
Maybe I have bad luck?
I've used mine with both my laptop and desktops usb ports for about a year now and I haven't had any problems, guess I lucked out.
I bought one of these at launch and its been plugged in, and fully operational on my pc ever since. I can use wireless mic, and controller, and my usb keyboard, mouse, printer and mp3 hooked up all work just fine.
You people having problems need to buy new computers, not blame MS. This product works. I even know 2 people who have them and didnt have problems either.
For reference, im running a p4 2.4 ghz 1 gb ram and my computer is 5+ years old now. Running Vista Ultimate.
Well, I for one haven't had a 360 break on me yet, and mine was manufactured December 2005. Also, I really like Vista, except I don't do much gaming because I have a laptop. And I do have this adapter and I haven't had a problem with it on my XP laptop or my Vista laptop.
Oh big whoop, it's a product from the XBOX360 team. What do you expect? Functionality? I THINK NOT.
Someone construct additional Pylons on J. Allard's face plz.
I had issues with mine connected to my main gaming rig. I have 2 internal USB HDTV tuners (essentially a USB HDTV tuner which connects to the USB header on the motherboard)... as soon as I disconnected them, it worked.
I've had no problems using the wireless receiver on my laptop, however.
Meh, my computer can't even handle Halo 2 for Vista. That's what my 360's for, and that works perfectly. So, I won't ever need this. (Plus, I have a wired controller that I bought to use without using my battery pack)
Mine has worked perfectly for over 6 months now.
This sounds like slow news day MS bashing.
This sounds like a power problem as in MOBOs can't send enough power through them to their usb headers and/or people need bigger power supplies.
what is the purpose of buying a game for the pc when ur gonna use a 360 game pad anywayz? this removes the problem entirely.
Some of us have our PCs hooked up to an HDTV.
I bought a wired 360 controller for this purpose. That really didn't get anywhere though, since it has the worst drivers you could possibly get.
No deadzone?
Thanks, I like to run around when my thumb isn't on the stick.
Also it must've been a stroke of genius to make the triggers work on one axis!
BRILLIANT.
@Miles
I agree. I can't use the trigger to shoot in any games because, well why in the world would you want to use an axis to shoot? BECAUSE THE FREAKING AXIS IS MY TRIGGER BUTTONS DAMMIT
balls
i just bought this a few days ago. hopefully i don't have any problems.
also,
enough with the microsoft bashing. not everything they make is candied christ but they do a pretty darn good job overall.
I have had this exact problem in the past, and I had no clue that the receiver was the issue. Thanks!
This thing been out for a while along with that "overheating" racing wheel never heard of this problem .Why all of a sudden ? Will tommorrow Engadget find 6 people in MS forums complaining about the HD-DVD player and report its a widespresd problem?
//Not a 360 fanboy I love my Wii
OMG, people are defending M$
360 30% fail rate (obviously the people responding here are the 70%)
360 Wireless Driving Wheel that smokes when the main adapter is plugged in.
360 Disc Scratching problems.
360 Wireless Receiver problems.
If your 360 hasn't died, I am sure the thought has crossed your mind as to how much longer will it last.
Clearly there are some inferior production/design issues.
Interesting how people pull out that ps2 thing of the past. Clearly this is no excuse for M$.
1. Cite your 30%
2. That racing wheel has been out for how long without anyone saying anything. That is a total precautionary move. Have you ever used a Sony battery before?
3. Don't move it when the DVD is in there. If you take those we would probably be able to count the cases with our fingers.
4. Are there? Engadget even wrote the subject as a question mark. Several people have posted already who have it. 1 has had some trouble, another has had some problem but is hooking up quite a few things via USB at once, and the rest have been problem free.
5. Let us know any of these products you own. My guess is zero. Therefore, your input is totally useless.
Funny that the majority of people who actually use these items on a regular basis continually state how they haven't had problems. How dare they answer a question posed by Engadget...
Absolutely nothing is flawless in life. To expect it is ridiculous. The RRoD issue is more than what consumers should expect with a product, which is exactly why MS added a 3 year warranty to stand by their product. In some exceptionally rare cases the steering wheel may smoke, so they are going to make it right.
I never said that the PS2 disc read error, (or the million other defective products I could cite) are excuses for Microsoft. I am pointing out that quite a few of you certainly have a double standard. Sony has established themselves in the market now with their third console, and it seems to be quite reliable. Their first two had their fair share of problems. Microsoft is on their second console. These problems are nothing new, just a different name and day.
Sure, I will get cranky if something breaks. If it gets fixed I will be alright as long as the next time around they release a new console they address those problems, and they will.
These seems like a fairly limited problem. Most probably are overtaxing their USBs power. Some probably have a real issue, and I hope MS does something about it.
I'm not going to just sit here and listen to people whine about MS like this is the first and only company to ever have a problem with something, especially when the majority of it comes from those who don't own the products they whine about.
I've had one on my 20in Intel Imac since they first appeared on the market. Under both windows (vista) and OS X, I found the wireless receiver to work perfectly. I own this and 2 360's and a wireless wheel and never had any issue's (touch wood). With all this bad news for M$ I am very concerned for my purchase's. Would I buy a XBOX 720 (XB mark 3) in a few years? Thats something I'm not sure of.
I just bought this 2 days ago and so far there hasn't been a single issue yet. I really don't see how this thing can pull more power than my optical gaming mouse with LED's, Keyboard with led's all over it, or anything that charges off a USB port. Wonder if it's only on people with weak PSU's to begin with or if some of them are shorting out internally, causing this problem.
Don't have any trouble with mine. Had it about 2 months.
I've used it for a while, along with the G15 and Razer mouse. What I do is unplug the keyboard/mouse, plug in the adapter, then re-plug in the keyboard and mouse. No problems then...
Still a big pain to do though, especially for a product enhanced for Vista...
my receiver works flawlessly, i never even knew there was an issue
I bought one about a year ago, and it works perfectly, I have no problems with any of my other USB devices and I have never had a single sync or signal loss problem ever.
I also agree with the opinion that problems get reported on and complained about than do properly working problems. I'm not defending MS, in my opinion, no company is perfect. People like to beat up big companies like Microsoft, Sony, and Apple because these organizations have made so much money off of consumers, there's this simmering thread weaving through everyone's minds that these companies owe them something.
Most people will argue that they paid money, they should get a product that works, and I agree with that, but don't lump the company over the head when it's clear the problem isn't widespread. Even when it is across a signifigant cross-section of users, it's hard to deny that these companies have taken steps to appease those who were burned by poor product quality.
Maybe I'm lucky, but I have a 1st gen iPod mini that still holds a charge for a week on standby, I have a 1st gen PS2 that still works fine, I have a 1st gen 360 that has been through the wringer and works like the day I bought it. I've had Vista Ultimate running any program I've thrown at it with flying colors on a 5+ year old computer.
Like I said, maybe I'm lucky, but it looks like people try to find reasons to berate the very same companies their wallets help to support. I get the feeling that if one were to compile hard data in regards to fail vs. non-fail ratios for various hardware products, the results would point out the majority of products would be highly reliable. But like a couple posters said above me, it's only the bad cases that get publicity.
not that i wanna start a flame war or anything, in a flaming topic already
but vista is a greedy sob
my laptop runs cs:s at 30fps with vista
and 60fps with xp installed.
all updated drivers and everything
50% performance loss = ALOT for me
wtf are they doing, the only people who need vista are people who are attracted to shiny things