Skip to main content [aditude-amp id="stickyleaderboard" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":865768,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"B"}']

Have a broken Xbox One disc drive? Fix it with punches (Microsoft says: Don’t do that)

Some early Xbox Ones are having issues with their disc drives. When players insert a game into the Xbox One, the system can’t read it, and it makes an awful-sounding grinding noise.

Microsoft is sending out replacement consoles for those experiencing the issue, but that will take time. For the impatient, a different fix is popping up on message boards. Let’s call it “the punching fix.” Credit to Twitter user PonySeeU for sharing this with us.

[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":865768,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"B"}']

As you might expect, the punching fix requires you to get a bit violent with your Xbox One. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide. Keep in mind that you are performing physical abuse upon a piece of consumer electronics and that you do so at your own risk:

  1. Eject any disc you might have in the system.
  2. Unplug the Xbox One console.
  3. Turn it upside down.
  4. Place it on something soft so the case doesn’t get scratched.
  5. Give it three hard whacks on the underside right where the disc drive is.
  6. Plug it back in and give it a try.

It’s that simple. YouTuber David Dupuis uploaded a video demonstrating the method, and it seems to work for him. Check it out:

GamesBeat reached out to Microsoft to ask about this method. Unsurprisingly, the company advises against throwing balled-up fists into the guts of your $500 Xbox One. Instead, it recommends contacting Xbox support, which you can find at support.xbox.com.