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    Manually eject your Xbox 360 console disc tray

    Overview

    This page describes how to manually eject the disc tray from your Xbox 360 console when the eject button doesn’t work.

    Solutions

    Topics

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    Xbox 360 E console: How to manually eject the disc tray
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    Xbox 360 S console: How to manually eject the disc tray
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    Original Xbox 360 console: How to manually eject the disc tray

    Xbox 360 E console: How to manually eject the disc tray

    Follow the step-by-step instructions below.

    Follow these steps to manually eject the disc tray:

    1. Disconnect the power cord and any other cables connected to the console.
    Arrows show the cords getting unplugged between an Xbox console, power supply and power point.
    1. Uncoil a large paper clip.
    2. Note A standard-sized paper clip is not long enough to eject the disk. You must use a large paper clip because it must be inserted about nearly 4 centimetres (1.5 inches) to eject the disc successfully.

    Two paper clips, with the outside end of one of them bent away to make a long straight arm.
    1. Position the console horizontally, as you would position a DVD player.
    2. Find the yellow sticker behind the vents on the left side of the console.
    3. Insert the straight end of the paper clip into the eject hole, which is located in the centre of the yellow sticker (as shown in the picture below).
    A hand inserts a paper clip bent to have a long arm into the eject hole on the side of an Xbox 360 E console.
    1. The disc tray should pop out slightly. Pull the tray out the rest of the way with your fingers.

      Note If a disc is in the tray, make sure that it is not sticky and does not have a label that might prevent the tray from opening again in the future.

    Stickers and a bandage are stuck to the top of an Xbox compact disc.

    Xbox 360 S console: How to manually eject the disc tray

    Watch a video to learn how to do this, or follow the step-by-step instructions below.

    Watch this video

    Follow these steps to manually eject the disc tray:

    1. Disconnect the power cord and any other cables connected to the console.
    Arrows emphasise hands unplugging the cords between an Xbox console, power supply and power point.
    1. Uncoil a large paper clip.
    2. Note A standard-sized paper clip is not long enough to eject the disk. You must use a large paper clip because it must be inserted about nearly 4 centimetres (1.5 inches) to eject the disc successfully.

    Two paper clips, with the outside end of one of them bent away to make a long straight arm.
    1. Position the console horizontally, as you would position a DVD player.
    2. Find the eject hole behind the vents on the left side of the console. It’s about 2.25 inches (just over 5.7 cm) back from the front edge of the console).
    3. Insert the straight end of the paper clip into the eject hole (as shown in the picture below).
    A hand inserts a paper clip bent to have a long arm into the eject hole on the top (or side) of an Xbox console.
    1. The disc tray should pop out slightly. Pull the tray out the rest of the way with your fingers.
    2. Note If a disc is in the tray, make sure that it is not sticky and does not have a label that might prevent the tray from opening again in the future.

    Stickers and a bandage are stuck to the top of an Xbox compact disc.

    Original Xbox 360 console: How to manually eject the disc tray

    Remove the faceplate

    First you need to remove your console’s faceplate. Here’s how:

    1. Unplug the power and A/V cables from the back of your console.
    Arrows show audio-visual cables and the power source cable disconnected from an Original Xbox 360 console.
    1. Position your console horizontally, as you would position a DVD player.
    2. While holding your console firmly, push the faceplate away from the console with your thumbs.
    3. Note You will need to use some force to remove the faceplate.

    One hand pries the faceplate away from the Original Xbox 360 console as the other hand braces against the console body. Two hands pry the faceplate away from the console.

    Manually eject the disc tray

    1. Unplug the power and A/V cables from the back of your console.
    Two paper clips, with the outside end of one of them bent away to make a long straight arm.
    1. If your console has a hole below the right side of the disc drive, insert the straight end of the paper clip into the hole as shown in the picture below.
    2. If your console does not have the hole pictured below, skip to step 5.

    An arrow emphasises the location on the back of an Original Xbox 360 as the end of a paper clip is inserted into the eject hole near the centre.
    1. Push the paper clip until you feel some resistance (about 1 inch or 2.5 cm into the hole).
    A cut-away view shows the end of a paper clip inserted into the eject hole of a console and touching a gear inside.
    1. If you’re successful, the disc tray will pop out slightly. Pull the tray out the rest of the way with your fingers and skip to step 9. If the disc tray does not open, try the next step.
    2. Find the two holes below the left side of the disc drive, and insert the paper clip into the hole on the left.
    An arrow emphasises the location on the back of an Original Xbox 360 as the end of a paper clip is inserted into the eject hole near the right side.
    1. Push the paper clip until you feel some resistance (about 1 inch or 2.5 cm into the hole).
    2. Note Make sure you are pushing the gear mechanism and not the metal plate.

    A cut-away view shows the end of a paper clip inserted into the eject hole of a console and touching a gear inside.
    1. If you’re successful, the disc tray will pop out slightly. Pull the tray out the rest of the way with your fingers and skip to step 9.
    2. If the disc drive is still stuck closed, insert the paper clip into the adjacent hole (to the right) and push again. If you’re successful, the disc tray will pop out slightly.
    3. Plug the power cord into the back of the console. Press the eject button to open and close the disc drive. If the disc drive works properly, reattach the console faceplate.
    4. Note If a disc is in the tray, make sure that it is not sticky and does not have a label that might prevent the tray from opening again in the future.

    Stickers and a bandage are stuck to the top of an Xbox compact disc.

    Related Issues

    Xbox Disc Drive Solution
    Xbox 360 game replacement
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