Install, play or delete a game on your Xbox 360 Hard Drive

Overview

This article describes how to install, play or delete a game on your Xbox 360 Hard Drive.

Notes

Installing an Xbox 360 game on a hard drive requires between 4 and 8 gigabytes (GB) of free disk space.
After installing a game on your hard drive, you still need to have the game disc in the disc drive when you start the game.
Installing games on your hard drive improves load times and minimises game disc access.
You can install games to a USB flash drive or to an Xbox 360 4 GB console. However, some games will not play correctly.
Original Xbox games cannot be installed on an Xbox 360 Hard Drive.

Install a game on your hard drive

Insert the game disc into the disc drive.

Note After you insert the disc, the default action is to automatically start the game. If this happens, exit the game and return to the Xbox Dashboard.

From the Home hub, select the game in the drive tray and then press X on your controller.
Select Install.

The Overview tab of a sample game shows the Install option highlighted.

A progress indicator appears while your game is being installed on your hard drive.

Note

Play a game from your hard drive

Insert the game disc into the disc drive.
From the Home hub, select the game in the drive tray and then press A.
Note The game disc must be in the disc drive, even though you have installed the game on your hard drive. The console will automatically play the game from your hard drive, but the disc has to be present.

Delete a single game from your hard drive

Insert the game disc for the game that you want to delete from your hard drive.
From the Home hub, select the game in the drive tray and then press Y.
Select Delete.

The Overview tab of a sample game shows the Delete option highlighted.

Delete multiple games from your hard drive

Go to the Settings hub and choose System.
Select Storage.
Select Hard Drive.
Select Games.
Select the game that you want to delete.

A screen shows the games installed on an Xbox hard drive and their size. Buttons at the bottom are labelled 'Select', 'Back' and 'Game Options'.

Select Delete.

Clear space on your hard drive

If there isn’t enough space on your Xbox 360 Hard Drive, you receive the following message:

Not enough space to install this game. It needs [space needed] free space to install. Do you want to clear space? (YES/NO)

Click YES to view a list of games that you can delete. After you clear enough space on your hard drive, you can install the new game.

Related Issues

Use the Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Cable
Xbox 360 storage
Troubleshoot Xbox 360 Hard Drives
Store your saved games in the cloud
Gamertag and profile: Manage profile

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