Problem with my xbox 360.

[HackersForTheWin]

I just got xbox live gold 2 days ago, and I've been doing nothing with it but playing halo 3 live. Yesterday, after a match of Double Team on Matchmaking, A popup informed me that "this disc is unreadable" and proceeded to kick me to the xbox 360 dashboard.

I've reset the console, and the menu's and everything work fine, but when I try to play the "GAME" part of the game, the same popup kicks me off.

What I've tried
-----------------------------------

Let console cool off, may be overheating: Nothing
Tried with several different Halo 3 discs, all of them SPOTLESS, one never even taken out of box: Nothing
Delete system Caches off hard drive: Nothing
Delete all halo things off hard drive: Nothing
Remove Hard Drive: This actually worked, but I can't play xbox live without hard drive...or use my gamertag...or save my progress... So i need the hard drive.
Different Gamertag: Nothing
Use Temporary guest with Hard Drive IN: Nothing.

What else can I do?

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

Did you check for laser burns on the disc? Hold the disc up to a light, if it becomes partially transparent then the laser eye has damaged it.

Just a guess.

 

[urglen]

I have this happen to me as well. What worked for me was to take the disc out of the drive close the tray with nothing in it, then put the disc back in and it works fine. I have to do this about once a week now. Hopefully this will work for you as well.

 

[mikecoulter]

Format the hard drive?

But first, ring Microsoft Support, they're brilliant at sorting problems.

 

[0z0wen]

blow into the disc drive some dust may have been caught over the lens

 

[dannymc18]

Well you say you've tried different Halo 3 discs, and this question may seem pointless, but never-the-less... Have you tried anything apart from Halo 3? Do they work?

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

How do you have your 360 positioned upright or sideways? That question may seem a little farfetched but it does have its merit because having it running in an upright position actually subjects it further to laser-burns.

 

[Ophiuchus]

Well this happened to me.

You will RROD in a week or so. This is the genesis.

Well you're lucky, It got me over christmass.

Unfortunately I'd have to agree with this. It was a lot more than a week for me (three or four months) but it's probably the start of bad things. I had a few random crashes and then one game (Lego Rock Band) kept giving me the same error message you're getting, even though the disc was pristine and it was playing from the hard drive.

 

[HackersForTheWin]

Where would I find customer support's number?

I've tried other games and it's JUST Halo 3 that's failing, tried several different copies including Halo 3 and ODST Multiplayer Pack Disc.