Microsoft releases tool to fix Xbox 360 DRM
by Dustin Burg 
{ Jun 26th 2008 at 3:15PM }
It's finally here! Microsoft's promised tool to transfer game and video content licenses from an old console to your new Xbox 360 is now available. In other words, this little online doodad will fix the DRM issues everyone has experienced after either upgrading their Xbox 360 or after dealing with a RROD. To get your DRM issues fixed, simply head over to Xbox.com and begin the license transfer process. It smartly (almost too smartly) knows which content is associated with which of your Xbox 360s and will guide you through the transfer process. We're told you need to have access to Xbox.com as well as having your Xbox 360 connected to Xbox Live. Just watch the video above and Major Nelson will guide you through the process. OH HAPPY DAY!
Interesting side note: The license transferring process can only be completed once every twelve months and that you have to re-download each piece of old content back onto your Xbox 360 to get the updated license. Icky.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PeterF @ Jun 26th 2008 3:16PM
Is it April 1st again!?
Derka @ Jun 26th 2008 3:20PM
Once every 12 months huh? Thats not gonna go well with the failure rate.
Poor Microsoft, you were SOOO close to actually doing something right for once. Better luck next time.
Tony @ Jun 26th 2008 3:30PM
Honestly, I just got back my second replaced 360 and i didn't even have a problem running a single thing signed in or out.
Still, I tried this and it claimed many of my licenses were with the first console. I went through the process and it was done in maybe a minute or two.
Timur Tabi @ Jun 26th 2008 3:42PM
When MS repairs your console, they do a license transfer for you automatically. This is only for people who do in-store replacements or upgrade to a new console.
Knight Marquise @ Jun 26th 2008 7:29PM
@ Timur Tabi
True, but for those of us who upgraded to an Elite, it's going to suck major. I'm not complaining, because I have a ton of DLC, well hell, let me check...ok here's the licenses I need to transfer to my Elite (due to just buying one when it came out)
This seems a little high, this is just tied to gamertag, I hope, I sure don't want to transfer my wife's stuff to my 360.
1065 Game Licenses
463 Video Licenses
Tony @ Jun 26th 2008 11:32PM
If they do it automatically, I'm not sure why 75% of my licenses were still attributed to my original console and not the second or third ones I've had.
Plus, the second system I have did not play things I downloaded properly until I called MS and they made me do a bunch of steps to fix it.
So, personally, it kind of seems that if they do this they don't always do it right.
Rastah Pasta @ Jun 26th 2008 3:32PM
lol he has 61 messages at one point
CyberKnight @ Jun 26th 2008 4:03PM
It changes every time the video cuts. It goes from 80, to 81, and then I guess he stops to clean out some messages, because the next instant it's down to 10, then I think it goes up again...
I guess it's safe to say he's got a pretty active account. :D
Jim Halpert DM @ Jun 26th 2008 3:33PM
It's going to take forever for me to re-download everything. Couldn't they find away to do it without having to download all of your stuff again?
blkhwk67t @ Jun 26th 2008 3:54PM
it won't take that long because your not downloading the file again only the license for that particular file.
Jim Halpert DM @ Jun 26th 2008 3:55PM
It will take long.....like 1600 button presses.
Neuromancer @ Jun 26th 2008 3:35PM
Mmm nothing like redownloading shit-tons of XBLA games and DLC. Thanks Microsoft!
AoE @ Jun 26th 2008 4:07PM
hey it's better than most download services where downloading again means purchasing again. I'm just happy I can finally get all of my shit to work offline on one console.
MrKniceGuy @ Jun 26th 2008 3:36PM
The re-download isn't that bad. If the file is already there it just downloads the license, which is probably 50k or something smaller. It's a pain to go through your history though, and find all the content you've purchased. Sure makes me think twice about buying DLC in the future.....
zlionsfan @ Jun 26th 2008 3:56PM
That's exactly what it does ... the re-assignment process is really quick (maybe a minute or so) and if you still have the DLC, it just grabs the license.
This also fixed the issue I had with XBLA Sonic, not being able to play it even though I was connected to Xbox Live ...
Of course if certain things happen and I have to send in this console, it'll be back to the old ways, but at least for now I can have everything safe and sound on it.
Digital Limit @ Jun 26th 2008 3:43PM
The only silly thing about this is the 12 month barrier. That's a whole year (for those unaware), and in terms of gaming a lot can happen in a year. The risk of having the number lower seems to be that people will simply wait for their friends to finish a game and then get it from them, but an entire year seems extreme. Who is going to wait even six months for some of this stuff? It really seems like the limit should be lower.
E.J. @ Jun 26th 2008 3:45PM
Major Nelson says it's quick and easy.
Considering the amount of content I and many others on this site have purchased and downloaded on our Xbox's, this is a pain in the ass to do since you have to redownload EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Hopefully I don't have to send my 360 in for a fourth time in the next 12 months.
TSlade @ Jun 27th 2008 1:36PM
Crap. I thought this might mean I could play Arcade games on the 360 at my office (no net hookup). Me no happy.
Outinthedark @ Jun 26th 2008 3:55PM
Wow I have 348 Game Licenses...geeze no wonder MS never wanted to transfer my licenses when I got my new console..!
Good to see this finally coming around. About damn time is all I gotta say...!
Once a year is more than enough.
Deezul @ Jun 26th 2008 3:59PM
I wasn't going to "rush" to do this, but this weekend while selling an old HDTV, I hooked up my 360 sans network connection. I figured I show off one of the Halo 3 vidoes. I had downloaded them on another 360 originally, so I couldn't show them! Luckily, I still had the "Welcome to the 360" video on my Elite, so I could show that one.
AoE @ Jun 26th 2008 4:00PM
$!#@@#%!^#^!$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, oh my god i've been waiting for this since 2006.
CyberKnight @ Jun 26th 2008 4:01PM
12 months seems a little extreme. 6 months might've been a better compromise between failure rate and preventing overuse.
But then, the "24 hours to watch a movie" is pretty extreme, too, so I guess it's to be expected. :/
Still, it'll be nice to finally unlock the few licenses I still have tied to my first 360 that was store-replaced almost two years ago. I'll take it.
Sinnix @ Jun 26th 2008 4:04PM
re-download everything??! what?! FAIL! According to that website I have 779 game licenses spread across four different consoles. 779! That will take forever!
tan @ Jun 26th 2008 6:15PM
oh c'mon guys!
even if you have like 400+ all you really have to do is just download them when you wanna play them!
like you don't have to download all of them, just what you need/want!
like a game that came out 2 years ago, you may have got some dlc for it, butyou might not even play it anymore!
so you may as well not bother deleting the stuff:)
Phawx @ Jun 26th 2008 4:48PM
For real. You guys are STILL COMPLAINING!?!? For effs sake, if your console fails it will automatically transfer to the new repair.
You have 700 licenses scattered across 4 boxes. If you consolidate all of them to one (1!!!) xbox and THAT Xbox fails they will transfer ALL 700 to the new repair. you don't have to wait 12 months to transfer AGAIN.
Seriously guys, god damn. The PS3 has an even WORSE situation since they changed how their DRM works and you don't see NEARLY the amount of complaints from them.
Neuromancer @ Jun 26th 2008 5:52PM
You're right, it's not a pain in the ass solution to something that never should have been a problem in the first place. Thanks for putting everything into perspective.
Now, excuse me while I go redownload 925 licenses to software/DLC purchased over the lifespan of 5 consoles over the last 2 years. It may take a while.
Phawx @ Jun 26th 2008 7:44PM
Hold on, perhaps I wasn't clear. I am only talking about people complaining about the 12 MONTH cycle to renew licenses. This is a one time deal. When you consolidate your licenses, IF you 360 were to fail, everything would be on the new console.
That is ALL I was ranting about. Yes for people that have a lot of Gamerpics/themes/dlc/XBLA games (I have 550+ myself across four 360's [None RRoD btw,]) it would be a pain to redownload ALL of that. But realistically I only would want to have my XBLA games on and my favorite theme and gamerpic up. So I am only really interested in MAYBE 60 licenses.
But that's just me.
Mrblonde @ Jun 26th 2008 8:43PM
I have only had to send my system in once and it was the one I got on launch day. Then the second one broke (which I kinda caused cause it sounded like a jet) and I had purchased a warranty with Circuit City and it was still under it so I got a gift card for four hundred to buy a new one and got the elite. No problems for me.
Aeikozz @ Jun 27th 2008 6:46AM
Am i the only one that noticed he renewed the license to Ninja Gaiden 2 Demo? um... that doesn't have a license...
OrionnoirO @ Jun 27th 2008 10:18AM
Oh teh noes! Teh skies are fallin!
Give it up. Nearly everything you download (purchased or free, demo or not, etc) has a license attached to it. So that means, really, you arent moving THAT many licenses. I had 800+, and I am in less than an hour already past 400. So unless you are really really in need of renewing that license for Bullet Witch demo, dont. Only do the xbla games, and addons for the games you bought. The demos, free videos, etc. you dont need to renew. Not to mention as others have said, if you still have the content on your drive - all you redownload is the DRM file which takes seconds. And, if anything goes wrong with your console - repair will do the move next time, this is ONLY for those who have purchased a replacement or exchanged at a retailer.
Basically, I am VERY happy with this, as it works out great for those of us in the position of loosing internet access and not being able to use the content we bought (or taking to a friends, etc). People just need to quit taking everything to the extreme simply because they want to exaggerate it or dont understand it.