You receive a "This disc is unreadable" error message when you try to load a disc in your Xbox 360 console

When you try to use a disc in your Xbox 360 console, you receive the following error message:

This problem occurs because the Xbox 360 console cannot read the disc correctly. This problem may occur for any of the following reasons:

• The disc is dirty or damaged.
• The disc is from a different country or region than the console.
• There are non-disc issues.

Here are four steps that you can try to fix the problem or to determine what caused it. These steps are easy to follow. If a step does not resolve the problem or does not describe your situation, go to the next step.

Method 1: Determine whether the disc is causing the problem

Try to use several similar Xbox 360-compatible discs in the console to determine whether the disc that you are using causes the problem. For example, try to play several game discs, several DVD movies, or several music CDs. If the problem does not occur when you use other discs, that specific disc might be the cause of the problem.

For disc-specific issues, check the disc for any visible signs of damage or dirt. Hold the disc by the edges without touching the top or bottom surfaces with your fingers. Clean the disc by using a soft cloth. Lightly wipe from the center outwards. Do not use solvents or chemicals to clean the disc.

Method 2: Try installing the game on the Xbox 360 Hard Drive

If this problem occurs when you play one or more game discs, and if the Xbox 360 console has an Xbox 360 Hard Drive attached, try to install the game on the Xbox 360 Hard Drive.

For more information about how to install an Xbox 360 game on an Xbox 360 Hard Drive, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Note It may take 10 to 12 minutes to install a game to the Xbox 360 Hard Drive. If you have insufficient space on the Hard Drive to install the game, you can skip this step. However, this step helps troubleshoot the issue.

Method 3: Determine whether the game disc and the console are from the same country or region

Game discs and consoles are made for specific countries and regions. If you try to play a game disc that is made for a specific country or region on a console that is made for another country or region, the game disc does not play.

For example, if you purchase an Xbox 360 console in North America, your region is North America. Therefore, you cannot play game discs that are sold in Europe or in Asia on this console.

To see whether this issue occurs because the country or the region of the game disc and the console do not match, look on the back of the game package for one of the following codes:

• NTSC: North America and South America (United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil)
• NTSC-J: Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan)
• PAL: Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, and New Zealand

If your game disc code does not match the region where you bought the console, you cannot play the game disc.

Method 4: Determine whether the console is causing the problem

The problem might not be caused by the disc but, instead, by your Xbox 360 console. To check this, follow these steps:

1. Try to play the disc on another console if you have access to one. Or, if the disc is a CD or a DVD, try the disc on another device, such as a CD player, a DVD player, or a computer that is equipped to play CDs or DVDs.
2. If you have a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) unit or Memory unit (MU) attached to the console, turn off console and remove the HDD unit and any attached MU, turn on your console, and then try the disc again. If this seems to resolve the problem, turn off your console, reattach the HDD and MU, and then delete any saved games for the game that is causing problems.
   
   Note If you can do this, save the games to a separate MU.
   
   If this does not resolve the problem, but removing the hard disk does, clear the HDD cache. For more information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   971755  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971755/ ) How to clear the Xbox 360 console cache
   To learn how to remove and connect the Hard Disk Drive from your console, see the instructions in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article, and then return to this article:
   906204  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906204/ ) How to attach or remove your Xbox 360 Hard Drive

Important We do not recommend that you use any kind of laser lens cleaner with your Xbox 360 console. We have not determined the effectiveness of these products or the effect that these products may have on the Xbox console.

Additional support

If the steps in the previous section did not resolve your problem, your console may have to be repaired. For more information about how to start the online repair process, please visit one of the following Web Page links:Note: Online console repair service is not currently available in all countries and regions.

For more information about how to contact Xbox Customer Support directly, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: