See how the Xbox DRM tool works, in photos and video
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jun 26th 2008 at 3:20PM }
click to enlarge
Curious how Microsoft's now available Xbox Live DRM tool works, but don't want to futz through it on your own? Well, we've got two solutions: first, sift through our gallery of the service's various screens by clicking on the above image; second, have the affable Major Nelson hold your hand through the entire thing, in video format after the break. Two great tastes that taste great (or at least show you how to fix DRM-isses on a video game console) together.
Gallery: Xbox.com DRM tool
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Huey2k2 @ Jun 26th 2008 3:29PM
Just did it myself, worked perfectly. The only inconvenient part was having to select each game individually and telling it to re-download.
LaughingTarget @ Jun 26th 2008 3:51PM
Agreed, Microsoft needs to segment it by demos and purchases.
qbix @ Jun 26th 2008 3:34PM
My download history lists is unwieldy. Lots of old stuff, so what I did once my licenses were transfered was:
- Sign out of xbox live
- Browse through my live arcade titles to write down which games read "Play Trial Game"
- Sign back into Live
- Go inside (not play) each of the Live arcade games I needed to download
- Select "Downloads"
- Select the Full game
- Slect "Download Again"
Next step will be to download expansions like Shivering Isles, and last I'll do videos.
Mr.ESC @ Jun 26th 2008 3:37PM
Every 12 months? My xbox 360 was send 2 Microsoft 2 times in less than a year :/
This is great for people who can't connect to xbox live constantly but if you can this is pretty pointless for xbox live games.
MC Double Def DP @ Jun 26th 2008 4:09PM
according to xbox.com if you sent your 360 in for repairs, this is done automatically. so for all you people who bust their 360 on a monthly basis, you should be set.
copa @ Jun 26th 2008 4:19PM
LOL, what a bunch of asswipes. They keep telling me every page that if I sent my console in repair, then they already handled this for me.
But sure enough, I logged into the license migration page, and it showed me what I could have told them: I have over 145 licenses, and they are split almost evenly across four consoles. All of my console replacements were RRODs that were serviced directly by Microsoft.
tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 26th 2008 4:21PM
They're lying because I've had 5 xbox's repaired and new ones sent to me each time but the DRM blocked out my stuff unless I was on Live.
MC Double Def DP @ Jun 26th 2008 4:26PM
what? they lied to me? well that stinks. fortunately both my premium & my elite 360 have never had a problem, unlike my PS3 which freezes from time to time. Yes, I'm from bizarro land (inside a Macintosh LC)
Deric Lee @ Jun 26th 2008 3:43PM
Just in time!
My wife hasn't been able to play poker on her account since I replaced my console, she didn't care to much, but we just had a baby so she will be home for the next two months, this will help her pass the time(since it's the only game she likes to play).
007craft @ Jun 26th 2008 3:43PM
Wow. Im shoked but my history is spread out through 5 consoles. I cant remember using that many 360s.
All I remember using is my original console and my new elite. I have no clue where the other 3 came from?
qbix @ Jun 26th 2008 4:00PM
I think content you downloaded on your original Xbox is considered as well.
Agnostic @ Jun 26th 2008 4:02PM
I have to sort through over 1100 items! I agree with others! They need to let us organize download history in a more efficient way.
MC Double Def DP @ Jun 26th 2008 4:10PM
never logged onto a buddies 360?
aristokrat @ Jun 26th 2008 4:19PM
Yeah, not happening until they streamline it a little more. This is worse than the current method of just signing into XBL and just dealing with it when the internet is down. I'm always signed in anyway...
Arturo @ Jun 26th 2008 5:14PM
i'm with you there, i'm always signed in too, but if i had to be without live for any small amount of time, i'd just play pc or ps3 or whatever else, but i don't see y i shouldn't always have my xbox connected to live so...i'm good lol
Obie @ Jun 26th 2008 4:46PM
Wait does this thing fix the " I am offline and my Xbox live games don't work anymore" problem?
343 Guilty Fart @ Jun 26th 2008 5:08PM
Yes, I believe so, even if the process is a bit burdensome for some, all I can say is FINALLY!!
ill trooper @ Jun 27th 2008 3:56PM
Not the most elegant solution from MS (it never is with them), but I'm sooo glad this has finally arrived. I was just at a LAN party the other night, not on LIVE, and I started up Geometry Wars to dial in my projector, and the game was actin' all bitchy suggesting I buy the full version, something I did on launch day way back in 2006, two 360's ago. I forgot that you can't even quit many of those demos without being told about the features of the full game.
DRM + Faulty Hardware = Annoying, Annoying, Annoying.
Spybreak @ Jun 26th 2008 5:11PM
Yea I already did this manually and it seems that is exactly what this does with extra steps. Why isn't there a download all again button for games and another for videos.
JR @ Jun 26th 2008 5:41PM
Not working for me - I hit the "next" button after it's shown my list of two consoles and says the page is unavailable. Le sigh.
Abscissa @ Jun 26th 2008 6:44PM
What happens when MS decides to abandon support for 360 in favor of XBox 3 or XBox 4, etc?
Support for NES and SMS (for example) has been officially gone for years. But if my NES or SMS died now, I could go buy another and everything I had bought would still work perfectly fine on the new one. No need to go to Nintendo/Sega and fruitlessly plead "please turn your DRM-transfer service back on!".
EMaster @ Jun 26th 2008 7:38PM
Uhm once every 12 months only? So what happens to those unfortunate souls that go through 2 consoles per year? Are they screwed?
Clifton Helpingstine @ Jun 27th 2008 11:59AM
Well this will definitely be of no use to me. I have plenty of things downloaded and just got RROD on my elite. Seeing as how I am currently serving in Korea and most items seem to be region locked, this will do me no good. Guess I'll have to wait a year before I can fix this.