Okay so about a week ago I decided to purchase Fable from Games on Demand. The transaction went smoothly; I purchased 1200 MS points, Xbox LIVE took them and the download started. Then things messed up. It stayed on 1% completion for roughly two minutes and then backed out of the 'active downloads' tab of its own accord. When I tried to go back to look at my active downloads, it tried for around five minutes to load before telling me there was a problem with Xbox LIVE and to "try again later". Okay. Fine. I'll come back the next day.
Not so, apparently. I come back the next day and when I sign into Xbox LIVE, I can't access my download history, points balance, active downloads, payment options, etc. (Game patches, too, will no longer download.) I figure that glitched download from yesterday is still in there mucking it up. I sign out, go to my HDD and delete Fable (which is only a 40 KB file after all this time and marked as "unknown game"). I sign back in, and LIVE is still messed up. Same problems as before - can't access active downloads, etc. I sign out yet again and I check my HDD again - only to find that unnamed 40 KB file is back! I delete it, clear my cache and turn of my Xbox.
At this point I decide that I need to get Fable off my download queue somehow. So I got to xbox.com, sign in and cancel the download. Then I go turn my Xbox again, sign into LIVE and guess what? LIVE is working perfectly now. I can access my download history, payment options, etc. I figure this was all some weird glitch and I restart the Fable download by using my download history tab... and the same problem repeats itself. I try accessing the download tab a few times, just to see if it will eventually work. After a few times of it simply backing me out, I am eventually signed out of LIVE entirely and I receive the error message 80072741. I Google this and find out the problem is either on LIVE's end or mine. After some research I find out that I may need to forward specific ports on my router (in spite of the fact that this exact connection has worked fine with two 360s for almost three years), and I forward those ports (I'm reasonably knowledgeable with network systems but I use a guide just in case).
Forwarding the ports doesn't help. Xbox LIVE still glitches up every time I have Fable in my download queue (when I manually take it off from xbox.com LIVE works fine). To again make sure this isn't on my end I purchase and download something else - Total Miner: Forge - and it works fine; the download goes smoothly and I am able to play the game without issue.
There's only one thing on my end that could be causing the problem at this point: my LIVE profile (ZenithSeas). While I was researching the problem, I read that sometimes the profile itself can glitch and it needs to be deleted and then recovered. I do this, and it doesn't help the problem.
Finally, as a last ditch effort to solve this on my own, I say to hell with it and delete the profile for good even though it has six months of prepaid LIVE left on it and probably close to $100 worth of downloadable content. I format the HDD, clear the cache and make a new profile titled Blue Breeze. LIVE on this profile works perfectly... until I try for Fable again. Forking out another 1200 MS points ($15), I once again purchase Fable. And the download once again screws up LIVE for me. I'm now experiencing the exact same problems on the Blue Breeze profile.
I figure at this point, the problem HAS to be on LIVE's end. And I'm thinking the problem is specifically related to Fable. What can we do about this? I've spent $30 total already on a game that refuses to download and messes up the rest of my Xbox LIVE experience in the process.
Some information that may be relevant:
- The Xbox system in question is one of the newer slim models.
- I've downloaded most Mass Effect 2 DLC, all Fable II & III DLC, Halo: Combat Evolved and several other small things which total several GB on this connection with this Xbox, so I know the problem isn't with my network.
- I'm living in the United States and have been since I bought the Xbox, my Xbox is a United States region Xbox.
- I usually use a wireless DSL Qwest modem to connect my Xbox to the internet, but I also tried a wired connection when attempting to resolve the issue.
I really hope this can be resolved.
Thanks for reading the wall of text.