Review of Xbox 360 Data Transfer Cable

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UPDATE:

There is a NEWER cable that looks like it can transfer data from/to BOTH old-style OR Xbox360 "Slim" Hard Drives. Search for "Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Cable" and the cable looks black instead of gray. It also has what looks like an added SATA connector for Slim style hard drives. Last I checked, that new product is here:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Hard-Drive-Transfer-Cable/dp/B005LBDOLA/

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I received the Xbox360 Data Transfer Cable and used it to transfer all my data from my Xbox360 Elite console to my Xbox360 Halo Reach "Slim" console.

Technically you are connecting ONLY the detached hard drive from your former console, hooking it up with this transfer cable, then connecting the other end to a USB port of the console you want to transfer data to.

The cable comes in a box that is branded/designed the way all the new Xbox360 peripherals and games are showing up this year (those green "waves" and such).

The process is very straightforward:

(I did this while the Xbox360 Slim was already on, sitting idle in the 360 dashboard):

1. Connect one specific end of the cable to the detached, non-slim 360 hard drive.

2. Connect other USB end to any available USB port in the slim system (I plugged it into one of the two front ports)

3. A prompt will appear, asking if you want to transfer TO or FROM the console.

4. You can then individually select items to move, or move everything.

One thing to note is that it transferred all my content to the Xbox360 Slim EXCEPT for games that were installed to the HDD (that is, disc games I installed to the HDD before for quicker access times). Not a big deal and it transferred everything else (some 800+ files) without incident.

Remember that if you transfer data you still may have to "transfer licenses" if you don't, then some content (such as downloaded XBLA games or other downloaded content) may not be playable if you aren't online and signed into Xbox Live. This isn't a big deal for me because I am always online when the Xbox is on. Do a google search for "xbox360 license transfer" and one of the first pages should be a link to the Microsoft page on the matter. This will move the actual 'licenses' over as well, allowing you to play your downloaded/purchased Xbox Live content when you are not signed on to the net. Additional note: you can only transfer licenses ONCE per year, technically. Then you just have to sit tight, or take it up with Microsoft via phone support (I can't vouch for having done the latter :)

Like other reviewers say, once you're done with it... well that's it :( I'll be holding onto mine as I have friends transitioning their data from one console to another. That said, save money by just pitching in for one then and using it amongst your 360-owning friends :)

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I purchased this product as I was upgrading from my old 20 GB pro to the new 250 GB slim. I decided on the cable to transfer over everything instead of using memory sticks as I wanted to get the licenses for my DLC transferred over as well.

Setup was a snap as all you need to do is place the old hard drive on one end of the cable and plug the other end into a 360 with the new hard drive, then follow the prompts that come up.

It took only about 7-8 minutes for all the data to be transferred over, and everything came over intact. I did not even need to recover any account profiles that were on the old hard drive.

All in all, I was very satisfied with the results and now intend to see how long it will take to fill up my new hard drive.

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I Bought this July 14 2010 The shipping was incredibly fast. I needed this to transfer my information from my old xbox to the new xbox and this cable was great it tranfered all my information.

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...then you do not need this cable. If you purchase the 250GB hard drive upgrade, then you will have both the 4GB memory unit and the 250GB hard drive available for use. You can transfer data directly between the two--you do not need this cable.

I state this because the instructions with the unit are not clear. I am surprised that Microsoft would not see how financially rewarding this upgrade path would be...

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The Data Transfer cable sounds like a great thing to have, and it does work. Unfortunately, it is pretty limited in usefulness. The only people who really get a benefit out of this, are people with a ton of DLC. Also, you are only likely to use it one time. It isn't very likely that you will be transferring your content back and forth between Xboxes. Also, it only copies over the data. You still have to manually transfer the licenses for any of your DLC by either going to the support site, or calling Microsoft. Not that it is a difficult process. Online, it takes less than 5 minutes. You still have to re-download your DLC, but each item only takes a couple seconds, because it isn't redownloading the stuff, just the licenses associated with it.

As far as the kit itself, as I said, it works correctly and pretty intuitively. You can either tell it to copy everything, or manually select just the things you want to copy over. Restoring it onto the target Xbox is just as easy. The kit is well constructed, and I'm sure it will last me for a long time, or at least until after I upgrade my second Xbox.

I know that there are some unofficial uses for this kit, which might make this worthwhile for more people, but in general, I wouldn't bother with this kit. Just redownload your DLC and be done with it. Yes it may take longer depending on your internet connection, but you end up saving yourself the cost of this kit. If you have a bunch of DLC (in my case, all of the Fallout 3 DLC plus hundreds of Rock Band and Guitar Hero tracks), and you don't mind spending a few bucks to save your self some time, then go for it.

For everyone else, I wouldn't bother.