Microsoft Repairing Xbox 360 "Renewal of Death" (PC World)

Posted on Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:55AM EST

- Have any trouble renewing your Xbox Live Gold membership lately? Seen your account go into digital cardiac arrest and nearly follow along with the physiological variety when your achievements go toodle-oo?

Earlier this week, reports began percolating that a small number of Xbox Live accounts had been endangered by an email expiration gaffe. The result? Gamertags self-imploding and achievement lists dissipating into the digital ether.

According to Gameindustry.biz, which broke the story, the problem has to do with the Windows Live ID email address interlink required to set up an Xbox Live Gold membership. You know, Windows Live, Microsoft's online service suite. Not to be confused with Games For Windows Live, Microsoft's free subsidiary online gaming service. Free, that is, unlike Xbox Live Gold, which isn't.

If the Windows Live ID you used to set up your account expires, even if you've got another email account on the books, Microsoft's system reportedly deletes the email account and anything associated with it. As of Wednesday, the problem was confirmed terminal by Microsoft.

Two days later, they've apparently got a fix in the works, and the good news is, there's life after death after all — if you've kept your Gamertag on your Xbox 360 hard drive or memory card, that is.