i found a fairly new xbox in a dumpster a while back and it doesnt have xbox live on the dashboard...just settings, memory, and music...what up with this?

Nice find.
You just need to update dashboard with an xbox live enable game.

thats what i figured...but i need to replace the dvdrom drive to do it so i figured id ask if there was another way to do it in the meantime...tnx tho

Just go to the Buy and Sell tread people sell dvdrom there, Or you can just find someone here that can fix them.
Or go to ebay, If you do try to get a Samsumg it will read all type of media, but cost little bit more. Hey but u got the xbox free