How to Fix a Red Ring of Death
Guide Note
The How to Fix a Red Ring of Death is a potential technical problem with the hardware of the Xbox 360.
Fast Facts
- Xbox 360 Support Center: 1-800-4MY-XBOX
- Hours: 9AM - 1AM EST
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Causes and Fixes for the Red Ring of Death
How to Avoid the Red Ring of Death
- To help prevent a "Red Ring of Death" from happening to your Xbox 360, remember these things:
- Avoid putting your Xbox 360 on carpet.
- Do not move your Xbox 360 when the power is on.
- Keep the console in a well-ventilated area.
- Purchase a warranty with your console to plan ahead for technical issues.
The "Towel" Method
- A popular solution across the world wide web is the "towel" method, which involves wrapping your Xbox 360 in towels and leaving it for about 20 minutes. Although this can provide a temporary fix, it only promotes further overheating and more problems down the line.
- Hackszine.com: HOWTO - Fix a "Red Ring of Death" Xbox 360
- Engadget: "Towel trick" provides temporary fix to red ring of doom?
- XBox 360 Rally: The Red Ring of Death... Cure Found!
- YouTube: Fix an Xbox 360 with Red Ring of Death!
Opening the Console
- If you are technically inclined, there are methods of opening up your Xbox 360 and fixing the issue yourself. This voids your warranty, so be extremely cautious when making the decision to take your Xbox 360 apart.
- Ars Technica: Save your 360 from the dreaded red lights
Let The Pros Handle It
- Probably your best bet when facing the dreaded red lights is to send it to the Xbox 360 support team for repair. If your unit is not under warranty, this will cost around $140. You can call them at 1-800-4MY-XBOX for more details (9AM - 1AM EST).
- Team Xbox: The Red Ring of Death
- Kotaku: A Dozen Xbox 360s, One Man's Tale of Woe
- Popwatch Blog: The Fellowship of the (Red) Ring
What is the Red Ring of Death?
- The "Red Ring of Death" is a hardware failure in the Xbox 360. It is indicated by three flashing red lights on the Ring of Light on the front of the gaming system. It is caused by overheating of the unit which leads to solder melting off connection joints in the hardware.
Mahalo Daily 41: Xbox 360: Red Ring of Death
Resources for How to Fix a Red Ring of Death
- Microsoft Support: Xbox 360: Three red lights flash on the Ring of Light
- Wikipedia: Xbox 360 Technical Problems
- Hackszine.com: HOWTO - Fix a "Red Ring of Death" Xbox 360 (November 16, 2007)
- Engadget: "Towel trick" provides temporary fix to red ring of doom? (January 16, 2007)
- Ars Technica: Save your 360 from the dreaded red lights (June 16, 2006)
- Team Xbox: The Red Ring of Death (July 7, 2006)
- XBox 360 Rally: The Red Ring of Death... Cure Found! (May 13, 2007)
- YouTube: Fix an Xbox 360 with Red Ring of Death! (Time: 1:41)
- Kotaku: A Dozen Xbox 360s, One Man's Tale of Woe (June 26, 2007)
- Popwatch Blog: The Fellowship of the (Red) Ring (October 16, 2007)
- IGN Blog: The Red Ring of Death Survival Guide (February 7, 2007)
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