Friday 10 July 2009

Xbox 360 And The Red Ring Of Death - How To Deal With It

By Marc Sandford

Your Xbox 360 is a fantastic product when it's working. This only makes the red ring of death failure all the more painful. Being reliable is not a strong point of the Xbox.

The typical way that the Xbox fails is via a general hardware failure otherwise known as the red ring of death. This occurs when the lights around the on/off button change over to three flashing red lights.

So what must you do to get the Xbox functioning again? Normally, the problem is that your console is overheating and needs to run at cooler temperatures.

After it has cooled down, you can't just start it up again and expect the heating problem to fix itself. If the console hasn't been damaged, then you must find a way to operate your Xbox at a cooler temperature.

Here is a list of suggestions:

1.) Run the Xbox in a cool environment. Don't use it in direct sunlight. If you are living in a very warm climate, always have the air conditioner on when using your Xbox.

2.) Limit the operation time of your Xbox. Don't do marathon gaming sessions that last more than a couple of hours. Note that some games cause the Xbox to work harder than others and therefore make it generate heat more rapidly.

3.) Keep the cooling vents clear of anything that might prevent the flow of air into the console. This means grit and dust within the vents or objects that may be pushed up against the vents. The console must not be placed in confined areas that restrict the free passage of air.

4.) There may be a local source of heat next to your Xbox that you aren't aware of. Perhaps there's a heater vent, stove, warm electronics, or a furnace nearby.

5.) The need to cool the power brick or power adapter is often neglected. Make sure that air is able to flow freely into the adapter. Keep it clear of shaggy carpeting and away from confined areas. Try hanging it from it's cord with a hook.

If these suggestions fix your red ring of death problem, then consider yourself lucky. Otherwise, the overheating has caused damage to the console which necessitates repair. If you have a valid warranty, you can return your console back to Microsoft or you can have it repaired at a shop.

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