How to Fix XBox

[Victor Madsen]

The Ring of Death is one of the most common and devastating problems
affecting the XBox 360.
The Reason for the Ring of Death
When manufacturing the original Xbox 360 consoles, Microsoft knew
there was a huge demand for consoles, and wanted to keep the cost down
and meet this demand. In order to do so, they manufactured some of the
internal components with cheaper materials than they might have. Also
because of the slim design of the XBox, the console is too small
inside to contain as many cooling devices as necessary for the
intensive processing power contained inside.
It was found, within a year of releasing these consoles to the public,
that the cheaper materials they had used were not heat-shielded, and
were breaking apart due to the overheating inside the consoles.
Microsoft then extended the warranty of all Xbox 360's to 3 years.
Around 33% of the original XBoxes will get the Ring of Death, and this
has dropped to about 6% in the newer consoles.
How do you prevent the Ring of Death?
Keep the area your XBox is kept in well ventilated.
Never play for more than 3 hours and make sure you let it cool for at
least 45 minutes in between.
Do not block any of the ventilation openings and make sure it's not
put on the carpet or other soft surface which can block them.
Don't leave your XBox on when you are not playing it.
Put your console in a horizontal position as this will enable the heat
to dissipate quicker than if it's vertical.
What to try if you get the Ring of Death
If restarting doesn't work, turn it off and unplug all the cables
going in and out of the console. Also unplug the power cable from the
wall plug. Then reconnect everything.
Next remove the hard drive as if there is something wrong with it it
will also show the 3 red lights.
Lastly examine the light on the power supply. It should be green even
if you have the Red Ring of Death.
If you get the three red lights you will have to send it off to
Microsoft to be fixed, or to fix it yourself. See below for more info
on a reputable repair guide for this issue.
Other Problems:
2 Red Lights
This indicates overheating. Let the console cool down for a few hours.
Keep your XBox from overheating by using the tips above.
4 Red Lights The AV cable is not being detected. Try unplugging it and
replugging it back in, or trying a new cable.