The Xbox 360 is a fantastic thing to behold when it works. With a performance superior to other machines and with addictive games, it pulls you into this fantasy world and then...three red lights. Just when things couldn't get any better you're looking at the red ring of death.
Sadly, this is a very common problem that affect more 500,000 consumers around the world. Once the ring of death happens, the problem won't resolve itself on its own. If you haven't experienced the ring of death yet, there are measures that you can follow that makes it less likely to happen to your machine.
The Xbox was badly designed and manufactured. This makes it very prone to overheating. The red ring of death is ultimately caused by heat and the Xbox's inability to tolerate it.
To reduce the odds of the ring of death happening to your Xbox, you'll have make sure that it stays cool. This does not mean placing your Xbox out in the snow or in your freezer. Believe it or not, people do this and it isn't recommended because the Xbox's components are supposed to operate around room temperature.
To prevent your Xbox from getting too hot you must make sure that it stays well ventilated. This means keeping it away from closed in spaces such as a storage cabinet or a cluttered entertainment center. Wherever you decide to put it, there must be lots of open space with plenty of ventilation.
Keep it off shaggy carpeting because it will interfere with the fans in the back of the unit. Elevate it off the carpet with props, put it on a table, or use it on an uncarpeted and solid surface. The fans can also get obstructed if cords or cables are bunched up in the vicinity.
Take every precaution to keep the fans clean and free of dirt and debris. Depending on your particular set of circumstances, cat or dog hair, grit, dust, lint, and dirt can rapidly clog up the fan area. This happens because there's so much air passing through the fans which act like vacuum cleaners. Cleaning the fans out with compressed air will help tremendously.
Don't use your Xbox for long periods of time. Those internal components will get warmer with use and will continue to do so. If you aren't using your Xbox, turn it off and let it cool down.
Most users with failed Xboxes typically had their machines on for more than four hours at a time. If you live in a very warm climate without air conditioning, your Xbox will tend to heat up even faster. In this case, you will have to scale down your playing time further.
Like it or not, the Xbox 360 is a very finicky and unreliable "high maintenance" machine. Even if you follow the precautions mentioned here, there's no guarantee of avoiding the ring of death failure. However, it is guaranteed to happen if you let your machine overheat. - 16039
Sadly, this is a very common problem that affect more 500,000 consumers around the world. Once the ring of death happens, the problem won't resolve itself on its own. If you haven't experienced the ring of death yet, there are measures that you can follow that makes it less likely to happen to your machine.
The Xbox was badly designed and manufactured. This makes it very prone to overheating. The red ring of death is ultimately caused by heat and the Xbox's inability to tolerate it.
To reduce the odds of the ring of death happening to your Xbox, you'll have make sure that it stays cool. This does not mean placing your Xbox out in the snow or in your freezer. Believe it or not, people do this and it isn't recommended because the Xbox's components are supposed to operate around room temperature.
To prevent your Xbox from getting too hot you must make sure that it stays well ventilated. This means keeping it away from closed in spaces such as a storage cabinet or a cluttered entertainment center. Wherever you decide to put it, there must be lots of open space with plenty of ventilation.
Keep it off shaggy carpeting because it will interfere with the fans in the back of the unit. Elevate it off the carpet with props, put it on a table, or use it on an uncarpeted and solid surface. The fans can also get obstructed if cords or cables are bunched up in the vicinity.
Take every precaution to keep the fans clean and free of dirt and debris. Depending on your particular set of circumstances, cat or dog hair, grit, dust, lint, and dirt can rapidly clog up the fan area. This happens because there's so much air passing through the fans which act like vacuum cleaners. Cleaning the fans out with compressed air will help tremendously.
Don't use your Xbox for long periods of time. Those internal components will get warmer with use and will continue to do so. If you aren't using your Xbox, turn it off and let it cool down.
Most users with failed Xboxes typically had their machines on for more than four hours at a time. If you live in a very warm climate without air conditioning, your Xbox will tend to heat up even faster. In this case, you will have to scale down your playing time further.
Like it or not, the Xbox 360 is a very finicky and unreliable "high maintenance" machine. Even if you follow the precautions mentioned here, there's no guarantee of avoiding the ring of death failure. However, it is guaranteed to happen if you let your machine overheat. - 16039
About the Author:
Marc Sandford is a gaming enthusiast and author. Get more Xbox troubleshooting advice about fixing the Xbox 360 3 Red Lights Error.
