Quick fixes for troublesome electronic devices have traditionally involved abusing it somehow. This meant shaking, rapping, hitting, or kicking the device to make it work again. These methods worked because loose connections could be made to reconnect in this way. But it also weakened other connections making the device more likely to fail again.
A well known fix for the red ring of death is called the towel trick or towel fix. It easily fits into this class of quick fixes involving abuse. Rather than using mechanical shock, the fix entails cooking the internal components at very high temperatures so that broken connections might be resoldered and components that are warped get reshaped.
The method to this madness starts with wrapping your Xbox with a few towels. Then you turn on the Xbox for about 15 minutes and you're finished. Now you're all set to enjoy some gaming sessions. When the next ring of death error happens you just reapply the trusty towel trick.
If it fixes your Xbox, then what's wrong with the towel fix? As was mentioned previously, the towel fix cooks the Xbox's components at very punishing temperatures. Damage caused by excessive heat during manufacture is a major concern in the electronics industry. Getting the correct soldering temperature for a good solder join without damaging chips is a tricky operation.
So the towel trick gives you a temporary remedy at the expense of causing more internal component damage. This damage will then lead to still more failures at a future time. When you use the towel trick for the next problem, your Xbox becomes more damaged. There's just so many times that this can be repeated before the towel trick becomes useless because the damage is too great. This procedure is a fast downward spiral that transforms your Xbox into scrap.
Another problem that's safety related is that the towel fix is very hazardous. A good deal of heat is produced by the Xbox (and hence the need for fans and heat sinks). Because the towels are insulators, the heat builds up very fast. If your Xbox begins to burn, other things in the vicinity (your house) may burn as well.
The towel trick also defies common sense and in this case, counterintuitive doesn't work. The red ring of death and several other Xbox problems all come down to the Xbox generating too much heat and having an inadequate cooling system to cope with it. Solving this problem by adding more heat is like baling water into a sinking boat. - 16039
A well known fix for the red ring of death is called the towel trick or towel fix. It easily fits into this class of quick fixes involving abuse. Rather than using mechanical shock, the fix entails cooking the internal components at very high temperatures so that broken connections might be resoldered and components that are warped get reshaped.
The method to this madness starts with wrapping your Xbox with a few towels. Then you turn on the Xbox for about 15 minutes and you're finished. Now you're all set to enjoy some gaming sessions. When the next ring of death error happens you just reapply the trusty towel trick.
If it fixes your Xbox, then what's wrong with the towel fix? As was mentioned previously, the towel fix cooks the Xbox's components at very punishing temperatures. Damage caused by excessive heat during manufacture is a major concern in the electronics industry. Getting the correct soldering temperature for a good solder join without damaging chips is a tricky operation.
So the towel trick gives you a temporary remedy at the expense of causing more internal component damage. This damage will then lead to still more failures at a future time. When you use the towel trick for the next problem, your Xbox becomes more damaged. There's just so many times that this can be repeated before the towel trick becomes useless because the damage is too great. This procedure is a fast downward spiral that transforms your Xbox into scrap.
Another problem that's safety related is that the towel fix is very hazardous. A good deal of heat is produced by the Xbox (and hence the need for fans and heat sinks). Because the towels are insulators, the heat builds up very fast. If your Xbox begins to burn, other things in the vicinity (your house) may burn as well.
The towel trick also defies common sense and in this case, counterintuitive doesn't work. The red ring of death and several other Xbox problems all come down to the Xbox generating too much heat and having an inadequate cooling system to cope with it. Solving this problem by adding more heat is like baling water into a sinking boat. - 16039
About the Author:
Marc Sandford is a gaming enthusiast and author. Get Xbox troubleshoot advice about fixing the Xbox 360 red ring of death.
