Xbox 360: Preventing the RROD

33% of xbox 360 owners will get the Red Ring of Death sometime in their gaming lives. Don't let one of the 33% be you.

I will start with a brief description of what each quadrant on the Ring of light means:

1 quadrant: General hardware failure
2 quadrants: Overheated Xbox
3 quadrants: The main dreaded hardware failure(the RROD)
4 quadrants: Disconnected AV cable

The main reason why these happen is because of costly mistakes by the owner. Read the following and ensure you understand them:

-Do NOT put your xbox 360 on the carpet. It prevents ventilation and can cause overheating. Simply put it on a small coffee table or a place mat instead
-Do NOT move your 360 while it is turned on, or a disc is inside the tray. Your just asking for scratched disks
-Do NOT put your 360 near a heat source such as a radiator. Can cause overheating
-Do NOT put other things on top of the 360
-Alot of people say laying it down instead of standing it up makes a difference, perhaps try this
-If all else fails, try a Nyko Intercooler

Playing for long periods on your xbox 360 may cause it to overheat(2 red quadrants) It is important that you do not play on your xbox for at least 12 hours in this circumstance. Turning it on and playing normally after overheating will cause it to permanently overheat whenever you turn it on. It happened to me, so I suggest you listen to my advice!

What to do if your xbox 360 has broken

If your console has 1, 2 or 3 red quadrants(if 4 red quadrants, just plug in the AV cable, or if the console isn't detecting it, give it a clean) then here is what you can do.

1 or 3 red quadrants: See if you have the receipt from the place of purchase. Check if its still in date, and firstly phone them up to ensure they will offer an exchange before taking it there. If your warranty with the shop has ran out, or they will not exchange it(which they should lawfully, providing you have proof of purchase and its in the warranty) then read the next steps.

Phone xbox customer support and arrange for Microsoft to collect your xbox 360 for repair.

USA Residents: 800-4MY-XBOX
UK Residents: 0800 587 1102

This can take up to a month for your xbox to be fixed and shipped back to you.

Another method, which I do not recommend, is called the towel trick. Basically, your 360 is wrapped in a towel so it heats up and the plates mould together, thus giving you a temporary fix. This may void your warranty so I really advise against it. However, if you want to learn more just google 'towel trick'.

2 red quadrants: Turn your xbox 360 off 12+ hours, then play again. Make sure the area is well ventilated. If the problem occurs, ask for an exchange at the place of purchase or phone the microsoft repair centre.

I hope you have found this post useful

Many thanks,
Craig
[GRAT]