Monday, April 20, 2009

Xbox Ring Of Death - Try These Repair Tips Before Spending Money

By Marc Sandford

The latest Xbox 360's have a new motherboard and a new and "improved" graphics chip that should emit less heat. Whether this new generation of Xboxes has eliminated the red ring of death problem remains to be seen. Only time and a good deal of use under a variety of conditions will tell. Meanwhile, for the rest of us stuck with older Xboxes, the red ring of death and other heat related problems are still a fact of life.

This article will talk about some simple troubleshooting suggestions that you can try before sending your Xbox off for repair.

1.) I know this one sounds obvious, but it's here for the sake of being complete: Restart the console.

2.) If restarting didn't help, then the problem may be a cable or cord that's come loose. First unplug any cables that you can from your Xbox. Then unplug the power cable from the wall.

Now the cords and cables should be plugged back into the Xbox. Plug the power cable into the wall and turn on your Xbox.

3.) If the above tip didn't work, turn off the Xbox, unplug the power cord, and detach the hard drive. Plug in the power cable and turn on the console. If you don't see any red lights, power down the console and remove the power cord. Now put the hard drive back in, plug the power cord back in, and power up your console.

4.) The power cord contacts can sometimes get hot enough to melt. This can happen if you use your Xbox over very long periods of time (about 12 continuous hours). Often, the Xbox had an intercooler.

Inspect the contacts for signs of damage. Sometimes the Xbox operates just fine when the power cable is pulled up. But the ring of death occurs when the cable is allowed to droop down. Get a new power cable if this is your problem.

5.) If your console has been heating up, then let your Xbox to cool down by giving it occasional "rests". Keep all cooling vents free of obstructions and use your Xbox in open and well ventilated areas. Be sure there aren't any sources of heat next to the Xbox.

Vacuum any dust buildup from inside the Xbox. Aim a fan at the console to keep it cool. The power brick also has to be kept cool, so keep it off of soft material such as shag carpeting.

It should also be in an open, ventilated area. You may want to try hanging the power brick by its cord off of a hook.

So these are your troubleshooting options for the red ring of death that don't require repair. If this wasn't enough to resolve your problem, the next step is to use your warranty or have it repaired. Remember that you will void the warranty if the console is opened for any reason.

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