Friday, September 4, 2009

Xbox 360 - Four Tips For Avoiding The Red Ring Of Death

By Marc Sandford

The red ring of death refers to the three red lights on your console that indicate a general hardware failure. Perhaps you have a new xbox that works just fine and want to prevent the red ring of death from happening to you.

Perhaps the red ring of death has already happened to you and you don't want it to ever happen again. Whatever your situation may be, you can take a number of easy to follow steps that will prevent the red ring of death.

1.) Know where the cooling vents are and be sure to never block them. If air can't freely flow into these vents, your Xbox will overheat. Make sure there is plenty open space around these vents. Keep them clear of clutter and don't have them pushed up against the wall.

2.) Always keep your xbox clean of grit, dirt or dust. Dust can get suctioned into the cooling vents which will block them over time. The xbox's cooling system can't function properly with blocked vents. This blockage can also damage the cooling fans. Keep the vents clear by vacuuming out any dust or dirt.

3.) The rules that apply to your Xbox console also apply to the power brick. That is, the power brick must be kept cool. Therefore, make sure that air is free to flow around it. Don't place it on soft or shaggy surfaces such as a carpet. Put it on a table or you can hang it off a hook.

4.) The xbox should be kept away from sources of heat. Keep the air conditioner running when you are using your xbox on a hot day.

Your xbox will also get hot if it's used over long periods of time. It's advisable to give your xbox a rest after a couple hours of use so that it can cool down.

At this point, you may have guessed correctly that the red ring of death is caused by overheating. The xbox has a weak cooling system and doesn't tolerate heat very well. It's internal components are very powerful and therefore put out a lot of heat. So the key to avoiding the red ring of death is to do everything you can to keep your xbox running cool.

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