Is it Possible to Fix the Red Ring of Death for Xbox 360?

When a Microsoft Xbox 360 console experiences a "general hardware failure",three flashing red lights appear on the front of the console,known by gamers as the infamous "Red Ring of Death"(RROD for short).Exactly how many users have experienced this problem is unknown to the public, although estimates of nearly a 33% general hardware failure rate for the launch consoles has been reported. If you are like me, your trustworthy Xbox has let you down and glares at you with its red eyes.Luckily, there are temporary fixes that will get you going for another week or so.Here we I will discuss the towel trick and another last resort trick in the tips section.


Find an Xbox 360 (preferably your own) with red lights blinking.Remove any disc,hard drive,AV cables, Ethernet cable and USB cables.Keep the power supply intact.Get 2-3 medium size towels.


First,wrap one towel horizontally around the Xbox as if it were standing,covering the fans and disc tray.Then wrap another around the top where the hard drive is located and the bottom vents. Repeat as deemed necessary.Once fully covered, turn on the Xbox. (It will be hard to find the button at first,but make sure you DO NOT press the disc tray button.Keep it on for 30 minutes to one hour (SEE: Tips)Once you think its done, turn it off and unwrap towels.

This is the tricky part,you have to decide whether to turn it on immediately or let it cool down first. Either way WILL WORK, but not both.I try to turn it on right away.If you choose to turn it on immediately and receive the red lights again,wait for 15-20 minutes and turn it on again.If you still get the red lights, start all over again.When done correctly, you may turn on your Xbox and get pwned in Halo 3 for about one to two weeks.

Tips - More towels the better!

Depending on the season (i.e. summer, winter) you may have to heat it longer more or less.I find that the Xbox will last much less during the winter (1-3 days),DON'T LEAVE IT ON FOREVER! But,the longer you leave it on,the better chance it will work. Don't keep your Xbox near an open window,direct sunlight or a AC vent.Play at least once a day for one hour to keep the GPU connected to the motherboard.If it didn't work the first time, stand it up, slap the bottom side (as if horizontal) 2-3 time and turn it on.Keep a fire extinguisher handy. I guaranteed temporary fix is to leave it on until it automatically shuts off the fans. You can tell if this happened if only two lights are blinking.

ALTERNATIVE - I have tried this myself,and it works SOMETIMES:unplug power supply from Xbox and outlet.Wait 3 hours,plug back in and get pwned in Halo 3.


Marcus Rolland writes informative articles on various subjects including Xbox 360 game downloads. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.Check out http://backupxbox360downloads.blogspot.com