Cure Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death

You are playing your favorite game, your screen freezes then you get the dreaded 3 red light error. I hate when that happens.

Here are 2 tips you can try to start with,

1. Unplug the Xbox 360. Remove the hard drive. Plug in the Xbox 360. Press power button. Worked? Good! Now shut the power off and hook your hard drive back in. Still working? Great, you fixed it!
2. Unplug the Xbox 360. Remove the hard drive. Remove EVERY cable plugged into your console, including the video and anything else that can be disconnected. Plug in the console. Boot it up. Works? Great! Shut it off and hook everything back in, including the hard drive. Power it up again. Still working? Great.... Resume your game playing.

Neither one of the tips corrected your problem you may have a more serious problem and will have to look deeper into your Xbox 360.

Microsoft has extended their warranty support of the Xbox 360 in order to accommodate owners who have become so frustrated with their merchandise. You may want to check if your Xbox is still covered by there extended warranty before tearing it apart.

The big issue with the XBox is overheating. make sure your console is getting enough ventilation. Do not enclose it in a cabinet or throw your blanket over the top of it. Is it laying on a thick carpet or rug? Make sure it can get enough air circulation. Before plugging it back in, use your compressed air to blow all the vents clean of dust and particles.

Fixing your XBox 360 yourself is not difficult, as long as you are comfortable opening up the machine yourself and following instructions. Just note that if you do open the XBox to repair it on your own, you'll void any warranties on it. If the idea of opening up the box and working on it yourself makes you nervous, it might be better to wait the 2-8 weeks it may take for Microsoft to take care of it for you.

To fix your own XBox 360, you can pick up a guide that shows you how to do the XBox 3 Red Lights Fix and get it taken care of in an hour or two.