How To Get Rid of the Red Ring of Death

Even the best game consoles might develop trouble and have issues. That is pretty common. But to get rid of such trouble, there are methods. For example, the Xbox 360 is a fantastic gaming console, but it might suddenly crash, or hang up right in the middle of your favorite game, or in the beginning. One such is known as the “Red Ring of Death”.

Xbox 360 Error Indicators

There are 5 LED lights on Xbox 360. These flash either green or red. Generally, each of the 4 lights going green indicates the controller that is connected to it. There are certain times when the quadrant glows red. For example:

  • When the fourth quadrant turns red, the machine comes across a hardware failure, which means an error code would be seen on screen.
  • If the first and third quadrant lights are red, then the machine would be overheated leading to the cooling systems being automated. Error code will be displayed here as well.
  • If the first, third, and fourth quadrant turn red all at the same time, the problem is called the Red Ring of Death, or RRoD. There is a critical hardware error as a result, and no error codes are displayed on screen.
  • If all the quadrants turn red, then the audio/video output is not inserted, or there is a hardware failure from the Xbox power supply.

Red Ring of Death

Causes of RRoD

Hardware failure is the main reason for a Red Ring of Death. Often, the problem is not permanent and may just need a quick reboot, but sometimes, you might have to perform user-serviceable repair tasks. This may be caused due to:

  • Faulty parts
  • Surges of electrical power which can fry the Xbox system.
  • Mechanical or electrical damage, which might be caused by bad transportation.

Troubleshooting

The best thing that you can do in case of a Red Ring of Death occurs, and that is to get Microsoft Customer Service to repair your Xbox 360 while it is in warranty. Don’t try to repair it yourself, because the parts of this machine are professionally built, and not meant for laymen, but qualified technicians. However, if there are minor glitches, you can do the following before ringing Microsoft:

  1. Reboot your system and check if the error happened once.
  2. Check and confirm the plugs and points, and try to detach them all, and then re-insert them.
  3. Remove the internal hard drive from your Xbox and then check if the RRoD problem is still prevalent. If the RRoD happens only when your hard drive has been put in and secured to your Xbox 360, then you probably should get your drive fixed.
  4. See if your power supply requires any help.
  5. Call up Microsoft if this does not work, or log on to the official Xbox web site and fill up a repair form. Repairing it yourself might cause it greater harm, and the Xbox might be in a bad shape.

The RRoD can be a major Xbox problem, but now you can fix it easily.

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