Games Review Blog

Is your Xbox 360 freezing up? Getting the red ring of death error lights? Welcome to a growing international club of frustrated Xbox gamers.

Misery may love company but this doesn’t solve your problem, so how you go about repairing your Xbox will be the subject of this article. In no specific order, they are:

1.) You can return your Xbox to Microsoft for a replacement. If your Xbox warranty is still valid, they’ll do this free of charge. Otherwise, they will charge you well over a hundred dollars.

If for any reason your console was opened, Microsoft will not honor the warranty. Whether or not you were attempting self repair or had other reasons that seem justifiable, your warranty is void.

Returning your Xbox will involve a lot of waiting. Two weeks is normally the average time to get a replacement. There is a very specific packing procedure that Microsoft wants you to comply with for the return of your Xbox.

2.) You can try to wet-nurse your console back to health. If this is the first or second ring of death problem with your machine, then there probably hasn’t been any real heat damage. Further ring of death freeze-ups might be avoided by keeping your Xbox cool when it’s in use.

Overheating is the main reason for the ring of death. Make sure that the fan vents are open and clear of blockage. Operate the Xbox in a cool and open environment. Restrict playing times to no more than 3 to 4 hours max.

If you’ve already had lots of ring of death shutdowns, then your machine has suffered a lot of damage. You may not be able to avoid the red ring of death by running your Xbox cool. If your machine has had extensive heat damage, expect the ring of death to happen more frequently with time.

3.) You can repair it yourself. Before you go through with this option, I should remind you of what I’d mentioned before that opening your console voids your warranty. If your warranty is expired or voided, then you’re free to work on your Xbox.

Repair on your Xbox can seem like a complex operation. But if you have the know-how and a few ordinary household tools, it’s fairly easy to do. The Internet has tons of information about how to fix your Xbox both free and paid.

One problem with free info is all of the research that you’ll have to do. The Internet is full of bad advice and sorting through this information will take a lot of time.

Paid instructional guides are obtainable that will teach you, step by step, how to repair your Xbox. You should look for a money back guarantee. This guarantee motivates the info product owner to supply useful info which improves your prospects of getting info that repairs rather than damages your Xbox. The guide should have instruction in text and video formats.

With a little luck, one of these three options should make sense for your situation and get you back to enjoying your Xbox.