The Red Ring of Death (rrod) is a phenomonem that hits Xbox 360 users. It happens when a problem starts affecting the Xbox, and stops it working.

If your Xbox is under warranty, then you could (and should) take the machine back to the supplier and your Xbox will be repaired, provided you haven't invalidated the warranty in any way. This often occurs if you make an attempt to fix your yourself Xbox by taking it to pieces. If your Xbox is under warranty, then do not make any attempt to fix it yourself.

The sad fact is, however, that your Xbox will not fail during its warranty period. Life is like that I'm afraid. So what options do you then have?

The first port of call is often the certified Microsoft repair center. This is often a costly experience. The Microsoft engineers have a captive audience by and large and can pretty much charge what they like. Another alternative is to bin your Xbox and buy a new one, which is even more expensive than the previous option.

What we are looking at today however is a third alternative, and that is to fix your own Xbox. As I mentioned earlier, this is not an option that you should be considering if your Xbox is still under warranty, because the warranty will be invalidated. Why waste your time and take the risk if you Xbox would be fixed for free, right?

So what would you need to repair your own Xbox?

You would need some basic tools of course, many of which you might already have in your toolkit. If not a trip to a hardware store will sort you out.

More importantly however, you will need to find out how to go about fixing your Xbox. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to have an engineering degree in order to carry this out. What you will nee, is the best Xbox repair guide that you can find, and the ability to follow simple instructions.

There you are, anyone can do it!

And the cost is a fraction of that you would expect to pay if you went down the Microsoft engineer route. The other thing to bear in mind of course is that this is a one off expense. Should you experience problems with your Xbox at a later stage, you will already be fully equipped to deal with it.

Some people prefer information to be of a visual nature, rather than written, like this Hub. So I have tried to create a video to cater for those folks that prefer their information delivered that way.

If your Xbox has been giving you problems of late you will need to get it fixed as quickly as possible. After all, you do not want to miss out on valuable time you could be spending playing the freshest hot game. To help you find a safe and reliable Xbox 360 repair guide, here are five top tips to consider.

1. Credibility
The first thing to think about with a genuine Xbox repair guide is credibility. You want to know that whatever fixes you are told to make, your Xbox will be repaired properly. You can look on the internet to discover which choices you have with respect to top quality repair manuals. Another tip is to jump in forums or chat rooms to find out what other Xbox users recommend, or try and discover repair guide reviews.

2. Have been around for some time
Try to find a guide that has been around for quite some time. Newer guides can be a bit risky as you do not know whether they are safe or how much knowledge they have with repairing consoles. The longer the company that distributes the manual has been in business the more credible they are. After all, they must be doing something right to have stayed in business for so long.

3. Affordability
One of the main reasons so many people try to avoid an Xbox repair service is because of the high cost. This is why Xbox 360 repair guides are so popular. If you were to take your system into Microsoft, you can expect to pay around $170 even for the simplest of problems. Take the time to look around and see what different guides offer in regards to price. Bear in mind that once you have made the investment, which will be a fraction of what Microsoft charge, you will have the guide available in the future. In other words it is a one off charge.

4. Speed of service
There is no sense in bringing your Xbox 360 into a repair shop and waiting for four weeks before you even get it back. With a good repair guide, you will have your Xbox up and running within a few hours. Don't be afraid to ask different guide owners how much time they think it will take to fix your Xbox.

5. Technical Support
This is probably the most important point of all with a repair guide. Since you will be following their instructions remotely, you will want to be assured of their total customer service. You want to do business with a company that will answer your calls, answer your questions and take good care of you. The legitimate guides are going to answer to your every requirement to ensure you are a happy customer.