Is fixing the red ring of death on an Xbox 360 actually possible?

Today you are going to learn about the causes of the red ring error on Microsoft's Xbox 360, as well as what can be done to fix it and enable gaming again. To ensure that you pick up as much information as possible, I'm going to write in bullet point format so that everything is much more clear and concise.

• What causes the red ring of death? There are two main causes actually. Overheating is one of these major factors behind the red light error. Excess heat has always been a problem for powerful electronics devices such as personal computers, laptops and gaming consoles. The reason most of these devices make quite a lot of noise is because they are equipped with a number of cooling devices, usually fans, to help get rid of this excess heat by drawing it away from important components. However, the Xbox 360 doesn't have as many cooling devices as it really should have. Therefore, excess heat builds up quickly inside the console and causes it to shut down, in order to prevent further damage. The "red red ring of death" is displayed on the front of the console to warn you about what has happened.

• The other main cause of the red lights error is that of "general hardware failure". That phrase sounds quite bad doesn't it?! A general hardware failure is where one or more components inside the console have stopped functioning properly, and the Xbox 360 cannot continue to operate. It therefore shuts down, and, much like when the console overheats, the red ring of lights is displayed on the front to warn you of what has occurred. Common hardware failures on the Xbox 360 tend to be a loose graphics chip, loose memory chips (the "X" clamps that hold down chips inside the console may be loose) or cold soldering problems. A full list of all possible general hardware failures is unnecessary as the issue will likely be caused by one of the failures above.

• The fact that there are are two causes of the error make fixing Xbox 360 red ring of death issues a bit more difficult. However, a number of tech-savvy individuals have managed to determine that the two causes (overheating and hardware failure) often intertwine. The cycle of overheating whilst the console is in use, followed by rapid cooling after power down, can result in the hardware weaknesses described.

• So, what can be done to fix the problem?

• If your Xbox 360 is still under warranty, return it to the location of purchase immediately. Even if the store is unable (or not willing) to give you another replacement console there and then, they will still be able to send it back to Microsoft for repair. A pre-repaired console will be sent back to you- not the one you originally sent off. That's why it's important to remove all cables, controllers, discs as well as the hard-drive before shipping it off. There is only one major downside to sending your console to Microsoft for repair - it will take a while to get another one sent. You should expect to be at least one month, more likely two without a console.

• However, if your Xbox 360 is not under warranty (or you don't wish to wait that long to get gaming again) fixing Xbox 360 red ring of death errors yourself is actually possible.

• What this process involves is determining the exact cause of the error on your console, then finding a way to repair that error, without causing any damage to the components inside.

• Without wanting to sound pushy or salesy, you really do need an Xbox 360 repair guide. These are basically packages of video, picture, written and audio files that instruct you on the process of fixing the red ring of death by firstly determining its cause, and secondly repairing it. Why is one necessary? Without a repair guide, you will not be able to navigate around the fairly complex internal components, determine the cause of the error and fix it in the correct way. Unless you are a professionally trained electronics technician, without a repair guide you will not be able to repair the red ring problem.

• Click here to learn about my reccommended repair guide that helped me in fixing the red ring of death on my Xbox 360. I was pleased with its results, layout, content and price, and I'm pretty sure that you will be too.

• Here's an important tip - relax! Remember that fixing Xbox 360 red ring of death isn't as difficult or as troublesome as it may first sound. Whether you ship your console back to Microsoft, or repair it yourself, you will get back to gaming again.