After several games freezing and my system overheating I began to wonder what options exist to fix freezing xbox 360. Do I have to purchase a new system? Did my games cause this to happen? I really did not know what the source of the problem was or what my options were to fix my xbox. One thing I did know was I wanted the problem solved and my xbox running ASAP!

The Problem:

One third of all xbox gaming systems have problems related to overheating and faulty cooling systems. It is an internal hardware problem. The system freezes itself in order to cool down. This is sometimes referred to as Error e74 also known as the Red Rings of Death. Three red lights will appear on your console and you know there is a problem. Your system has overheated and it is not your fault. You do not need to purchase a new console it is possible to fix and repair your system back to 100% health.

The Solution:

Microsoft’s solution is for you to ship your console to them and they will gladly fix the problem for you for a lot of money and six weeks worth of waiting. I decided for myself that since Microsoft caused the problem they would not be getting any more money from me on this issue. I learned that it is possible to fix this internal problem by myself with a few household tools and it would only take about an hour. A clear repair guide walked me through the procedure from start to finish and my xbox console was fixed. I did it all myself and Microsoft did not get any money from me!

The appearance of the 3 red lights on the Xbox 360 console can be attributed to various causes and fixing the problem yourself with the help of a few tricks is not that difficult.

You have to first make sure that only 3 red lights are flashing on your Xbox 360. If the fourth red light flashes, it indicates a problem of video and audio cable connection. If the cable is plugged back tightly and both the cables are congruent with the gizmo, the problem of the flashing 4th red light won’t resurface.

When the 3 red lights flash on the Xbox 360, Microsoft popularly refers to it as the RED RING OF DEATH and this new term that has been coined has caught on. Microsoft ascribes it to general failure of hardware.

To fix the problem of the red lights, you may consider taking the following steps:

Often the red lights appear when the Xbox is kept running for long stretches of time and it cannot effectively cool down. The component parts get overheated. In case of such a possibility, you should immediately switch off the Xbox, pull out all the cables from the plugs and let it cool for a minimum of 2 hours in some shady and cool corner.

The red lights may also be an indicator of inadequate power supply to the Xbox. To fix this problem, you have to remove your arm candy gadget from the shared power bar and plug it in a dedicated outlet.

Or you may check out the internet to get hold of guides known as 3 Red Lights Fix to fix the problem yourself. It is a faster and cheaper alternative to dispatching the Xbox to Microsoft for repair, which will set you back by a whopping $140 and may take more than 4/5 weeks.

With the help of the 3 Red Light Fix guides, that has gained much popularity and garnered a whole lot of attention lately, you can easily fix your Xbox 360 red lights yourself and do it fast. You don’t need to be an expert to follow the unique instructions.

If you are reading this article then chances are that your immunity to the Red Rings of Death has finally run out. The only solution now is to learn to fix your broken Xbox 360. Well I’m glad that you’ve found your way here instead of some website that is trying to either give you bogus information or sell you unreliable and risky methods to fixing your Xbox 360. The fact remains that until this day, there has not been a single reliable source of information that tells you how to permanently solve the RROD problem and fix your Xbox 360. I know this because I’ve searched high and low and through almost every web page on the internet. Looking for just one solid piece of information I have only come across a few sources that provide the fix that we 360 owners need.

Most of the recommended sources of information that you will find when you search Google are dangerous, risky, or unreliable at best. The first method that’s very commonly being touted as the “solution” is known as the “Towel Method”. This method involved wrapping your delicate console in a towel and letting it run until it overheats. The theory behind this is that if you over heat your system, the vital parts inside of your system that are broken will melt back together thereby fixing your broken Xbox 360. The problem with this is that overheating your system can pretty much fry your motherboard period. If that happens your Xbox 360 is a goner – I know because this very thing happened to me and I had to get a whole new Xbox 360.

The next method to fix your Xbox 360 requires opening up your system and soldering some vital components together thereby solving the problem. The problem with this method is that “soldering vital components” requires a bit of technical experience. If you’ve never used a soldering gun then I would highly recommend against the use of this method as you might make a mistake and have permanent glitches in your system. The last most common method to fixing your broken Xbox 360 is to consult with Microsoft.

This has got to be the most unreliable method that gamers have at their disposal to fix their Xbox 360. For one thing Microsoft’s customer service is awkward, long, and costly if you’re not under warranty. Aside from all of that sending your system off to some remote location in Texas to sit for two months if you’re lucky, sounds more like a gamble than a fix. And to make things better Microsoft has been known to only “temporarily” solve the Red Ring of Death error. Millions of 360 users worldwide have reported that only after a short period of time of getting their systems back the Red Ring of Death showed its ugly face again.

So because of all of the apparent nonsense that’s being handed off to people as “the solution” I am going to set the record and provide you with the one true permanent fix for the Red Ring of Death error. I know because it not only helped me, or my friends, but thousands of Xbox 360 users all around the world. You can now fix your broken Xbox 360 yourself, in the comfort of your own home, and be done and have your Xbox 360 fixed in under 1 hours time! Oh but you’re not a technical expert? Great! Even better! Because you don’t have to be. The fix is so simple and easy that it’s curious that Microsoft isn’t using it? All that will be required of you is to use a screw driver to take off the face plate, side panels, open your system up, make a small adjustment to the cooling unit and PRESTO – just like that you are done and your system is permanently fixed! And what’s even better is that video tutorials are provided so you can watch every step of the way as technical professionals who developed the fix walk you from start to finish. So take advantage of this revolutionary fix and get your system back up and running by today.

Red light errors are nothing but the pre-programmed error messages that are setup in the memory of the Xbox 360 console and are made to pop up whenever there is a problem in the working of the console. These messages will help the users to know where the error has occurred. The error messages are in the form of alphanumeric codes. Each and every kind of red light error has its own code so that the users can also understand and solve the problem.

Red Rings of Death

There are many red light errors like the single red light, two red lights, three red lights and four red lights error. Out of these four types, the “Three Red Light Error” is the most dangerous one because only in this type there is possibility of the console’s hardware being damaged to the maximum level if left unnoticed. The Three Red Light error is otherwise known as the “Red Ring of Death” or simply as RRoD. The name is because they signify its hardware death.

Reason

Main reason for the three red light error to occur is the cooling problem. The heat sinks function is to cool the surrounding air when the air passes by its grills. The temperature inside the console due to its compact packing and hence the cooling was not sufficient. As a result the processors below the heat sink are getting affected. Out of the two important processors the graphical processing unit is the most affected area because of this problem. So whenever the problem arises, immediately there might be problem with the display. This clearly shows that there is a fault in the cooling system of the Xbox 360 console.

Solution

The three red light error can be solved by slightly repairing the hardware. The main objective is to provide adequate cooling to the motherboard. The possibilities of providing cooling to the system are by adding an additional inter cooler to the system and by removing the X clamps.

The repairing can be also done by giving the console to the Microsoft service center. But you need to wait for 4 to 12 weeks depending upon the number of incoming consoles. Microsoft won’t repair modded consoles at any cost. For this you need to get a repairing guide from the internet. These guides will help us to solve the red light errors. These guides are video tutorials so that they will explain the steps to be taken while repairing the console.

Instead, you can repair your console in your home with the help of repair videos which are available in the internet. The advantage in repairing the console on your own is that the cost of repairing is less and the time taken will be just an hour or two.

When there is a problem within the console, then you will notice that red lights are blinking in the power ring instead of the green light. These are called as the red light error. The Xbox 360 is designed to inform the users the various kinds of error it undergoes during its normal operation. For example, when there is a loose connection between the console and the display, an error message occurs on the screen and also you can see a red light glowing in the power ring. The number of red light differs for each error. It may be one or two or three or even all the four. The lights are arranged in a quadratic ring fashion of four lights. When an error is displayed simultaneously the red light will glow.

TYPES OF ERROR

The one red light error is a normal kind of error. For this you can restart the console and the problem may get solved. Sometimes there may be some technical error like loose connections. When the AV cable is not properly connected then there will be two red lights glowing in the power ring area. The most damaging kind of error is the three red light error. It is commonly known as the “Red Rings of Death” or RRoD. The problem occurs because of the overheating of the console. When the temperature inside the Xbox 360 exceeds the normal withstanding capacity, the components inside gets affected and fails to work properly. This error sometimes may lead to the failure of the entire motherboard. This error is accompanied by three red lights in the power ring. When the error occurs, an error message E 74 is flashed on the screen interrupting the game in the middle. The error mainly affects the graphical processing unit and blocks the display resulting in a black screen without any video output.

METHODS TO SOLVE

There are various methods employed to solve the red light error problems. When the problem occurs you can give your console to the Microsoft service centers. If your console gets repaired within the warranty period, then the repair work is done at free of cost. But, if the warranty period is over then you have to pay for the repairing work. In addition to this when you are sending it to the service centre you have to pay for the shipping charges too. This is considered to be costly and also you need to wait for up to 3 months to get the console back from the service center.

The other way is to repair by our own which is very easy to do. For this there is no need for any complicated devices. A simple screwdriver will do the job for you. There are some video tutorials and repair guides available in the internet. These videos will explain clearly the steps to be done to eliminate the red light error. The advantage is that, you can save over $150 and can complete your repair work within one or two hours. This will also give you a permanent fix which is not guaranteed if you send it to Microsoft. Once finished repairing restart your console and you will observe all the lights are glowing in green color.