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Fix The Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death - What Each Red Light Means

Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 systems in the fall of 2005 with much fanfare. The units sold like hot cakes and millions lapped up the new offer. The euphoria did not last long. All over the world, major hardware failures were reported and the returns from frustrated clients started piling up at Microsoft. No one knew the exact cause behind the failures but it was named the Xbox Red Ring of Death. The ring of lights in the front console of the Xbox started flashing red, indicating a major hardware failure. The Xbox Red Ring of Death became the latest nightmare for thousands of game enthusiasts.

People knowledgeable about electronic products said that the failure rate of the Xbox 360 was around 30%. According to them, the design did not have much margin for error. This non-fault-tolerant design meant that the good units might work for a couple of years and the bad ones could go down in hours. The chief reason attributed to the Xbox Red Ring of Death terror was the overheating of the unit. The more air and cooling the unit received, the longer it lasted.

Microsoft had provided a detailed support document in their Microsoft Help and Support section. Whether that gives any comfort to a distressed gamer is a moot point. However, insiders had suggested a few options when you face the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death problem. The Xbox 360 contains four operating quadrants. Each division has got its own red light. The four red lights indicate four different problems.

If the first light is flashing red, then you could unhook all your cables and reattach them. Nine times out of ten, the problem would be solved, since this is a general hardware failure. If the second quadrant light is indicating red, then the problem is simple overheating. Remove the unit from the power supply and allow it to cool for a considerable time before starting the Xbox 360 again.

The red light flashing in the third section is by far the most dangerous. You could try to remove and re-insert all the cables but generally the service center needs to be called. The last situation is the easiest. If all the four lights are flashing red, then it means that the AV cable had not been properly inserted. Just ensure that the AV cable clicks accurately at the back of the console.

There are about 6 major video game systems in the market. They are Play Station 3, PSP, PS2, DS, Wii, and Xbox 360. The maximum number of problems and hardware failures occur in Xbox. Knowledgeable people mention that the product was launched in a hurry to beat Sony, even though the flaws in the design were not rectified. The Xbox Red Ring of Death problem is mainly due to a core digital error in the motherboard. The excessive heat generated on the GPU warps the motherboard around the GPU. The solder joints are stressed in the over heat and start giving up. Due to the cyclic nature of the various games, certain games would cause more heating than others.

Whatever it is, the Xbox Red Ring of Death is a major cause of concern for game lovers, as well as Microsoft. The best option would be to opt for a product from Sony or Nintendo for the time being, till Microsoft comes up with a perfect Xbox. That might be a few years away.

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