How To Get Rid Of The Red Ring Of Death For Free

Are you facing the red ring of death? Fear not, there are ways to fix this problem, and some of them are free.There are actually different things that can cause your system to display the red lights. Some of them can be fixed quickly and easily.

One of the simplest problems is the AV cable. The 4 red lights will flash when the AV cable is not plugged in properly. This can be remedied by unplugging and then plugging back in the AV cable. Just make sure that it is plugged in securely to the back of the Xbox 360.

Another issue occurs when the console is overheated. When the Xbox 360 gets too hot, it will shut off and 2 red lights will be displayed. Two common causes of this problem is improper ventilation and running the system for too long. A way to avoid this is to allow the console to cool off about every three hours.

One of the worst things to see on an Xbox 360 is 3 red lights on the front of the console. This usually indicates a problem with the connection between the graphics processing unit and the mother board. Occasionally, this could be caused by a defective power supply.

A green LED on the power brick means that the GPU is the cause. In the past, the best way to fix this was to send it in to Microsoft. However, with a turn around time of about 3 weeks, this may not be the best option. Additionally, for those of us who have had their Xbox 360 for a while, the warranty is probably expired. This means that you would have to pay Microsoft to repair it.

The next important realization is that your Xbox 360 may develop problems regardless of how well you take care of it. This can be very frustrating given the amount of money you have spent on the console. If and when some problem does occur, there are certain things you should check before panicking:

1. Check the AV cable. If the Xbox 360 AV cable is not plugged in properly, it will cause the red lights to flash on the front of the console.

2. Check to see if the console is extremely hot. If the Xbox 360 is too hot, it will shut itself off and flash the red lights.

3. Replace the power supply. The power supply, or power brick, has a multi color light on it. If the light is green, it is working properly. If it is red or orange, you might have to replace it.

4. Check to see if you have the dreaded 3 red lights error. This is sometimes called the red rings of death. This problem occurs if the graphics processing unit becomes unattached to the mother board. This is the most serious problem of the console.

The best option I have found is to simply repair your Xbox 360 yourself. This can be done in about 2 hours, if you have the right guide. Like anything else on the internet, do your homework before dishing out your hard earned money.

You can find a review of some of the leading repair guides here.