XBOX 360 Red Ring of Death FAQ: Soon to be known as the Red Dot of Death! :P
- Thread starter ITDEFX
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( It's a few months past warranty, so I'm gonna try to fix it myself.
Theenternal
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[quote name='Hell Monkey']So I got home yesterday after being out for an hour and my 360 had turned on. (one of the cats stepped on a controller).
Now whenever I eject a disc it is spinning (fast) when it comes out. It does this even if it is sitting on the dashboard. The only way it isn't spinning is if I hit eject when the 360 is turned off.
Anyone know a way to fix this or do I have to send it to M$. (I'm out of warranty)[/QUOTE]
Mine has done this from the start, but I just power off my unit then eject the disc. It's a pain but I got it through an Amazon error and returned it shortly after to get a falcon unit which I wanted to keep. I only needed one game to remind be to do this
. I've had no RROD but always install my game to the hdd and have my xbox on for hours and hours with netflix and such.
Now whenever I eject a disc it is spinning (fast) when it comes out. It does this even if it is sitting on the dashboard. The only way it isn't spinning is if I hit eject when the 360 is turned off.
Anyone know a way to fix this or do I have to send it to M$. (I'm out of warranty)[/QUOTE]
Mine has done this from the start, but I just power off my unit then eject the disc. It's a pain but I got it through an Amazon error and returned it shortly after to get a falcon unit which I wanted to keep. I only needed one game to remind be to do this
. I've had no RROD but always install my game to the hdd and have my xbox on for hours and hours with netflix and such.
Mine just keeps on freezing, usually not getting past the loading screen. This is why I purchased it from Costco, even with a purchase date of 11/2007 they will take it back. It seems like a purchase of this amount of money it should last at least five years. Anyway they didn't have any in store so I ordered the GOW 3 LE model on costco.com.
I haven't returned the broken one yet. Is there anything I have to do on the old console to transfer my licenses.
I haven't returned the broken one yet. Is there anything I have to do on the old console to transfer my licenses.
RedRingOfDeath
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Most xbox 360 RRoDs can be fixed with a heat gun. I bought a heat gun for $20 2 years ago and have been using it to fix 360s ever since. I have fixed at least 50 of them so far for friends and acquaintances, and in my experience a heat gun will almost always do the trick. I have above a 90% success rate, and have had my repairs last for almost 2 years (I repaired my main 2005 launch console almost 2 years ago and it just recently crapped out last month - so I fixed it again with my heat gun and sold it on craigslist for $80 with only the power cord and AV cord...then went and bought a new slim model).
Unfortunately the oldest launch consoles, which is what I had, have the biggest problem with heat and will RRoD again, guaranteed (the GPU is not effectively cooled by the stock fans and over time, with heating and cooling from playing the system and turning it off, weakens the soldier that connects it to the motherboard causing RRoD). Upgrading (or "modding") the fan so that it cools the system much better helps a lot though, and will greatly increase the life of the console...so I do it every time I fix a launch console.
If you dont know how to use a heat gun then I would suggest finding someone that knows how to PROPERLY use one as it is just as easy to fix your system as it is to break it by heating it up too much. If you heat it too little then it will do nothing, too much and you will melt the soldier completely, the balls under the GPU/CPU will glob together, and you WILL ruin it. You have to get it just right, and focus on the GPU, CPU, (H)ANA, Bridge, and RAM chips as those chips are usually the culprit. Most times it is the GPU though that will need to be reflowed with the heat gun. I also remove the X-clamps and use straight bolts and washers.
Almost every system that I have worked on I have gotten working. It just takes patience and knowledge of what you are doing. Basic knowledge of how electronic devices work helps as well.
Sure signs for an impending RRoD are if the system freezes frequently, if when you power on the system you get no video, or see strange artifacting on the screen (frequent graphics errors). Basically if your xbox 360 is acting up or doing weird things, chances are that it will RRoD sometime sooner than later.
A 3 red light RRoD is a backbone failure within the system meaning that something vital to the operation of the system has failed. You will usually get NO video output at all.
A 2 red light RRoD is a overheating issue which can be caused by overheating RAM most commonly, or even due to improper repair.
A 1 light RRoD is another form of RRoD where you will still have video output but you will get a black screen with a bunch of white writing on it and an error code will be displayed at the top (usually E74 is the most common, followed by E68).
It is also possible to have a RRoD with no lights. The system seems to boot properly and give green lights but you get no video. This means that the system is RRoD'ing but does not recognize yet that there is a problem...so it still allows the console to boot.
Any of these problems can be fixed in under an hour with a heat gun. Do NOT do it yourself if you dont know what you are doing unless you are willing to risk ruining your system in an attempt to fix it. There are tutorials on You Tube that I have seen - some are good and some are VERY BAD and if you dont know what you are doing, you will not know which tutorials will ruin your system (there are some complete morons out there who make you tube videos). You cant blame anyone but yourself if you try to fix your system and end up breaking it even worse.
Feel free to ask me any questions if you are having difficulty with a repair. I will try to get back to you in a timely manner, but I do have a life and dont just sit in front of the computer all day long...so dont get mad if you dont hear back from me immediately.
I repair these things professionally for $35 a pop, so if you are in Bellingham WA, hit me up and Ill fix your system for cheap (I could charge more, but I try to help people out - I have seen people charge $50 to fix a system and not even do it right). I have fixed systems with my heat gun that people could not fix in the past with a reflow station. I am damn good with a heat gun.
Unfortunately the oldest launch consoles, which is what I had, have the biggest problem with heat and will RRoD again, guaranteed (the GPU is not effectively cooled by the stock fans and over time, with heating and cooling from playing the system and turning it off, weakens the soldier that connects it to the motherboard causing RRoD). Upgrading (or "modding") the fan so that it cools the system much better helps a lot though, and will greatly increase the life of the console...so I do it every time I fix a launch console.
If you dont know how to use a heat gun then I would suggest finding someone that knows how to PROPERLY use one as it is just as easy to fix your system as it is to break it by heating it up too much. If you heat it too little then it will do nothing, too much and you will melt the soldier completely, the balls under the GPU/CPU will glob together, and you WILL ruin it. You have to get it just right, and focus on the GPU, CPU, (H)ANA, Bridge, and RAM chips as those chips are usually the culprit. Most times it is the GPU though that will need to be reflowed with the heat gun. I also remove the X-clamps and use straight bolts and washers.
Almost every system that I have worked on I have gotten working. It just takes patience and knowledge of what you are doing. Basic knowledge of how electronic devices work helps as well.
Sure signs for an impending RRoD are if the system freezes frequently, if when you power on the system you get no video, or see strange artifacting on the screen (frequent graphics errors). Basically if your xbox 360 is acting up or doing weird things, chances are that it will RRoD sometime sooner than later.
A 3 red light RRoD is a backbone failure within the system meaning that something vital to the operation of the system has failed. You will usually get NO video output at all.
A 2 red light RRoD is a overheating issue which can be caused by overheating RAM most commonly, or even due to improper repair.
A 1 light RRoD is another form of RRoD where you will still have video output but you will get a black screen with a bunch of white writing on it and an error code will be displayed at the top (usually E74 is the most common, followed by E68).
It is also possible to have a RRoD with no lights. The system seems to boot properly and give green lights but you get no video. This means that the system is RRoD'ing but does not recognize yet that there is a problem...so it still allows the console to boot.
Any of these problems can be fixed in under an hour with a heat gun. Do NOT do it yourself if you dont know what you are doing unless you are willing to risk ruining your system in an attempt to fix it. There are tutorials on You Tube that I have seen - some are good and some are VERY BAD and if you dont know what you are doing, you will not know which tutorials will ruin your system (there are some complete morons out there who make you tube videos). You cant blame anyone but yourself if you try to fix your system and end up breaking it even worse.
Feel free to ask me any questions if you are having difficulty with a repair. I will try to get back to you in a timely manner, but I do have a life and dont just sit in front of the computer all day long...so dont get mad if you dont hear back from me immediately.
I repair these things professionally for $35 a pop, so if you are in Bellingham WA, hit me up and Ill fix your system for cheap (I could charge more, but I try to help people out - I have seen people charge $50 to fix a system and not even do it right). I have fixed systems with my heat gun that people could not fix in the past with a reflow station. I am damn good with a heat gun.
My brand new Xbox Slim 2011 Holiday Bundle, that has a manufacturer date of 10-12-11, I've had in my possession for just 43 days today now just 
ing died and I am pissed. I started playing Gears about half an hour in it just froze out of nowhere and the screen scrambled. I shut it off and let it sit for a minute went to turn it back on and it doesn't even boot up, just one big red ring. Called MS jumped through the hoops and nope it's fried and I need to send it in for repair. What BS!
I bought it from Newegg so I can't return it there since I'm past the 30 days mark. So much for this things being built better than previous models.
BTW ventilation on it was fine, power supply was fine, it only froze once before which I thought was just a hiccup. Other than that no problems until this. I just needed to vent on this, still 43 days, I can't believe this.
ing died and I am pissed. I started playing Gears about half an hour in it just froze out of nowhere and the screen scrambled. I shut it off and let it sit for a minute went to turn it back on and it doesn't even boot up, just one big red ring. Called MS jumped through the hoops and nope it's fried and I need to send it in for repair. What BS!I bought it from Newegg so I can't return it there since I'm past the 30 days mark. So much for this things being built better than previous models.
BTW ventilation on it was fine, power supply was fine, it only froze once before which I thought was just a hiccup. Other than that no problems until this. I just needed to vent on this, still 43 days, I can't believe this.
blandstalker
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This morning, played Skyrim and no hints of a problem.
This afternoon, I turn it on and it sticks on the Xbox 360 logo screen. If I move the joypad, I can hear the dashboard, but nothing happens on the screen. I was able to start Skyrim and hear it, but that's it. No red lights.
If I unplug the HDMI and plug it back in, I can see whatever screen it's on, but it's then static.
I'm guessing this is just a variation of the "no video" problem and I'm on my way to a RROD?
This afternoon, I turn it on and it sticks on the Xbox 360 logo screen. If I move the joypad, I can hear the dashboard, but nothing happens on the screen. I was able to start Skyrim and hear it, but that's it. No red lights.
If I unplug the HDMI and plug it back in, I can see whatever screen it's on, but it's then static.
I'm guessing this is just a variation of the "no video" problem and I'm on my way to a RROD?
All of a sudden the wireless on my Slim Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 xbox 360 decided to fail... It just says to plug in a wireless adapter but the slim Xbox 360 already has one built in. Everything else wireless in my house works just fine so I know its not my network. Thankfully I am under warranty so I am sending my console to Microsoft soon, but still, I am pissed.
DestroVega
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Has anyone ever had their 360 Red Ring only to turn on and work again 10 minutes later and not have any problem going forward after that?
[quote name='DestroVega']Has anyone ever had their 360 Red Ring only to turn on and work again 10 minutes later and not have any problem going forward after that?[/QUOTE]
I think that happened to Xbox number 3 if I remembered correctly..... but then it ringed out on Halo 3...
I think that happened to Xbox number 3 if I remembered correctly..... but then it ringed out on Halo 3...
Renegade Moose
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[quote name='DestroVega']Has anyone ever had their 360 Red Ring only to turn on and work again 10 minutes later and not have any problem going forward after that?[/QUOTE]
I have. Just make sure it is the right error code. Mine was actually two red lights. When I looked it up I found it was overheating.
I have. Just make sure it is the right error code. Mine was actually two red lights. When I looked it up I found it was overheating.
Question, I was playing madden today, started this morning and the graphics was looking funny, so i switched to play game on my laptop. Thought it was the game or something, started it again this evening, same thing. Tried with NBA2k12, also you can kinda tell there are some small redbox in the screen. Now I got the E74 error.
Getting ready to do the towel fix. Is my xbox dieing???
I have it for awhile now, it is the white one with HDMI output, I have it maybe 4 or 5 years???
If I need a new one, should i get the 250GB holiday deal or get the 4GB Connect deal?
thanks
Getting ready to do the towel fix. Is my xbox dieing???
I have it for awhile now, it is the white one with HDMI output, I have it maybe 4 or 5 years???
If I need a new one, should i get the 250GB holiday deal or get the 4GB Connect deal?
thanks
Wolfpup
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[quote name='leung19']Question, I was playing madden today, started this morning and the graphics was looking funny, so i switched to play game on my laptop. Thought it was the game or something, started it again this evening, same thing. Tried with NBA2k12, also you can kinda tell there are some small redbox in the screen. Now I got the E74 error.
Getting ready to do the towel fix. Is my xbox dieing???
I have it for awhile now, it is the white one with HDMI output, I have it maybe 4 or 5 years???
If I need a new one, should i get the 250GB holiday deal or get the 4GB Connect deal?
thanks[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah, it's gone. If its that old I'm not sure if its first gen or a falcon, but even the falcons die eventually.
The 250GB holiday deal is the best deal you'll find in a typical year. The other one you'll still have to buy a first party hard drive separately. Might even find a special deal on it still, but even full price it's the best deal they do all year.
Getting ready to do the towel fix. Is my xbox dieing???
I have it for awhile now, it is the white one with HDMI output, I have it maybe 4 or 5 years???
If I need a new one, should i get the 250GB holiday deal or get the 4GB Connect deal?
thanks[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah, it's gone. If its that old I'm not sure if its first gen or a falcon, but even the falcons die eventually.
The 250GB holiday deal is the best deal you'll find in a typical year. The other one you'll still have to buy a first party hard drive separately. Might even find a special deal on it still, but even full price it's the best deal they do all year.
Indiana
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[quote name='leung19']Question, I was playing madden today, started this morning and the graphics was looking funny, so i switched to play game on my laptop. Thought it was the game or something, started it again this evening, same thing. Tried with NBA2k12, also you can kinda tell there are some small redbox in the screen. Now I got the E74 error.
Getting ready to do the towel fix. Is my xbox dieing???
I have it for awhile now, it is the white one with HDMI output, I have it maybe 4 or 5 years???
If I need a new one, should i get the 250GB holiday deal or get the 4GB Connect deal?
thanks[/QUOTE]
Mine died just like you said. It was first having graphic problems and a day or 2 later totally dead.
Getting ready to do the towel fix. Is my xbox dieing???
I have it for awhile now, it is the white one with HDMI output, I have it maybe 4 or 5 years???
If I need a new one, should i get the 250GB holiday deal or get the 4GB Connect deal?
thanks[/QUOTE]
Mine died just like you said. It was first having graphic problems and a day or 2 later totally dead.
Indiana
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I would say that it's a waste of time. The problem is the heat is too great and the board starts to warp causing bad connections or fried system. The penny is not going to save the day. I've never tried this before but the part that is overheating is the CPU and GPU. I don't think those chips are the issue.
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A
availablewaif48
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Iv been throught 4 original xboxs, towel trick lasted 2 weeks.
Indiana
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The graphics started looking funny on mine. And then I think it was 1 week later that it failed.
Indiana
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This video is funny because the towel trick fixed the Xbox it has nothing to do with the pennies.
Fjaschler
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Well over the weekend the 320GB hard drive in my slim (Star Wars Kinect console) died. Of course calling MS their solution is $130 for a new hard drive. I see that GS sells refurbished hard drives for $99 for the 250GB and $119.99 for the 320GB. That had me wondering Gamestop has to get these hard drives they refurbish from somewhere. So if I were to trade in my dead hard drive to them do they test them (like a console) before they take them?
bread's done