Since my initial post on the Xbox 360 freeze issues, I’ve managed to render my Xbox 360 unusable, again. Granted, it was crashing and freezing horribly right after I took it out of the box.
I thought I had managed to fix it, but it was only a temporary fix. I manged to get my xbox 360 to function properly by applying a dashboard update. I simply gave my 360 an internet connection and it downloaded and installed an update. Upon reboot all was fine for weeks. That is, until I tried playing Halo 2 for original Xbox.
I popped Halo 2 into my Xbox 360 and was asked to install an update for the game. I let it download and install the update, all seemed fine. When Halo 2 came back up, it froze immediately. So, I powered down my Xbox 360 for about 10 minutes then turned it back on. It sure didn’t get very far booting up at that point. After being on for roughly 3 seconds, I saw the dreaded 3 red lights appear on the ring of light. Not good.
Unfortunately, that’s all the further I’ve been able to get. My power supply isn’t overheating. The light on the power supply is green like it should be when the Xbox 360 is powered up. When the 360 is turned off, the light on the power supply is amber/orange. All normal there.
I have emailed Microsoft support, but haven’t received a reply yet. I will call them tomorrow if I don’t hear anything back by morning. I’ve tried everything they mention in their support and troubleshooting documents, to no avail. I fear they won’t be able to help me via phone/email. I’ll most likely end up having to send my Xbox 360 in to Microsoft for repair.
Microsoft has definitely taken notice of all the problems. They’ve increased the factory warranty on the Xbox 360 from 90 days to a full year. I received the notification email the day before Ashley and I left for vacation, a good note to leave for vacation on at least. Jason has a little snippet from the email for those who are interested. You can also check out the Xbox 360 FAQ, which covers the warranty pretty extensively.
If Microsoft is able to offer me any solutions other than sending my Xbox 360 in for repair, I will relay the solution here. I’m not holding my breath though.
Well, now what?
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Take it easy man!
I had the same problem, just give them a call!
I just had the exact same thing happen. Dowloaded an update for Halo 2 then crash and 3 red lights I called microsoft and they walked me through a couple of things that didn’t work. Finally the girl told me to take it back to the store and exchange it if I could. Luckily I bought the Futureshop extended warranty so I shouldn’t have any problems in that department. What I thought was most interesting is how busy the call centre was. I could hear so many people in the background all talking other folks like myself through their xbox 360 woes. The room sounded PACKED full of support people. If they need that much support I can imagine just how many people’s xbox’s have crapped out. At least 5 out of the 8 people I know who have a 360 have had to return theirs, some of them 2 or 3 times. Way to go Microsoft, keep up the good work!
Ari, I too was astounded at how much background noise there was while I was on the phone with Colin. Sounded like there was another 200 support people all talking on the phone at the same time. It’s gotta be totally crazy working in there.
And like you said, a majority of the people who I know that own a 360 have had to return it to Microsoft.
I already sent my xbox 360 in once and i recieved a brand new one i have downloaded an update for halo 2 but it did not crash immediatley now it crashes on any game i play
Bought Lost Planet on Friday, as soon as the game update finished, freeze up on the next boot, then eternal 3 rings of red light. I will be getting my box to send it for repair shortly. I am pretty sure the update nuked my stuff, there is no other explanation.
This seems like an unlikely fix, but you guys might wanna try out the “Towel Trick” to fix the 3 red lights on the ROL. I might give this a try after work tonight.
Sent my Xbox 360 back 6 times !! 2 new boxes died within 1 hour of play . Lets hope #7 works
THIS REALLY FREAKING WORKS!
basically go to the store purchase insurance which I thought you couldn’t do but after about half a year with mine went and got it then get a new Xbox 360. 45.00$ for a year well worth it considering I’ve gone through three now.
Basically it looks like the 3 lights of death are a design flaw.
Inside the 360 the CPU and GPU are both BGA chips. The clamping mechanism used to keep the heatsink on the chip causes all the pressure to be in a tuny point at the centre of the chip with the pressure pushing upwards from the bottom of the board.
This causes the motherboard to flex (MS in their wisdom didn’t secure the board to the base except at the very edges – unlike a PC where the board is screwed down in multiple areas.).
The board flexes and the tiny solder connections on the CPU and GPU break and you get an intermittant problem that slowly gets worse.
The ‘towel trick’ works for a little while as your 360 gets hot enough to soften up the solder points and for the mobo to warp ever so slightly back to make contact again, but it will fail.
Basically you need to do the towel trick or similar and then replace the heastink clamps with bolts and nuts to secure the heatsink in a way that keeps the chip in full contact with the board and stops the board warping again.
If under warranty, just demand a replacement. If outside warranty then get some talismoon replacement fans (quieter and move 50% more air than the existing rear fans) and replace the heatsink clamps to stop the problem re-occurring.
There is a great post on xbox-scene titled RED LIGHTS = DESIGN FLAW or something similar that goes into detail
Laserman I paid $499. I should not have to open the 360. I got those 3 lights, call ms, my warranty was over 3 months ago, used the towel trick and sold the damm F***ing 360 back to gamestop. Never again Microsoft. Plan to get PS3. I am so disappointed.
PS. do not buy used 360’s they all suffer from the same problem.
i got the three lights about 2 weeks ago, so i took her to the doctor and fixed, and 2 weeks later it broke again, the conclucion is simple design flaw makinĀ“ the motherboard flex, fucken uncle billy, made this awesome graphical machine mounted in a cheap and bad designed case(and heatsinks too). I am in argentina so we donĀ“t have any warranty so next time it happens, i will fix it, or sell it as junk for replacements, (so sad)
I can’t believe the sacrifices I made to purchase this piece of $$$$$%
crap!!! for my son and guess what he can’t use it. Well, Microsoft I hope your fourth quarter profits were worth the rush to market with this shoddy design. I WANT MY MONEY BACK.
i have had to send my 360 back three times due to the three red lights. They eventually sent me a BRAND new xbox 360 and when i got that back it was INSTANT ring of lights. I called them back and basically assumed its the power supply, even though it functioned perfectly fine as the questions they asked were all yes’. Buddy bought a brand new one in the box, brought it over plugged it into my power and a/v and within 20 minutes it was flashing red lights. So microsoft is now sending me a 360 power supply free of charge because of all the “hassle” i have gone through. Yes they have problems but they are actually a good tech support center and resolve any issue without hessitant, call backs and everything are scheduled. Which is always prompt. Yes im very upset and frustrated over this issue, but at least they take care of ya quickly š
is over heating the main fault for the 3 red lights? my x box is 3 weeks old does the problem still exist?
I have the same problem and so far have tried every trick to get it to work. Nothing has worked besides calling Microsoft and getting a replacement sent out.
THE TOWEL TRICK WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS HESITATING TO TRY IT, BUT JUST 15 MINUTES WRAPPED IN A TOWEL, SHUT OFF FOR 5 MINUTES FIRE IT UP AND AWAY WE GO. STILL GOOD 2 WEEKS LATER! VIDEO ON YOUTUBE ON HOW TO DO IT. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually I just got mine working with the towel trick (tried it again) and “spanking” the bottom of my box 5 or so times – TOWEL TRICK DOES WORK
alright i got this piece of crap. broke down ive tried everything. i cant wait to try the towel trick
I agree with trevor the towel trick does work. happened to me last week. was playing GoW when it froze. turned it on and off and it blinked 3 red lights at me. worked for a week and now its just shown me it again. so first thing im doing is the towel trick. ill post if it works or not in 10mns
YAY worked again. left it in a thin towel which i put into a thicker one for 20mns. left for 2mns turned on and it is perfect! see u on xbox live!
what kind of xbox would you get if it has to be returned??
I just got a refurb back š
The problem being a “DESIGN FLAW” sounds about right. I didn’t start having problems until I moved my 360 around. I Also agreed that the heat sink setup is questionable. Sudden movements cause problems. So they ship a good unit out. The box gets kicked around a bit then bam back to square one before you even have a chance to turn it on.
Im having the same problem with my second xbox, quite frankly i think Microsoft should leave consoles to sony :P.
But yea the Towel trick does work for a while, but it will fail again later on.
May 25th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
We bought my son the xbox 360 premium, he does not have the intercooler, and yet Ā Ā ..wait for itĀ Ā Ā his xbox is Ā .FAULTYĀ ..Microsoft what happened????? where is the young rebel leader, the one leaving college and breaking free to wire the world????? Bill?????? these are kidsĀ Ā .at the very least do a recallĀ Ā Ā ..fix the problemĀ Ā .this is not some simple software problem, the solding is faultyĀ Ā Ā .lots of things are wrong in this worldĀ Ā .donĀt be one of themĀ Ā Ā a mom
ya know – it does suck – but I havent had any problems out of my xbox since I got the “new” one. Of course I did get the inter cooler this time. de fowrth the 20 bucks to play all freakin day – haha
Had the dreaded ring of death last night. was quite happily playing an online FIFA game and it froze kept retrying it and it kept freezing. I then doenloaded a demo game which it let me do, which froze again when i started to play it. I then turned it off and on again and the three rings started flashing, had my xbox over a year dont think there is much chance of them replacing it.
Chris:
Tell them you lost the receipt and you got it 3 months ago. They will take it back.
Loryās solution worked for me. My 360 is playing a movie as I type this, but let me say that this is not for the fainthearted. Taking the 360 apart is a challenge all on its own and several times this task had me wanting to throw the bad boy at the wall. Of course then I am not very techy either, which is great news for those of you who are a little techy.
I will update everyone if it bursts into flames or calls down beings from another planet to beam me awayā¦ errrā¦ maybe not if that last thing happens š
Still working guys. I have had an update and downloaded a demo as well as several game videos with no problems.
I think Loryās fix may be the real thing.
Yh my xbox 360 got the rings of death after just over a year of having it… So no more warrenty… I rang microsoft and they said it would cost 85 pounds to fix so i hung up the phone š But then i found a site which gives you a free xbox 360, all you have to do is clik sign up, enter your delivery details, choose your free gift (i chose xbo x360 elite) and then enter this code i found 90523699 the code gives you 36 points and the xbox elite only costs 32, your xbox 360 then arrives at your doorstep within 48 hours, much better than microsofts 15 days lol. This isnt a lie, i guess it sounds like a lie, i thought it wouldnt work at first but it did! yay! i play on gaers of war on my elite with my ipod nano which i also got free.
Koroku can you tell me what web site this is please???
Koroku is a spam artist and should die in a fire
wats the web site koroku.
I was playing the Shadowrun Demo when my box started freezing . I restarted the 360 and it seemed ok for a while, until it froze again. I restarted it and it froze on the startup screen. Restarted it again and it gave me the red rings and now it gives me the red rings every time. My prepaid box to send it back to M$ is now on its way. Stupid XBOX.
i really need to fix this thing does any1 have a free guide as 2 fixing it and does any1 know ow 2 remove dust from the 360 without a fan or dust remover in a can or any of that
also i think a LARGE portion of the three red lights has 2 do with dust i took off the side panels just the other day and i saw this yellowish dust all in it bad news is most of it spread down by where the gpu and cpu is i need that dust removed WITHOUT voiding the warranty
Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage Expanded
REDMOND, Wash. ā July 5, 2007 āMicrosoft Corp. today announced that it will expand its global Xbox 360ā¢ warranty coverage. Any Xbox 360 customer who experiences a general hardware failure indicated by three flashing red lights will now be covered by a three year warranty from date of purchase. All other existing Xbox 360 warranty policies remain in place.
As a result of what Microsoft views as an unacceptable number of repairs to Xbox 360 consoles, the company conducted extensive investigations into potential sources of general hardware failures. Having identified a number of factors which can cause general hardware failures indicated by three red flashing lights on the console, Microsoft has made improvements to the console and is enhancing its Xbox 360 warranty policy for existing and new customers.
Microsoft stands behind its products and is taking responsibility to repair or replace any Xbox 360 console that experiences the āthree flashing red lightsā error message within three years from time of purchase free of charge, including shipping costs. Microsoft will take a $1.05 billion to $1.15 billion pre-tax charge to earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2007 for anticipated costs under its current and enhanced Xbox 360 policies.
“The majority of Xbox 360 owners are having a great experience with their console and have from day one. But, this problem has caused frustration for some of our customers and for that, we sincerely apologize,” said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoftās Entertainment & Devices Division. “We value our community tremendously and look at this as an investment in our customer base. We look forward to great things to come.”
For any customer who has previously paid for repair expenses related to the three flashing lights error message on the Xbox 360 console, Microsoft will retroactively reimburse them.
At 2:30 p.m. PDT today, Microsoft will hold a teleconference for financial analysts and investors with Robbie Bach, president of Entertainment and Devices, Chris Liddell, senior vice president and chief financial officer, and Frank Brod, corporate vice president and chief accounting officer to discuss todayās announcement. The call will be available for playback beginning approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call through 5 p.m. PDT on Thursday, July 12. To access the playback, U.S. residents can dial +1-866-363-4143, and those outside the United States can dial +1-203-369-0210. An audio webcast of the conference call will also be made available at the Investor Relations site at http://www.microsoft.com/msft.
Xbox 360 customers with questions should visit http://www.xbox.com.
Thanks Bill!!! A Mom
I KNOW!!!!!! WHO DOESNT? ITS JUST I CANT SEND IT IN SO YEAH!!!!!!
I have the same problem as everyone here but I don’t to send it to Microsoft as it will take them 6 to 8 weeks to return me a set.
I found this reviews site and provide me a good fix guide which I am able to fix it with an hour and my xbox back alive with no 3 red lights problem since then.
anyone interested can take a look!
http://www.squidoo.com/threeredlightsfix/
I KNOW PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU!!!!!!! CAN YOU PLEASE SEND ME A FREE COPY OF THAT GUIDE OR HOW YOU FIX IT AT yoboyjayjay28@yahoo.com I REALLY NEED IT FIXED!!!!!!!!
btw i CANT pay 4 it!!!!! NO CC SO PLEASE im sorry its just please thanks! Wiki I CANT afford it im just 14!!!!! please HELP!!!
Well Guys and Gals, I got my Xbox 36 December 12th 2006. It would lock up once or twice a day when playing Vegas (probably the game). But as of Monday Past august 13th the red 3 rings came up. Itās definitely gone bad. Called MS tech support and they said they would send me a box. Got that yesterday on August 16th and sent the Xbox 360 right back out the same day. Purolator says its 2 days delivery to the MS repair center. Since Iām in Canada, Nova Scotia it will go to the Ontario, North Fork Fulfillment center. I was told since they actually donāt do repairs in Canada Iāll either get a new one or a refurb (which sucks cause I bought it new). So they should have it by Monday. Now the waiting game to see how long it will take to get me replacement. Also a side note when I brought it to Purolator office to be shipped its in a plain white Box, the Purolator guy said āthereās an Xbox in that hey?ā I said yes, turns out they are getting allot of those boxās, and he said he even had to send his in ā¦lol Iāll keep you all posted on the return for us Canadians.
Thanks for all the great comments, sure is a good feeling to know that it’s not just ME with the THREE RED LIGHT problem. I do have a question, which doesn’t make sense to me….My Xbox 360 is one year old, took it back to the store, exchanged for a brand new unit, brought that home, hooked up and same red light problem. “IF” it is a hardware issue from overheating, why would the brand new, straight out of the box, unit have the SAME EXACT problem?
Hi, i have a couple questions that i’m sure you guys know but i don’t at the moment. If i called microsoft and told them i have the problem with the 3 red lights on the the ring of light would they fix it without a receipt or warranty?
Second question, if the problem is within the console could i just buy a new console and keep the same hard drive and have it work? Thanks
XBOX 360 repair service (@ your home) – fix360guy.com – provided in Los Angeles, CA area and Orange county area
If you are having problems like the “Red Ring of Death” error, or other
problems with overheating consoles, graphic errors, and freeze ups,
I can fix it for you in less than 2 hours
$60 at my place/$80 at your place
guaranteed work or 30 days free repair
http://www.fix360guy.com
fix360guy at fix360guy.com
located in Long Beach, CA
thanks.
keywords : los angeles, orange county, repair, xbox 360, 3 red lights, no video, no audio, repairs, open, opened, console, no warranty, Los Angeles, Repair, Repairs, Orange County
I just bought a new 360 & opened the package and, five minutes later the three red lights came on it froze two more times and I was livid. This my first Xbox system and I am so disappointed. I paid so much money to get a big chunk of plastic. I have sent it into Microsoft but they we so used to the phone calls and complaints that it seem as if they just didn’t care. It’s sad because i was all excited to own my first Xbox 360 and now it has become a big ordeal!!! Great job Microsoft!!
I have had my xbox 360 for 9 months and I barley play it, and I
have let it settle for 10 minutes or so and tried to reboot it and it still red, but I didn’t install an update for Halo 2, What do i do?
It kept freezing and now it is freezing every 3 seconds I turn it on.
hey i was wondering guys who has an xbox 360 elite? and does it have the same problems as the core system and the premium? and are the nyko inercooler fans worth the money?
One day before I was going to get Halo 3 my xbox 360 got the red lights I don’t know if I should send it to Microsoft I kind of don’t want to wait four weeks to play Halo 3 and once your xbox 360 is fucked its always fucked microsoft should at least make the repairs free fuck its their fault pendejos
Everyone is talking about the “Red Ring of Death” which is obviously a design fault to me.
Instead of talking about it and coming up with quick fixes all the time, why not get together and SUE! Microsoft for selling Xbox 360 Consoles knowing that there is a design fault. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. I think itās a case of DECEPTION if you ask me. They know about the fault and they are still selling the product, thereās is no mention of the cause of the fault on the Xbox packaging, in the manual or advertisement, or have I missed the small print.
Since they must know about the fault we should know too when we by the product.
MY Crappy xbox has the ringworm and im trying the towel trick right now i hope it works because i need to get back on live before it expires
Hi People
Do not load the updates if possible
I did this with Stuntman which crashed on re-boot and then got the ring of death the day after.
I got it going again by removing the hard drive and switching the console on, green lights all around, “good”. Put hard drive back on, green again, “brill”. Worked for a day then got strangled by the red ring again. tryed the same procedure, “dead”
Finally I took it back to the shop where I bought it and they replaced it with a 2007 model. I had no receipt but if you bought it with a card just get a bank statement with the time and date it was bought. it can then be traced.
Good look
Rick
colin mcrae dirt kept freezing for me. then i got project gotham 4 last week and it kept freezing when trying to load the career stages.
i downloaded a demo but when trying to load it i get told the disc maybe dirty…theres no disc in.
i then tried to play pgr4 again and the arcade stages or any of the career stages wont load and it freezes when the screen goes white.
i then phoned microsoft up earlier today and was told that because its freezing and not the red lights i would have to pay Ā£70 to get it fixed!
so now im looking for ways to get the red lights on to get it fixed for free
I haven’t fired up my 360 for a few days. So I decided that i would play a little Halo 3. Got into the game screen turns black. Restart it dashboard freezes. Restart it again and guess what flashing 3 red lights!
YOU GUYS IT WORKS.THE “TOWEL TRICK”WORKS . TRY IT 100% THEN SELL IT IN A PAWNSHOP NOT GAMESTOP .I JUST DID IT THIS MINUETE
i tried the blanket/towel trick twice, it doesnt work
the towel trick is only a temporary solution IF it does work.
i reluctantly paid Ā£61 to get it fixed and it should be back with me this week sometime, i hope. im gonna trade it for an elite with the 65nm processor but more importantly so ive got the receipt and can take it back to where i bought it and get another one instead of dealing with microsofts ridiculous customer services
You can fix this with a guide from http://3redlightfix.com
Hi guys I have found a permanent, free solution for the xbox 360s 3 red lights of death. It only takes about 20 seconds and if it doesnāt work it doesnāt void your warranty because you donāt even need to open your box up! I didnāt believe it at first until I tried it, my friends laughed their heads off lol..
Anyway check it out here
Quickest way is just search for āshawnā he is the guy who explains how it works and how to do it.! Game on brothers!
i think they have a 3 year warrenty for the 360 now. only for the 3 red ring crap
LALA, you’re correct, there is a 3 year warranty on the Xbox 360 now. See this post for more details:
http://www.longren.org/2007/07/06/xbox-360-3-year-warranty/
hey dudes you can fix it with these great guides http://xbox-360-repair-guide-ebook.blogspot.com/
all these posts claiming to be fixes should be deleted. you cant fix it unless you send it off. they need a new motherboard, heatsinks and fans. or even better, the new 60nm chip that doesn’t overheat.
This site here helped me and yes you can avoid paying Microsoft lots of $$$ Xbox-360-3-red-lights-fix guide
Hello, I think I know something which might cause the 3 rings of death.
What I think the problem is that when you turn the Xbox 360 on, if you double tap the power button, this causes a Power Surge, which causes the 3 rings. Also, if you turn the Xbox 360 on, and turn it straight back on again, the 3 rings should come too. My tips are:
– Turn the 360 on with the controller.
– If rebooting the 360, wait 10 seconds before turning it back on again. This may be the answer. It’s happened to me once before.
i frist turned on my xbox360 and igot the three rings..
any ideas
I got a real good video here that shows the towel trick is a temp. fix and my site contains good info on how to fix the 3 red light error http://xbox-360-repair-guide-ebook.blogspot.com/2008/02/3-red-ring-of-light-error-fix-guide.html
I got the same…
But my question is… I have to exchange my xbox for a new one in order to continue playin?!
the towel fix is a bit rubbish…it damages it more than it helps. Wht you should do is too get clamps installed too solve the problem perminently!
My xbox 360 just went in for the third time. What a piece of junk. I think Apple should capitalize on this through their mac vs. pc commercials. Microsoft should get out of the gaming business and leave it up to the professionals. Wii and PS3 must be laughing all the way to the bank. Way to go Microsoft!
DEAR SIR
I JUST PURCHASED XBOX 360,I JUST OPEN AND START MY GAME
I HEAR THAT THIS CONSOLE WILL HEATUP AFTER RUNNIG OF 30 MINUTES OR MAY PROCESSOR
WILL BE HEATED AND DEAD FOREVER…?
JUST TELL ME THAT
-IF (SUPPOSE)MY GAME WILL DEAD SO CAN I INSERT NEW BOARED OF XBOX 360 ELITE..?
IF YES SO WHAT IS PRICE OF ELITE BOARD
I THINK U MUST REPLY MYSELF POSITIVELY
THANKS
AMIR
PLS MAIL ME FOR HELP
capitalfotos@yahoo.com
IF SOMEONE HELP ME THAT THIS WILL BE THANKS TO U.I HAVE XBOX 360,I HEAR THAT THIS FUCKER GAME MOSTLY DEAD AND NEVER REPEARABLE..
I WANT JUST KNOW THAT
IF (SUPPOSE)MY CONSOLE WILL DIE SO CAN I INSERT XBOX 360 ELITE MOTHER BOARD FOR PERMENENT SOLUTION
IF YES SO WHAT IS COST OF NEW BOARD OF ELITE
PLS REPLY ME AT
capitalfotos@yahoo.com
Should i use the towel trick that alot of people seem to say that it works but yet some people tend to say its a waste of time..
ive lost my receipt and cant send to get it fixed..
i also dont want to pay to get it fixed or wait 2-5 weeks for it to come back..
is it worth the wait or should i try the towel trick..
hi you dont need a receipt and nooo dont do the towel trick it is only temprery just ring them 0800 587 1102 uk option 2 option 2 and your through
I was just playing cod 4, my xbox froze. So i turned it off and when i powered it back on i got the three red lights. I tried restarting it several times and i just keep getting the three red lights. Should i try the towell trick? Or does anyone know a better solution?
I was watching a movie on my xbox once, and i got the three red lights. so i turned it off then turned it back on, then there were three red rings. so the next day i tried this one thing that was supposed to fix an error message, and it worked. So if u want your rings to stop, then first take out all your cords and the hardrive or memory card on your xbox. Then after u have them all out just put them back in then turn your xbox back on. i should work the first time. if it doesnt it will take a few tries.
the towel trick works but only temporary
i am having a problem where, after two minutes, it freezes. i turn it off, i turn it on, and the three lights pop up. the lights on indicate an overheat, but the xbox still feels cool. so after a minute or two, i turn it on agaain. it works ,for 2 minutes. wtf is with it, this has never happened before in the past 3 years or so i’ve had it.
Over the last year I have had the dreaded 3 red rings twice & was able to fix it myself through troubleshooting. Now a third time, Iv had 4 rings, yes 4 rings, straight away on starting up, which have just gone back to 3!! Problems with the tray opening frequently occur. The back vent gets hot quickly, screen freeze on certain games, then theres the crashing on & off line every now & again! Updates & the hard drive are where the main problems lie. I had the orginal x-box for years, never a problem, but I didnt play online. Enough is enough. My professional opinion – DONT buy a 360!!!
I got the three rings today while trying to play halo 3.
I did all they said on the website but nothing happened, so i rang the help line and they guided me through everything but nothing happened. So she asked if i wanted to send it for repair, i was like yes, but the warranty finished 6 days ago >_< So i was abit annoyed, but then she went on to explain that microsoft have given an extra 3 years warranty!!! So now im happy so hopefully in 3weeks i will have my xbox back =D
i had my 360 for 7 mounths and got 3 red rings and i was only play a regular xbox soccer game befor it frose and i turend it off.
what if i did send it to microsoft how much wood it cost. but should i send it there
YES you should send it , if you try to fix it urself in anyway they wont fix it and the warranty on every xbox is now 3 years because of this problem
Jack, if you have had it for 7 months and its got 3 red rings. Just ring up microsoft and send it to them, its free as its 3 red rings!
hey there guys. Im sorry to hear you all suffer from the 3 red lights.
I will fix it for you here
ioffer dot com slash atomiczx2
Do you all want an honest opinion? Microsoft in my view are taking the piss. The “red light issue” should not even be an issue.Why after 3 or 6 or 9 months or what ever should we be sending the damn things back. Microsoft, one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world chose to release this piece of shit (xbox) in my view just to make money. I had a PS1 and PS2, and never had any problems at all. If i was in America now i would go to their office and throw it through their fkin window. I think its an absolute digrace and i dont care who reads this (microsoft if your spying!!)Instead of every one complaining on sites such as this, why is no one holding Microsft respnsible for releasing this crap on the market. If any one wants to start something against microsoft on this issue, or knows of anyone who is feel free to let me know. They will have my full support and backing.
I only have one ring not three why
i have the same one ring and i called microsoft about it.they tell me its a hardware problem inside the console.my warranty was up so they asked me for 123.00 for repair if i send it back to them.i have managed to get it working by turning it on and letting it get warm then press hard on back side of it for a few minutes then hook all wires up and put hard drive back in hold reset button while booting and voila!.i dont believe ive “fixed” the problem for good,but it worked now for me several times.
hi peeps i read most of the older posts and i got the same prob. i have a cracked x box yeah a cracked x box u heard me right i dont use xbox live but i get all the games for crazy low prices , so as it turns out even cracked xbox’s have the damn 3r’s of d prob so if any of u kind folks is willing to tell me wtf i gotta do now nowing i live in libya and there aint noting that even resembles a MS office or retailer or anytin here pleeeez help help help
mohamedayad1985@yahoo.com
Microsoft would not fix my xbox360 for free as they added a clause in their three years warranty. The warranty is invalid if it is a preowned console.
When I was playing halo 3 online my screen turned greenish. After the game ended, I turned my xbox 360 off on back on and it went away. I then started playing another game and it started again. So I turned it off a secound time. But then when I turned it on I heard the audio but the nothing came up on screen. A lot of people have gotten this issues and things like the towel trick and replacing the x-clamp suppsosibly work for it too like it does for the 3RROD. But M$ wants to charge me $99 to get it fixed.
Tyler,
Sorry to hear of your problem. I had the same thing with my xBox 360 and was almost tempted to try the towel trick, and then I did some research and learned that this would permanently ruin my xBox. So I searched online and found a great guide – you can get it here: xBoxTopSecret Repair Guide
I bought the X-clamp kit from off of ebay and I watched a step by step guide on fixing the 3 red lights problem and it has been working for me since. I bought it the 16th of december an I got it a few days later. I opened my xbox 360 up and followed the videos and my xbox 360 started working again, and has had no problems as of 1/05/09. I did this to repair the no video but audio problem I had, but it is ment to fix the 3 red lights problem. Though I have heard it only last for a few more month, some even say just 1 or 2 months, while others say like 5 to 6 months.
I like to note that my xbox 360 is still working as of april 15, 2009. Fixed it around the 16th of December.
Fixed it with the x-clamp fix, I meant to sy in there.
Got my ‘3 rings of death’. Sent back to Microsoft via UPS (pre paid sticker which you need to print off – you just have to ring UPS to arrange collection). Fairly easy, and obviously cost free. Came back just over a week later, 1 month free xbox live, all pretty good, Microsoft obviously on the MF.
Not good. Spend over an hour setting it back up, including re configuring with my wireless internet and trying to get the wireless controller to work with it (didn’t manage it). Had to configure everything with my Guitar Hero Guitar. Started playing GH World Tour and the console switched off completely after about 3 mins. Won’t switch back on (after numerous attempts). Red light on power supply. Rang on friday and got through to someone after about 10 mins. Spent 10 mins explaining it to someone with broken english. Then waited half an hour for a supervisor which didn’t materialise so hung up. Emailed them shortly after detailing all of the problem, and got a reply back 24 hours later saying i need to contact them by phone. Despite my attitude of wanting to throw the f*cker up the wall and buy a playstation3, i thought i’d give them another try this morning. Got through, and the bloke diagnosed it as being the f*cking power supply. Bit of a coincidence i asked him. ‘No, i’m sure it’s that’ said the f*ckwit on the other end. They are sending me a new power supply, to which i answered, ‘speak to you again in a week or so then’.
This is such a load of W*NK it’s untrue. And after all of the money i’ve spent on games for th hard drive and add on’s etc. Probably going to end up buying another one if i want to make use of that. Morale of the story – don’t f*cking buy one until they have sorted all this sh*t out properly.
Yeah, mine has been working fine with the x-clamp fix, except for the disk drive. Yesturnight all I wanted was to watch a few episodes of full metal alchemist on my xbox 360. So I turn it on and it won’t read the DVD, like it does so many times to any movie, game, or CD. I usually can get it to read the disk by putting two thin cardboard pieces (a 1 free xbox live month card from my Halo 3 game ripped in half to be exact…lol) in the cracks and both sides of the disk drive as it goes in, and eventually for some reason it will read the disk. Well last night I was there forever trying to get it to read the DVD, until finally the damn thing got stuck and the disk drive wouldn’t even open. So I had to open up my xbox 360 AGAIN, and open the disk drive and get my DVD out that way. And when I went to put it back together I cut my thumb on a metal piece from inside the system. It didn’t hurt but it bleed like a little emo boy for a long time, I’m thinking law suit….
Well think all you like you won’t get a law suit as YOU opened it up which you arn’t supposed to. Why don’t u just send it to microsoft and they will fix it
Well if it had never had the issue in the first place i would have never had to open it. OR buy the x-clamp kit off of ebay. I tried to send it in but they wanted to charge me $100 bucks. And the law suite was meaning toward the shit box and ALL the problems I had from just a few days of ownining it. AND when my 360 first starting freezing, I called in and they said it was just probably that game. I got more games and it froze up still. And then 3 years later it red ringed after 3 years of freezing and disk reading errors. I had NEVER had an electronic item break on me before. And I have always and still do take care of my systems, I don’t leave them in closed places to get over heated. Also I like to note that as of april 15, 2009, my xbox 360 that I fixed with the x-clamp is still working fine, with the exception of the disk reading error which and I can get it to read the disk now by hitting the side of the xbox 360 just above where the disk drive is. (obviously not TOO hard as it may break something inside.)
I have a halo 3 edition xbox 360 and just last i had the sytem freeze on me, then when i went to restart it the screen kept showing up black with green pielations everywhere. Now all it does is red ring with 3 rings. I have left it unplugged completly overnight and i have readjusted the plugs numerous times. I have treated this system with the utmost care, so now im lost on what to do. Is the only worthwhile option sending into microsft? And if so how what would be an estimated cost of fixxing this problem? I’m desperate for any information that can help me, thank you.
Well,If you have voided the warranty Microsoft won’t be able to do crap.
If you still have it,
This guy from work told me his Xbox broke down or something happened to it.
I went over to his house and it had 1,2,3,4 red lights.
Every time i turned it back on there was like 2 then 4 the next time.A random order.
I just told him send it to Microsoft,well he did and like a couple weeks of waiting or maybe like 1 or 2 months they sended his xbox back,(he had a pro console)
For him it was FREE of charge.The Microsoft company sended it back and even gave him free gold trail memberships.
For me the red light (3) came out just a couple hours ago,and I just left it untouch for like say 2 hours? Just Let it cool up.Most of the problems of xbox’s is Overheating.
The max people should play a game.Would be 7 1/2 hours.
Because haven’t you ever noticed when you play a game it kinda makes a loud suction or vacuum sorta kind of sound.
If you Download the game to the hard drive it releases a bunch of pressure and a less chance from Overheating.
Im glad if this helped.
Any other questions:Alex13nickle@live.com
This is from my post on xbox.com. I just want to add what can I do I send them in for repairs and they just die before I get a chance to use them. I buy a new one and it does the exact same thing.
I am at a loss for words so to speak. I cannot for the life of me figure out what in the heck is going on. I have an elite which was purchased when they were first released. It died on me a few years ago (3rrod) the replacement worked for about 6 months then died. It began to get worse and the replacements would last if I am lucky a month or so. It got so bad I bought an Arcade unit in Jan 09 as a backup. It died a few weeks later(3rrod), I keep getting these systems back and they are dying right and left. I just got back my arcade unit a few days ago and decided to continue using my elite. Today my elite started to freeze until it finally gave me the 3rrod.
I unplugged my elite and plugged in my arcade unit, I got to the sign in menu and it froze. I continued to turn it on and it froze; it gave me 3rrod and I had not even been able to log in or play a game. I have my systems upright on the top shelf where it is not being blocked by anything and has plenty of airflow. The temp in the room is around 70 degrees or so. I don’t know what to do. I had the wireless device removed cause it caused the 3rrod on my elite so I now use the ethernet port, I replaced the hard drive just in case it was a bad drive. I am baffled on why these consoles continue to die and in such a quick time frame. I just put in an service order for my elite tonight and now have to do the same to my arcade.
I am not sure what to do? My PS3 runs fine and has given me no issues whatsoever. I say this because it has been suggested that it could be a power issue with my place in the past. If it were true I would think my PS3 would also have issues. I am not sure what can cause this to happen. I hate to say this but I may have to give up on the 360 all together because I cannot even enjoy the two systems I have and have no idea what is the reason for all these failures. I am beginning to lose count on how many repairs I have requested. This has been a nightmare beyond belief and I really enjoy my 360 have tons of games I still have yet to beat. Any suggestions or similar issues?
So my xbox 360 that I fixed a little after christmas started messing up again about a month ago. Yesturday I went ahead and just bought a new arcade version. Hopefully this one will work. But to the point of this post, I “fixed” my xbox 360 with the x-clamp fix. I had the no video but sound problem and once I ordered the screws/bolts and thermal paste and folled the videos on youtube, I TEMPERARLY fixed my xbox 360. It lasted about 5 months. I recommend doing this for both the RROD and the no video but audio problem IF and ONLY IF, you do not or will not pay for repairs and/or M$ won’t pay for them either. Because if the only other choose is to throw it out, why not spend about $10 on trying to get what you can left out of the system.
I have been looking for some X-box facts on the internet for a few days as my box has stopped operating. Have not had the red r-o-d but it appears to freeze at all-important moments. I do not know whether I have a problem others have or if I have a limited issue all of my own, I hope not. Anyway thanks for the info.
I am also having problems with my xbox 360 halo 3 edetion
i took a break from my xbox for about 2mins and when i had came bck upstairs to play saints row the game was blurry.so i had turned it off for about 7mins to let it cool down and when i turned it back on it was a red light on my xbox where i turn it on @ so i have been trying to fix it but it didnt work so i might take it back to rent a center 2 get it fixed….:-(
I tried watching Tommy Boy on my Xbox 360 and the controller wouldn’t connect so I tried reconnecting it with the little button. It reconnected and I pressed play and within three seconds my Xbox froze completely. I can not turn it back on now and I get 3/4 of the circle but it’s red. Please someone tell me what to do.
Justin, you’ll need to call Microsoft at 1-800-4MY-XBOX. They will run through some troubleshooting things with you. If nothing helps, they’ll initiate the return/repair process.