How to Protect Your Xbox 360 from the Red Ring of Death

The X Box 360 is a fantastic game console. Bill Gate's brainchild has had its share of problems. If you own an X Box 360 that is was bought before mid 2008, your system may be vulnerable to the dreaded red ring of death, when the green system lights around the power switch turn bright red, indicating a general systems failure, a gamer's worst nightmare. The problem occurs when the system overheats, potentially melting circuits and destroying connections.

The problem can be prevented however, by following a few basic rules:
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Always have your Xbox 360 in a well ventilated place, away from other electronics that throw off heat.
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Try to keep a small fan running near the Xbox 360 when it is on, or buy a supplemental cooling fan, which are available at most retailers who stock the Xbox products.
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Never put your X Box 360 on a carpeted surface, as the system will be unable to ventilate effectively, and will likely overheat quickly.
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Clean out the vents and fans at least once a week, using a commercial air cleaning product.
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After several hours of play, turn the system off altogether and allow it time to cool off.

The newer X Box 360 releases feature an improved cooling system, and are less prone to the Red Ring Syndrome. However, these delicate machines are still prone to overheating if not cared for properly, and in fact that holds true for any of the popular gaming systems.

If you are unfortunate to fall victim to overheating, if your Xbox 360 is still under warranty, Microsoft will repair or replace it, even covering shipping charges. If it is not, the repair costs may exceed the cost of an entirely new system, something you should take into consideration before sending it out to be fixed. There are a number of websites that offer instructions for dealing with the Red Ring of Death, but only use those from a very trusted source, and proceed with extreme caution, as you may cause more harm to your system than you repair.