What To Do When Your Xbox 360 Breaks Down

By: Brinndog
Added: January 11, 2009

So your Xbox 360 broke down and you don't know what to do about it. This has happened to me and countless others. In fact, recent market research has revealed that Xbox failure occurs to about 30% of consoles.

The primary cause of Xbox failure is related to a design flaw in the console. Essentially, the Xbox has an inadequate cooling system which results in damage to the components. This damage leads to glitches and eventually the so called "red ring of death".

Once your Xbox breaks down you are left with very few options. When I called Microsoft I was told that the average wait time for a repair was 4-6 weeks and that the cost of the repair would be $140. That's in addition to shipping and handling charges!

Fortunately, there are certain steps you can take to prevent your Xbox from crashing and to repair your console if it already has experienced the "red ring of death".

1. The first thing you should try it to simply remove your Xbox 360 from where it is located into an open area. Because of its poor ventilation the console heats up a lot and sometimes a bit of fresh air is all that is needed.

2. A second step you can try is to lift the Xbox 360 power brick directly off the ground. The power brick can also become extremely hot and lead to crashing.

3. A third thing you can attempt is to create your own circulation by running a small fan into the systems vents. This will cool down the systems components and blow away any dust that may have also contributed to failure.

4. Finally, if none of the foregoing suggestions solve the problem, there are a few excellent guides that will take you step-by-step through instructional videos demonstrating how to repair your Xbox 360 from your very own home. I used one of these guides with a great deal of success.