XBox 360 Owners and "The Ring of Death"

No this is not about a new movie spinning off "The Ring" onto your Xbox.

I have what some refer to as "the ring of death" on my Xbox 360. Three of the four lights around the power button are red, blinking and they aren't supposed to!!! :taz:

I looked online to find that this is sometimes called the "ring of death" and it signals a devestating injury to the Hardware and system. :puke:

I've seen "self-fixing" devices online for about $30 that 'tell you you' to fix it. I've also seen where some estimates of returning it Microsoft and getting it fixed range from $150 and up. :eek:

The system in only 17 months old. :madman:

My Questions are:

1. Has this happened to you? What did you do?

2. Have you sent one back to be worked on? Was it fixed? What was the cost?

3. Have you tried the "self-help" ideas and paid the $30 or so to do it? How did that work for you?

4. I'm wondering if it would be just as easy and not much more expensive to buy a new $300 unit rather than spend half or more to let Microsoft fix it.

I need feedback. My son returns home in an hour and I will have to tell him then. If he takes it nearly as bad as I have we might add a therapy bill to the cost as well. :scared:

It has never happened to me, but I'm almost 100% certain that you will be under warranty and be able to send it back free of charge, or at worst, out the cost of shipping. Because of the red ring of death, the XBox 360 has a three year warranty.

By the way, I don't know what specific "fixes" you've been looking up, but under no circumstances try what is called "The Towel Trick". This is an extremely temporary fix that will ultimately do your system incredible harm.

Lastly, a link that you will need to submit a repair online. If you don't have a Windows Live ID, you will have to create one.

https://support.xbox.com/support/en/us/nxe/registerdevice.aspx?step=repair

By the way, I don't know what specific "fixes" you've been looking up, but under no circumstances try what is called "The Towel Trick". This is an extremely temporary fix that will ultimately do your system incredible harm.

Yeah, I heard about that but it was debunked by the site I heard it from.

Actually there is a video that supposedly teaches you how to take the system apart and effect repairs.

However I'm going to try and talk to Microsoft and see if the warranty is still good and if they can fix it for something reasonable.

Anymore tips would be greatly appreciated.

No this is not about a new movie spinning off "The Ring" onto your Xbox.

 

 

I have what some refer to as "the ring of death" on my Xbox 360. Three of the four lights around the power button are red, blinking and they aren't supposed to!!! :taz:

 

I looked online to find that this is sometimes called the "ring of death" and it signals a devestating injury to the Hardware and system. :puke:

 

I've seen "self-fixing" devices online for about $30 that 'tell you you' to fix it. I've also seen where some estimates of returning it Microsoft and getting it fixed range from $150 and up. :eek:

 

The system in only 17 months old. :madman:

 

 

My Questions are:

 

1. Has this happened to you? What did you do?

 

2. Have you sent one back to be worked on? Was it fixed? What was the cost?

 

3. Have you tried the "self-help" ideas and paid the $30 or so to do it? How did that work for you?

 

4. I'm wondering if it would be just as easy and not much more expensive to buy a new $300 unit rather than spend half or more to let Microsoft fix it.

 

 

 

I need feedback. My son returns home in an hour and I will have to tell him then. If he takes it nearly as bad as I have we might add a therapy bill to the cost as well. :scared:

Call Xbox. I think they extended the warranties on all XBox's. I sent mine off about 5 months ago, they didn't ask when I bought it or anything. You only have to provide a box to ship it in. They send you a UPS shipping label via E-mail and it should be back within 2 weeks. Hope this helps. DO NOT TRY TO FIX IT YOURSELF BEFORE YOU TALK TO XBOX. That can, and probably will void the Microsoft warranty.

They should fix it for free. Either they will send you a refurbished one, or a brand new one and a free month of Xbox live. They did that for me the last time mine broke.

Before you send it in, try this. Take off the hard drive, and turn on the console. If it the console comes on with no red lights, turn it back off, put on the hard drive and turn on the console again. This worked twice for me.

Before you send it in, try this. Take off the hard drive, and turn on the console. If it the console comes on with no red lights, turn it back off, put on the hard drive and turn on the console again. This worked twice for me.

Your welcome. :bunny:

Before you send it in, try this. Take off the hard drive, and turn on the console. If it the console comes on with no red lights, turn it back off, put on the hard drive and turn on the console again. This worked twice for me.

Thanks. Tried it. Didn't work. :cry:

Truth is my son is handling it better than I. He told me it was under warranty and we will send it in. As soon as I get some time to make the right calls, we will do that I think.

Thanks for everyone's help on this and seeing me through this crisis.

Hey, anyone have a 360 they can send as a loaner??:lol:

I'm pretty sure Microsoft extended the warranty on all xbox to 3 years from the purchase date because of this problem, so send it back in if you have the time to wait for a replacement from them.

By the way, I don't know what specific "fixes" you've been looking up, but under no circumstances try what is called "The Towel Trick". This is an extremely temporary fix that will ultimately do your system incredible harm.

I know nothing about gaming systems, and quite honestly, I'm not even sure why I entered this thread. Even still, I just have to know...What on Earth is the "Towel Trick"?

Thanks. Tried it. Didn't work. :cry:

 

Truth is my son is handling it better than I. He told me it was under warranty and we will send it in. As soon as I get some time to make the right calls, we will do that I think.

 

Thanks for everyone's help on this and seeing me through this crisis.

 

Hey, anyone have a 360 they can send as a loaner??:lol:

You can do it all online. You can even check there for the warranty and request a box for it to be shipped in with a label.

It has happened to my son's system three different times and they have always replaced it!

I know nothing about gaming systems, and quite honestly, I'm not even sure why I entered this thread. Even still, I just have to know...What on Earth is the "Towel Trick"?

You can check it online probably on youtube even.

But basically wrap your box in a towel, and blow dry the heck out of it. Supposed to make it so hot that the system that reads heat actually resets it's self. Apparently that's part of what causes the red ring is the system over heating sometimes. I had a friend do it. He almost gave up because it hadn't worked after ten minutes. However he was drunk and determined to play xbox on that cold March evening. So he continued and got the temporary fix. It broke again within a week.