Xbox Troubleshooting: Red Ring of Death Fix

OPENING UP YOUR CONSOLE WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.


If you've already been inside your console or if your warranty has ran out then no problem. Otherwise you should give this some careful thought first.

If flashing red lights are a new experience for you, make certain that you count three red lights (see picture to the right). Four red lights also form a red ring but it is not the red ring of death. A brief description of the other error codes including the four red light error are given here.

Photo by Pablasso.

There are two broad reasons why your Xbox 360 will flash the red ring of death:

1.) When the console doesn't get adequate power. There are a number of ways that this can happen but it can be easily identified and fixed without opening the console.

2.) An overheating Xbox. When this happens, the Xbox is designed to shut itself down. Sometimes it does so before any damage occurs but not always. If no damage has happened, then avoiding the red ring of death comes down to avoiding overheating. How this is done will be described further down in the troubleshooting section.

If damage has taken place, then you will have to make use of your warranty if you have one or you will have to do some repair work. (See the "repairing your Xbox" section below).

The reason for the overheating is a combination of design issues as well as improper usage of the Xbox. Components within the Xbox (primarily the GPU and CPU) use a lot of power and consequently generate a lot of heat. The cooling system is barely able to keep up with this.

It doesn't take much to cause your Xbox to overheat. Just a bit of improper usage on the part of the owner will do this. Sometimes it will overheat regardless of how well you treat it.

An in depth explanation of the design problems that contribute to the red ring of death are explained as follows:

The Xbox 360 is packed with a lot of high powered components filling a small space. These high powered components (the CPU and GPU in particular) are giving off a large amount of heat. This heat is dissipated within the console with vents, heat sinks, and fans. It's marginal cooling capacity causes this system to overheat if the flow of air into the Xbox 360 is obstructed. The red ring of death occurs when various design flaws act up due to the increasing heat levels.

Although many adults use the Xbox 360, it's also used by children. This is why lead free solder was used in it's manufacture. One major drawback to this is that lead free solder is more brittle. Long term exposure to heat and warpage of the motherboard stresses the solder which can cause micro cracks to form. These cracks weaken solder joints which may break over time. The cracks also affect the flow of electricity.

The X clamp is a questionable design because the clamp presses down with a non uniform force. This uneven pressure intensifies when the CPU and GPU get hot, causing the motherboard to flex and warp. Brittle, lead free solder joints get stressed when the motherboard flexes. With enough repetition of this stress and heat the solder joints break.

One common cause for many ring of death failures is bad thermal paste connecting the CPU and the GPU to their respective heat sinks. High quality paste that is properly applied should last for years. Poor quality paste can break down in months. Improperly applied paste can cause immediate problems. In the past, Microsoft has accidentally left foil on the heat sinks. This foil renders the thermal paste useless. Improper thermal paste application during manufacture is possible.

The soldering process during manufacture was done at too low a temperature. When lead free solder is under heated, the resulting solder joint is full of voids and other defects. These weak joints won't hold up for long even under normal circumstances. If you include the other Xbox faults such as running too hot and warping of the motherboard, you've got the perfect formula for failure.

Instead of going to an experienced vendor for its chip design (ASIC vendor), Microsoft designed the graphics chip in house, in other words, on it's own. They did this in order to save some tens of millions of dollars in the cost of the design.

Although Microsoft has some experience here, it doesn't come close to the level of expertise of the ASIC vendors. As a result, their graphics chip is inefficient in that it dissipates too much waste heat.

This problem dovetails in with the weak cooling system in the console.

Microsoft has gone to an ASIC vendor in the US and had the graphics chip redesigned. This move goes a long way to resolving the overheating problem.

However, there are lots of Xbox units in use that still have the old graphics chip. These will continue to be susceptible to heating problems.

If you are thinking of getting your Xbox repaired either by yourself or by a repair service, please try out the trouble shooting tips below first. These don't involve opening the console and are easy to do. You should also try these tips before using your warranty as well. No sense in doing the packing and shipping and being without your Xbox when the problem could have been quickly solved on your own. I don't want to get your hopes up here but you never know, these tips may do it for you.

If the first tip doesn't help, then proceed to the next and so on.

Yes, this seems a bit silly but depending on where you live and the time of year, electrical brown outs can happen especially in hot weather when everyone has their air conditioner running. A momentary dip in electrical power can trigger the ring of death.

You may have a loose cable or cord. Any cables and power cords that can be removed should be disconnected. Unplug the power cable from the wall plug. Firmly reattach all cables and cords back into the console. Now connect up the power and turn on the console.

If you notice any damaged cables or cords, replace them.

Turn off the console, unplug the power and then disconnect the hard drive. Now plug back into the power and turn the console back on. If the console does not show the three red lights error, turn it off and disconnect the power cord from the wall. Finally, reconnect the hard drive, plug in the power, and turn on the console.

If you are using a surge protector, plug strip, or extension cord, remove them and plug the power brick directly into the wall. Surge protectors can be defective and long extension cords will reduce the power available to your power hungry Xbox.

Your wall outlet may not have adequate power. You can rule out this possibility by trying your Xbox on a different wall outlet that's on a different circuit. This usually means in a different room (but not always).

The power brick may be overheating. When this happens, it doesn't supply the required power to your Xbox which triggers the ring of death. It won't run cool unless it gets adequate ventilation. Keep it off of shag carpeting. Don't place it on your bed covers or sheets.

Another possibility is that the power brick is defective. If you have a spare or can borrow one from a friend, try it out.

If you think that your machine has overheated, then turn it off and let it cool down. Ensure that the cooling vents are not blocked in any way and keep your Xbox 360 in a ventilated and open area.

Verify that the fans are actually running.

Do not place it near any sources of heat. There are obvious sources like heaters and radiators and such. But less obvious sources include the electrical devices that are sitting on top or beneath your Xbox. Direct sunlight can also heat up your Xbox.

Try removing any dust buildup on the vents.

Cool off your console with a small fan.

Keep the rear of the console clear. Don't push it up against a wall and keep any debris away. This includes not allowing any cords and cables to get all bunched up in this area.

Don't do any all day gaming marathons. Limit your gaming to just a few hours, then turn it off and let it cool down for a while. The warmer the room temperature is the shorter your playing time should be.

If you're still having problems after trying the above suggestions, getting your machine repaired is the next step. All Xboxes experiencing the ring of death have had their warranties extended for three years beyond the purchase date. If you have opened up your console this warranty is void.

If you're not used to working with your hands, then sending your Xbox back to Microsoft is the safest way to go. For most people this is worth the few weeks of waiting before getting their Xbox back. It doesn't make sense to do otherwise unless you're feeling comfortable about doing the repair yourself.

For those who are inclined to take matters into their own hands, the quickest and cheapest option is to repair it yourself using this guide. If you can follow directions, it's fairly simple to do. My sister recently repaired her kid's Xbox.



This guide will fix these problems:

Freeze ups
Distorted Graphics
2 red lights error
3 red lights error (ring of death)

E74 Error - this is the error where you get text on the screen saying E74

The fix will take you 40 mins to do and you do not need any special equipment just a screwdriver set and a few household items. It has a full set of videos and a guide to take you through each step with ease. It assumes that you are a complete novice, not one single item or process is left out. There is a customer service that you can contact to answer any questions that you may have.

If you do this fix following the videos you will have a working xbox. The fix is permanent.

This repair guide has eight high definition videos that cover each step of the repair. Every detail is shown and explained. Included is a 45 page ebook containing 81 photos that you can refer to after viewing the videos.

A brief description of each of the eight videos is shown next. The photos are still shots from the actual videos in the guide. I had to reduce their size by 8% to make them fit on this page.

Video 1: 360 Case Disassembly - 7 min 43 sec



Disassembly is shown with the removal of the hard drive, face plate, side panels, the bottom case cover, the eject button, and the top case cover. This is followed by removal of the CD drive, fan shroud, and then the fans.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 2: Motherboard Extraction - 1 min 35 sec



The motherboard extraction video shows the removal of eight screws, the plastic cover for the lights, the RF module, and finally the removal of the motherboard itself from the casing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 3: Removing X-clamps & Heatsinks - 1 min 59 sec



X-clamp removal is demonstrated followed by heat sink extraction.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 4: Cleaning Thermal Paste - 4 min 40 sec



The old thermal paste is cleaned off of the CPU, GPU, and the heat sinks using thermal paste removal fluid. Thermal surface purifier is applied to the CPU, GPU, and the heat sinks to further clean the contact surfaces.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 5: Applying Thermal Paste - 2 min 41 sec



The proper technique for applying new thermal paste to the CPU and GPU are demonstrated in this video.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 6: X-clamp Modification - 6 min 30 sec



The mounting screws are removed from both heat sinks. The heat sinks are bolted back into the motherboard using a different set of screws and washers. The x-clamps are not used anymore.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 7: Baker mod - 4 min 57 sec



This video shows the procedure for making the solder balls under the GPU melt. This will ensure a good connection between the motherboard and the GPU.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 8: 360 Reassembly - 7 min 32 sec



There is no need to remember how the parts are supposed to fit back together because this video will show you the exact sequence for reassembly.

Some tips on using this guide:

1.) Follow every step in the correct order as shown in the guide. Don't improvise. Use the exact screws and washers specified. The screw thread and lengths are important. So are the thickness and the material of the washers. Some of the washers are non-metallic and there is a reason for this: they don't conduct electricity.

2.) Have all the tools and hardware ready before you start the repair.

3.) Make sure your work area is not on a carpet. Static electricity is can damage the internal components of your Xbox 360.

4.) Place the screws and washers in a bag so they don't get lost.

5.) Preview the video and then read the corresponding page in the ebook before starting each step of the repair. Pay attention to any warnings printed in red.

6.) Don't pull the casing apart until the tabs in the front and the back have been released. See the second photo on page 13 in the ebook.

7.) When removing the x-clamps look carefully at the second photo on page 24 of the ebook. You must pry your screw driver between the gap indicated. Don't ever lever against any of the board components.

8.) Don't forget to position and plug in the fans as shown on page 39 top photo in the ebook. You must do this for the baker mod step to work.

9.) If you are using a PC computer, there is a trick you can use to change the size of the videos. First, click anywhere outside the video. Then use ctrl + to zoom in on the video and use ctrl - to zoom out. If this doesn't work, it's because you did not click outside of the video boundary.

The step by step videos are very clear about what you have to do and leave nothing out. This is a double edged sword because this kind of clarity can have one of two effects on people: it will either scare them away or it will guide them precisely though their repair.

Con's - The bad news is that you will be taking your Xbox apart with your own two hands. This has been mentioned before in this lens but the reality of it doesn't sink in until people have already purchased this product and start to assemble the tools to do the job. Many people will feel that they are in over their heads. Take a careful look at the photos in the above review. Can you picture yourself doing this?

Pro's - Most cases of the red ring of death will be repaired by the procedure given in this product. Many people have successfully done so including kids (who often enjoy taking things apart away). If you can get more mileage out of a machine you're about to throw away, then the product makes sense. This product comes with a 60 day money back guaranty.

The two basic reasons for this problem are either:

1.) The console isn't getting any power or

2.) There is a hardware problem inside the console.

As has been mentioned before in this lens, always start with the simple things first before moving on to the more complicated things when troubleshooting. This prevents you from needlessly disassembling the console when the real problem may have been a defective power cable. Therefore you should first establish whether the console is getting power. This means inspecting the power cables for damage, reconnecting cables and power cords, using a wall outlet in a different room, and plugging the power supply directly into the wall outlet. There should not be anything that gets in the way of the power flow into the power supply such as surge suppressors, extension cords, etc. If your power supply feels hot, let it cool down and keep it off any carpeting.



Look at the LED light on the power supply. If it is unlit or red or flashing orange, then your power supply may need replacing. Before assuming this, rule out the possibilities mentioned in the previous paragraph. Another thing you can try is using someone else's power supply and cords. If your console works then you know that the problem lies in either the cables or power supply. You can further isolate the problem by using your friends power supply and your cables. If the console works then you know that your power supply is at fault. So the general idea is replacing out whatever power supply component with your friends to establish the defective part.

If your console still doesn't start after establishing that it is getting power, then you have a hardware issue within the console. The two most likely components that are causing the problem are either the RF module board (which is associated with the power switch) or the motherboard.

The RF module board

The useful life of your Xbox 360 depends on a number of factors. At the top of the list though, is it's lifetime exposure to high operating temperatures. Long hours of playing games that are GPU and CPU intensive will generate a lot of heat.

The cooling system is supposed to handle this but never-the-less, exposure to heat over time will reduce the useful life of the electronics. Repeated warpage of the motherboard from the heat also weakens the solder joints.

This problem is especially acute for owners who work their machines hard. Preventing an early retirement of your Xbox to the trash dumpster means avoiding unnecessary exposure of it's electronics to heat.

If the cooling fans immediately turn off when your Xbox is powered down then the leftover internal heat (and there is a lot of it) will take a long time to dissipate. This is because the fans have been turned off and can no longer draw in cool air.

You can minimize this by removing the game disc after your game and letting the console idle for twenty minutes at the Xbox 360 dashboard before you power down. During this idle time, the Xbox is producing less heat which allows the fans to bring the internal temperature down to a much lower level.

This error is accompanied by a single red blinking light on the bottom right hand side at the console power button. The screen displays the phrase "system error contact Xbox customer support" in several languages followed by the error code E74.

Possible causes for this error are:

1.) A problem with the AV cable.

2.) A cracked or cold solder joint under the GPU.

3.) The hardware scaler chip is damaged or detached.

Video displays that are grainy, have black dots, or have vertical green or red stripes have been known to occur just before the E74 error.

In 2009, Microsoft included this problem in their extended three year warranty that also covers the red ring of death or three red light error.

If you missed reading my section on repairing your Xbox yourself, click here to find out if this is the right option for you.

Whenever you see red lights flashing on your console, it's an indication of a problem. Of course you won't need the red lights to tell you something's wrong because it'll be obvious since your Xbox will be acting funny or won't work at all. However, those red lights are useful for diagnostics purposes. So understanding what they mean will hopefully tell you what you need to do to get your Xbox running properly. Depending on how many red lights are flashing, it will mean something different. Below is a listing of the red light error codes. A description for each is given as well as the appropriate course of action to take.

What it means - There was a hardware failure.

What you should do - Turn off the power. Unplug and then reconnect all of the cables. Turn the power back on.

Next, if a hard drive is attached to the console then turn off the power, disconnect and then reattach the hard drive again. Turn the power back on.

Finally, if the Xbox contains a memory unit, then turn off the power, disconnect and then reattach the memory unit again. Turn the power back on.

The above will either correct or rule out problems caused by any cables that are loose as well as an improperly attached hard drive, and memory unit.

What it means - The console is overheated.

What you should do - Turn your Xbox off and give it some time to cool down. You will need to limit your hours of usage and will want to use your Xbox in a cool and well ventilated environment. Check the fan intakes for dust build up or blockage of any sort. Use the heat related suggestions mentioned higher up on this page here.

What it means - This is the red ring of death (the subject of this web page).

What you should do - Follow the trouble shooting procedure listed higher up on this page.

What it means - The AV cable is loose.

What you should do - Disconnect the cable then firmly reattach. If there is still a problem, the cable may be damaged and will have to be replaced.

Suppose your Xbox has been turned off overnight. There is no question that it's cool. Is it still possible to get the 2 red light error (console overheat) within seconds of starting it up in the morning? The answer to this is yes. To most people, this doesn't seem possible because from their experience, it should take some time, at least a few minutes of use, before their console begins to overheat.

This "instant" overheating most likely occurs because the thermal paste between the GPU and its heat sink or the thermal paste between the CPU and its heat sink has dried out or was improperly applied. When this happens, the excess heat in the GPU (or the CPU) gets trapped and can't be drawn off by the heat sink. The GPU especially, will overheat within seconds because it draws a lot of power creating a tremendous heat buildup. The GPU and CPU are small devices that will take almost no time at all to get hot under these circumstances. All of this occurs in seconds, before the rest of the console has had a chance to warm up.

If this happens to you, none of the troubleshooting procedures given on this page will be adequate. You will either have to use your warranty or if you don't have one (or you're impatient) will have to replace the thermal paste yourself. The above guide (James Dean 3Red Light Fix) will show you how to do this.

As was mentioned previously, the GPU and the CPU generate heat very fast and require heat sinks to keep them cool. These heat sinks are in turn kept cool by the air blown across them by the fans.

The surface of contact between the GPU and it's heat sink (shown in the photo) is not perfectly smooth. There are gaps that are normally filled by thermal paste (or thermal compound). This thermal paste acts to conduct the heat across these gaps. If there were no paste, these gaps would have air in them. Air is a poor conductor of heat.

If the paste dries out, then there will be gaps within the paste. Also, if the paste layer were too thick, heat would conduct poorly. This is because the paste doesn't conduct heat as well as the surrounding metal. So it needs to be as thin as possible but still has to fill in any gaps.

Even though the metal surface appears smooth and shiny, if you look closely enough with suitable magnification, the surface will always appear rough. So you will always need thermal paste.

If high quality paste were properly applied at the factory, you probably wouldn't have to replace it yourself (or have Microsoft do it under the warranty).

Three thermal paste replacement tips:

This section won't get into why you would replace the thermal paste yourself. If you have a warranty, use it. If your Xbox works fine, don't mess with it. That said, here are three tips:

1.) Always clean off the old paste. Applying paste on top of it will result in very poor heat conduction and the resulting layer will be far too thick. Use a cloth with cleaning solution or rubbing alcohol. Clean until the surface is shiny. Avoid touching it with your fingers after you're finished cleaning.

2.) Apply a very thin coat that covers the entire surface. Do just enough so that the surface is no longer shiny. If the coating is too thick, heat won't conduct very well which means you will have overheating problems with your Xbox.

3.) If you cover your finger with a small plastic bag, you can do the application with the tip of your finger.

The following statistics and bar graphs are taken from a study made by Square trade. It analyzed the failure rates of over 16,000 game consoles covered by their warrantee care plans.

The malfunction rates of Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii after 2 years of ownership were compared. Of the three, Xbox 360 had the worst reliability record. With the introduction of the "Jasper" chipset in late 2008, the Xbox 360's reliability should improve.

In the graphs below, RROD is short for "Red Ring of Death".

The picture below is taken from Google Insights. It shows a graph that indicates the trend of searches that people have made on Google for the phrases "Xbox 360 overheating" and "PS3 overheating". The top curve is for "Xbox 360 overheating". The bottom curve is for "PS3 overheating".


When people search on Google with these phrases, they most likely have problems with their consoles and are looking for a solution. As you can see, the searches have been relatively steady in recent years. The dotted line indicates Google's prediction for 2010. Why does this problem persist? Why does the PS3 also have overheating problems?

While the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are different pieces of hardware with their own individual quirks, they face similar design challenges. In consumer electronics, there is the expectation that new products are supposed to get smaller and do more things.

Both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 Slim have become more compact than their predecessors. At the same time, the newer games make greater demands in terms of power consumption on the consoles that play them. When game consoles consume more power, they also generate more heat. The cooling system must dissipate this heat, otherwise the console gets too hot.

The problem here is that if you want a cooling system that can handle this extra heat, it needs to get bigger. It'll need bigger heat sinks, bigger fans (or faster fans), and more open space around the heat sinks for proper airflow. This is very hard to do if you make your new console smaller.

In a nutshell, there's too much power going into too small a space. New chip technology will generate less heat. But the cosumer will demand games with even greater sophistication that will consume yet more power and generate more heat. In the years to come, the newer consoles will either have to be made larger or their design will have to be more clever than they currently are.

photo: dusty electronics

1.) Hot, closed in, unventilated areas. This has already been mentioned in the troubleshooting procedure above but it doesn't hurt to stress this point again. Heat is the enemy. The Xbox's marginal cooling system can barely keep up even in the best of circumstances. So you really have to pamper it in this regard.

2.) Dust. Dust is just as lethal to your Xbox as is heat. It just takes a little longer to do damage. Why is this? Dust, as well as grit, lint, and hair does two things:

First, the cooling vents as well as the spaces within the Xbox can get partially obstructed. This diminishes the cooling systems ability to transport cool air to where it is needed inside the console. Imagine your bronchial tubes being partially obstructed. In such a state, you won't be running marathons. In a similar way, the Xbox must have unobstructed air passages to stay cool.

Second, dust is a good insulator. This means that a layer of dust buildup inside the Xbox acts like an insulating blanket that locks in the heat. This insulating effect further diminishes the effectiveness of the cooling system.

3.) Cigarette smoke (in combination with dust). Cigarette smoke contains sticky tars. With time, these tars adhere to the inside surfaces of your Xbox (such as the motherboard) making them sticky. Any dust that gets drawn into the Xbox will adhere to the tar deposits. So now you have an insulating dust layer that's cemented in place.

This happens over a period of time. Even in a relatively clean room, dust has a way of building up in those areas that never see a vacuum cleaner such as under the couch, or the top surface of a cabinet that's out of reach. The inside of your Xbox 360 is also one of those places that never gets vacuumed.

We all know (or should know) that electricity can be hazardous to your health. We know enough to stay away from fallen power lines, etc. but did you know that static electricity is bad or even fatal to electronics? The static discharge that you sometimes feel when you touch a door knob on a dry day may cause minor discomfort to you but the same type of discharge off your finger can fry the mother board components of your Xbox.

Static electricity shouldn't be a problem with normal usage of your Xbox but is a concern if you are doing repair on an opened console. You should be especially careful when the air is dry (when the relative humidity is 35% or less).

Tips for avoiding static discharge when working on your console:

1.) Use a humidifier.

2.) Stay off carpeting and rugs.

3.) Avoid wearing clothing made of synthetic materials. Wear cotton instead.

4.) Remove your shoes.

5.) Ground yourself. An anti-static wrist bracelet or grounding bracelet is available at most computer and electronics stores. They can also be purchased online through Amazon.com.

6.) Use an anti-static mat. Again, Amazon.com is a good place to find one.