Red Ring of Death

[tesco]

I haven't touched my xbox 360 in a few weeks. I turned it on to play some Bioshock (the first one). I had to install it first. It fully installed and I started it up. I got into the game and paused, then seconds later the screen went blank. I shut teh xbox off immediately and when I turned it back on I had 3 red lights. :(
I'm getting code 0102 Unknown Hardware Failure (usually means the GPU/cold solder joint problem apparantly).

To top it off my extended warranty ended in Dec 2009. Why couldn't it have broken 2 months ago it lasted 2 years. :dry:

So who has a link to a good article for fixing this thing? Or am I better off sending it in to microsoft?

Also I'd like to know, if I open the thing myself, then decide to send it in to microsoft when I can't fix it will they still fix it for me?

[Tv Controls you]

Towel trick it and then sell it to your local gamestore.

If you don't know what the towel trick is:
1) unplug everything except power cable from xbox
2) wrap the xbox with around 3 towels
3) turn on for 15-20 minutes
4) unwrap out of towels
5) turn back on, should work fine for around 20 minutes- 6 hours. (enough time to sell to a game store lol)

If you want to fix it legitimately and are semi knowledgeable about hardware... Try this guide

http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/topic/41458-how-to-permanently-fix-the-3-red-lights-rrod-by-scar/ (http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/topic/41458-how-to-permanently-fix-the-3-red-lights-rrod-by-scar/)

*note* This may not work for you either. In which case your pretty much screwed, because you already opened it up.

Also I'm pretty sure microsoft will still fix it although they will charge you around 60 euros to repair

[tesco]

I just went to do the towel trick and the 360 started right up without me doing anything. About 1 minute later it went back to 3 lights. Now i'm getting error 0110 (memory error).
Going to try the towel trick...

[Tv Controls you]

I just went to do the towel trick and the 360 started right up without me doing anything. About 1 minute later it went back to 3 lights. Now i'm getting error 0110 (memory error).
Going to try the towel trick...

The towel trick will actually make the core problem worse...

If you ever plan on fixing it forever do not towel trick, although I have did it a few times before repairing using similar methods to the guide I posted.

[tesco]

I just went to do the towel trick and the 360 started right up without me doing anything. About 1 minute later it went back to 3 lights. Now i'm getting error 0110 (memory error).
Going to try the towel trick...

The towel trick will actually make the core problem worse...

If you ever plan on fixing it forever do not towel trick, although I have did it a few times before repairing using similar methods to the guide I posted.
Now I wish I would have read your post after you edited.
I didn't think the towel trick could make anything worse.

Reading that guide now...

I'll probably try doing what that guide says if this towel thing didn't take. It doesn't look hard at all, I've fitted many heatsinks to motherboards and I've replaced my GPU heat sink as well.
I'm just worried that it would void any chance of microsoft repairing my console for me if nothing else works.

What are those X Clips held on with? Just those cheap nylon pushin connectors?
And what is the point in them? Why does removing them help?

[towerblocks]

There's 3 years warrenty for 3RROD, Phone microshit and send it in.

[tesco]

There's 3 years warrenty for 3RROD, Phone microshit and send it in.
I'm phoning tomorrow, but exploring my options.
Their site says my warranty is expired even though it hasn't been 3 years yet.
We'll see what they say when I call in...

edit: I just submitted my repair request online. Just found the canadian support site. :P
Looks like I won't be repairing it myself after all. :happy:

[mr. nails]

get it working and sell the pos then buy urself a better vcard for ur pc (start playing ur pc again dude!). i know u know bypass DRM procedures. either make that happen or ps3 it.

[Tv Controls you]

The x clamp is the source of most of the problems.

All the guide does is remove the x clamp and replace it with 4 screws with washers which is much more effective than the clamp.

The towel trick just heats up the solder joints which gives you some game time, because it fixed the joints for the time being.
They then cool down and may get even worse.

Sometimes that may not even work, which is when you have to bake the motherboard with a heatgun to reheat the joints.

I personally find its not worth my time, and just towel trick it and then sell it to the game store.

[S!X]

Throw it in the garbage and buy a PS3.

[tesco]

I packed it up and dropped it off for repair.

[Tv Controls you]

I packed it up and dropped it off for repair.

You better hope they give you the updated model, as the old ones will just do the same thing.

The new ones have an extra heat sink, and have reduced strain on gpu/cpu (by actually making them have worse speeds)...
Although I've never even noticed the difference ever between the older and newer models. Actually the newer models are better in my opinion because the don't get rrod frequently.

[Cabalo]

Sorry to peak in, but I know TVCY is an xbox expert.

How hard would you rate jtag'ing a xbox from 1 to 10 ? (my soldering skills are terrible).

[SonsOfLiberty]

Sorry to peak in, but I know TVCY is an xbox expert.

How hard would you rate jtag'ing a xbox from 1 to 10 ? (my soldering skills are terrible).

10 of 10....it take alot alot alot alot alot of work, just Google the guide and you shall see :(

I love the comments throw away the 360 and get a PS3 and then play what? GOW III, FF XIII, Heavy Rain, Drakes 1 and 2, then what? MW2, BFBC2....okay now what?

Perfect reason to have both, Metro 2033, and quite a few other bad ass games coming to 360. PS3 exclusives for this year are done.


tesco, the RROD is 3 years from the your first ring of death or a certain model...mine is still covered, mines been in 3x :)

[7th]

SOL, PS3 has many many nice games, depending on what king of games you like... I'm not defending the idea that someone should throw away an xbox to buy a ps3 but having both of the consoles, I decided to get rid of one of them and guess what? I'll keep the ps3 since I have a good PC to play most of the games I like for xbox360. =/

[tesco]

Sorry to peak in, but I know TVCY is an xbox expert.

How hard would you rate jtag'ing a xbox from 1 to 10 ? (my soldering skills are terrible).

10 of 10....it take alot alot alot alot alot of work, just Google the guide and you shall see :(

I love the comments throw away the 360 and get a PS3 and then play what? GOW III, FF XIII, Heavy Rain, Drakes 1 and 2, then what? MW2, BFBC2....okay now what?

Perfect reason to have both, Metro 2033, and quite a few other bad ass games coming to 360. PS3 exclusives for this year are done.


tesco, the RROD is 3 years from the your first ring of death or a certain model...mine is still covered, mines been in 3x :)
It says on the microsoft site that it is 3 years from the original purchase date.
After they replace it you get 90 days or the remaining amount of your warranty from purchase date, whichever is larger.
I didn't see anything about getting a new 3 year warranty starting at the first RROD.:unsure:

When I dropped off my xbox at the UPS Store the man knew exactly what I had. I asked if he has many coming through per week, he said "Lets do it by day... at least 5 a day". I can't believe it. :lol: How is MS making any money?

[SonsOfLiberty]

It's a lot cheaper than upgrading your PC every 2 months :)

tesco, I got a letter in the mail from M$ after the class action lawsuit against them, and said, blah blah, that my warranty is now extended for 3 more years, if I can dig it up, I'll say what it says for sure.

7th, I like a lot of games, if you have a 360, what games are you missing from the PS3 side? Kill Zone (Resistance is shit), MGS4(the only only only reason I got my PS3, well Bluray too and of course GOW III), Drakes 1 and 2, and GOW III, Heavy Rain (but it's not in the upper echelon of games for me yet)oh, and MLB10: The Show (best baseball game I've ever played)the rest are on 360, there is really no sense to just dump the 360 for about 10-20 games on PS3. 360 has the edge in the game selection becasue of the head start, also, Microsoft has a way of getting the DLC content and only for 360, both sides have the benefits, but for a online gamer (not me) 360 has it locked. I love the design and functionality of the PS3 better, but I would never dump my 360, ME2 for starters. Still though, I think the PS3 is starting to sell a lot better of lately. Next, I don't think I will be to much into any more games till the fall (well maybe I need to see what's coming out, well Splinter Cell is :) ), when Fallout New Vegas hits :)

[pentomato]

Or just do the american way, buy another one at target or walmart, and a few days later return the old one, nobody will ever know.

[Cabalo]

Or just do the american way, buy another one at target or walmart, and a few days later return the old one, nobody will ever know.

:lol: Pure gold.

[Tv Controls you]

Or just do the american way, buy another one at target or walmart, and a few days later return the old one, nobody will ever know.

I've tried it before, they check the serial number on the back lol.

And to Jtag an xbox 360 is a 10/10 I would say because of a few reasons:

1) only certain xbox's are compatible with the mod
2) you must not have updated via live since August 2009
3) you must not have used any game that released past August 2009
4) you have to know how to soldier really well
5) You have to be knowledgeable with hard to use software

I would do a jtag myself but I updated my 360 via live in late October. And my other 2 are still under warranty and are updated also.

The jtag xbox 360's are know to get banned really fast on xbox live also. In which you would have to by another keyvault to get online again (~$70)

[mr. nails]

Or just do the american way, buy another one at target or walmart, and a few days later return the old one, nobody will ever know.

I've tried it before, they check the serial number on the back lol.

i've did it the american way before, but with a PC motherboard. i just made sure i swapped out ALL serial numbers prior to taking it back. easy.

[7th]

SOL, don't laugh at me but my list of favorite PS3 games is small... Two games that I enjoyed playing that are PS3 only are Demon's Souls and Disgaea.

What about the xbox360 exclusives? It's hard to remember... Games like ME2 and DragonAge I played on PC... racing games... PC... Fifa2k10 I play on PS3... uhhh... Halo 3? GoW2? I can't remember anything else, really.

I guess you understand why I decided to sell the xbox instead of the PS3.

Anyway, I understand why you prefer the xbox over the PS3. We have different tastes for games =)

[pentomato]

I've tried it before, they check the serial number on the back lol.

i've did it the american way before, but with a PC motherboard. i just made sure i swapped out ALL serial numbers prior to taking it back. easy.

I did it too, things stop working a few weeks after the month is over, and those workers on walmart or target making minimum wage and been treated like dirt, they could care less.

[Villalltheway]

SOL, don't laugh at me but my list of favorite PS3 games is small... Two games that I enjoyed playing that are PS3 only are Demon's Souls and Disgaea.

What about the xbox360 exclusives? It's hard to remember... Games like ME2 and DragonAge I played on PC... racing games... PC... Fifa2k10 I play on PS3... uhhh... Halo 3? GoW2? I can't remember anything else, really.

I guess you understand why I decided to sell the xbox instead of the PS3.

Anyway, I understand why you prefer the xbox over the PS3. We have different tastes for games =)

Forget the exclusive games because there very few now between the two, its just that hole PS dashboard i hate it compared to the xbox 360. Also xbox live i feel is better then psn (for example there isnt even any part chat on psn). And why spend double the money for game play and graphics that are no better.

lol also i get irony of bigging up the xbox 360 in a thread titled by its biggest failure, and probably the best reason not to have one.

On the ring of death it was no problem when i got it, UPS picked up from me sent to germany to get it fixed and i had it back a week later, funny thing was though the guy when picking it up from me knew exactly what it was he said his hole van was fully of them.

[tesco]

I just got it back today.
They're quick!
The "new" one seems to work fine. The dvd drive is quieter and smoother when it opens and the cooling fans seem to be quieter than in my old one.

[7th]

I just got it back today.
They're quick!
The "new" one seems to work fine. The dvd drive is quieter and smoother when it opens and the cooling fans seem to be quieter than in my old one.

That's very good news Tesco! :)
Enjoy your old new xbox360 ;)

@Villalltheway: The only game I play online is SF and Demon's Souls, so I don't really care about XBL or PSN :unsure:

[SonsOfLiberty]

SOL, don't laugh at me but my list of favorite PS3 games is small... Two games that I enjoyed playing that are PS3 only are Demon's Souls and Disgaea.

What about the xbox360 exclusives? It's hard to remember... Games like ME2 and DragonAge I played on PC... racing games... PC... Fifa2k10 I play on PS3... uhhh... Halo 3? GoW2? I can't remember anything else, really.

I guess you understand why I decided to sell the xbox instead of the PS3.

Anyway, I understand why you prefer the xbox over the PS3. We have different tastes for games =)

Well I'm not spending $600 to play ME2 on my PC. I say exclusive as for the console,not PC, so when I say exclusive I mean for console.

Crackdown 2 anyone? Dead Rising II?

http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=81857

I now own God 1,2, and 3 for PS3, Batman/Infamous (came with the bundle) FFXIII, MLB the show, MGS4, and would like to pick up Demon Souls.

360 I have Bioshock 2, ME2, Crackdown (this game never gets old) GTA IV...and most of the time the rest I just rent.

[mr. nails]

Well I'm not spending $600 to play ME2 on my PC.

if u have to pay $600 to play me2 on the pc then i'd say it's time u needed to upgrade anyway.

[7th]

Well I'm not spending $600 to play ME2 on my PC.

if u have to pay $600 to play me2 on the pc then i'd say it's time u needed to upgrade anyway.

And you don't need a high-end rig to play me2 hehe... The game runs so smooth in many mid-end configs...

But I understand what SOL means...

[1000possibleclaws]

Don't 360 games have a lower res and lower framerates, which is why they are so cheap and can still run latest gen of games?

Then again, alot of PC games are ported badly, and they are optimized for 360, which is annoying for pc gamers. But if you're into FPS or RTS games, or basically anything that isn't 3rd person action/adventure, arcade-like, or racing, I'd think the experience would be best on PC, because of the mouse.


Can't imagine playing CounterStrike, Starcraft, or Sim City4 on a controller...

[7th]

Can't imagine playing CounterStrike, Starcraft, or Sim City4 on a controller...

Agreed! And I can't imagine playing Dragon Age on xbox360 neither :D

Bad "port" I would call it :P

[tesco]

Don't 360 games have a lower res and lower framerates, which is why they are so cheap and can still run latest gen of games?

Then again, alot of PC games are ported badly, and they are optimized for 360, which is annoying for pc gamers. But if you're into FPS or RTS games, or basically anything that isn't 3rd person action/adventure, arcade-like, or racing, I'd think the experience would be best on PC, because of the mouse.


Can't imagine playing CounterStrike, Starcraft, or Sim City4 on a controller...
I'd like to one day see a hybrid controller/mouse combo.
Left hand has a controller with thumb stick while the right hand holds a mouse. I think that would be interesting for FPS because you have the precision of the mouse for aiming and the sensitivity of your thumb stick for controlling movement speed (as opposed to a keyboard's on/off movement control).
I just haven't figured out how you would use the mouse at your couch, and a controller at your computer desk probably wouldn't be all that comfortable either. :lol:

[Tv Controls you]

Can't imagine playing CounterStrike, Starcraft, or Sim City4 on a controller...

Agreed! And I can't imagine playing Dragon Age on xbox360 neither :D

Bad "port" I would call it :P

I'm the weirdest gamer ever lol. I can only use a controller for fps :D

I hate the 360 graphics because its so crippled and is half of what my computer can do.
Then xbox live is so competitive and better than any other type of online multiplayer.

But I will tell you this... Any single player game I only play on the pc.

[mr. nails]

I'd like to one day see a hybrid controller/mouse combo.

another reason to get a ps3.

jrcdWfQH4Gk

[7th]

Agreed! And I can't imagine playing Dragon Age on xbox360 neither :D

Bad "port" I would call it :P

I'm the weirdest gamer ever lol. I can only use a controller for fps :D


I'm not sure if you're the weirdest gamer ever but that's really weird indeed :huh:

It must have something to do with your brain TVCY :P

just kidding :lol:

gosh! use a controller to play fps on PC... :frusty: rsss

[tesco]

I'd like to one day see a hybrid controller/mouse combo.

another reason to get a ps3.

jrcdWfQH4Gk
They stole my idea!

[Jej]

I'd like to one day see a hybrid controller/mouse combo.

another reason to get a ps3.

jrcdWfQH4Gk
if only they have more exclusive games :(

[Tutela]

If you do end up fixing it yourself, take a hairdryer to your warranty sticker and use a sharp blade to pry it off slowly, takes 4 or 5 mins, and heat it when putting it abck on, works a charm :P

I flashed my xbox and about 2 months later it RROD'D on me, and microsoft fixed it for me :|

[Comfort101]

Hahaha I love the video review.