The Red Ring of Death is the ominously named and unfortunately common event of an Xbox 360 console getting an error. The name comes from the console’s power button, which has a quartet of lights upon it to denote both how many controllers are detected, as well as what error is currently being experienced. Important to note, newer consoles no longer experience the Red Ring, and instead have switched over to a dot at the center going red. This has been nicknamed the ‘Red Dot of Death’ by some.
The indicators are as follows.
On and Working Normally: The upper left quadrant will be lit up a bright green, and the console works normally.
Overheat: The left two lights will glow red, and fans will run at full speed. Internal hardware will shut down until the console is cooled. It is recommended that the console be shut down for a short period of time and possibly moved to a more well-ventilated area. If you experience frequent overheating, your console may require service, or you can purchase a third-party fan to aid cooling.
Hardware Failure: The lower right light will light up, and an error code will show up on the console. Please call technical support and find out what the error numbers mean, and how to fix it. IE: E70
AV Cable Error: All four lights will glow, either due to the AV cord (the cord that hooks up the console to the TV) not being plugged in, or a more serious error. If disconnecting and reconnecting the cord doesn’t work, it’s recommended that you either try a new cord, or send the console in for repairs.
General Hardware Failure: The left lights and the bottom right light will all blink. First, try restarting the console. If that fails, turn it off, remove all cords from the console. After that, reinsert each chord and turn the console back on. If it still doesn’t work, remove the hard drive and again, turn it off and on. If the lights no longer turn on, reattach the hard drive and turn it on. If the lights still occur even when the hard drive is removed, please send your 360 in for technical support.
The extent of hardware failures on the Xbox 360 is open to debate, some would guess around four percent, while a more extreme tally by Game Informer magazine stated around fifty percent. However, even if you do get this much-bemoaned error, there is still hope for your console and gaming experience.
