[WelshDragon360]

First of all, welcome to Xbox360Forum.com! As with any technology, Xbox 360 can throw a few confusing situations at you and we're always here to help! Before you run off to create a new thread about your problem, though, try reading through this thread to see if your questions have been answered!

Q: HELP! I'M GETTING THE RED FLASHING LIGHT AND MY 360 ISN'T WORKING, WHAT ON EARTH DO I DO?!
A: Don't panic! Sure, it sucks that you're one of the unlucky ones to get a 360 that has a fault in it, but it's not the end of the world! You have a few options, the easiest of which is returning it to the shop you purchased it and exchanging it for a new one.

You can also call Microsoft (1-800-4MY-XBOX) and get them to repair/send you a replacement. This does however usually take 2-3 weeks, so I advise returning it to the retailer if possible. For more information on returning your console to Microsfoft please read here


Q: MY CONSOLE IS FREEZING AT CERTAIN POINTS IN GAMES, SHOULD I TAKE IT BACK?!
A: Tricky one this, first of all you should make sure that it is the console at fault and not your game. Play through other games lots and see if any freezing occurs, if not then odds are it's the game that's faulty and you should return it, not the console.
REMEMBER: EVERY CONSOLE/GAME FREEZES AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER, ONCE OR TWICE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S FAULTY! NO TECHNOLOGY IS FLAWLESS!

Q: DO I NEED TO BUY A REMOTE CONTROL TO VIEW DVDS LIKE I DID WITH THE ORIGINAL XBOX?
A: No, now you can use your joypad.

Q: I'VE HEARD THE FIRST BATCH OF 360's HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS - SHOULD I BE WORRIED?
A: No. Basically, negative views are always voiced much more than positive so that's what you hear. The truth is a small percentage of all 360's have faults (around 5%) and that's the same with ANY console.

Q: MY 'POWER BRICK' IS GETTING VERY HOT, IS THIS A BAD SIGN?
A: No. Whilst it can be a bit unsettling to think your console is frying itself, it's normal for the powerblock to reach high temp. Keep it somewhere where it can get a lot of air and you should be fine.

Q: WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT MY 360 OVERHEATING?
A: Just use common sense, really. Don't keep it on for hours on end, there's no reason to have it on for more than 5/6hrs in one sitting.
Make sure the back of the console (where the fan is) is clear and not blocked by any leads.
An added fan in the room could help if you're really worried about it.

[IFTI] : This is from another thread, but to keep things tidy I have quoted here.....

Originally Posted by Javelin Wettlin

1. MY CONSOLE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO?

If your console freezes up constantly, or gets red lights displaying on the power button, please call Xbox support and report the problem. That’s what everyone in this forum will tell you to do first. Yes, support will make you do some amateur hour troubleshooting, and either American English or British English might not be the first language of your support rep, but in the end, if your console needs repairing, they’ll tell you. You will be provided a reference number for tracking the repair.

Take notes about who you speak with, on what date/time, and the basics of what is said to you. Keep a track record in case something goes wrong down the line! Write down the serial number of your console, if you want to track whether or not you get the same unit back.

2. HOW DOES THE REPAIR PROCESS WORK?

The USA repair center is in Texas. Xbox will mail you a white box (a.k.a Xbox Coffin) via UPS. The box will include a UPS 3 day ground label to stick on the box and send back. It even includes a strip of tape to seal the box back up.

You pack up your console, and only your console (no hard drive, no cables, and for God’s sake take your game out of the drive), and drop it at a UPS shipping center, or call for UPS pickup (if available in your area). Make sure to get a receipt from UPS as proof of shipment when you drop off the box. Your console will either be repaired, or it will be replaced with a refurbished unit (not new), and sent back to you.

You have to be home to sign for your console when it arrives. If you have to be at work like most people, then after you get the first UPS sticky note on your door indicating they’ll deliver again tomorrow, you probably have the option of calling them and holding it at your local UPS depot to pick up on your lunch hour the next day. (read the sticky note for your options)

In the box with your console there will be a letter indicating whether your console was repaired or replaced, along with an apology from Microsoft for the inconvenience of having your very expensive piece of technology fail well before it should have.

3. IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, HOW LONG WILL THE REPAIR TAKE???

Ah, that’s the magic question that all desperate Xbox owners, hands shaking with withdrawal symptoms, post on this forum. The basic answer is “YOUR MILEAGE WILL VARY”. Some users report repairs taking months (ack! shudder! moan!) - others one week. There are some horror stories on this forum, but I think most users are reporting one to four weeks down time. I’ve had two repairs done, one taking 14 business days in May 2007, and the other 9 business days in July 2007.

And if someone at Xbox references the number of days something is going to take, don’t include weekends in your own calculations. They do not include Saturday and Sunday in their time estimates! “Twelve business days” really means almost two and a half weeks in your tortured existence of not seeing that glorious 360 logo appear on your TV screen.

4. WILL MY CONSOLE HAVE THE IMPROVED HEATSINK DESIGN?

The failure of most consoles is apparently attributed to a poor heatsink design. Some posts on this forum indicate that since Microsoft announced the three year extended Warranty in July, repairs being done on consoles include a revised heatsink design. If anyone can verify this with facts, please post and let us know.

5. WHAT ABOUT MY DOWN TIME ON XBOX LIVE?

When your repaired console arrives, there should be a one month Xbox Live Gold card in the box to help compensate you for lost time online. I’ve come out ahead on my two repairs, looking at down time versus two months of Gold cards. I’m sure some other Xbox owners have not come out ahead, and will be glad vent their frustrations in this forum!

Originally Posted by EllsinoreOutlaw

{{{RROD FAQs Guide}}}



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1. Try restarting the console.

2. If restarting the console does not resolve the behavior, follow these steps:
* Turn the console off.
* Unplug all the power and AV cables from the console.
* Unplug the power cord from the wall socket.
* Firmly reconnect all the cables.
* Turn on the console.

3. If these steps do not resolve the behavior, turn the console off, remove the hard drive, and then turn on the console. If the 3x Red LED error light is no longer displayed, turn the console off, re-attach the hard drive, and then turn on the console.

4. Also examine the lights on the power supply. When you turn on the console, the power supply light should illuminate green even if the three lights on the RoL flash red.
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If none of the above suggestions work, contact MS customer support get get a support ticket started. If your console is still under warranty DO NOT attempt to open it and fix it yourself. MS will fix it promptly and for free and if you open it you loose the free support.

Check the documentation that came with your Xbox 360 for contact information.

In the US Customer Support can be reached at 1-800-4-MY-XBOX (1-800-469-9269)

After you explain the nature of the problem, and once the support team verifies that you have a defective Xbox 360, they send you a box. Then you put your Xbox 360 into a bag, and then into the box, and ship it away for repairs. If you send it off for repairs soon, you might even get it back (fully functional, of course) before Thanksgiving! Seems pretty simple.

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Remember MS just give us all extend warranty against red rings of death to 3 years. If you still under store warranty, just take it back and get new one, its much quicker. If not, you have to wait 4 to 6 weeks to get your working console back from MS.

If I have miss anything, members feel free to add more to this {FAQs} for our New members.

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PREVENTION SUGGESTIONS

To try to prevent this problem, use the following precautions:

* Do not block any ventilation openings on the Xbox 360 console.

* Do not put the Xbox 360 console on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings.

* Do not put the Xbox 360 console in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well-ventilated.

* Do not put the Xbox 360 console near any heat source, such as a radiator, a heat register, a stove, or an amplifier.