The Towel Trick

A few videos have surfaced on the Internet showing people fixing their Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death problem with a simple trick. The trick involves covering the Xbox 360 console in about 3 towels, and turning it on for a period of about 20-25 minutes. After this, the console is left to cool for a while and is then turned back on. In some cases, the Xbox 360 console starts up and works fine.

This seems to be a good fix, but most people have explained that this only works for a period of about a week or so, before the console repeats the Red Ring of Death.

We do not recommend this fix, as it can damage the interior of the console and may even void your warranty if it damages anything.

The In-and-Out Trick

A quick and easy trick that seems to have worked for a lot of Xbox 360 users is the Plug In-and-Out trick, where you simply unplug every cord and device out of the console, including the AV cables, USB, harddrive, etc. After this, the console is turned back on. If it turns on, then it's turned off again and everything is plugged back in. With any luck, the console is now working!

We do recommend this trick, as it does not seem to cause any damage to the system (it's meant to have things plugged in and out!) and does not seem to void any part of the warranty.

Preventing the Ring of Death

If you're one of the users who have not yet experienced the Red Ring of Death problem on your console, then do yourself a favor and prevent it from happening!

Step 1: Keep your console in a well ventilated area. This sounds obvious, and most people tend to ignore warnings like this, but in the Xbox 360's case, it's important! Your console needs to be able to get all the cool air that it can to prevent itself from overheating.

Step 2: Do not move your console when it's turned on or still warm. This can cause the already heated metals on the inside to dissolve a lot quicker.

Step 3: Try not to play the console for extended periods of time, and even less so in hot temperatures.

Step 4: Some people have reported that using external fans can cause the console to vibrate, which can possibly cause the Red Ring of Death problem, so if possible, stay clear of them. As an alternative, you might find more benefit in using a completely external fan, pointing towards and around the console (preferably sitting on a different surface as to not create vibrations in the console).