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One day, you may be playing your perfectly fine Xbox 360 when it suddenly freezes. When you reboot the system, it gives you 3 flashing red lights in the front. This means your 360 has encountered a hardware problem. If you don't want to return your console to Microsoft right away, you can do this "towel trick."
Steps
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Make sure your Xbox 360 actually has the 3 red lights, also known as the Red Rings of Death (RROD). -
Get enough towels to cover the whole system up.Advertisement -
Remove everything from the 360, including external hard drives, wired controllers, games, etc, EXCEPT for the power supply. -
Wrap your Xbox 360 with the towels. -
While wrapped, plug your 360's power supply into a wall socket and turn it on. You'll get your usual RROD. Let it run for 15-20 minutes. -
Afterwards, turn the Xbox 360 off and let it cool for 20 minutes. -
Plug everything back in and turn it on again. It should work.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionDoes doing the towel trick mess up my Xbox?Community AnswerIt can mess with the thermal dynamics (fans and cooling). I would recommend just taking off the front plate, removing the hard drive and put it in a cold place (but not in a freezer or fridge!).
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QuestionHow do I get the red ring of death without doing anything?Community AnswerIt overheats while inactive. If the Xbox is left on for extended periods of time, it heats up.
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Tips
- A fire extinguisher would be nice if you feel the need you might want to use it. (Make sure it's for electrical fires)Thanks
- When heating your 360, keep a close eye on it, just in case it might overheat too badly.Thanks
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Warnings
- While this may solve the problem, it might only last a few more hours before showing the RROD again. In this case, call Microsoft (1-800-4-MY-XBOX) to place a repair order. This may take 3-4 weeks, but the repair is free if you have the RROD problem and if you're still under warranty.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- An Xbox 360 with the Red Rings of Death (3 flashing red lights on the front)
- 3 towels
- 45-60 minutes to waste
- Optional: A fire extinguisher for electrical fires
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 271,090 times.
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