What Could Cause the Xbox 360 Ring of Doom and What You Can Do About it

What Could Cause the Xbox 360 Ring of Doom and What You Can Do About it
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_M_Joseph]John M Joseph

Since you are reading this you are probably experiencing the Xbox 360 ring of doom. Don't feel alone, it is estimated that approximately 35% of Xbox 360 owners will have this problem. In this article you will find some of the likely causes of the ring of doom and what you can do about it. The 3 red lights on your Xbox console signal general equipment failure.

WARNING
Microsoft has said they are extending the warranty covering the ring of doom to 3 years. If you still have warranty on your Xbox 360 and open the case yourself, you will void your warranty.

What Could Be The Cause?
One of the main causes of the ring of doom is the solder joints. Lead free solder was used in the manufacturing process to protect any children that would be playing with the console. This solder has a tendency to be more brittle than solder containing lead. The brittle solder tends to develop tiny cracks over time, weakening the joint and obstructing the flow of the electrical current.

There was also a flaw in the manufacturing process. Microsoft used the wrong type of lead free solder, one that doesn't hold up well to high heat and becomes even more brittle over time. The soldering temperature during manufacture was also too low which causes deformities and voids in the solder joints. These voids and deformities cause weak joints that break easily.

What Can Be Done?
The first thing that can be done to fix your ring of doom is to contact Microsoft and send your Xbox back in to have it repaired. If your console is still under warranty, this repair is usually free. One thing to note however, it can take six to eight weeks to get your Xbox back in working order.

Another solution is to open the case of your console and try to re-solder the joints yourself. Unless you know what you are doing this is not a recommended course of action. There are several other "quick fixes" for the ring of doom being passed around on the internet, but these are not recommended either.

You will want to read about what happened to one gamer and what he did to fix his [http://www.squidoo.com/ringofdoom]ring of doom. For more information and an interesting video go to [http://www.squidoo.com/ringofdoom]http://www.squidoo.com/ringofdoom.

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