| Got an Xbox? Lucky you. Got an Xbox with flashing | | | | posted around the place. You may have seen the |
| red lights instead of green ones? Not so lucky huh? | | | | infamous towel trick where you wrap the console in |
| Unfortunately you have joined the ever expanding | | | | a couple of towels and run it for a while. There are a |
| group of console owners facing what has become | | | | few other 'tricks' around as well as the towel trick |
| known in gaming circles as the dreaded red ring of | | | | and if you do choose this way don't be disappointed |
| death. Although the exact figure seems to be hard | | | | if more harm than good is done! A few people report |
| to pinpoint, the failure rate of these consoles is | | | | that some of these methods work for a short time |
| estimated to be in the range of fifty to sixty | | | | while others have reported that their console is now |
| percent of all units sold which of course is a huge | | | | ruined and needs extensive repairs. Tread with |
| number in anyone's language. | | | | caution! |
| If you are one of the unlucky people that is stuck | | | | The most reliable and cost-effective way of repairing |
| with a malfunctioning console you do have a couple | | | | the dreaded red ring of death comes in the form of |
| of options. The first one is to send it back to | | | | a do-it-yourself repair guide. These guides are written |
| Microsoft for the repair. Microsoft has so generously | | | | by people that have repaired hundreds, if not |
| extended the warranty on the xbox but only if you | | | | thousands of failed consoles and a few come |
| bought it new and have your receipt of purchase and | | | | complete with video instruction to help you along the |
| providing that it has not been modified or the case | | | | way. There is no need for any fancy tools either |
| opened up at all. Expect a delay of up to eight | | | | with the majority of repairs needing only basic tools |
| weeks for the return of your console and as some | | | | that you will normally have around the house. This |
| people are reporting, there is no guarantee that it will | | | | method sure beats risking doing more damage to |
| work flawlessly when it does arrive back. | | | | your expensive console or having to wait weeks for |
| Another option is to do a search around the net and | | | | something that is not guaranteed to solve your |
| follow some of the 'home remedies' that people have | | | | problem anyway! |