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Problems on the XBox 360 are indicated by 1, 2, 3, or 4 Red Lights flashing on the power button.
The following are the reasons and possible solutions for the different patterns of red lights.
1 Flashing Red Light
Hardware Failure
The Following are the known types of hardware failures which are determined by the error code displayed on the screen.
E65: DVD Drive Error - the wrong firmware, a DVD timeout etc.
E67: Hard Drive Error - This could be a problem with the Hard Drive or the internal connection to the hard drive. Try to play after having removed the hard drive.
E68: Another Hard Drive Error - This could be a problem with the Hard Drive or the internal connection to the hard drive. Try to play after having removed the hard drive. It could also be caused by a Hard Drive Eprom Error.
E69: Another Hard Drive Error - This could be a problem with the Hard Drive or the internal connection to the hard drive. Try to play after having removed the hard drive.
E74: AV cable error - Try using a different AV cable. This could also be a problem with the encoder chip.
E79: Hard Drive Error - This could be a problem with the Hard Drive or the internal connection to the hard drive. Try to play after having removed the hard drive.
2 Flashing Red Lights
Overheating
What You Can Try:
Let your Xbox 360 console cool down - this might take a few hours but do not turn the console on while the console is hot. Make sure that your XBox has sufficient ventilation, and that the fan is operating correctly.
How to keep the XBox from overheating:
Ensure that none of the ventilation openings on the console are blocked.
Don't put the console on a bed, carpet, or any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. Don't put it in a confined space, such as a bookcase or TV Unit, unless it is well-ventilated. Don't put the Xbox near any heat source, such as a heater or an amplifier.
Note:
Never put your XBox in a cold evironment to cool down. This could damage your XBox as electronic devices are meant to function at room temperature. Cold temperatures cause condensation when the XBox heats up from being used, which could short out your console.
3 Flashing Red Lights (the red ring of death)
General Hardware Failure
What You Can Try:
First try restarting the console.
Next turn the console off and unplug all the power and AV cables from the console (also unplug the power cord from the wall socket). Firmly reconnect all the cables and then turn on the console.
If that doesn't work, turn the console off and remove the hard drive, and turn it back on again. If the 3 red lights are no longer flashing, turn the console off, put the hard drive back in and then turn the console on again. You should also examine the power supply light. When the console is on, the power supply light should illuminate green even if the three lights on the power button flash red.
If you get the three red lights (Ring of death), your only option is to have it fixed (by Microsoft, or another repair center), or to fix it yourself. See below for more info.
4 Flashing Red Lights
The AV cable cannot be detected
Things you can Try:
First check that the AV cable is connected peoperly to the Xbox console to see if that was the problem. Next disconnect and then reconnect the AV cable to the Xbox console.
If the four red lights are still there, try to wipe the metal area (the part that plugs into the console) of the AV pack with a dry cloth.
If all that has failed, try using a different AV cable to see if that works.
Sectional Couches
