Whenever a component on the Xbox's motherboard malfunctions, the "red ring of death" error flashes a three quarter ring of light. This problem is due to a number of design and manufacturing mistakes made by Microsoft when it rushed the product to market. Among these mistakes is a feeble cooling system that allows the Xbox to overheat and fry its internal components.

Various bugs and design faults within the console come to life with the excessive heat causing the red ring of death failure. So keeping the Xbox cool is the best preventative measure that you can take. The rest of this article will tell you how to do this.

The first order of business is to make sure that the cooling vents are kept unobstructed. This is probably very obvious to most people, but what is less obvious are the unintentional ways that the vents can be blocked. This frequently happens whenever the Xbox is placed on soft surfaces such as pillows, sofas, rugs, and beds.

Putting the Xbox in sealed off areas that have no ventilation is another way that the Xbox is commonly overheated. Places that restrict the free flow of air include racks, bookcases, cabinets, or simply a tight cluttered area. Since we all tend to arrange things in a way that saves space, this oversight is common.

Try tipping the Xbox over on it's side to give it's external surface greater exposure to the surrounding air. Additionally, blow air across it with a small fan.

Keep the Xbox away from all sources of heat. These are usually items such as radiators, heaters, stoves, and furnaces. Use the air conditioner when the weather is hot and humid. Try to avoid exposing your Xbox to direct sunlight.

Don't forget to keep the power brick as cool as possible. Excess heat is flushed out of the power brick by an internal fan. All too often, people will place the power brick in closed off chambers with no air circulation. This is definitely something to guard against. Place it off the floor away from soft carpeting which blocks natural air circulation.

This advice is preventative and is best used when your Xbox is brand new. If your Xbox isn't new and you've had your screen freeze up, then your Xbox has already seen too much heat which automatically shuts down internal chips. This is a clear symptom of overheating and that more attention to the cooling issue is required. This screen freeze up is the precursor to the red ring of death.