If you've owned an Xbox 360 for any amount of time, you probably know of the much dreaded red ring of death. Since it's introduction in 2005, this machine has been plagued with problems and they are guaranteed to crop up while you're playing a game. This ring of death is shown by three red lights located around the power button. This problem may require repair before you can continue your gaming.

Try these suggestions before attempting repair:

Restart the console.

There may be a loose cable or cord if restarting the console did not work. First, remove all cables and power cords, generally anything that you can remove. Disconnect the power cord from the wall. All cables and cords should now be firmly reattached back into the console. Turn on the console after plugging the power cord back into the wall.

If the above suggestion doesn't work, turn off your Xbox, disconnect the power cord, and remove the hard drive. After plugging in the power cord, turn on the console. If console doesn't display the three red lights error, turn it off and disconnect the power cord from the wall. Now you can reattach the hard drive, plug the power cord back into the wall, and switch the console on.

If you're still having problems, your difficulties may be due to excess heat. When the chips inside the Xbox are exposed to excessive heat, they will shut themselves off. In some instances, the thermal shutdown is followed by a three red light error. This is especially true if your Xbox has had overheating problems before.

Turn your machine off and let it cool down if you think that it has overheated. Make sure that your Xbox is in an open and well ventilated area and that the cooling vents aren't obstructed. There should be no heat sources nearby. Remove any dust that has built up inside the machine. Blow air across your console with a small fan. The power brick also needs cooling, so don't place it on soft shaggy carpeting.

This article dealt with all of the measures for coping with the ring of death that doesn't involve repair. If your problems still persist, repairing your machine is the next step. The warranty of any Xbox with the ring of death failure has been extended for three years beyond the date of purchase by Microsoft. If your console has been opened, then the warranty is void. Expect to get your repaired Xbox back from Microsoft after several weeks of delay. If you're too impatient with Microsoft's delays, a quicker but more expensive option is to send your console to a repair shop. Finally, you can take matters into your own hands and repair it yourself using one of the available guides.