Red light errors are nothing but pre-programmed error messages that are setup in the consoles memory and are made to popup whenever there is a problem in the working of the console. These messages will help the users to know where the error has occurred. The error messages are like codes i.e. in case of the three red light error it will display an error message as E74 on the screen. Likewise each and every kind of error has its own code so that the users can ale to understand and solve the problem.
WHY NAMED AS RRoD
There many red light errors like the single red light, two red lights, three red lights and four red lights. Out of these four types the “Three Red Light Error” is considered as the worst case because only in this type there is possibility of the console’s hardware being damaged to the maximum level. The maximum level damage condition is that the console’s motherboard is totally spoiled and there is no further operation can be made. The Three Red Light error is also otherwise popularly known as the “Red Ring of Death” or simply as RRoD. The name is because they signify its hardware death.
REASON FOR ITS HAPPENING
The reason for the three red light error to occur is the cooling problem. The heat sinks function is to cool the surrounding air when the air passes by its grills. The actually the temperature inside is very high such that it cannot able to perform its function to the full extent. As a result the processors below the heat sinks get affected. Out of the two important processors the graphical processing unit is the most affected area because of this problem. So whenever the problem arises immediately the display becomes a problem. The fundamental reason goes up to the designing of the console as only poor design may lead to such kinds of problem and that is why it’s being found in all kinds of devices.
STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN
The three red light error can be solved with changes in the hardware. For this we need to go for repairing the console. The main objective is to provide adequate cooling to the motherboard. The possibilities of providing cooling to the system are adding an additional intercooler to the system, removing the X clamps supports of the heat sinks, etc.
The repairing can be also done in many ways i.e. you can give your console to a service centre when your console has a valid warranty so that repairing is done at free of cost and the most economical way of solving the problem is by repairing the console on your own. For this you need to get a repairing guide from the internet. These guides will help us to solve the red light errors. These guides are video tutorials so that they will explain the steps to be taken while repairing the console.
The advantage in repairing the console on your own is that the cost of repairing is less and the time taken is also less. You will be able to repair the console within two to three hours so that you can start playing in the very next hour without any problem.
Xbox 360 has been reported with one type of error called as the “Three Red Light Error”. Though there are many other kind of errors possible, those errors are simple errors that can be solved easily by the users themselves by looking into the manuals. But, the Three Red Light Error is something different from the other type of red light error as they are newly occurring and they were not included in the normal errors that will occur in the console. The Xbox 360 is designed with certain error messages so that the users can able to understand where the error has occurred in the console and what are all the steps that can be take to repair it. So the manufactures were totally confused about this new kind of error in the console.
MICROSOFT’S CONCERN
As the number of cases of hardware failures increase, Microsoft immediately announced an extended warranty period for all the consoles purchased. Thus it kept its reputation and gave a temporary solution to the problem. After which Microsoft took seriously what this issue and started to analyze the problem with the help of the repaired components.
PROBLEM DISCOVERED
After serious of examination of the repaired components Microsoft discovered that the problem is due to overheating of the console. The overheating is because of the poor performance of the heat sinks which is responsible for cooling the air. The console consists of two processors which are nothing but the central processing unit and the graphical processing unit. The heat sinks are placed over the processors so that the hot air is made to pass through its grills to get it cooled. But, now the problem is the temperature inside the console is way too high and the heat sinks cant able to perform its function very efficiently. As a result the graphical processing unit gets failed resulting in the appearance of the error E 74 on the screen.
Experts say that the problem is because of the poor testing of the product. Microsoft has failed to test the product to the maximum extent and have failed to meet quality norms. So only the problem has occurred in all the consoles that have been manufactured.
REMEDIES
Hardware experts say that the only way of solving the problem is to bring down the internal temperature to a minimum level. There are different methods available to provide cooling to the system. One method of doing so is to provide an additional cooler fan to the heat sinks so that it can able to bring down the temperature. The simplest way of solving the problem is by removing the X clamps that supports the heat sinks. Thus the heat sinks are fixed directly to the motherboard so the there is possibility of providing air from the bottom of the console to the processors. Preparing can be done in many ways but the simplest and the most economical way of repairing is by repairing the console on your own. For this you need to get a repairing guide form the internet. These guides are available in both text and video formats for better understanding of the repairing process. Also we don’t need any sophisticated tools to repair the console. Hence the cost of repairing is much reduced. The main advantage is that you can repair the console within two to three hours and can start playing with your console in the very next hour.
Xbox 360 is a videogame console where you can install any multimedia game and can play by using the controllers. These consoles are advance gadgets specially made for gaming purpose hence they have high graphical resolution when compared with that of a personnel computer. The purpose of such kind of devices came into existence when there were problem with gaming in a normal PC. In case of PC it becomes very difficult work with same hardware for both working and gaming purpose as gaming requires special feature than normal working. Hence this became the platform for the design and development of special hardware for gaming alone.
CONSOLE
The Xbox 360 is a product of Microsoft Corporation. It was introduced to the market in the year 2005 during the Christmas Eve and also to challenge its competitator product which nothing but the Playstation 2 from Sony. This was one of the reason Microsoft released its product in a hurry to the market.
Now the console is suffering from some sort of hardware problems. Users worldwide have complained about its hardware failure. When analyzing the faulty console it was found that it has been affected by the overheating problem. The consoles temperature is very high during operation which is above the expected level. This problem has lead to the “Three Red Light Error”. Though there are many red light errors, the three red light error is very difficult to solve by the users themselves. Single red light, two red lights and four red lights error are some examples of red light errors commonly occurring in the Xbox 360.
Three red lights error is the glowing of three red lights in the power ring area when there is overheating. Also you will able to see an error message E74 on the screen when the three red light glows. The three red lights error is also otherwise called as the “Red Ring of Death” or RRoD.
ECONOMICAL WAY
The only possible way to solve the red light error is to bring down the temperature to normal working condition. For this we need to provide additional cooling to the system. This can be done by many ways. The simplest way is to remove the X clamps that hold the heat sinks of the processors. The purpose of the heat sinks to cool the air passing through its grills. Hence the air can flow to the processors from downwards.
There are also various methods to achieve this repairing like giving the console to a service centre or repairing the console on your own. The economical one is repairing the console on your own. For this you need to get a guide from the internet. These guides are like video tutorials that will help the users to repair the console in easy manner. The main advantage of repairing the console on your own is that its cost wise very cheaper and the time taken for repairing is very minimum i.e. takes only two to three hours when compared to two to three weeks in a service centre. Once the repairing is over you can start playing with your console in the very next hour.
There are many consoles available in the market but the Xbox 360 becomes more special because of the brand it carries. We all know that the Xbox is a product of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft entered the field of manufacturing hardware for video game consoles because of the scope in the gaming industry and the there is always demand from the consumers. Thought Microsoft is well versed in software making they have started to involve in the field of making hardware. The Xbox 360 is the latest product from the Microsoft and it carries better features than the previous version of the Xbox.
THE NEW VERSION
The new Xbox 360 has better hardware configuration than its previous version. The new hardware has two processors namely the central processing unit and the graphical processing unit. A newly included DVD drives so that there is possibility to install the game into the consoles hard disk. The new versions have extended memory options so that the users can purchase according to their need. The console also has variety of display options because of its interfacing capabilities with any hardware devices so that the connection becomes very simple. The highlight in this is that the hardware is completely designed by the Microsoft including the program which drives the hardware component.
PROBLEM FACED BY MICROSOFT
After Xbox 360 introduced to the market, it had hardware problem. The problem is with particular with one type of the motherboard called as the xenon type of motherboard. The other motherboard such as the zypher and the falcon type of motherboard were going fine. This hardware problem caused a great set back to the Microsoft reputation for the manufacture of console devices. In order to temporary solve the problem Microsoft had announced an extended warranty period for all the consoles that have sale so for.
HARDWARE FAILURE
The hardware failure is due to the overheating of the console. As a result the console’s graphical processing unit fails and displays an error on the screen called as the “Three Red Light Error”. The three red light error is also called as the “Red Ring of Death” or RRoD. There are many errors that can occur in the console but only the three red light error is difficult to solve by the users themselves. The red light errors are nothing but glowing of red light in the power ring area whenever there is problem within the console. The problem now is that the heat developed inside the console is very high then expected hence it is difficult to cool by the heat sinks of the processor as the increase in temperature cause the graphical processing unit to fail and causes the error message E74 on the screen.
SIMPLE SOLUTION
The simplest method to solve the problem is to repair the console on our own. For repairing the console we need repairing guides or manuals. These materials are available in the internet so that the users can easily download them. By following the procedure on can able to solve the red light error. This method is considered as economical one than giving the console to service centre because of the amount spent in repairing the console and the time taken by the service centre to repair the console.
The thing is that the X clamps that support the heat sinks are removed and they are again replaced to the circuit by simply fixing then directly to the motherboard. This gives access to the external air to flow towards under the motherboard and then cool the processor from the below. Also we can provide addition cooler fans inside so the air when passing through the grills of the heat sink may also gets cooled to expected level.
