red ring of death

posts about #redringofdeath more →
Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
After Four Years, Has Microsoft Finally Solved the Xbox RRoD Problem?
Microsoft Responds to 54.2% Xbox 360 Failure Rate Claim, Doesn't Dispute It
Survey: Xbox 360 Failure Rate Is Over 50%, People Don't Care
Microsoft Skimps on Shipping Boxes For Owners of RRoD-ed Xboxes?
QOTD: How Many Times Has Your Xbox 360 Gone Down With a RRoD?
The Shocking Inside Story of the Epic Defects That Killed Millions of Xbox 360s
Microsoft's $1 Billion Xbox 360 Recall Problems Caused By Chip Cheapness
XCM Xbox 360 Casemod Glows Whether Console is Overheating or Not
The Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Shirt

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Margatron
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
Also, a tip for calling the call centre:

-call on weekdays between the hours of 9am-5pm, preferably 9 to noon since this is when the veterans' shifts are. Never call on the weekend. People who've been working there the longest get the good shifts and usually have the most knowledge on how to help you.

-if someone with an american accent answers the phone, hang up and call again until you get the canadian call centre. Sorry USA locations, the canucks have the best training.

-if you feel you're not getting treated right, ask to speak to a tier2 agent - tier1 is required to escalate a call if you ask for it.
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infmom
10/08/09

@Margatron: How do you make sure you've got the Canadian call center by someone's accent? Ask them to say "about" several times?

My mom was Canadian, and her accent certainly wasn't radically different from Standard American.
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Margatron
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
Worked at the call centre for a year and I sympathize with this guy.

Checking the power supply light is part of one script but not all the scripts they have for repairs. So if the rep doesn't figure it out in the first few seconds of the call, they probably walked him through the wrong set of troubleshooting steps.

The Microsoft Knowledge Centre is where all the articles are for troubleshooting, which the reps use and then attatch to their "call tickets" or logs, except there are SOOO many obscure articles in there that only a seasoned pro rep would think to search for any particular problem.

I used to walk them through a more thorough set of my own steps which checked for multiple potential problems. Still not good enough in the long run tho. Microsoft needs to provide their call staff with better training and better info.

Sooo glad I don't work for them anymore. I have a clearer conscience now.
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Edited by Margatron at 10/07/09 6:53 PM Margatron was starred Margatron was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
Bizarre. Not a good news when I'm waiting for an Xbox delivery.

But then again, I've seen the horror first hand.
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dimsum4u
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
I had a pretty similar experience. My box got the 3 lights 2 years ago. I asked them to send me a box so i could send it to them, the box they sent me was for the original xbox, had to wait another week for them to send the right box. When I sent them my xbox they sent me back someone elses xbox. How I know it was someone elses? Because when I turned it on other peoples logins were in it with games I haven't played before. So I called they said it couldn't be possible because the serial matched the back. One week later the CD drive stopped working, I called them they said that xbox was sent in to get it fixed. They then realized their error and that really wasn't my xbox. So I had them send me another box to ship it in. After a lot transfers to find the right manager I explained my situation. I got a free wireless controller, headset and a years subscription to live. I recommend if you get in a situation like this, you stay on the phone until you get someone that can get you something for free because that person has the ability to sign off on that stuff if your story is compelling enough.
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bagellord
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
The only problem I've ever had with Xbox support was when for some unknown insane idiotic reason my email address got screwed up. The email address my Live account was tied to did not exist. I have no clue how it got like that. I couldn't fix it. They couldn't change it for me. I ended up finally being able to get into the Windows Live ID for that email change the password, and then finally change to a working email. The first two times I called they couldn't/wouldn't help. Finally on the third attempt I got sent to a supervisor whom I could understand, and was able to figure out what needed to be done.
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Bigbadbikernerd
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
I had a similar situation. I bought a refurb from Tiger Direct (I know, I should have known better...). It RROD in about 3 months. Sent it to TekProtect. They replaced it 3 times before I got a unit that worked more than 3 days. The last one they sent me is a Jasper unit, so I hope this one will last.
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Bigbadbikernerd
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
I had a similar experience. However, my unit was a refurb from Tiger Direct (I know, I should have known better...). I had to send it in 3 times to get a functioning unit (done through TekProtect). They finally sent me a Jasper unit, so I hope this is the last one.
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Bertone77
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
I've got a question: So from this story it seems that Microsoft "actually" tries to repair "your" unit and sends it back to you? The don't just send you a re-furb unit that has already been fixed?

I ask because that is what Sony does with the PS3, and why i refuse to send my console to them. My launch 60GB got the YLOD from my son hotboxing it by stacking game cases around it so it choked from heat. I don't want to get some "other" unit back that who-know-what else has gone wrong with it. So I found a local shop that fixes it for $75. No problems since.
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ithyphallus, bonks morrigan
10/07/09

@Bertone77: correct. they don't send you your old one, they send you one that's already been repaired while they work on yours to send to someone else.
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Bertone77
10/07/09

@ithyphallus, lazy beareaucrat: Who does? I know Sony does but does Microsoft do the same?
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honestbleeps
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
I can't lie - as angry as I am about the frequency of RRoD issues, I just had one and I have to say that Andy's case is weird.

I went online to see what I needed to do to get a repair, and very prominently there were suggestions about checking the color of the light on the power supply, etc.

The repair process, while not as fast as I'd have liked, went smoothly for me. I reported the E74 error, it was fixed for free (despite being out of warranty), and all I had to do was print a label and drop it off at UPS.
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kidphat (loves bumblebee girl)
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
We have to fully understand the situation before we jump to conclusion. Do you send in your power cables with the 360 during repairs? If not, the technician might have simply plugged in a good power cable and said to himself "Wow, piece of cake". If you do indeed package the power cables with the 360, that's a different story.
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Pew Pew BOOM
10/07/09

@kidphat (loves bumblebee girl): You can only send in the console. (Without any accessories)
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Pew Pew BOOM
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
I got RROD twice, both of time the technical support guy asked me to check the power supply, so I don't know what's up with Andy's case.
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switchblade saints
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
My Xbox is still under warranty, but warranty doesn't cover four red lights.

Wait, what? Serious? Time to break one of the LEDs then to make it three ha.
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Edited by switchblade saints at 10/07/09 12:27 PM switchblade saints was starred

.- -. --- -. -.-- -- --- ..- ... / .. ... / .-.. . --. .. --- -.
10/07/09

@switchblade saints:
I really think that would work. Those 'techies' at M$ probably wouldn't care to take a look at that...
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newtype2011
10/07/09

@switchblade saints:

If you prefer a slightly less violent method, just wrap a towl around your 360 to make it overheat, thus giving you the three rings anyway. Free repair.
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Kaiser-Machead
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
If a hardware failure is only 3 lights, why isn't it the Red C Of Death?

Anyway, some of the seemingly most obvious solutions are not that obvious at all. The fact that this was not on the list of troubleshoots available to a tech is sadder than the owner not thinking to check this himself.
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Edited by Kaiser-Machead at 10/07/09 12:29 PM Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

phinnvr6000001002
10/07/09

In reply to Insanity: Xbox 360 'Repaired' 3 Times, Returns Each Time With Red Ring
Lol sorry to hear that but I have a solution for you (that worked great for me)... get a PS3. Don't even have to pay extra to play games online with my friends.
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switchblade saints promoted this comment phinnvr6000001002 was starred

switchblade saints
10/07/09

@phinnvr6000001002: sweet! whats your PSN name so we can play some gears of war, dead rising, left for dead and some mass effect.
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switchblade saints
10/07/09

@phinnvr6000001002: sweet! whats your PSN name so we can play some gears of war, dead rising, left for dead and some mass effect.
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switchblade saints
10/07/09

@phinnvr6000001002: sweet! whats your PSN name so we can play some gears of war, dead rising, left for dead and some mass effect.
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oanda
10/07/09

@phinnvr6000001002: let me know when sony has on online system that is uniform from game to game and actually works in and out of games.

I happen to own a ps3 and only use it for games that aren't multiplayer. Cuz the multiplayer game expirience sucks on the ps3. Also its the best bluray player i have.
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OMG! Faux Affliction!
10/07/09

@switchblade saints: Yeah! We can also play some God of War, LittleBigPlanet and maybe run around some inFamous maps on Home! (BTW, the console versions for just about every Valve game sucks.)
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rubberballbat
10/08/09

@switchblade saints: You make it sound like we are missing something ...except for left 4 dead the rest are completely passable. You seem to be pretty happy for a guy that has a 40% chance of complete failure every time you turn your S Box on. Have fun with your S box POS I will stick with my PS3. Whats your expensive S box live account name maybe we will lok you up while we are playing Uncharted 2
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switchblade saints
10/08/09

@rubberballbat: 40?, I have my console still running strong from release day. Never had any issues.
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switchblade saints
10/08/09

@OMG! Faux Affliction!: I play those too. On my PS3
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SigmundTheSeaMonster
09/02/09

In reply to After Four Years, Has Microsoft Finally Solved the Xbox RRoD Problem?
There should not be *any* failure of a game console except for acceptable wear (HD failure, motors, controller wear).

Yes?
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