Home >> Internet Games >> Xbox 360

Directions for the Towel Trick for XBox

Users of the Xbox 360 may experience a hardware failure over the console's lifetime indicated by 3/4 of a glowing red ring (sometimes called the "red ring of death") around the console's power button. While it is not a substitute for professional repair, users can sometimes restore temporary function to the console using a technique known as the "towel trick." The towel trick deliberately overheats the console to reflow the solder around the CPU.

Things You'll Need

Two large towels
Broken Xbox 360

Instructions

- 1
  Remove your hard drive, any wired controllers, game disk and any other accessories from your Xbox 360 console. Leave the power supply connected.
- 2
  Wrap two large towels completely around your Xbox 360.
- 3
  Turn on the Xbox 360 and let it run for 15-20 minutes.
- 4
  Remove the towels and allow the Xbox 360 to cool for about 15 minutes.
- 5
  Reconnect your accessories and attempt to play the Xbox 360. If the red ring persists, the towel trick can be attempted again. If the towel trick is unsuccessful, professional repair may be required.

Xbox 360