Xbox 360 Rrod Warranty Repair – How Good is Microsoft's Warranty?
If you’re an avid Xbox 360 fan, you can imagine how annoying it would be to have your Xbox 360 console go wrong. If you’ve ever experienced the dreaded ’3 Red Rings of Death’ or the rrod, how do you know what your options are to get your console fixed quickly and safely, and what is covered by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 warranty?
You may have heard about the dreaded ’3 Red Rings of Death’ or ‘rrod’ as it has become affectionately known. This is when your Xbox’s normally 4 green lights around the large central power button flash red when your Xbox console develops a fault. When this happens there’s nothing for it but to get your console repaired.
And whilst there are plenty of alternatives which cost, what about Microsoft’s Xbox 360 warranty which comes with your Xbox from new? It hardly gets a mention. How good is it compared to the ‘fix guides’ you hear about, and can it get your console fixed so you’re back up and gaming fast?
In this article, we’re going to give you the most up to date and current information direct from Microsoft so you can judge for yourself. Please be aware that warranties may change so check with Microsoft before returning your faulty Xbox for warranty repair.
How Do I Know My Console Has Developed An Error?
- 4 Red Flashing Rings
- 3 Red Flashing Rings aka rrod or ‘Red Ring of Death; lights 1, 3 and 4
- 2 Red Flashing Red Lights;1 and 3
- 1 Red Flashing Light #4 or E74 Error Code
- Xbox Damages Disc In The Drive
- Screen Freeze During Game Play
According to recent figures, 23.7% of Xbox 360′s fail with the ’3 Rings of Death’ within the first 2 years of ownership – more than any other console!
So What Is Covered And What Should I Do?
1. If you have 1 Flashing Red Light with an E74 error code on your screen, OR the dreaded 3 Red Rings of Death ONLY
Your Xbox is covered by a 3 year guarantee from the date of purchase for these 2 errors only. Microsoft will collect and repair your console free of charge, quoting 2 weeks for collection and return, 3 weeks max (whilst this may be their intention, our experience suggests this may take considerably longer).
You can arrange collection online at www.xbox.com/support. When the page has loaded, look to the top right of your screen for Manage your console repair. Here you can fill in the details of your console, email etc and Microsoft will email pre-paid labels to your email address with a telephone number for you to arrange collection within 48 hours by courier.
When your Xbox is returned, hopefully in a state of repair(!), 3 months will be added to your remaining guarantee. So, if your Xbox is 1 year old when you sent it in for repair, you have 2 years of remaining warranty plus the extra 3 months = total 2 years 3 months.
Please note this warranty repair only applies to the 1 Flashing Red Light E74 and 3 Red Rings of Death error codes.
2. If your Xbox has any other fault other than 1 Red Flashing Light E74 error, or the 3 Red Rings of Death
Your Xbox is covered by a 1 year manufacturers guarantee. Register your console on Microsoft’s website as before, but when you click ‘Manage your console repair’, you will be asked for your credit card information and you will be charged for any immediate repairs.
When your console is returned, your guarantee will be extended by 1 year which then covers ANY additional repairs within this period, including the 3 rrod and e74 errors.
Tip: If you decide to return your Xbox 360 to Microsoft, DO NOT include any original packaging as it will not be included when your Xbox is returned – it’s always preferable to have the original packaging if you ever decide to sell your Xbox.
Tip: When returning your Xbox to Microsoft for warranty repair, REMOVE the hard drive and all leads/cables as these too will not be returned.
Tip: Bonus; Microsoft may include a sheet which informs you of the repair made to your console like dvd drive; motherboard, console replaced etc.
So whilst Microsoft’s factory warranty for the Xbox 360 covers the most common errors like the 3 rrod (3 Red Rings of Death) and the E74 1 Red Flashing Light error, you are limited to the one year warranty for everything else. And if you’ve bought your console second-hand or cannot produce proof of purchase, you face a potentially expensive repair.
In this case we recommend you visit http://www.xboxconsolerepair.com and review how you can get your Xbox repaired in 1 hour guaranteed with no special skills, tools or know-how.
