By now, it has almost become a commonplace for the Xbox 360 system to break down; this is why Microsoft officially extended the Xbox 360's warranty to three years as of July 2007. The Xbox 360 is a great system but it has been known to habitually break down unexpectedly. This guide will tell you what you need to do.

1) You probably have heard of the "towel trick" and although this provides a temporary solution to the problem, the red ring will eventually come back and there really is no reason to delay the repair process. Microsoft has been generous enough to allow the reparation process to be free so why not take advantage of it?

2) The first thing I would do is log on to http://service.xbox.com and  click on Console Repair (and this is assuming you have already registered your console, if not, do it now) and follow the instructions.

3) It may take a while but a box will eventually be sent to your address via UPS and make sure there is somebody present because a signature is required in order for you to receive the box.

4) There are instructions within the box for how everything should be packed so follow those and send the box back with your Xbox inside; this must be done at a UPS store. (Make sure to remove your hard drive as well as any disc inside the console!)

5) In the meanwhile, you can check the status of your console on http://service.xbox.com but in the end, it'll take about 3-5 weeks for your console to be repaired and sent back to you.