The Xbox 360 is a powerful machine. But with all that power, it’s also quite delicate. If you don’t take care of your console just right, you could have some major problems (see our other guide, Xbox 360 Console Errors - The Red Ring of Light ). Here are some tips to make sure your Xbox 360 lasts for years to come.

1. Keep it well-ventilated.
The biggest reason for 360 failures is that the system is not well ventilated. The system is doing a lot of stuff at once, and it generates a ton of heat. The console has fans to keep it cool, but you need to do your part as well. Whether you keep your system vertical or horizontal, you need to leave plenty of room (at least 3-6 inches) for the system to breathe. Otherwise, the system will overheat and that’s the end.

2. Keep the power brick in an open space.
The power brick , the large piece in the middle of the power cable, can also overheat and, as the system’s power source, cause a system failure. The brick should be kept with an equal amount of breathing room. Don’t let it get trapped under other wires. And try not to keep it on a carpet, if possible. That’s a known issue for power bricks failing.

3. Take your disc out after each playing session.
Before you shut off your system, be sure to remove the game disc, preferably from the main menu. This is only a precaution. There are no confirmed cases of this doing damage, but it’s always better to have the system empty when you are done with it.

4. Do NOT move the system while it is in use.
If you have a game in your system, do not move the system under any circumstances. There are numerous cases where this happened, and the disc was completely destroyed as a result. The disc tray is slightly loose within the system, so when the system moves too much (especially being moved from vertical to horizontal or the other way around) it’s going to get banged up and scratched. This is a huge problem, but is an easy one to avoid.

5. Do NOT remove the hard drive or power down the system during a save.
This is common with all game consoles, but if your game is saving, be SURE IT IS DONE SAVING BEFORE YOU SHUT DOWN. If this happens, you can not only lose your save data for your current game, but you can also lose additional data on the hard drive or lose the drive altogether!

These are the five major concerns about the Xbox 360. As long as the system is ventilated, not moving, and taken seriously, you will have an enjoyable playing session and never have to worry about the “Red Ring of Doom.”

Just a note about the writer of this guide:

Thumbmonkey  is a small company dedicated to providing its customers with a reliable, friendly and affordable source for their gaming fun! We carry a wide selection of video games and accessories for most of the major video game platforms.

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