The red ring of death happens when you see three flashing red lights on the console. Maybe you want to prevent the red ring of death from happening to your new xbox.

Perhaps the red ring of death has already happened to you and you don’t want it to ever happen again. Whatever your situation may be, you can take a number of easy to follow steps that will prevent the red ring of death.

1.) Know where the cooling vents are and be sure to never block them. If air can’t freely flow into these vents, your Xbox will overheat. Make sure there is plenty open space around these vents. Keep them clear of clutter and don’t have them pushed up against the wall.

2.) Place your Xbox in a clean dust free environment and make sure that your Xbox is kept clean. The reason for this is that dirt, dust, and pet hair can get sucked into the cooling vents which will interfere with the cooling system. If too much dust gets into the vents, the fans get over worked and won’t be able to supply the Xbox with enough cooling air.

3.) The rules that apply to your Xbox console also apply to the power brick. That is, the power brick must be kept cool. Therefore, make sure that air is free to flow around it. Don’t place it on soft or shaggy surfaces such as a carpet. Put it on a table or you can hang it off a hook.

4.) The xbox should be kept away from sources of heat. Keep the air conditioner running when you are using your xbox on a hot day.

Your xbox will also get hot if it’s used over long periods of time. It’s advisable to give your xbox a rest after a couple hours of use so that it can cool down.

The main thing to remember is that the red ring of death happens when your Xbox overheats. The Xbox naturally tends to run hot and has a cooling system that can barely keep up. So it’s up to you to make sure that it never overheats.

Marc Sandford is a gaming addict and author. Get more Xbox 360 trouble shooting advice about fixing the Xbox 360 ring of death.