Xbox 360 freezing is a very common problem. In fact, nearly 1 million people are facing the Xbox 360 freeze.  In an official Microsoft announcement in July 2007, Microsoft acknowledged that 5% of all consoles sold fail and the rest are likely to fail.

If you want help with your Xbox 360 freeze and want to fix your Xbox 360 once and for all, this article is for you.

The cause of the Xbox 360 freeze

The green lights will turn into 3 red lights that start flashing when the GPU (graphics processing unit) is turned off. The GPU (located on the motherboard) weakens as the motherboard heats up. As the motherboard heats up, it begins to vibrate. These vibrations loosen the glue that holds the GPU in place, and every time it loosens, the Xbox 360 freezes.

This article will help you with overheating and freezing your Xbox 360, but before you do anything, you know this: the towel solution you may have read about is fake. This will damage your Xbox 360 and make the problem worse. 94% of Xbox 360s red light errors do not need new parts, just a small change to fix them.

If you use the “towel” fix, you risk permanent damage, and you may not be able to repair the frozen Xbox 360 yourself (you’ll need to send it in for repairs). You have been warned.

How to Fix Xbox 360 Freezing

Before we go, I suggest you see a professional Xbox 360 repair guide with videos and pictures. A professional Xbox 360 frost repair guide will show you everything step by step, which can really help you through this process.

Here’s how to fix the Xbox 360 freeze:

1. Disassemble your case. Using a fine-tipped poker, push the gray holes (it’s the latches that hold it together) and push the tiny rectangular holes in the back. Remove the front plate and move the latch on the DVD drive up as you remove it. Unscrew the metal housing just below the plastic housing.
2. Remove the DVD drive and disconnect the cables.
3. Remove the fan and remove the system board.
4. Turn the motherboard over and, using the poker, remove the X clip from under the radiator, raising the corners. The heat sink is the big silver box with slots in it.
5. Unscrew the heat sink to reveal the CPU and GPU.
6. Clean GPU and CPU (critical step to shut down Xbox 360 freeze)
7. Generously apply the Arctic Silver Thermal Compound (you can find a $ 1 tube at any computer store) over the GPU.
8. Allow to harden for 15 minutes.
9. Place 2 nylon washers on each of the radiator bolts. Put the screws back in the system board. Now, with the screws pushing up through the motherboard, add 2 more nylon washers to the screws.
10. Place the radiator on top of the screws, pushing them slightly down, then screw them on. Make sure they are tight. This will really help to freeze the Xbox 360.
11. Put everything back together. Turn it on.

There, you should have fixed the Xbox 360 freeze now.

If you need help with pictures or videos, I suggest you consult the Xbox 360 Frost Repair Guide again.

Xbox 360 Ice Cream Repair Guides are fairly inexpensive at around $ 25 and save you over $ 100 from sending them to Microsoft. In addition, repairing your Xbox 360 frost may take up to 6 weeks if you ship it.

Whatever you do, do nothing. The Xbox 360 freeze won’t go away on its own. Once you freeze your Xbox 360, you will continue to receive the 3 flashing red lights until your system is repaired.

Good luck fixing the Xbox 360 freeze!

Here’s how to easily fix your Xbox 360 repair step by step guide so you can fix your Xbox 360 red light permanently!

Anthony is an avid gamer and bought his Xbox 360 the day it was released. Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 needed repairs.