When you use your Xbox 360 console, the screen freezes

Your screen "freezes," or seems to lock up, when you try to play a game, when you use the Xbox Dashboard or the Xbox Guide, or when you wait for the console to start. When this problem occurs, you do not receive an error message, and no lights flash on the console to indicate a problem.

You can try the following methods to determine the cause of the problem and to try to fix the problem. If you cannot fix the problem yourself, you might want to ask someone you know for help. You can also contact Xbox Support for help. For information about how to contact Xbox Support, visit the following Xbox Web site:

Determine whether this is a one-time issue

First, consider whether the problem has occurred multiple times. If this is the first instance, the problem might not occur again. To determine whether this is a one-time problem, turn off the console, and then turn it back on. If the problem does not occur again, additional troubleshooting may be unnecessary.

Determine whether you can return to the Xbox Dashboard

Use the Guide button on the controller to see whether you can exit from the game to the Xbox Dashboard. To do this, press Guide, and then press the Y button. If you can exit the game, the problem may be caused by the game.

Make sure that your Xbox 360 console is appropriately located

It is important to keep your Xbox 360 console in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Do not put the console or the power supply on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings. If your Xbox 360 console is in a poorly ventilated location, turn off the console, and then move the console to a location that has sufficient ventilation, such as a table or an open shelf.

Keep your console away from heat sources, such as televisions, computers, monitors, and other electrical devices. Turn off the console, and then move it away from the heat source. Or, turn off the device that is generating heat, and then move that device away from your console.

For more information about how to locate the Xbox 360 console, see the Xbox 360 instruction manual, or visit the following Xbox Web site:

Determine whether an accessory is causing the problem

Turn off your console. Remove all the accessories that are attached. This includes the Xbox 360 Hard Drive. Then, turn on the console to see whether the problem still occurs.

• If the problem does not occur when the Xbox Hard Drive is disconnected, try clearing the Xbox 360 Hard Drive cache.
  
  For more information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  971755  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971755/ ) How to clear the Xbox 360 console cache
• If the problem occurs when the Xbox Hard Drive is connected, and if clearing the hard drive cache does not resolve the problem, create a new gamer profile. Then, test to see whether the issue still occurs. If the issue does not occur when you use a new gamer profile, the problem may be related to the original gamer profile or to saved game information for one or more games that are associated with the original gamer profile. To verify this possibility, delete the saved games for all games that show this problem when you use the original gamer profile.

Determine whether the problem occurs for online games only

Test to see whether this problem occurs only when you play Xbox LIVE. To do this, play some games offline. If the problem occurs only when you try to use Xbox LIVE, the problem could be related to your Internet connectivity.

For more information about how to troubleshoot problems that occur for online games, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Check your console settings

If your console is a PAL console, try to use a setting of PAL 60. For more information about how to set your Xbox 360 console to PAL 60 Hz for specific situations, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Determine whether the disc that you are using is causing the problem

Try to use several similar Xbox 360-compatible discs in the console to determine whether the disc that you are using causes the problem. To test whether the problem is caused by a specific disc, use a disc of the same type, such as a game disc, DVD movie, or music CD. If the problem does not occur when you use other discs, that specific disc might be the cause of the problem.

For disc-specific issues, check the disc for any visible signs of damage or dirt. Hold the disc by the edges without touching the top or bottom surfaces with your fingers. Clean the disc by using a soft cloth. Lightly wipe from the center outwards. Do not use solvents or chemicals to clean the disc.

If this problem occurs only when you use the first disc that caused the problem, and if cleaning the disc does not resolve the problem, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base to determine whether that particular game disc has any known issues. To search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, visit the following Microsoft Web site: In the Search Site box, enter the text of the error message that you received, or type a description of the problem. Then, click Search Site.

Determine whether installing the game to the Xbox 360 Hard Drive resolves the problem

If the problem occurs when you play one or more game discs, and if the Xbox 360 console has an Xbox 360 Hard Drive attached, try installing the game on the hard disk drive.

For more information about how to install an Xbox 360 game on an Xbox 360 Hard Drive, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Additional support

If the methods in the "Things To Try" section do not resolve the problem, your console may have to be repaired. For more information about how to start the online repair process, please visit one of the following Xbox Web sites:Note Online console repair service is currently not available in all countries and regions. For more information about how to contact Xbox Customer Support directly, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: