It all started with Sony telling consumers they could put a PS2 on its side and play. To emphasize the point, they even made the logo plate on the console movable.

Everyone followed in their footsteps, and now Xbox 360s, Wiis and PS3s can be set on their side and played. That's all well and good, except for the fact that it wears out your systems faster, and it’s much easier to scratch discs inside the consoles..

I'm sure that you’ve seen Xbox 360 games with a circular scratch that goes all the way around the disc. This is the worst possible scratch that you can get, because the laser in the disc drive hits the scratch that buries the data in what is known as a “perfect circle.” 

Every time I’ve seen a disc in this shape, it happened the same way — the system was sitting on its side and something happened that moved the machine while the disc was spinning. Maybe your dog was chasing your cat and ran into the system, or your roommates were in a fistfight and fell onto your 360.

Whatever the case the result is the same, a scratched disc that is almost impossible to get repaired. 

I say almost impossible, because a disc buffer can sometimes repair these scratches if they aren't very deep. Sometimes. Usually they’re devastating. Try to keep those systems off of their sides, and flat on their bottoms.

Even if they’re laid flat, never move a console while the disc is spinning. It’s still possible to get a perfect circle, just far less likely.

Other things to watch out for are heating issues. The entire current generation of consoles all get hot under the hood, and when they’re in a poorly-ventilated area, it’s Joe Consumer — who may or may not be covered under warranty — that suffers the consequences.

 Older systems and cartridges are a little easier to handle. Unlike the newest, latest, and greatest, these pre-disc-drive systems don't have as many moving parts. Because of this they tend to last a whole lot longer, as long as their contacts are kept clean.

The best and easiest solution to repairing faulty cartridges is to pick up a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a box of cotton swabs. Dampen the swabs with alcohol and scrub the pins in the cartridge.

Then check the swab. If it's dirty, use another one and start the process over again. Do this until the swab comes out clean.

Next, test the cartridge in the system. If it works, it was just dirty. Almost all cartridge problems are because of this.

Systems are just as easy to clean. Once the machine is turned off, clean a cartridge as stated above, and while the contacts are still damp, plug the cart in and out of the system a few times. Give it a couple of minutes to dry up and try the machine again.

If it still doesn't display the image start the process over again.  If you’ve done this three times with no results, make sure that your A/V cable is good, and your power cable is providing juice to your system.