Xbox won't power on, turn on, start up, or boot

You just got a new Xbox console or the Xbox you already own that has always powered on just fine all of a sudden without warning or showing any symptoms, won’t power on, turn on, boot, or start up. This post offers suggestions on the best approach you can take to resolve the problem effectively.

There are several potential reasons why you may encounter this issue on your Xbox console, and they include the following.

The power supply might be faulty or improperly connected.
The console could be broken or overheated.
The controller simply needs a recharge.

Xbox won’t power on, turn on, start up, or boot

If your Xbox console won’t power on, turn on, start-up or boot, then our suggestions, as provided below in no particular order, serve as guidance on the best steps to take to resolve the console won’t boot issue without hampering your gaming experience.

Initial checklist
Replace the Xbox
Update the Xbox
Reset the console
Get your Xbox serviced

Let’s see these suggestions in brief detail.

1] Initial checklist

Before you take any further actions, go through this initial checklist which is just a process of elimination to rule out the most common underlying causes of the Xbox console won’t power on, turn on, start-up or the boot issue you’re currently experiencing.

Make sure your Xbox controller is connected. If you are trying to turn on your Xbox by pressing the Xbox button on the controller, press the power button on the console instead and see if the system turns on – if it does, replace the batteries in the controller and then turn off the console and turn it on with the controller again. If that fails, connect the controller directly to the console via USB and try again. If these actions don’t work, you need to replace the controller.

Read: Xbox Controller Bluetooth keeps disconnecting on Xbox console or PC

Power cycle your Xbox. Powercycle is similar to the hard reboot which both are corrective measures If you have a device that’s not working correctly. To manually power cycle your Xbox console, simply press and hold the Xbox button on the front of the console for approximately 10 seconds to turn off your console. Unplug your Xbox from the mains and wait at least 30-60 seconds. Once the time elapses, plug your Xbox back into the power outlet and then press the Xbox button on the console or the Xbox button on your controller to turn your console back on.
Check the power supply. You need to make sure the power cord is firmly connected to the console and securely plugged into the wall outlet. If the console still won’t boot, check the LED on the power brick. If it isn’t lit up, or if the light blinks orange, replace the power supply. If there’s a steady white or steady orange light, you might need to have the console serviced.
Check the wall outlet and/or power strip. You can try plugging any other working electronic device into the outlet you use for your Xbox console. If none of the electrical appliances doesn’t turn on, your outlet may be faulty. In this case, you can try plugging your console into a different outlet. If you’re using a power strip or surge protector, make sure it’s on and functioning properly. Some have fuses that blow in a power surge and protect electronics from damage. Check other appliances plugged into the strip to ensure these devices function properly and try a different outlet on the strip. If an outlet on the power strip is dead, you can try plugging your console directly into the wall or replace the power strip altogether.
Reset the internal power supply. You can disconnect the cables from the console, the wall outlet, and the power supply, wait ten seconds, reconnect the cables, and press the Xbox button on the front of the console. You can also try a different power cable. The Xbox Series X|S have internal power supplies that you plug a power cable into, and both use a standard IEC C7 power cable which is the same cable used by a variety of other electronic devices. If you have an identical power cable from another electronic device, try swapping the Xbox power cable for another identical one. If the console powers up, you have a bad power cable.
Ensure proper ventilation for the Xbox console. If your Xbox won’t startup after the console shuts down during gameplay, it could be due to overheating. So, you can remove any objects around the console and place them so vents on the casing can easily draw in air. If you see any films of dust settled on the vents, you may want to use canned air or a dry cloth to clean the dust-out.

2] Replace the Xbox

In the case, you got a new Xbox or the console you already own which is still under warranty won’t power/turn on or start-up, you can have the gaming system replaced at no extra cost provided you have not taken any actions that might have voided the warranty. The warranty information is what most users don’t pay particular attention to, which otherwise, would have saved them some headaches.

You can head over to support.microsoft.com for more information on your gaming system’s Warranty and Protection Plan Terms & Conditions. The Terms and conditions, including warranty terms, depending on where you purchased your device. If you get a replacement, then you’ll need to follow the tips in the guide to set up your Xbox for the best console gaming experience – you can also set up Xbox for your child.

Read: Best TV settings for HDR gaming on Xbox

3] Update the Xbox

Sometimes, when a device like your Xbox out of the blue starts showing unusual behavior, it could be the operating system requires an update. But since the console won’t boot so that you can manually check for and update the system the normal way, you will now need to update your Xbox offline using Xbox Offline System Update by following these steps:

Download the Offline System Update file OSU1 from xbox.com on a Windows 11/10 PC.
Plug in a USB drive that is formatted into NTFS with at least a minimum of 6GB space.
Extract the OSU1 file on your PC which creates a .postcode file on your PC.
Copy the $SystemUpdate file from the extracted .postcode file to your USB drive.
Unplug the USB drive.
Next, unplug all the cables from the console.
Wait for 30 seconds and replug them all.
Next, press the Pair button (on the left side of the console) and the Eject button on the front side. Then, press the Xbox button on the console. Xbox Series S and Xbox One S All-Digital Editon do not have an Eject button. You can open Xbox Start-up Troubleshooter using the Pair and Xbox buttons. To do this, hold the Pair and Eject buttons for 10-15 seconds until you hear two “power-up” tones in a couple of seconds.
Plugin the USB drive into the console.
Select Offline system update using D-pad and A buttons on your controller.

Your Xbox will now start updating. After the update is complete, your console will restart and take you to the console homepage – your console should now work usually as expected.

4] Reset the console

It could be the issue you’re currently facing is due to the Xbox operating system being corrupted. In this case, the most applicable solution is to reset the console. But as the console is unable to boot, you will have to perform the Xbox reset via the Start-up Troubleshooter interface. To do this, just repeat the process in Solution 3] above to get to the Start-up Troubleshooter interface, then select the Reset this Xbox option and follow the prompts. For the reset, you can first choose the option to Reset and keep my games & apps – if the console still won’t boot, repeat the steps as provided here, but this time select the option to Reset and remove everything. This should get your gaming system up and running, if not, you can proceed with the next suggestion.

5] Get your Xbox serviced

As far as the issue you’re currently experiencing goes, if unresolved, it’s strongly recommended that you service your Xbox console through the right channel by visiting support.xbox.com for more information and how to get your Xbox serviced. If you’ve registered your device, sign in at Device services to see the device’s warranty status. If it’s within warranty, repairs are free. If your device is out of warranty, you’ll be charged a repair fee.

Read: How to make your Surface ready for service

I hope this helps!

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Why did my Xbox suddenly stop working?

If your Xbox suddenly stopped working or just won’t turn on, it might be due to controller, HDMI, or power supply issues. To troubleshoot the issue, you can try a quick power reset first, as this can often fix your Xbox console. You can reset your console by simply unplugging the gaming system for a few seconds, then plug back it back.

How do I know if my Xbox One power supply is broken?

All Xbox One power bricks have a light indicator to signify they are receiving an electrical current. If you see a solid white or solid orange light, the power supply is working properly. If there is no light or it flickers, to fix this, power cycle the console or reset the power supply. If nothing works, you may have to replace the power brick.

Can a power outage fry an Xbox?

This depends on your case scenario given that an outage can undoubtedly interrupt its data thread or harm its motherboard, leaving the console inoperable. If you have your Xbox connected to a surge protector or uninterrupted power supply, then a power outage will not damage the gaming system all other things being equal. But if there’s a power outage and the Xbox is connected directly to a regular wall outlet, the chances your Xbox will get damaged is high.

Can you break an Xbox by unplugging it?

There’s no known evidence showing that just simply keeping your Xbox console plugged in all the time, rather than unplugging your Xbox every time you aren’t using the system, does anything to damage your gaming device. Although, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to keep your Xbox running overnight once in a while, just don’t make a habit of it.