How To Restore Xbox One To Factory Settings
The first step in resetting an Xbox One is to open the main menu. This can be accomplished in one of two ways:
Press down on the d-pad until you reach the gear icon.
Press the A button to select the gear icon.
With all settings highlighted, press the A button again to open the settings menu.
Press down on the d-pad until you reach System.
Press the A button to open the System submenu.
With console info highlighted, press the A button again.
Press down on the d-pad to select reset console.
Press the A button to select this option and move to the final step.
Press left on the d-pad to select the reset option that you want.
If you want to leave game and app data in place, then highlight Reset and keep my games & apps. Then press the A button. This is the less thorough of the two options, as it only resets the Xbox One firmware and settings without touching your games and apps. Try this first, as it allows you to avoid downloading everything all over again.
There is no confirmation screen or prompt. When you press the A button with a reset option highlighted, the system will be reset immediately.
Does Factory Reset On Iphone Delete Photos
Factory reset or hard reset deletes complete data and settings from your iPhone. All your photos, videos, contacts, call logs, passwords, messages, browsing history, calendar, chat history, notes, installed apps, etc., get deleted from the iOS device. It cleans your iPhone as new with no personal information at all.
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Disclaimers Before Factory Resetting Your Xbox One
Factory resetting your Xbox One is currently the only known way to make the console usable again. However, it might come at a cost: Outside of any data uploaded to the cloud, your saved games, accounts and settings could be reset and deleted. When I reset my Xbox One, I was given the option to keep my games and apps downloaded, but I cant guarantee youll have the same luck.
This isnt a simple task to perform, either. Under normal circumstances, a factory reset is an easy-to-access option that exists within the Xbox Ones settings menu. Unfortunately, this nasty bug renders the consoles interface wholly inaccessible, meaning you’ll have to jump through a number of hoops to initiate a factory reset.
Youll also need additional items to even begin this process. Since the console is unusable, you have to download the required files onto a USB flash drive, or some other external drive. We recommend using one with at least 4GB of free space. Youll also need a computer with an internet connection, or at the very least, something that will allow you to download this file and move it over to the external drive.
If you have the required items, and dont mind risking the loss of saved data, heres how you can factory reset your Xbox One even when trapped at the black screen of death.
How Can I Factory Reset My Xbox One

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How to reset your console
Voire Does a factory reset delete everything?
A factory data reset erases your data from the phone. While data stored in your Google Account can be restored, all apps and their data will be uninstalled. To be ready to restore your data, make sure that its in your Google Account.
What happens if I factory reset Xbox one? Warning Resetting your console to its factory defaults erases all accounts, saved games, settings, and home Xbox associations. Anything not synchronised with the Xbox network will be lost.
Sommaire
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How Do I Reset My Xbox One Black Screen Of Death
Before moving towards a factory reset, you should try a hard reset of the console: Hold down the Xbox button at the front for 10 seconds to turn the console off. Unplug all of its cables for 30 minutes. While youre at it, hold the power button for 30 seconds to drain its power. Plug everything back on after 30 minutes.
What To Do If Your Xbox Wont Reset
Several users have expressed issues with performing the factory reset on their Xbox. Whether it stops midway or something else is happening, there are a few things you can try to get it back up and running again.
Of course, this could be related to a major hardware issue, but it may have a simple fix. According to the Xbox support team, you should start out by holding down the power button, then unplugging the power cable. Wait a few minutes and reverse the process .
Of course, if that doesnt work, you can always try booting your console in Safe Mode and checking for any updates. Complete the necessary updates then try to factory reset your Xbox.
Some users have had problems where the Xbox wont complete the reset process. In the past, this has happened due to a system update so it may resolve itself. On the other hand, if it is a hardware issue, contact Xbox Support.
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What Is Soft Reset
Soft reset, also known as restart, happens when you turn off the console via the Power Center or using the Guide button. Your Xbox One is NOT powered all the way down when you restart it and it still retains information from its last power-on state. This can be a useful trick if your console runs slow or if you encounter a minor glitch with your game.
To restart your Xbox One via the Power Center:
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To restart your Xbox One from the guide:
Why It’s Important To Listen For Power
The two noises signal that the Xbox has successfully identified the USB drive-in. It is critical to listen for those two tones, as they tell your system to begin updating automatically. The lack of those sounds or the power-down ding means that a potential error has occurred or there was an unsuccessful attempt at an update. If this happens, its a good idea to go ahead and restart the process altogether. If youve tried it a few times without any luck, we suggest you contact Microsoft for technical support.
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How To Factory Reset Your Xbox One
Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more…
Before you sell your Xbox One or pass it on to someone else, you should perform a factory reset. This wipes all your personal data. Whoever gets the Xbox One will have to go through the first-time setup process once again, signing in with their own Microsoft account.
If you didnt factory reset your Xbox One and you no longer have access to it, theres no way to remotely wipe your Xbox Ones data. You can remotely lock your Xbox profile, however, ensuring no one can use it and access its associated personal data without your password. Well detail how to lock your profile at the end of this article.
How To Reset Video Settings On Xbox One
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Video resolution will be restored to factory settings.
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How To Factory Reset Your Xbox One After A Black Screen Of Death
A recent update is bricking certain Xbox One consoles. Heres how to fix it.
Microsofts most recent Xbox One update has caused severe issues for select users. It has resulted in some people seeing a perpetual black screen of death. And no amount of restarting or cold booting resolving the issue.
I am one of these affected users my Xbox One abruptly bricked a couple of nights ago. Im frustrated and have plenty of questions about how this happened, but thankfully, my console isnt permanently broken and neither is yours.
- Check out the Xbox Series X games and PS5 games confirmed so far
- This is what we know about the Xbox Series X and PS5 so far
How Do I Factory Reset My Xbox One Without A Tv

The ideal method is to utilize your PC’s Xbox Companion program to stream your screen so you can see what you’re doing. Using the stream option will serve as your monitor/TV, and you will be able to factory reset your Xbox. Simply connect your PC and Xbox to your network via a wired connection. And click on PC using the Xbox Companion App.
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What Is Factory Reset
Xbox One factory reset wipes the data stored in the hard drive and returns the software settings to its factory state. This reset will erase all saved game data, installed apps and games, and other settings that you configured before. In other words, the software will revert to a state when your console was first shipped.
Reasons why you might want to factory reset your Xbox One
Doing a factory reset is usually a recommended troubleshooting step if you encounter problems that regular steps like soft or hard reset cant fix. For example, if your console keeps on freezing or crashing games all the time, its possible that there may be a software issue behind it, or the game in question may have corrupted files. To fix the problem, you can perform a factory reset to bring back the known working factory state of the software.
You also need to factory reset your Xbox One if you plan in giving it away or if you want to sell it. Doing so will remove all your personal information such as your gamertag, saved games, downloaded apps and games, from the hard drive.
Performing An Offline System Update By Usb
If youre experiencing issues and want to perform a factory reset to solve them, you may not need to go that far. You can perform an offline system update via USB, which can roll back any failed updates or other issues keeping your Xbox One from working properly. If you have an Xbox One S, Xbox One S Digital, or Xbox One X, performing an offline system update is fairly straightforward. The original Xbox One requires a few more steps.
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How To Wipe Your Xbox One
To reset your console, power it on and press the Xbox button on the center of your controller. This will take you to the dashboard.
If your Xbox One isnt responding for some reason, press the Xbox button on the front of your console and hold it down for ten seconds. This will forcibly shut it off. You can then press the Xbox button on either the console or your controller to boot it back up again. This is known as power cycle, and should only be performed when your Xbox One is frozen and not responding.
Press the left directional stick to the left or press the left button on the directional pad to open the menu at the left of the screen. Scroll down to the gear icon and select All settings by pressing the A button.
Navigate to System > Console Info & Updates on the Settings screen.
Select Reset Console to continue.
Youll be asked how you want to reset your console. There are two options: Reset and remove everything and Reset and keep my games & apps.
The first option will entirely wipe your device and put it back to a factory-default state. This is ideal if youre selling your console.
Your Xbox One will immediately begin resetting after you choose one of these options. Select Cancel if you dont want to reset it.
Offline System Update With Original Xbox One
Step 1: Try to start the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter by completely powering down your console and removing the power cable for at least 30 seconds.
Step 2: After, plug the cable back in and press the Pair and Eject buttons, then the Xbox button.
Step 3: Release the Xbox button and hold the other two for 10 to 15 seconds. Once you hear two power-up tones, release the other two buttons. If you see the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter labeled troubleshoot at the top proceed with the steps above. If not, continue in this section.
Step 4: If you dont see the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter, turn on your Xbox One and press the Xbox button on your controller.
Step 5: Select Profile & System, followed by Settings, then, System. Then select Console Info.
Step 6: Look for your OS version. If its one of the versions listed below, skip the next step. If not, go to the next step.
- 6.2.11791.0 fre
- 10.0.10586.1100 fre
- 10.0.10586.1194 fre
Step 7: If you have an OS version other than the ones listed above, youll need to perform two offline updates. As is the case with the Xbox One S and Xbox One X, youll need a USB drive with at least 4GB of space, formatted to NTFS . If your OS version is 6.2.9781.0, download OSU3 from Microsoft. If its anything else, youll need OSU2.
Step 9: Turn off your console.
Step 10: After its completely powered off, plug in your USB device.
Youll know that the process is complete when you hear two power-up sounds.
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How To Factory Reset Your Xbox One Console
You can factory reset your Xbox One two ways. The easiest one is right from the console. But if your Xbox isn’t displaying a picture or you can’t get to the Settings menu, you can also complete a factory reset using a USB flash drive. This method requires a PC with Windows® and a blank flash drive formatted as New Technology File System, or NTFS, with at least 4 GB of storage.
Before trying to complete any resets, connect to the Xbox network. That way you’ll be able to back up your information to the cloud. As a reminder, a factory reset on your Xbox One will delete all your accounts, saved games, local game data, and settings changes, among other things.
Factory Reset Xbox One:
To perform a Factory Reset, it is suggested to perform the steps provided below:
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Resetting Vs Hard Resetting Vs Factory Resetting
Resetting an Xbox Series X or S can fix a lot of problems, including poor performance, long app load times, mic echo, and more, but there are different types of resets and reboots.
- Soft reset: When you shut your Xbox Series X or S off by pushing the power button or using the on-screen menu option, and subsequently turn it back on, thats known as a soft reset or reboot. This is the least invasive, and it happens each time you turn your console off.
- Hard reset: This type of reset requires you to power your console all the way down before turning it back on. Since power is removed completely, this clears out more things and fixes more problems.
- Factory reset: This type of reset reverses all of the changes that were made to your console after it left the factory. Local data is removed, and you have to reinstall system updates, download your games again, etc.
In many circumstances, hard reset and factory reset are used interchangeably. In the case of the Xbox Series X or S, and other consoles like the Xbox One that are never fully turned off during normal use, the term hard reset instead refers to removing power from the device.