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Those of us who have owned gaming consoles for life and have gone through the infamous RROD (Red Ring of Death) and the less notable but still infuriating YLOD (Sony PS3), get a little queasy when our consoles fail to turn on. Xbox One consoles sometimes beep, without turning on, and it’s understandably irritating.
Thankfully, this isn’t a sure sign of the likes of the RROD and YLOD. It is most likely an indication the system was in Energy Saving Mode, or it just needs a soft reset, the triple button hold method, or the eject button tapping method.
While it may indicate that the system is on its last legs, all hope is not lost. We’ll walk you through the above-listed troubleshooting fixes first and, if it’s none of those, look at some of the other common issues, such as faulty power cords and overheating.
Table of Contents
6 Fixes To Xbox One Beeps But Won’t Turn On
1. Xbox One is in Power Saving Mode
If you accidentally leave the system on for an extended period of time, it’s not going to sit there and operate at full power the entire time. It basically goes to sleep so it’s not wasting energy, for one, and not burning itself out long before its time.
What this sometimes does is create a panic situation. You press the button and hear a beep, then nothing happens. The reality is, that pressing the button the first time simply woke the system up.
Press it again. If the Xbox One comes on, then you know it was just being groggy and uncooperative because you accidentally left it on all night.
Most of the time, even if it’s asleep, pressing the power button will crank it right up. However, sometimes you just get the little beep with nothing else and you have to press the button again.
Consider it a warning from the Xbox One not to mistreat it and leave it alone for so long next time.
2. Soft Reset
Oftentimes, a simple reset will do the trick, especially if you left the console on all night and now it’s trying to play funny games with you. We use the term ‘soft reset’ because it’s just a shade different than a standard reset on the Xbox One.
- Unplug the Xbox One from the power outlet
- Wait a minimum of 15 seconds
- During those 15 seconds, press the power button a couple of times
- Plug it back in
- Press the power button to turn the console back on
Pressing the power button while the Xbox One is unplugged helps to dissipate any remaining power in the console. So, it may seem a little silly while the system is clearly off but it does have a small and effective purpose.
3. Power Cycle the Xbox One
Doing a power cycle on your Xbox One is the natural, second step if a soft reboot fails to correct the problem. You don’t have to worry about a power cycle affecting any of your saved data or anything else on your Xbox One’s storage.
- Turn of the Xbox One (if it isn’t already)
- Press and hold the power button for more than 10 seconds
- Watch the LED indicator on the power brick
- When it blinks from orange to white, it’s working
- Once its solid orange again, ‘Standby Mode’ is active
- Release the power button
- Press the power button again
Pressing the power button the last time will bring the Xbox out of standby mode and will power the console on just like turning on the power normally does.
However, it will take a couple of ons and offs to determine if the initial problem is indeed fixed.
4. Triple Button Hold
Number 4 and number 5 on our list may seem weird, however, these methods are reportedly working for those struggling with the Xbox One beep while failing to turn on.
You have to do it the right way. Missing the button or doing anything out of order will negate the entire process, necessitating a start-over.
- Locate the Power, Sync, and eject buttons on the Xbox Console
- Now, press and hold all three at the same time
- Keep holding them down for 10 seconds
- Release the eject button at the 10-second mark
- Continue holding down the power and sync buttons for another 15 seconds
- Release both at the 15-second mark
- Now, instead of turning the system on normally, press and hold the power and sync buttons until the console turns on like normal
Again, as we mentioned above, you’ll want to go through several ons and offs with the Xbox One before you truly know that the issue is permanently solved. As long as the Xbox continues to power on without an issue, the Triple Button Hold method worked.
5. The Console is Overheating
The Xbox One is designed with internal safety features, one of which will not allow you to turn on the Xbox if the system is too hot internally.
Getting the beep with no power makes sense in this circumstance and it’s simple enough to verify. Simply put your hand on the system.
If it’s way too hot inside, you will feel a bit of that on the surface. Not only does the system need time to cool off, but you should also consider doing something to rectify the problem in the future.
- Check your vents along the exterior of the Xbox to ensure they are free of dust or any kind of blockages
- Ensure there is plenty of air and space below and around the console
- Clean the vents to the best of your ability
- Never lay the console on the carpet
- Never place the console in a tight, enclosed space
If you’re having this problem frequently and the console is really hot, you may need to take more drastic action and access the Xbox internals to clear out any dust and debris that you can’t reach from the outside.
Soft bristle paintbrushes and compressed air cans are excellent ways to clear away blockages on the vents. Just don’t use the compressed air to blow directly into the vent.
6. Check Your Power Brick
A poor power supply may be the culprit behind the simple beep with no follow-up power.
Power bricks are a pain in the rear no matter the console and they can get pretty hot themselves. Check over the cord and brick to ensure there is no outwardly obvious damage to either.
Also, check to ensure your power cord is not crimped or awkwardly bent in any direction.
A crimped cord is often more than enough to sever the cord within, opening the circuit. If you suspect the power supply is the issue, you can purchase a new power supply unit online.
Like the console, don’t cram the power brick down in some restrictive cubby hole. Give it some space to breath as well. Also, be careful to avoid cramming the wires together so they don’t crimp and end up severing the internal wire.
Final Thoughts
There’s always the possibility that you have a faulty internal power supply issue as well or there is something wrong with the motherboard. Either of these will require a professional repair, unless you’re all caught up on your computer electronics degree and know what you’re doing.
Outside of that, these six fixes should get you up and running again. If the issue always returns, no matter what you do, the console may be reaching the edge of its lifespan.