Factory resetting your Xbox Series X erases every account, saved game, download, screenshot, and setting from the console. The system goes back to its out‑of‑box state, ready for a new owner or a clean slate. The whole thing takes about 20 30 minutes once you start.
Before you trigger the reset, make sure your game saves are safe. Xbox automatically syncs saves to the cloud as long as you’re signed into Xbox Live (no paid subscription needed for cloud saves, it’s free for all accounts). To double‑check, press the Xbox button, go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Backup & transfer and see if the last sync date is recent. If you’re selling the console, also deactivate it as your home Xbox first.
Back Up Your Saves and Screenshots
Cloud saves are automatic, but if you want a local backup, plug a USB 3.0 drive (formatted NTFS or exFAT) into one of the rear USB ports. Go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Storage > Manage storage > Capture & share to copy screenshots and clips. Game saves can only be moved internally or to cloud, you can’t copy them to a USB drive on Xbox Series X like you could on Xbox One, so cloud is your best bet.
For captures, highlight the ones you want to keep and select Copy to USB. If you have a lot of clips, this can take a while. Be sure to do this before you wipe the console because there’s no going back afterward.
Remove Your Account as Home Xbox
If you’re selling or giving away the console, you should deactivate it as your home Xbox. This lets the next owner set their own home console and prevents your account from being tied to a machine you no longer own. Open Settings > General > Personalization > My home Xbox > Remove this console as my home Xbox.
You can also do this remotely from your Microsoft account on the web if the console is broken or already gone. Sign in at account.microsoft.com/devices, find your Series X, and select Deactivate. That option is available once every 12 months, so use it sparingly.
Reset From the Settings Menu (Normal Boot)
If the console is running fine, the cleanest reset is through the system menu. Press the Xbox button, go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Console info > Reset console.
You’ll get two choices:
- Reset and remove everything This wipes all user data, games, and accounts. It’s the full factory reset. Choose this if you’re selling the console or starting completely fresh.
- Reset and keep my games & apps This resets the operating system and settings but leaves your installed games and apps in place. Good for fixing system glitches without having to redownload hundreds of gigabytes.
Pick the option that fits your situation. The console will confirm, then start the process. The screen shows a progress bar, and the system restarts on its own when done. Don’t unplug or power off during the reset.
Reset From the Startup Troubleshooter (If Console Won’t Boot)
If your Series X stalls on a black screen or the startup animation loops forever, you can still force a reset. First, do a hard power cycle: hold the Xbox button on the console for 10 seconds until it fully shuts off. Unplug the power cord for 30 seconds, then plug it back in.
Now enter the Startup Troubleshooter. Hold the Pair button (the sync button on the front left) and the Eject button (front, only present on disc‑drive models, if you have the Digital Edition, skip the Eject step and just hold Pair) simultaneously. While holding both, press the Xbox (power) button once. Keep holding Pair and Eject for 10 15 seconds until you hear two power‑up tones. (If you have a Digital Edition, you’ll get only one tone, but continue holding Pair for the full duration.)
The troubleshooter menu appears. From here, select Reset this Xbox and choose Reset and remove everything. This performs the same wipe as the settings menu method, using the system software already on the internal drive.
What the Reset Wipes
A full factory reset removes everything from the internal SSD: all user profiles and accounts, local saved games (cloud copies stay safe), screenshots and game clips, downloaded games and apps, network settings, controller pairings, and any accessibility or system preferences. Your Xbox subscription (Game Pass Core, Ultimate, etc.) is tied to your Microsoft account, not the console, so it comes back when you sign in again.
If you have an official Seagate or WD expansion card plugged into the back slot, its contents are also wiped during the reset because the system treats it as part of the same storage pool. The card itself isn’t physically reformatted separately, but all data on it is lost.
After the Reset: What to Expect
The console boots into the initial setup wizard, exactly like when you first unboxed it. Connect to Wi‑Fi or Ethernet, select your language and region, and sign in with your Microsoft account. If you’re handing the console to someone else, skip the account sign‑in.
Cloud saves restore automatically the first time you launch a game. Your captures that were saved to the cloud (via OneDrive) will be available again in the Xbox app on your phone or PC, but local screenshots and clips on the console are gone. If you backed them up to a USB drive, you can copy them back later through the capture area.
Update the System Software
After a reset, the Series X may boot with an older version of the system software. The current build as of April 2026 is OS 10.0.26100.7807. Go to Settings > System > Updates and check for a system update. Install whatever is offered, it includes the latest features like the per‑game Quick Resume toggle that was added earlier in 2026.
The update download varies in size (usually 500 800 MB) and takes maybe 10 15 minutes to download and install, depending on your internet speed. The console will restart once or twice during the process, and after that you’re fully up to date.
Reinstall the Operating System From USB (If Troubleshooter Fails)
In rare cases where the Startup Troubleshooter won’t load or the reset fails partway through, you can reinstall the system software from scratch using a USB drive. You’ll need a PC, a 32‑GB or larger USB 3.0 drive formatted as NTFS, and the offline system update file from Microsoft’s support site (Xbox Support > Device & services > Xbox console > System update).
Download the proper file for Series X|S (not Xbox One), extract it to the root of the USB drive in a folder named $SystemUpdate. Plug the drive into one of the console’s rear USB ports, then boot into the Startup Troubleshooter using the same Pair‑button method described above. The troubleshooter should now detect the update file and offer an Offline system update option. This wipes everything and reinstalls the OS cleanly.
