How to Fix Xbox Turning On then Off 

You can force your way through all sorts of enemies while playing Xbox, but if there’s one challenge that puts you at a dead end, it’s the device turning on and off on its own. Luckily, you won’t need to ditch the console with hacks to rein in the problem. 

In this post, we will give you all the details you need to resolve the Xbox on-off issue using 10 proven solutions so you can get back to fighting Tails in Sonic Adventure or Tingle from Zelda in a heartbeat. 

How to Fix Xbox Turning On then Off 

Over time, proven fixes have risen to the fore to deal with an Xbox console that keeps turning on and off, buoyed by a cadre of creative gamers. Below are some of our tried and tested solutions to resolve this problem on your Xbox One console.

FIX 1. Check for overheating

Difficulty	Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	1
Time to Perform Fix	< 1 minute
Things Needed	A room with proper ventilation

Overheating is dangerous to electronics and can often happen, especially with gaming consoles, since they must maintain high performance when running games. As a defense mechanism, consoles are designed to turn off automatically.

With the Xbox One, you’ll even receive a message once you power the console on after it turns off due to overheating. It’s the console’s way of letting you know what happened and sharing some tips to help avoid the same issue.

This self-protection is essential as it helps your Xbox One prevent its sensitive components from getting fried and burned. Microsoft also equips the Xbox One console with a cooling fan, allowing it to regulate its temperature while in use. 

Unfortunately, there’s a limit to how much a fan can help with your Xbox One’s cooling down process. As such, we recommend that you often check for signs of overheating so you know when to cool down if necessary.

WARNING: Leaving your Xbox console on for long hours is not a good habit to keep. While this may not break the unit itself, you run the risk of overheating which can lead to system damage.

You must also ensure the console is stored in a room with proper ventilation to help dissipate heat better. We suggest you follow the advice on your Xbox’s overheating message to keep your console cool.

FIX 2. Change the console’s power settings

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	3
Time to Perform Fix	10 seconds
Things Needed	An Xbox One controller

One thing that we think you should look into in your Xbox One console’s power settings is the “Instant-on” mode. This feature enables your console to be awakened through a voice command and will boot up faster every time.

Please note that this method will not directly fix the “Xbox turning on then off” issue, but it’s a good option to prevent the same from occurring repeatedly. In that sense, it’s a timely prevention measure. 

Plus, you can utilize this feature if you have something important to get back into your game after the console turns off suddenly.

Step 1: Open your Xbox One’s Settings menu by clicking the big gear icon.  Note: You can also press the Xbox button on your controller and select Settings.

Step 2: Scroll right from General and select the Power mode & startup tile.

Step 3: Select the Power mode option and set it to Instant-on.

Take note that with instant on in your Power mode, you can save a lot of power since it allows the console to run at reduced power when turned off so it can set things up in the background. 

However, you still have to be careful when shutting down your console. It’s not recommended to plug it off the wall immediately when shutting down as you should allow the OS to close properly and do routine checks to optimize the unit. 

FIX 3. Check the console’s power cord and its connection

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	1
Time to Perform Fix	< 30 seconds
Things Needed	A replacement power cord

A faulty power supply is one of the most common causes of this Xbox turning off then on issue. One way this can happen is due to leaving your Xbox One’s power cord loosely connected to the power outlet or the console.

Thus, you must always double-check the connection of the power cord before turning on your Xbox One console to prevent unwanted shutdowns. Another way that you can have a faulty power supply is if the power cord is already damaged.

Some signs of power cord damage can be worn and torn wire or rusty connector pin, which prevents electricity from flowing into the console properly. In such cases, the best thing you can do is get a new power cord for your Xbox One console.

FIX 4. Reset the console’s power supply unit. 

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	3
Time to Perform Fix	< 1 minute
Things Needed	A working power outlet

Sometimes, the power supply unit (PSU) of your Xbox One console might also experience some minor issues during use. As a result, the console might receive insufficient power, causing it to turn off during your playthrough.

You can fix this issue caused by a PSU error through a simple power reset. This action temporarily cuts off power from the PSU to quickly reset it before plugging it back into the power outlet and console.

Please note that this solution will only work if your Xbox One’s PSU is experiencing a minor error. Unfortunately, PSU hardware issues can also be fixed by performing an actual repair procedure or purchasing a replacement.

Step 1: Unplug the PSU from the power outlet and Xbox One console and wait for at least 10 seconds.

Step 2: Plug the PSU back into the power outlet first to check if its status light glows white. Note: If the PSU’s status light doesn’t turn on or if it’s blinking orange, it must be replaced or repaired.

Step 3: Plug the PSU into the Xbox One console and turn it on.

FIX 5. Remove your console’s USB devices

Difficulty	Very Easy ●○○○○
Number of Steps	1
Time to Perform Fix	10 to 20 seconds
Things Needed	A connected USB device

Leaving unused USB devices connected to your Xbox One console’s ports can cause bootup and shutdown issues. For one, while USB generally works on these ports, they can be completely unresponsive or act slow. 

If you notice your Xbox One console is turning off whenever something like a flash drive is connected, try removing it first. You can keep using your Xbox One console to monitor if the same issue will occur when no other USB device is connected.

In most cases, removing the suspected USB device should resolve the issue. It’s an easy solution to a seemingly pesky problem. 

However, if removing the USB devices plugged into your Xbox One console doesn’t fix the case, it only means they weren’t causing the problem. As such, we recommend moving to the next solution right away.

FIX 6. Reboot your Xbox One via a power cycle

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	4
Time to Perform Fix	< 2 minutes
Things Needed	A working Xbox One power buttonA working Xbox One PSU

The power reset we suggested for your Xbox One’s PSU earlier can only be considered a mini power cycle. You must leave everything unplugged for much longer to power cycle your entire Xbox One system, console and PSU including.

This method should be an effective fix if none of the solutions above could resolve the “Xbox turning on then off” issue. You can drain all residual electrical charge stored on your Xbox One console and PSU by performing a power cycle.

Keeping your Xbox One system unplugged should allow the console to shut down its system apps and programs fully. With this, your Xbox One console can refresh its system memory and correct any errors causing it to turn off.

After the power cycle, you can expect your Xbox One system to have increased speed, improving its performance and efficiency. This makes power cycling a useful troubleshooting trick, even if it does not fix the shutdown issue.

Step 1: Press and hold the Xbox One console’s power button for 10 seconds or until the display on your monitor turns off.

Step 2: Unplug the Xbox One’s PSU from the console and the power outlet and leave it for 60 seconds.

Step 3: Plug the PSU back into the Xbox One console and power outlet.

Step 4: Press the Xbox One console’s power button and wait for the startup screen to appear on your monitor’s display.

FIX 7. Clear the console’s persistent storage.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	6
Time to Perform Fix	30 seconds
Things Needed	An Xbox One controller

The persistent storage on your Xbox One console is a cache storage that stores content and temporary data for Blu-ray discs. 

If you navigate to the persistent storage menu of your Xbox One, it will tell you that you need to clear it sometimes to use other discs.

After all, allowing it to accumulate temporary data and fill up can cause various issues on your Xbox One console. This includes not getting access to content from other Blu-ray discs and the “Xbox turning on then off” issue that you have right now.

While temporary data is often removed automatically every time the console is turned off or reset, it may also stay for some reason. This makes going to your Xbox One console’s persistent storage menu a must so it can be cleaned regularly.

Your Xbox One console should also notify you whenever the persistent storage is already full in case you forget to check it. This way, you can clear it and prevent further issues from emerging on your console.

Step 1: Press your controller’s Xbox button to open the console’s home menu.

Step 2: Scroll right to the gear icon and go down to open the console’s Settings menu.

Step 3: Scroll down to the Devices & Streaming menu.

Step 4: Scroll right and select the Blu-ray tile.

Step 5: Scroll down and select Persistent Storage.

Step 6: Select Clear Persistent Storage to delete the stored data.

Remember that clearing persistent storage does not affect your stored games and apps. But it does do away with your Xbox Network account so you end up losing your locally-saved videos, screenshots, and game files. 

FIX 8. Disable your console’s auto-shutdown feature.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	5
Time to Perform Fix	45 seconds
Things Needed	An Xbox One controller

In your Xbox One console’s power options, there’s a feature that automatically turns it off after a set timer that can be triggered by inactivity. This is your Xbox One console’s way of saving power whenever it detects that it isn’t being used. 

There’s also an option to automatically turn off your console after several hours of playing music and video. You’ll know that this feature is the root cause of the “Xbox turning on then off” issue if the console keeps shutting down after a certain time.

If you have reason to believe that this feature is causing your Xbox One console to turn off by itself, you should disable it right away. Once the auto-shutdown feature is off, start playing on your Xbox One to monitor if the issue has been resolved or not.

Step 1: Open your Xbox One’s Settings menu by clicking the big gear icon.  Note: You can also press the Xbox button on your controller and select Settings.

Step 2: Scroll right from General and select the Sleep/Power mode & startup tile.

Step 3: Select the first option.

Step 4: Set it to Don’t turn off automatically to prevent your console from shutting down due to inactivity.

Step 5: Do the same thing on the second option to prevent your console from shutting down for playing media.

FIX 9. Update its software. 

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	6
Time to Perform Fix	5 minutes
Things Needed	An Xbox One controllerA working internet connection

A software update is the best way to resolve software-related issues on your Xbox One console. It’s also helpful for eliminating recurring problems on the console’s older software version such as the “Xbox turning on then off” issue.

There’s a reason why software updates are also referred to as update patches. After all, they’re commonly used to patch up holes and flaws that prevent your Xbox One console from working as intended by the developers.

Your Xbox One console also receives a lot of extra benefits from having its software version updated. Not only will this improve the console’s overall performance and efficiency but it will also add more quality-of-life changes for better user experience.

You can update your Xbox One console using an offline method but we’ll be focusing on the online method. As such, you’ll need to connect your Xbox One to a fast and reliable WiFi network to ensure that the software update will go as planned.

Step 1: Open your Xbox One’s Settings menu by clicking the big gear icon.  Note: You can also press the Xbox button on your controller and select Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down to your console’s System menu.

Step 3: Scroll right and select the Updates tile.

Step 4: Select the Update Console option.

Step 5: Click Start Update to begin Xbox One software update.

Step 6: Wait for your Xbox One console to complete its software update. Note: Don’t worry if your Xbox One console restarts while downloading the software update as it’s part of the update process.

FIX 10. Reset your Xbox to factory defaults.

Difficulty	Easy ●●○○○
Number of Steps	6
Time to Perform Fix	5 minutes
Things Needed	An Xbox One controller

Speaking of software-related issues, a more effective solution is to factory reset your Xbox One. This method is also the most effective solution in this guide when it comes to fixing the “on-off” issue.

But, while effective, this solution does come at the cost of losing your Xbox One console’s saved data—apps and games included. Since everything is tied to your account, you should be able to re-download everything afterward.

It’s a hassle, nonetheless. But it should be all worth it if you value enjoying immersive gaming on your console. 

Note that you have the option to keep your apps and games but removing everything is the best way to factory reset your Xbox. However, don’t let that stop you from resetting your console with its apps and games intact if that’s what you prefer.

After all, we’re only providing you with what we think is the best solution for your current problem. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how you want to troubleshoot your Xbox One console.

Step 1: Open your Xbox One’s Settings menu by clicking the big gear icon.  Note: You can also press the Xbox button on your controller and select Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down to your console’s System menu.

Step 3: Scroll right and select the Console info tile.

Step 4: Scroll down and select the Reset console option.

Step 5: Choose RESET AND REMOVE EVERYTHING.

Step 6: Wait for the factory reset to finish and set up your Xbox One console.

Why Does My Xbox Keep Turning Off 

Xbox consoles can keep turning off due to a faulty power cord and power supply unit. This problem can also occur due to overheating, connected USB devices, auto-shutdown features, full persistent storage, or outdated software.

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