Sometimes, light on your Xbox 360's power supply turns red or turns off. This article contains step-by-step guidance to help you determine your situation, and then guides you through ways to resolve the problem.
Note If you see three lights on the Ring of Light (RoL) flash red on the front of your Xbox 360 console, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
907534 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907534/) Xbox 360: Three red lights flash on the Ring of Light
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While you are using the Xbox 360 console, the power supply light changes from green to orange and then to red, or it turns off.
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This issue occurs when the external power supply has detected a fault. The power supply has several built-in safeguards to help prevent damage to either the console or to the power supply itself. The power supply will turn itself off under the following conditions:
| • | When there is too much current. |
| • | When the voltage is too high. |
| • | When the temperature of the power supply is too high. |
Under these conditions, the light on the power supply will turn from green to orange and then to red, or the light will turn off. When the Xbox 360 console is connected to the wall outlet, the power supply is functioning correctly when the power supply light is green or orange.
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Here are some things that you can try to fix the issue or to determine what the cause is. If you cannot fix the issue yourself, please contact Xbox Customer Support. Visit
http://www.xbox.com/support/contact (http://www.xbox.com/support/contact) for information about how to do this.
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Make sure that the power supply is cool
The red light may indicate that the power supply is too hot or it has already overheated. If that is the case, you should let the power supply cool for several hours in a well-ventilated space. Turn off the Xbox 360 console and don't turn it back on while the power supply is cooling. This will allow the power supply sufficient time to cool. As soon as the power supply has cooled off, the power supply light will change from red to orange, and you can turn the console back on.
If the power supply light is still red after you have let the power supply unit cool in a well-ventilated space, the power supply unit may require replacement. You can contact Xbox Customer Support at
http://www.xbox.com/support/contact (http://www.xbox.com/support/contact) for information about how to replace the power supply.
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Make sure that the power supply is plugged in correctly
If the power cord is plugged into an extension cord, a surge protector, or a power strip, the amount of current or voltage that flows through the power supply may not be correct. Make sure that the power supply is plugged directly into a working wall outlet.
If the power supply does not work after you connect it directly to a wall outlet, try plugging the power supply into a different wall outlet. Ideally, you should try plugging the power supply into a wall outlet that is in another part of the house. To correctly move the power supply to another wall outlet, follow these steps:
| 1. | Carefully disconnect the end of the power cord that connects the power supply unit to the Xbox 360 console power socket. To do this, follow these steps: | a. | Turn off the Xbox 360 console.
Note The cooling fans may continue to run for several seconds to make sure that the console has cooled down completely. Make sure that the fans stop before you go to the next step.
| | b. | Disconnect the power connector from the Xbox 360 console. On some power connectors, you may have to press and hold two small buttons on either side of the power connector at the same time. Then, pull the power connector straight out of the power socket.
After you disconnect the power connector, power is removed from the console and no residual power remains. For example, the built-in clock will lose the time and the date settings.
Note The light on the power supply unit will illuminate orange. The orange light indicates that power is still present in the power supply. The light on the power supply remains illuminated orange until you disconnect the power supply from the wall socket.
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| 2. | Move the power supply to another wall outlet by following these steps:| a. | Unplug the power cord from the power outlet in the wall. | | b. | Disconnect the power cord from the power supply unit. | | c. | Plug the power cord into a working wall outlet. | | d. | Without the console connected, reconnect the power supply unit to the power cord. The power supply should turn on and the power supply light should turn orange. | If the light does not turn orange or turn on, the power supply may require replacement. You can contact Xbox Customer Support at http://www.xbox.com/support/contact (http://www.xbox.com/support/contact) for information about how to replace the power supply. |
| 3. | If the power supply light is orange, reconnect the cord that connects the power supply unit to the console and make sure that the connector is inserted fully. To do this, follow these steps: | a. | Locate the power socket on the back of the Xbox 360 console. The power socket is the square socket that has two flat corners, as shown in the following image:
| | b. | Insert the power connector on one end of the power supply cord into the power socket. When you insert the power connector, you might hear a"click” sound. This sound indicates that you inserted the power connector into the power socket correctly. The power connector should now be firmly connected. |
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| 4. | Press the power button to start the console. The power supply light and the power indicator on the Ring of Light will be illuminated green, as shown in the following image:
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| 5. | If the power supply light changes from orange to red after you connect the console, the issue is with the console itself, and the console will require service. You can contact Xbox Customer Support at http://www.xbox.com/support/contact (http://www.xbox.com/support/contact) for more information. |
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Try another power cord and power supply unit
If you have another power cord and power supply unit available, try using them to test the console. If the console now turns on, you may have to replace the faulty power cord and power supply unit. If the console does not turn on, the issue may be with the console itself.
| 1. | Carefully disconnect the end of the power cord that connects the power supply unit to the Xbox 360 console power socket. To do this, follow these steps: | a. | Turn off the Xbox 360 console.
Note The cooling fans may continue to run for several seconds to make sure that the console has cooled down completely. Make sure that the fans stop before you go to the next step.
| | b. | Disconnect the power connector from the Xbox 360 console. On some power connectors, you may have to press and hold two small buttons on either side of the power connector at the same time. Then, pull the power connector straight out of the power socket.
After you disconnect the power connector, power is removed from the console and no residual power remains. For example, the built-in clock will lose the time and the date settings.
Note The light on the power supply unit will illuminate orange. The orange light indicates that power is still present in the power supply. The light on the power supply remains illuminated orange until you disconnect the power supply from the wall socket.
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| 2. | Switch to the other power supply by following these steps:| a. | Unplug the power cord from the power outlet in the wall. | | b. | Disconnect the power cord from the power supply unit. | | c. | Take the power cord from the other power supply and plug it into the wall outlet. | | d. | Without the console connected, reconnect the power supply unit to the power cord. The power supply should turn on and power supply light should turn orange. | If the light does not turn orange or turn on, the power supply may require replacement. You can contact Xbox Customer Support at http://www.xbox.com/support/contact (http://www.xbox.com/support/contact) for information about how to replace the power supply. |
| 3. | If the power supply light is orange, reconnect the cord that connects the power supply unit to the console and make sure that the connector is inserted fully. To do this, follow these steps: | a. | Locate the power socket on the back of the Xbox 360 console. The power socket is the square socket that has two flat corners, as shown in the following image:
| | b. | Insert the power connector on one end of the power supply cord into the power socket. When you insert the power connector, you might hear a"click” sound. This sound indicates that you inserted the power connector into the power socket correctly. The power connector should now be firmly connected. |
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| 4. | Press the power button to start the console. The power supply light and the power indicator on the Ring of Light will be illuminated green, as shown in the following image:
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| 5. | If the power supply light changes from orange to red after you connect the console, the issue is with the console itself, and the console will require service. You can contact Xbox Customer Support at http://www.xbox.com/support/contact (http://www.xbox.com/support/contact) for more information. |
If none of these steps have resolved your issue, your console may have to be repaired. For information about how to start the repair process online, please visit
http://www.xbox.com/support (http://www.xbox.com/support), and then click
Console Repair? in the upper-right section of the Web page.
Note Online repair service is currently not available in all countries or regions.
If you would rather contact Xbox Customer Support directly, please visit
http://www.xbox.com/support/contact (http://www.xbox.com/support/contact) for information about how to do this.
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Follow these safeguards to help the power supply work:
| • | Do not block any ventilation openings in the power supply. |
| • | Do not put the power supply on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings.
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| • | Do not put the power supply in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well ventilated. |
| • | Do not put the power supply on a stereo speaker, an amplifier, or a heat source such as a radiator or a heat register. |
| • | Plug the power supply directly into a working wall outlet. You may experience problems if you use an extension cord or a power strip if the extension cord or the power strip is faulty or cannot supply the required power to the console. |
The following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles provide extra information about the different issues that you may have encountered.
For more information about how to connect and disconnect the power supply, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
906205 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906205/)
Xbox 360: How to connect and disconnect the Xbox 360 power supply
For more information about when the power supply light is orange or when the light is not on at all, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
906102 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906102/)
Troubleshooting your Xbox 360 Power Supply when the light is orange
906103 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906103/) Xbox 360: The power supply light is not illuminated
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Additional support
Please visit the following Web site for information about how to contact Xbox Customer Support:
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