One of the lights on the Ring of Light on the front of your Xbox 360 console flashes red and you receive the error code and message: “E71. System Error. Contact Xbox Customer Support"

When you restart your Xbox 360 console after an auto-update, the lower-right quadrant of the Ring of Light (RoL) flashes red, and you see the following error code on your television screen or monitor: You see the following indicator on the front panel of your Xbox 360 console, which repeatedly flashes on and off:


If you see a different error message or code, or if you don’t see any error message or code, and if one red light is flashing, your console may be experiencing a different problem. If this is the case, please refer to the “References/Links” section in this article.

This problem typically means there is a hardware error in your Xbox 360 console.

To help us determine what is wrong with the hardware, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the console. Disconnect and then reconnect all the cables. Turn on the console again. If the RoL still flashes red, go to step 2.
2. If you have an Xbox 360 Hard Drive attached to the console, follow these steps:
   1. Turn off the console, and then remove the Xbox 360 Hard Drive .
   2. Turn on the console again to determine whether you still receive the error message.
   3. If you do not receive the error message, turn off the console, and then reattach the Xbox 360 Hard Drive. Turn on the console again.
   Note You may have to try this step more than one time to verify that you receive the error message only when you attach the Xbox 360 Hard Drive.
   If the RoL flashes when the Xbox 360 Hard Drive is attached but not when it is removed, your hard disk drive may be the problem. Replace the hard disk drive.
   
   If you experience the error even when the hard disk drive is removed, go to step 3.
3. If you have an Xbox Memory Unit (MU) inserted into the console, follow these steps:
   1. Turn off the console, and then remove the MU.
   2. Turn on the console again to determine whether you still receive the error message.
   3. If you do not receive the error message, turn off the console, and then reinsert the MU. Turn on the console again.
   Note You may have to try this procedure more than one time to verify that you receive the error message only when you insert the MU.
   If the RoL flashes when the MU is removed, your MU may be the problem. If there is no change, go to step 4.
4. Disconnect and then reconnect the power supply and the cables from the console. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Turn off the console.
   2. Disconnect the cord that connects the power supply to the back of the console.
   3. Disconnect the power cord from the power supply.
   4. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket.
   5. Reconnect all the cables, and then turn on the console again.
5. If you continue to experience this problem, contact Xbox Customer Service.
   Note If the agent cannot help you resolve this problem, you must return the console to Microsoft for repair.

Additional support

If the steps in the previous section do not resolve your problem, your console may have to be repaired. For more information about how to start the online repair process, please visit the appropriate Web site: For more information about how to contact Xbox Customer Support directly, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

If you see one of the following specific error numbers, click the article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:If you do not see any of the previously listed error numbers, click the article number to view the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: If one red light flashes, and if you do not receive an error message, this may indicate a different problem. Click the article number to view the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: