On the covered Xbox console, E100, E101, E102, E105, E106, E200, E203, E208, E305 means the console failed to install a system update or start up properly and shows the Something went wrong screen with an E code First, select Restart this Xbox on the Something went wrong screen.
Differential
Likely causes of “Xbox console codes E100, E101 and 7 more”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A system update that did not install completely
What separates it The console showed Something went wrong after a restart following an update, with an E code beginning the message
How to confirm Select Restart this Xbox on the screen; if the Home screen returns, the update finished on the second try
- 2
Corrupted operating system data
What separates it Restarting returns you to the same screen with the same E code
How to confirm Reset from the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter and choose Keep games and apps, which resets the OS and deletes potentially corrupted data without deleting games or apps
- 3
An update that the console cannot fetch or finish online
What separates it Resetting does not help, and an offline update is listed next
How to confirm Do the offline system update from a USB flash drive holding the OSU1 file
- 4
A fault that only a factory restore clears
What separates it Neither the reset nor the offline update returns you to the Home screen
How to confirm Use Remove everything in the Startup Troubleshooter as a last resort, accepting that all user data, games and apps are erased
- 5
A hardware fault
What separates it Every step fails and the console cannot reach the Home screen
How to confirm Microsoft says to submit a device service and repair request
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The exact E code and any digits that follow it, such as E100 xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx
- Which console you have: Xbox One, One S, One X, Series S or Series X
- Whether the Something went wrong screen offers Restart this Xbox and Troubleshoot
- Whether the console was updating, starting up or in the middle of a power cut
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedWhat to do first
Reversibleselect Restart this Xbox on the Something went wrong screen.
Correct only the documented fault domain
ReversibleReset the console from the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter and choose Keep games and apps, then do an offline system update from a USB flash drive with the OSU1 file, and use Remove everything only as a last resort; a console that still fails needs repair.
Restart from the error screen
ReversibleOn the Something went wrong screen use the D-pad and A button to select Restart this Xbox. If the Home screen returns, the console works normally now; if it does not, continue.
Bring up the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter
ReversibleTurn the console off and unplug the power cord, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in, then hold the Pair button and the Eject button and press the Xbox button. Keep holding for 10 to 15 seconds until you hear two power-up tones, then release. On an Xbox Series S or One S All-Digital, which has no Eject button, hold only the Pair button.
Reset this Xbox and keep games and apps
ReversibleIn the troubleshooter select Reset this Xbox, then Keep games and apps. This resets the OS and deletes potentially corrupted data without deleting your games or apps.
Prepare the offline update file (OSU1)
ReversibleYou need a Windows PC with internet and a USB port and a USB flash drive of at least 6 GB formatted as NTFS (most come as FAT32, and formatting erases the drive). Download the OSU1 file from Microsoft's page, unzip it and copy the $SystemUpdate file to the root of the flash drive with no other files.
Update the console offline
ReversiblePlug the drive into the console while the Startup Troubleshooter is open; the Offline System Update option becomes active, so select it with the A button. The restart may take several minutes, and if you use a wired connection plug the network cable back in afterwards.
Restore factory defaults only if nothing else works
ReversibleIn the troubleshooter select Remove everything, which deletes all user data, games and apps. If the console then returns to setup, repeat the setup steps and download your games and apps again.
Every code on this page
What the maker says about each code
The maker publishes a separate page for each code below, and the fix on this page is the fix they share. The line beside each code is what that code's own page adds: the message, the cause it names, or the one step that differs.
- E100
- Comes with an update: "there may have been a problem installing the update"; the ladder is restart, reset keeping games, offline update, factory restore, repair.
- E101
- The same update problem, but Microsoft starts with the offline system update (OSU1) file, then updates the console, then repair.
- E102
- A problem when the console tried to install the latest OS update, shown when turning the console on; the per-code page starts with a reset, then OSU1, then factory restore, then repair; Microsoft's hub page for E102 asks whether you can bring up the Startup Troubleshooter and offers an offline factory reset.
- E105
- A problem starting up, possibly while installing an update; the per-code page starts with a restart and then a factory restore (an offline update may be tried first), then repair.
- E106
- A problem installing the latest OS update, on turning the console on; reset, OSU1, factory restore, repair.
- E200
- A problem installing the latest OS update; restart, reset, OSU1, factory restore, repair.
- E203
- A problem installing the update; reset, OSU1, factory restore, repair.
- E208
- The same as E203.
- E305
- The same as E203.
- E204 and E207
- Microsoft's hub page lists these with E100 and E200, so the same six-step ladder applies: restart, reset keeping games and apps, offline update, factory restore, repair.
- E206
- Microsoft's hub page gives E206 its own section, ending in a factory restore and a pointer to the offline system update page.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Resetting to factory defaults with Remove everything erases all accounts, saved games, settings and home Xbox associations; anything not synchronized with the Xbox network is lost, so use it only as a last resort
- !Formatting the USB flash drive as NTFS erases everything on it, so back up its files first
- !If none of the steps reach the Home screen, Microsoft asks you to submit a repair request; do not open the console
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. Microsoft's startup-error hub groups these codes: E100, E200, E204 and E207 together; E101, E102 and E105 individually; E106, E203, E208 and E305 together; and E206 on its own. Its per-code pages and its hub page differ slightly for E102 and E105, and this page follows the per-code pages and notes the difference.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does E100, E101, E102, E105, E106, E200, E203, E208, E305 mean on a Xbox console?+
the console failed to install a system update or start up properly and shows the Something went wrong screen with an E code
What does E100 mean on an Xbox?+
Microsoft says there may have been a problem installing the update, and lists restart, reset, offline update, factory restore and repair in that order.
Will Reset this Xbox delete my games?+
Not if you choose Keep games and apps, which resets the OS and removes potentially corrupted data only.
What is the OSU1 file?+
The Offline System Update file that Microsoft provides for updating a console from a USB flash drive when it cannot update online.
What format must the USB drive be?+
NTFS, with at least 6 GB of space; formatting it erases everything on it.
Which button combination starts the Startup Troubleshooter?+
Pair plus Eject, then the Xbox button, held for 10 to 15 seconds until two power-up tones; consoles without Eject use only Pair.
When does the console need repair?+
When none of the steps returns it to the Home screen; Microsoft's final step is a device service and repair request.