[Update: Sep. 13] Xbox One black screen issue surfaces after recent Insider update, here's how to fix it

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on July 10, 2021) follows:

The Xbox Update Preview carrying version number 2108.210705-2200 went live for those that are part of the Xbox Insider program a couple of days back.

The update brings along several improvements including fixes for game clips recording without audio and games failing to launch from an external HDD.

But perhaps the greatest highlight is that the new Microsoft Edge has finally gone into testing for Delta. The browser is now powered by Chromium and does away with all the compatibility problems of the previous version.

However, all of the changes and fixes can only be tried if the darn console boots up first. As it stands, users (of mostly the original Xbox one) are bumping into what many have called ‘the black screen of death’ following the update.

I was watching Disney+, I get the ‘Xbox needs to update!’ thing and I let it go. Now it boots up to a black screen. Only thing I can do is hold down the xbox button and shut it off.
Source

Your new update broke my Xbox One. Everytime I turn it on, I get this black screen. I did hard resets, unplugged multiple cords and replugged them back in after a certain amount of time, and nothing happened.
Source

When the black screen strikes, the Xbox goes into a totally unresponsive state and displays nothing but black on the TV, just like the issue’s name implies.

Users have reported that they are still able to communicate with a connected Kinect and hold down the home button on a controller to access the quick power menu, but other than that, the system is mostly unresponsive.

No amount of restarting or replugging seems to help as the issue only persists. This has caused many to suspect that their Xbox has been bricked for good as a result of the bad update.

Users say that they can’t even access the troubleshoot menu that usually shows up upon holding down the eject and sync buttons for 15 seconds. So yeah, the situation is as bad as it can get.

Thankfully, the black screen issue on Xbox is nothing that can’t be fixed if you’re ready to risk a bit of a data loss. This is because you will need to perform a factory reset using the following steps.

When you do a factory reset, choose option one to keep all games & apps, don’t worry about saves since they are backed up into the cloud. You might have to reinstall most apps because even though it says nothing will happen to them, I found I had to reinstall most of them. Games were fine though.
Source

Alternatively, you can also refer to this forum post.

Did the black screen issue disappear following this? Good for you! Problems like these are quite expected given the ‘rough around the edges’ nature of Insider builds.

What Microsoft should do now though is roll back the update and re-release it with a bug-fixing patch for this mess.

Incoming is yet another workaround shared by someone who claims to be a volunteer at the Xbox community. So you may give it a shot. Here is what they suggest:

Turn off the Xbox completely, then turn it on while pressing and holding the Bind and Eject button until your hear a second beep. A menu will show up.
Select „Reset this Xbox“, then „Reset but keep games and apps“
Once the procedure is done log back into your profile

Some of the tech publications are now reporting that Microsoft has issued a fix for the black screen issue which occurred due to corrupted software. The game basically needs to be reset in this case.

Press and hold the Bind + Eject button for 10 to 15 seconds

Listen for two power-up tones a couple of seconds apart

Release the button after hearing the two tones

In the menu that comes up next, pick up “Troubleshoot” and then “Reset this Xbox but keep Games and Apps”

Your Xbox will end up installing the latest version of public system software

You will be required to login into your account again after installing the update

A report outlined that the issue might be related to hardware problems and an individual on Reddit also claimed that they ran into the same problem which required them to have their Xbox One replaced.

I think something similar happened to my original Xbox one. In the beginning in work when I hard reset, but eventually it fail to work. Had to buy new Xbox.

I don’t know how long your issue has been going, but your Xbox one might come to an end based on my experience.

Good luck, hopefully it’ll go back to working fine.

While it’s no good to create panic, if you arent able to fix the issue with the general troubleshooting tips, you might have to get in touch with support.

Microsoft support on Twitter is now suggesting the affected users to try the troubleshooting steps mentioned on the official help page here.

It seems that the black screen issue is back. This time it’s affecthing users on the Omega Ring. The update did, however, come with an acknowledgement regarding the issue.

We’ve received reports some users are seeing a black/blank screen after installing an update. We’re aware and investigating.
Workaround: Some users have reported a simple reboot resolves the issue. If that doesn’t work, a factory reset should get the console back up and running again. Instructions can be found here under “Reset using your console” and selecting the “Reset and keep my games & apps” option. (Source)

Apart from the Omega Ring release notes, even the latest Alpha, Beta, and Alpha Skip-Ahead update release notes state that the black/blank screen issue is still under investigation.

Xbox support is asking users who’re facing the black screen issue after installing the latest update to drop a direct message to them. Apart from that, there are no new Insider builds so it may take a while for the issue to get fixed.

Another day has gone past and fresh reports are still pouring in on Twitter from users who’re claiming that their Xbox isn’t working as it just shows a black screen. Adding to the frustration, Xbox support is yet to share any further info on the problem.

Xbox Insiders are getting new updates in the Alpha, Beta, and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings but the black/blank screen issue still falls under bugs and issues that are being investigated.

It seems like Xbox users will have to deal with the black screen issue for an undefined period of time as the latest updates to the Alpha Skip-Ahead, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omega rings still list the problem under the known issues section.

The Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha (2109.210806-2324), and the Alpha Skip-Ahead (2109.210806-2324) both make mention of this Xbox black screen issue. Microsoft in its statement says:

We’ve received reports some users are seeing a black/blank screen after installing an update. We’re aware and investigating.

Workaround: Some users have reported a simple reboot resolves the issue. If that doesn’t work, a factory reset should get the console back up and running again. Instructions can be found here under “Reset using your console” and selecting the “Reset and keep my games & apps” option.
Source

More than a month later, Microsoft has finally fixed the black screen issue with the latest insider builds according to the changelog. For reference, here’s the changelog from the latest Omega ring update (2108.210816-1740)

Fixes Implemented

– Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:

Game Trials

– Fixes an issue where users with time-based game trials (e.g. Madden 22) were not getting the full playtime available for a trial.

Home

– Fixed an issue where some users were seeing a black/blank screen after installing an update.

While the bug has been fixed with the Insider builds, the issue is still present in the latest stable update which is live as version 10.0.2200000.1759 as it’s highlighted in the known issues section of the release notes.

Microsoft now reports that this issue has since been addressed in all the insider builds. As such, it is probably only a matter of time before users start getting this issue fixed in the upcoming stable update.

Seeing as Xbox seems to be rolling out updates to its users sometime in the middle of the month, chances are that these affected users might have to wait until mid-September to get the said fixes to the black screen issue.

Those who don’t want to wait for the fix to go live via the stable channel can enroll in the Xbox Insider Programme and install the latest update. Doing this should help fix the black screen issue. But note that the early nature of Insider builds means you may encounter other bugs and issues.

A fresh report indicates that the black screen of death issue has struck once again even though the latest Insider builds claim to have addressed the issue. The report says that the issue popped up with the recent Insider updates.

Hence, it seems Xbox users may have to wait for another patch for a fix.

As the wait for a proper fix for this issue continues, Microsoft has provided a help page for users who are facing the black screen issue.

The Xbox Insider Release Notes for Beta 2109.210820-1630 has suggested a workaround for users who are experiencing the black screen issue when installing content.

According to Microsoft, Xbox users should use the Manage option that can be found under My Games and Apps and proceed to select the content they want to install. Alternatively, you can also install it from the Store page.

Xbox support is sending out DMs to those who’re affected with the black screen issue. Hence, the general public is still left in the dark about the status of a permanent fix for the problem. Here’s one such example:

Hello MaryJane, Please follow our Official Xbox Support page on Twitter in order to be able to get a Direct Message regarding the issue you are encountering. (Source)

The release notes for the latest Xbox insider builds for the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead channels have no mention of the black screen issue, neither in the list of bugs fixed, nor in the list of known issues.

Xbox Insiders in the Beta channel have also bagged a new update as version 2109.210830-2200. The release notes mention that the update fixes the black/blank screen issue when installing content. Apart from that, there’s no mention of the issue.

Installation:

Fixed an issue where users were getting a black/blank screen when trying to install content.

The latest Alpha Skip-Ahead, Alpha, and Delta builds are here. The former two have no mention of any black screen issues, however, the release notes for the Delta build do mention that the black/blank screen issue when trying to install content has been fixed.

A disgruntled Xbox owner took to Twitter to share screenshots of what appears to be a conversation between them and Xbox support wherein they were told that they will be charged a fee to get the black screen issue fixed.

You brick my console and then wanna charge me 270$ to fix it???? This is their customer support after black screen of death. It’s been a good run. Day 1 customer!! (Source)

Unfortunately, it seems that Xbox One owners aren’t getting any relief as more individuals have begun reporting that they’ve run into the same problem. A permanent fix might be far off for now. Hence you may have to resort to using the workarounds we’ve already shared above.

One of the affected persons has made a video of a possible workaround, a way to fix the black screen issue that many Xbox players have been facing.

Microsoft is pushing out a new Delta update to users of the Xbox in the Insider Program, this time version 2109.210831-2330.

Sadly though, the changelog makes no mention of the Black Screen issue so chances are that this one doesn’t fix or address this issue.

The latest Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead builds have also dropped for Insiders sans any mention of the black screen issue.

Microsoft seems to have given up trying to find a fix for the black screen issue on Xbox consoles. The release notes for the latest insider builds for the Beta, Delta, and Omega channels also have no mention of the problem in any way.

Incoming is yet another easy guide from an individual on YouTube that shows you how you can fix the black screen issue on your Xbox.

New insider builds have dropped for the Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha channels as versions 2110.210908-2200 and 2109.210908-2200 respectively, with no mention of the black screen issue.

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