How to Factory Reset an Xbox 360

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Restore an Xbox 360 to factory settings in just a few easy steps

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 14, 2024

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Resetting to Factory Settings

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Removing the Parental Controls

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Clearing Your Cache

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Resetting your Xbox 360 will wipe it clean and help fix software problems, and it's really easy to do! This article will walk you through the reset process step-by-step. Plus, we'll show you how to remove parental controls on your Xbox (since resetting it won't actually get rid of those) and clear your cache.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Resetting to Factory Settings

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This will delete everything on the Xbox 360, but it will not remove parental restrictions. To remove parental restrictions, you'll need to prove to Microsoft that you are authorized to remove them. See the next section for details.
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Back up anything you want to save. Resetting your Xbox 360 to factory settings will delete everything on it. Before proceeding, make sure you back up anything you want to keep.^{[1]
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- Connect an external USB hard drive to your Xbox 360 so that it appears as a storage device.
- Press the Guide button on your controller and select the "Settings" tab.
- Choose "System Settings," select "Storage," and then select your Xbox 360 hard drive.
- Select "Transfer Content" and then select your external hard drive.
- Select what you want to transfer and then click "Start." You may have to wait a while for the transfer to complete.
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This is the center button that has the Xbox logo.
This will display the different categories of system settings.
This will display a new window with various information about your console.
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Write down your "Console Serial Number." This is the serial number for your Xbox 360, and you may need it when resetting the system.
- You can also find your serial number next to the USB ports on the front of your Xbox 360, or on the back on the console above the A/V port.^{[2]
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This will display all of the storage devices connected to your Xbox 360.
This will open the Device Options menu for the hard drive.
You'll be prompted to confirm that you want to erase everything on the hard drive. If you're sure that you've backed everything important up, you can proceed.
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Enter your serial number if prompted. You may be asked to enter your console serial number before you can begin the format. This is a safeguard to help prevent accidental formats. Enter in the serial number you wrote down earlier.
- This will not remove any parental controls that have been set. See the next section for details on removing parental controls.
After the format, you'll be taken back to the Home menu. You'll be logged out of Xbox Live, and all of your games will be gone. Go to Settings, System, Storage, then the location of your user, and delete it.
Go to Settings, System, and press "Initial Setup." Select "Yes" to confirm.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing the Parental Controls

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1
Press the Guide button on your Xbox controller. This button is in the center and looks like the Xbox logo. This will open the Guide menu.
- If you are trying to bypass parental controls set by your parents, you won't be able to. Microsoft will require proof that you're authorized to change the parental control password.
This will open the parental controls section.
You'll be prompted to enter the current passcode.
Since you don't know the passcode to access the Family menu, enter the wrong one so that you are prompted to reset the passcode.
This will display the security question to reset the passcode.
If you were the one that set up the passcode, answer your security question and you'll be able to create a new passcode. If you don't remember the answer to the passcode or a previous owner enabled parental controls, read on.
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Contact Xbox Support if you can't answer the security question. If the previous owner had a passcode enabled and didn't remove it before selling it, or you don't remember the answer to your security question, you'll need to call Xbox Support to get a master reset passcode.
- You can contact support at support.xbox.com, via online chat or telephone. You'll be asked some questions to verify that you are allowed to disable parental controls (Xbox Support won't disable parental controls if it was your parents that enabled them).^{[3]
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If Xbox Support approves your request to reset the parental controls, you'll be given a pass code you can use to bypass the current code. You can then disable parental controls or create a new pass code.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Clearing Your Cache

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If you're experiencing worse-than-normal performance in games, or the system is sluggish when moving between menus, clearing the system cache may help. This will be most effective with older Xbox 360 games. Clearing the system cache will not delete any of your games, save files, or media. It will delete any installed game updates, so these will need to be downloaded again when you play the game next.
This will open the Guide menu.
You'll see various settings categories.
You'll see all of your connected storage devices.
This will open the "Device Options" menu. It doesn't matter which storage device you select, as you'll be clearing the entire system's cache.
The cache will be deleted, which should only take a few moments.^{[4]
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Community Q&A

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Question

How can I get rid of the family setting code so that I can clear the Xbox?

Community Answer

On the system Info Menu press these buttons in sequence to factory reset your Xbox 360: Family Settings 1. Left Trigger (LT Button) 2. Right Trigger (RT Button) 3. X Button 4. Y Button 5. Left Bumper (LB Button) 6. Right Bumper (RB Button) 7. X Button 8. X Button 9. Up 10. Down

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Question

Where can I find the console's serial number?

Community Answer

In three places. (1.) Go to settings on the dashboard, go to System, then System Info, and it will be there. (2.) Look on the front of the console, behind the USB flap. (3.) Look on the back of the console, above the A/V port.

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Question

How do I reset the pass code on an Xbox 360?

Community Answer

If you aren't the one that set the passcode, you'll need to contact Xbox Support to have it removed. You'll need to prove to Microsoft that you are authorized to remove the passcode. Microsoft will not remove the passcode if your parents set it.

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Tips

Reset your Xbox 360 prior to selling or giving away your console to prevent others from accessing any of your personal information.

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Make sure that parental code is off.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

When my Xbox started overheating in less than 5 minutes and shutting off on its own, I restarted the game from my last save. It worked.
If you think you've been hacked, a factory reset can help you get some privacy back.
Remember that some games cannot be save to a flash drive, like GTA V.

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Warnings

Resetting your Xbox 360 to factory settings will not remove the parental restrictions. To remove these restrictions when you don't know the passcode or security question, you'll need to contact Microsoft and prove that you're authorized to remove the restrictions.

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