Xbox One Beta Update Locks Consoles in Boot Loop

Earlier this week Microsoft revealed what would be on the way in their April Xbox One update. However, those in the preview program with early access to the update are experiencing a serious problem.

Consoles that are configured with optical audio enabled get stuck on an endless boot loop as the console performs the update, while some have reported just getting stuck on a black screen during the process. If you are part of the preview group and are yet to get started, it’s probably best to change your optical audio settings before going anywhere near the update to avoid the issue altogether.

Thankfully, Microsoft have responded quickly to provide a temporary fix for those already in the loop.

Reported Update Issue

We have received some reports of participants encountering an issue with installing this update. The issue being reported is that some consoles get stuck in a loop trying to install the update, or some are hanging at a black screen during the update. This issue has occurred with consoles that are configured with optical audio enabled, and is caused by an invalid audio setting being configured during the update process. If you encounter this issue, please follow the steps below as a workaround. The developers are investigating a fix for this issue occurring during system updates.

  1. Unplug the network cable or disable the wireless network and start up your console.
  2. If the update screen is not displaying, disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable until update screen appears.
  3. At update screen, select Cancel. (Cancel only appears when network is disconnected.)
  4. Go to Settings > Display & Sound.
  5. Switch HDMI Audio and Optical Audio to Stereo Uncompressed.
  6. Plug the network cable back in, or re-enable your wireless network, and connect your console to the network.
  7. The update screen should now appear and update should proceed successfully.

It seems it’s just as well that Microsoft have a preview group in place, otherwise there would have no doubt been huge uproar from the community should this update have gone public. As it stands, the company have managed to redeem themselves and will hopefully learn something from the experience.