Xbox One System Error E102: How To Fix Xbox E102 Startup Error


Xbox One System Error E102 is, as the saying goes, a bad thing. Switching on your Xbox One, only to find that you can't use it, is more than tad frustrating. The good news is that we are some answers to help you remedy this issue, and get your Xbox One working again.

Like a good nutritionist, we don't like seeing E-numbers. But at least we can try to do something about them. Here is everything you need to know, about how to fix the Xbox E102 System Error.

How To Fix Xbox E102 System Error

There are some steps that you can take to try to fix the E102 System Error. Unfortunately, these steps are quite drastic. We won't lie. Getting this error is problematic, and requires some quite significant work to fix. Let's take a look:

  • Start by trying to bring up the xbox Trouble-shooter. To do this:
    • Power off your console, then unplug it for at least 30 seconds. Once this time has elapsed plug it back in.
    • Press and hold the Pair button and the Eject button on the console, then press the Xbox button on your console.
    • Keep the Pair and Eject buttons held down for around fifteen seconds.
    • Wait until you hear two power-up sounds (these will be a few seconds apart). After the second one, you can release the buttons.
    • You should then be taken straight to the Xbox Start-up Trouble-Shooter.
  • Once you've accessed the Trouble-Shooter, you need to reset your Xbox to factory settings. This will delete all your accounts, saved game data, settings, apps, and anything else you have saved on the console. To do this, select Reset this Xbox> Remove everything.
  • After resetting your console, your console will restart. You will hopefully be returned to the Home Screen, and your console should work correctly from here.

Offline Factory Reset

But if the above doesn't work, the next step is to attempt an offline factory reset. This also applies if you were unable to access the Trouble-Shooter tool. To do this, follow these instructions:

  • Start by prepping your USB drive. To use the USB flash drive to restore your console to factory defaults, you'll need: 
    • A Windows-based PC with an internet connection and a USB port
  • A USB flash drive with a minimum 4 GB of space formatted as NTFS To correctly format your drive, follow this link for instructions.

Once you've successfully formatted your flash drive:

  • Plug your USB flash drive into your computer.
  • Select the following link to download the reset file to your computer. This compressed file contains the files needed to reset your Xbox console to factory defaults: Restore Factory Defaults
  • Select Save to save the console update.postcode file to your computer (if it doesn't download automatically).
  • To unzip the compressed file, right-click on the file and then select Extract all from the pop-up menu. 
  • Copy the $SystemUpdate file from the .postcode file to your USB flash drive.

You are then ready for step two in the process:

  • Unplug the network cable if you're using a wired network connection.
  • Power off your console, and then unplug the mains lead for 30 seconds. Then plug the mains lead back in.
  • Plug the flash drive into a USB port on your console.
  • Press and hold the Pair button (located on the left side of the Xbox One console) and the Eject button, and then press the Xbox button on the console.
  • Continue holding the Pair button and Eject button for about fifteen seconds.
  • Wait for two "power-up" tones a couple of seconds apart. 
  • You can release the Pair button and Eject button after the second power-up tone.
  • When the console restarts, remove the flash drive.
  • Once the console restarts, you should see the digital setup experience to guide you through resetting your console.

Once again, if this is successful, you should find yourself back at the Home Screen. However, if this doesn't work, then the only option left to you is to try to get your console repaired. You can start that process by going to the service page on the Xbox website.

Read More: Xbox One black screen after update: How to fix Xbox black screen on startup issue

What is the Xbox E102 System Error?

This System Error will rear its head after you've attempted to complete a system update. It will be accompanied by the message:

Something went wrong

While not the most helpful or insightful of messages, the essence of it is correct. Something has gone pretty badly wrong. The causes are not entirely clear, although because of the link to an update, it suggests that something has gone wrong with the data that's been downloaded. It's a pretty fundamental error, hence the need to completely reset the Xbox.

Without resetting, you won't be able to play your Xbox. So go through these steps, and hope that the factory reset does the job. If not, repair is your only option.

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