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Choose the reset option carefully. On Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Reset and keep my games & apps normally leaves installed game and app packages on the console while removing profiles and system configuration. Reset and remove everything deletes local games, apps, saves, accounts, settings and other console data.
Neither option should be treated as a guarantee that unsynchronized progress, captures or unusual settings will survive. Cloud-backed saves are generally expected to resynchronize after you sign in again, but only progress that successfully reached Xbox network storage is available to recover.
What each Xbox reset option removes
| Reset choice | Installed games and apps | Accounts and profiles | Save data | Settings | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reset and keep my games & apps | Normally retained on internal storage; damaged installations may still need repair or redownloading. | Removed from the console; sign in again during setup. | Unsynchronized local progress may be lost. | Console configuration is reset. | Troubleshooting when you are keeping the Xbox. |
| Reset and remove everything | Removed from the console. | Removed from the console. | Local saves are removed; eligible cloud saves remain linked to the account. | Reset to the initial setup state. | Selling, gifting, recycling, or a failed keep-data reset. |
Microsoft’s official reset instructions are at Xbox Support. Labels can vary with system software, language and recovery mode, so follow the warning screen shown by your console.
Will your games and apps be deleted?
Keep my games & apps
This option is designed to preserve installed game and app packages, avoiding a full redownload in the normal case. It does not repair every corrupt installation. If one game or app remains broken, reinstall that item after the reset.
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- BEST VALUE IN GAMING — Experience next-gen speed and performance in the smallest XBOX ever. The XBOX Series S delivers powerful all-digital gameplay in a sleek, compact design.
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- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
- FOUR GENERATIONS OF DIGITAL GAMES — Play thousands of digital games from XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX 360, and Original XBOX with backward compatibility. Many titles are enhanced for better visuals and performance. Smart Delivery ensures you always get the best version for your console.
Remove everything
This option removes installed games and apps. A digital purchase is separate from its local installation: signing into the Microsoft account that owns the license normally lets you download it again. The reset does not ordinarily revoke that entitlement. Disc-based games may still require the physical disc to launch.
Game Pass access is also account- and subscription-dependent. Keeping the Game Pass app installed does not preserve a subscription or another person’s account.
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What happens to saved games?
Xbox saves can exist both on the console and in account-linked cloud storage. A save that completed synchronization should generally return when you sign in with the same account and start the game. Progress made offline, or progress interrupted by a network or account error, may exist only locally and can be lost.
Before resetting, connect to the internet, open games containing recent or valuable progress, wait for synchronization to finish, and quit normally. Do not reset while the console reports a pending sync or sign-in problem. Afterward, read any sync-conflict prompt carefully; selecting an older copy can replace newer progress. Microsoft documents the synchronization model in its game-save guidance.
Rank #3
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- TRUE 4K GAMING UP TO 120 FPS — Enjoy breathtaking visuals with true 4K resolution, HDR, and frame rates up to 120 FPS, plus hardware-accelerated ray tracing for a heightened level of realism.
- 1TB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 1TB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
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A console reset is not the same as a game’s Delete everywhere command. That command is intended to remove a title’s save from the console, cloud and other consoles; use it only when you deliberately want to erase that progress. See Microsoft’s explanation of save-data deletion.
Accounts, profiles and settings
Resetting removes profiles and sign-in information from that Xbox; it does not normally delete the Microsoft account itself or reset other consoles using it. You must complete setup and sign in again afterward. If you sign in with a different account, owned games and cloud saves can appear to be missing.
Rank #4
- Experience the next generation in entertainment with the Microsoft Xbox One games console
- Powerful hardware provides stunning, true-to-life graphics
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- Jump seamlessly between your favourite game, TV show or movie
- Includes a Wireless Controller
Expect to re-enter or verify Wi-Fi, display and audio choices, accessibility options, personalization, privacy and family controls, power behavior, Home Xbox designation, external-storage configuration, and some controller or device associations. Photograph unusual settings before starting. Microsoft provides a settings backup guide, but automatic restoration is not guaranteed for every preference.
Captures and personal media
Treat screenshots and clips stored locally as a separate risk. Upload important captures to Xbox network services or copy them elsewhere before a destructive reset, and do not assume that an attached USB drive or expansion card will be wiped or preserved without checking the console’s specific warning. Media already uploaded may be available after you sign in, but recovery depends on the upload having completed and the account being correct.
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Best Value
- FASTEST, MOST POWERFUL XBOX — Experience next-generation performance with 12 teraflops of processing power, delivering smoother gameplay, richer worlds, and faster responsiveness than any previous XBOX.
- TRUE 4K GAMING UP TO 120 FPS — Enjoy breathtaking visuals with true 4K resolution, HDR, and frame rates up to 120 FPS, plus hardware-accelerated ray tracing for a heightened level of realism.
- 1TB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 1TB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
- FOUR GENERATIONS OF GAMES — Play thousands of games from XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX 360, and Original XBOX, with many titles enhanced for better visuals and performance on XBOX Series X.
Before you reset: a safe checklist
- Restart normally and check system, game and network updates first; a restart is not a factory reset. Microsoft explains the distinction here.
- Confirm available storage and, if only one title is affected, try that game or app’s repair or reinstall steps.
- Connect the Xbox to the internet and synchronize important games.
- Confirm the Microsoft-account email address and password you will use afterward.
- Back up settings and upload or copy important clips and screenshots.
- For a sale or gift, remove discs and unnecessary storage devices, and never leave the console signed in.
- Choose Reset and keep my games & apps first for ordinary troubleshooting. Reserve Reset and remove everything for ownership transfer, a failed keep-data reset, or explicit support instructions.
How to reset from the dashboard
- Press the Xbox button.
- Open Profile & system and choose Settings.
- Select System, then Console info.
- Choose Reset console.
- Read the warning and select either Reset and keep my games & apps, Reset and remove everything, or cancel.
This commonly documented path is also shown in Microsoft-hosted troubleshooting guidance at Microsoft Community. Current wording may differ by update or console generation.
What to expect after the reset
- An initial or partial setup flow and a required sign-in.
- Network reconnection and reapplication of preferences.
- Possible cloud-save synchronization when games launch.
- Updates or repairs for games and apps retained by the keep option.
- Redownloads after remove-everything.
Reset time varies with the console’s condition, storage and system software; there is no reliable universal duration.
If the Xbox cannot reach the dashboard
Use the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter and the current instructions on the official reset page. Recovery may require an offline system update. Start with the least destructive reset offered, but understand that severe operating-system or storage corruption can make the keep option fail or require a clean rebuild. Do not rely on button-combination instructions written for a different model.
If you are selling, gifting or recycling the Xbox
- Synchronize saves and back up settings and personal media.
- Select Reset and remove everything.
- Complete the wipe and verify that setup starts without your profile.
- Remove the device from your Microsoft account or device list where appropriate.
Microsoft’s ownership-transfer guidance recommends resetting before an Xbox is recycled, sold or gifted. This removes local data; it does not erase the online Microsoft account or digital licenses.
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When resetting is not the best first step
- For a temporary software glitch, try a restart or full power cycle.
- For one broken title, reinstall only that game or app.
- For a network problem, check service status, account authentication and relevant network settings.
- To move a large library to another Xbox, use network game transfer instead of downloading everything again; see Xbox’s transfer instructions.
- If updates fail, an offline system update or Xbox Support may be more appropriate than repeated resets.
Important edge cases
- Offline play: Unsynchronized recent progress is the principal save-loss risk.
- Sync conflicts: Stop and inspect the dates or versions before choosing a copy.
- External storage: Check the warning screen; do not assume attached USB or proprietary expansion storage is erased.
- Child accounts: Local profiles are removed, but the underlying family relationships are not necessarily deleted.
- Captures: Back them up separately from saves.
- Failed reset: The console may return to setup or update recovery and require official support.
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