'Serious' Update Glitch Begins Resetting Some Xbox Consoles To Factory Settings

I do wonder what these alpha folks get in return as an incentive to be in these programs. Either way, glad this has been caught and wont likely escape those circles.

I hope this feature will come avaible for everyone, nothing beats the thrill you get from setting up your new console! Another win for Xbox.

I left the insider programme over a year ago.
Got fed up of little things like this and strange letters like symbols and the odd blank screen and having to reboot the console.

Side note, Smyths Toys UK have just got some store stock of series x white disc-less model. Only a few in each store, no home delivery though.

@Kaloudz apparently mostly just a headache

It’s happened to me and isn’t quite a factory reset. All downloaded games are there and it was about four setup questions when I turned it on. My dashboard reverted back to default too. Still a pain in the arse but not a full on reset.

@Kaloudz At the lower rings the benefit is mostly just to get updates a little earlier. Beta, Delta, and Omega are all actually pretty stable (Beta being the least stable and getting updates first and Omega being the most stable and sometimes not even getting updates earlier than general release). All come with more downsides I'd say than benefits. Like you're opting into data collection always being on and run the risk of issues and have mandatory updates. Honestly the only reason to really be an insider at any level is because you like Xbox and want to help all Xbox gamers have the best experience possible. This is the case especially for Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead (where the issue occurred). Both of those are the most insider insider ring. They are the least stable and get the most frequent updates (and updates are mandatory). You get new updates the earliest, but it simply is not worth it when it's viable to even interrupt your gaming and again you'll see the most technical and software issues. If you don't genuinely just want to tank the issues so no one else has to and report problems like this early so others don't have them, then you shouldn't be in the ring. Insider at all really, but if you're like on delta or omega then you're really just getting mostly complete stable updates early. Beta is the highest you can sign up for for a reason.

@WildConcept6 I figured as much. Doesn't sound like it's worthwhile at all. Either way, I suppose we should be grateful for the testers. Can you imagine something like this getting into the wild? 😳

I do wonder how much time it must free up for the tech team too. Or do you think it helps them with making zero difference to how they'd normally do it without said help?

@Odium As an ex official Xbox moderator, and ex ambassador - I don't doubt that one bit 🤣😭

My last comment was removed for "unconstructive criticism" when it just was me actually being an insider who had this happen explain that this is literally just the system working as intended. So let me be more cold and clear and frank here: I am disappointed that this website has joined whatever bandwagon to call this news. If this comment is removed as well at least all know it was seen. And it should be seen. We need to be better than this. Have some integrity. It's a poor state of affairs where internet journalism has gone. Like guys what is that headline?

1) The issue itself. I'm an Alpha Skip Ahead insider. I came home and turned on my Xbox and saw it on the "set up your new Xbox screen" and that was scary. Once I stopped being scared and set it up as prompted it only took less than a minute for it to be back to normal. I literally just connected to the internet, signed in, loaded backed up settings, and that was it. Games and Apps were all still present. I at most lost recently played, but that was welcome honestly. Quick resume was the only real blow. And yeah, that was it. The entire thing was like 5 minutes. Most of which was me just being "huh?"

2) The article does explain that, but the implication is as if this is some big ordeal or event. Okay so no, Microsoft engineers most likely aren't tirelessly working to do anything with this. Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead updates are mandatory after a certain point. It's part of what you sign up for. We all already got it and as stated it didn't reset anything. There's nothing to pull. They are working at the same speed as always to make sure lower rings don't get affected by this issue. Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead get updates incredibly early and frequently and it's stated that they are the most unstable. Which again, there's not just no sign of non insiders getting this. That was never a possibility. There's 5 insider rings (four counting the two alphas as one). Updates trickle down slowly and have been through a lot of testing before general availability.

3) Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead aren't just the two lost experimental rings, they're also invite only and the ones you can't just sign up for. Everyone in both sought them out. Like SOUGHT out to be in the program. We should all not just know the risk, but had wanted it. On that note, no our issues aren't always minor. This is probably the biggest in a long while, but a major glitch or bug or otherwise issue like this is exactly in our ballpark or problems we get. There's a big reason why this is an invite only ring. Insiders in either Alpha ring should genuinely want to support making sure Xbox is the best it can be for all Xbox gamers. Because this ring is a lot of risk and responsibility.

@Kaloudz Just based on the system alone I don't think it'd be possible without the rings. There's 5 different rings of insiders (you can really count Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead as one thought with them getting updates the same time) and they take feedback from updates, tweak them, and they trickle down as they continously test them. When Xbox does their big monthly update for general availability, it's gone through 4 different rings of testing and has been in the works for a long while.

So just based on what I know of similar programs, I don't think proper testing is possible without getting actual customers and products in the wild to help out. With Xbox for example there's a lot of non uniform peripherals. Not everyone has the same TV for example and sometimes updates seriously mess with or have a freak encounter with those peripherals. Even with basic basic setups, no matter how much testing they do internally stuff just happens when you get real products involved.

Similar tech products will test out in phases even longer for major updates. Like I have a Samsung phone and One UI 7 has been in testing for eons it feels and this is all betas with real users that people could have signed up for. They directly use data from those people to ensure the update runs as smooth as possible for everyone. They've actually recently pushed back the One UI 7 because their closed beta testers found a freak issue. Apple does the same. So does anything with a software update. The best part is that no matter how much testing gets done both internally and with insiders who opted in, there's still always issues and bugs on release because software is just weird like that and people use widely different setups or just the product differently.

We also don't have to imagine what would happen. We've seen it happen. Not doing proper testing is what lead to the crowdstrike incident.

@WildConcept6 Thanks for the insight buddy. Quite fascinating still really isn't it? I remember way back before the insiders, they had (I forget what it was called) a voting system on new functions. Community folks would write a post on the official site, people would vote on it, and then Xbox would consider actioning it.

This was wayyyyy back when Kinect was still relevant (and exactly the reason why the whole "Press Guide and X to Record" came about as it was a suggestion for deaf people to still get in on the whole "Xbox Record That" craze.

They do get a lot of community help don't they? Across testers and forum support for people that need help etc ..

That’s why I’ll never go to the Alpha ring. Beta ring maximises my tolerance for bugs. Alpha just too risky for me personally.