If you have a large download to complete on your Xbox 360, did you know that you can do this while saving electricity and saving the wear on your console? A feature that was added to the dashboard around the time the “NXE” launched allows you to start a download from Xbox Live, then power off the console without aborting your download.
Just start any download, like demo, or some large DLC. By default, the console will download your content in the background, while you continue to browse the dashboard, or even while playing a local / single player game on your 360. But let’s you just started the downlod and you want t leve for a while? Go ahead and shut down your Xbox 360, as you normally would (from the dashboard, the guide button, or even by pressing the power button on the console). Your console will cut power to the GPU and other nonessential hardware, then it will complete the download and power off when finished.
To ensure that background downloads are enabled:
- Use the right bumper to navigate to the Settings menu.
- Select System Settings.
- Select Console Settings.
- Select Startup and Shutdwown.
- Select Background Downloads.
- Ensure the current setting on the right shows it is on, or else slect Enable.
For questions about background download behavior, check out Microsoft’ support articke on why the power light flahes green on the 360 console.