Mark went to turn on the Wii today and it was a brick. Instead of panicking, I found this FAQ from Nintendo and it came back to life.
Most power issues with the Wii can be fixed by resetting the AC adapter. You can easily reset the AC adapter by following these steps:
- Unplug the Wii AC adapter at both ends (from the back of the Wii system and from the wall outlet or power strip).
- The AC adapter must remain unplugged at both ends for a full 2 minutes.
- We also recommend you unplug anything connected to the USB ports and the Nintendo GameCube Controller ports (such as LAN Adapters, keyboards, Nintendo GameCube controllers, etc.).
- While you’re waiting, check the AC Adapter for the following:
- Make sure that the word "Wii" and the model number "RVL-002 (USA)" molded into the AC adapter. Unlicensed products are not fully compatible and may not work correctly.
- Check the AC Adapter for physical damage. Physical damage, such as frayed wiring or a cracked housing can cause the system to shut down. If your AC Adapter shows signs of physical damage and needs to be replaced, you can purchase one from Nintendo’s online store.
- After you’ve waited 2 minutes, plug the AC adapter into the Wii system and directly into a wall outlet, not a surge protector or power strip. If the power light comes on and stays on, then it appears resetting the AC Adapter worked.
If resetting the AC Adapter did not fix your power issues, please continue reading:
- Avoid the use of unlicensed products such as memory cards, controllers, and cheat devices. Some of these products are poorly manufactured and may result in damage to your system. If one of these products is attached to your system, remove it and try resetting the AC Adapter (see above).
- Check any accessories that connect to the Nintendo GameCube Controller ports or the USB ports of the Wii — whether licensed or not — for physical damage. Physical damage, such as frayed wiring or a cracked housing can cause the system to shut down. Remove any damaged products and try resetting the AC Adapter again (see above).
- Make sure the Wii has good ventilation. Avoid operating the Wii while it’s on carpeting or inside an enclosed space. If you have the Wii placed in a vertical position, make sure the vent on the bottom is lined up properly with the hole in the plastic stand and no foreign material is obstructing that hole.
- Check the vents on the back and side of the Wii for dust build up. The system will shut down if it cannot vent properly to prevent overheating. If there is a build-up, remove it using a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment.
- Make sure that your wall outlet works. To check it, try plugging a lamp into the same outlet where your system was plugged in. Turn the lamp on the verify the outlet works. Also, make sure you are not using an outlet that is operated from a wall switch. If you do, make sure the wall switch is in the ON position.
- Make sure the AC adapter is attached properly. Firmly plug your AC adapter into the back of the Wii (the port is labeled 12V IN) and into a working wall outlet (not a power strip or surge protector). Click here for detailed instructions.
- Once plugged in, check the power light on the Power button to see if the system is receiving power.
If the power is still continually shutting off regularly, please click here for repair options. For this particular symptom, it is best to include your Wii console’s AC Adapter with your system. This will help our technicians ensure they are able to resolve your issue.
I posted it here as I had a huge problem finding it via Google and several game boards I found linked to a dead URL.
Thanks, I can’t believe that worked!
A huge thanks for this article. My son was counting his piggy bank, sure he was going to have to replace the wii because it wouldn’t turn on. But after trying the tip above, it was back in business. I unplugged everything for 3 minutes then plugged back into a wall outlet instead of the outlet strip.
I am an eighty-year-old guy who loves electronic devices. Know how to hook ’em up, but don’t know why they work. I built some Heathkits in the old days. I use my Wii for watching Netflix. I was all set to settle in with a movie and the Wii would not come on. Oh, my gosh. I messed around for a while and then decided to go to the web. Your website was first on the list. You solved my problem is less than ten minutes. Following your directions, I unplugged and then several minutes later plugged the Wii AC adapter back in and…voila!…I was back in business. Thought you would like to know about this incident and my chance to give you a pat on the back. Thank you for being there. Charley
Simply stated worked perfectly. Just wanted to hang out with the kids tonight and play some games and of course the wii wouldn’t turn on. So simply googled it this came up and just followed directions and easy enough were off playing, thank you.
This was very helpful! Thank you, I had unplugged it for five minutes, but didn’t think to do it to the adapter. Thank you very much for posting this solution!
THANK YOU!!! After I spazzed out because my wii wouldnt turn on I turned to the internet. You are a life saver!!
THANK YOU so very much!!! told my husband to do this, he did 3x or so I thought!!! Never unplugged from the wall. Well, just make sure you unplug EVERYTHING just as it says throughout this website! I did unplug EVERYTHING and guess what, worked on my first try. Thanks again.
Thank you SO much! Once again, the kid was going to be blamed cuz the dog doesn’t have oppositional thumbs, and the cat would not lower herself to play a video game!
You rock!! Worked like a charm…was back on before I even looked!!! What a beautiful sight! Thank you soooo much and God Bless you!
Keep up the good work!!! Bada boom, bada bing, it’s up and running again.
Thank you so much!!! I was sure we were destined for a new wii!
Thank you so much!! Worked like a charm!!
Thank you SO much for this. Worked like a charm.
Help! I tried your advice, but think that part of my problem might be that I brought my Wii with me from the US to use (with an adapter) in a European unit. Since my laptop and all other electronics work without a problem, I thought that the Wii would be similarly successful. I had the main screen pop up for a couple of minutes, and I even got the cursor to move, but as soon as I settled in to get through the next level of Skyward Sword, the whole system crashed on me. I can’t even get the console to re-start – any thoughts? I can’t plug it directly into the wall from here because of the different plugs.
OMG! That worked!! I’ve been with out it all 2012 so far. Amazing post!
Thanks for this info. Unpluging the ac adapter from both end did it for me.
Thanks a bunch for this article! I lost power and was afraid my Wii was fried! Nope! Easy fix, thanks so much for such a wonderful article.
Thanks! I figured it needed to be unplugged but I didn’t think about unplugging both ends. I also made sure the vents were clear. Works great now.
Wii wouldn’t turn on I read all posts and didn’t work ,took it in the garage and blew it with air compressor and it turned on ?
wow thanks, worked great after we cleared the vents of all dust. thanks for posting could not find this info anywhere on nintendo site. kids are now happily playing mario cart
thanks so much for this post. i was so mad my wii wasn’t working and thought i was going to have to buy a new cord. tried this and i’m back up and running. thanks again! =]
Thank you!!! worked for me!!