Troubleshooting
Fixes for common problems when installing and using CouchPotatOS.
The PC doesn’t start from the USB stick
- Use the boot menu key and choose the UEFI entry for the stick. See Install.
- In the firmware settings, check that UEFI boot is on and that USB booting is allowed.
- Write the stick again in DD Image mode. Copying the ISO onto the stick as a file doesn’t work.
- Try another USB port, ideally one directly on the PC rather than on a hub.
No network in the installer
- Try a network cable: it works without any setup.
- If your Wi-Fi network doesn’t appear, press Y to search again.
The installation stopped with an error
The installer wipes the drive after a failed installation, so nothing half-written is left behind. Start the installation again. If downloads keep failing, open the network settings on the Welcome page and choose a different download server.
NVIDIA’s driver doesn’t load
Cards from the GTX 900 to the Titan V generations need NVIDIA’s older closed driver, which can’t load with Secure Boot on. Turn Secure Boot off in the firmware settings. At the next start, CouchPotatOS asks about the driver again.
The Xbox Wireless Adapter does nothing
- The adapter needs its firmware, which CouchPotatOS downloads from Microsoft the first time the PC is online. Check that the PC has a network connection, then restart.
- Plug the adapter straight into the PC, not into a hub, and unplug it and plug it back in once.
- To pair a controller, press the adapter’s button first, then the controller’s pair button. See Controllers.
The Xbox button doesn’t wake the PC
The PC’s firmware has to allow waking from USB. Look in the firmware settings for an option like Wake on USB or USB power in S3 and turn it on. See Power and sleep.
A Bluetooth controller doesn’t show up
Put it in pairing mode again (most controllers leave it after a minute) and keep it close to the PC. Desktops often have no Bluetooth at all; a USB Bluetooth adapter fixes that.
The installer looks too big or too small
The installer sizes itself for a TV. With a keyboard, you can start it with the boot option couchpotatos.ui_scale=0.7 (smaller) or couchpotatos.ui_scale=1 (larger); the default is 0.8. See Adding a boot option.
Still stuck?
Ask on our Discord, or tell us what happened on GitHub. Include your PC’s make and model, its graphics card, and a photo of the screen if there’s an error. The logs help too.