Video Game News 119

“To Start Please Step Off Me and Press A” – Broken Balance Board, a cautionary tale

Update: For the “real” solution, here’s Ferdi’s comment from August 15, 2010.

Hi All,
Here is what WORKED for me!!!!
I encountered the same problem. Tried to sync. Removed silicone cover. Used good batteries. No result. After reading Anonymous post of “February 5, 2010″ it tried “reseating stress sensors”.
Here’s how:
– Remove the foots from each corner using a normal Phillips Screwdriver.
– (keep them in the right order to put back later)
– Loosen (remove) the “stress sensors” small metal plate you see now at each corner using a “torx” screw driver.
– Re-seat the small metal plate by putting it back but don’t screw too tight.
– Put the foots back on.
This should do it. You can also test if it worked before putting the foot back on. If not try again.
Good luck to you all, and safe $50.

I’d still try the troubleshooting steps I outlined below first, but if (when) they don’t work, his solution works like a charm.

Thanks Ferdi, for saving a lot of people from paying Nintendo’s ridiculous fees to fix an engineering problem they refuse to acknowledge and for bringing new life back to their broken balance boards!

Here’s my original post:
____________________________________

This is somewhat of a cautionary tale.

I’ve owned the Wii Fit since November 2008 and its worked flawlessly for 11 months. Then yesterday, in the middle of a game I got this message saying “To start, please step off me and press A”

To start, please step off me and press A

Problem is, I would step off and nothing would happen. I’d try getting on and getting off, and nothing would change, the screen would just be stuck on this message. The balance board, to use geek parlance, is bricked.

After searching on the Internet, I found that this is not an uncommon problem. Those commenting have dubbed it the “white screen of death”. Nintendo has an FAQ on the subject, but it’s fairly useless if you’re in this predicament. Oddly, when you select “Settings” from the Wii Fit main menu, the diagnostics all check out okay.

And unfortunately there seems to be no solution. The warranty on the Balance Board is three months, so if you’re within that period you can call Nintendo at 1-800-255-3700 and they’ll repair or replace it for free. If it’s after that time, unfortunately, you’ll have to pay about $50 to get it repaired.

Here’s a compilation of all the tips I’ve found on the Internet on this subject. In some cases, people have reported that these steps have solved the problem. In my case I didn’t have luck, but maybe you will.

  1. Most importantly: if you are using a rechargeable battery (instead of standard batteries), STOP IMMEDIATELY. Evidently this is a common theme across Balance Board units that fail. It galls me, because vendors will push these products upon us at discounted prices, but in the long run Nintendo personnel have stated unequivocally that these things have caused problems and WILL invalidate warranties. Caveat emptor.
  2. Try a basic “reset” of the system. Here’s how:
    1. Disconnect the Wii from the wall outlet and remove all batteries from the balance board for at least 15 minutes.
    • Plug in the Wii and power it on
    • Open the front cover of the Wii and press the red “sync” button of 15 seconds. This should clear all controllers from your system.
    • Take your primary Wii-mote and open the battery cover. Press the red “sync” button on the Wii-mote, and then quickly (while the front blue lights are blinking), press the red “sync” button on the Wii. Your Wii-mote will register with the system
    • Put the batteries in the balance board
    • Start up Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus
    • Once the game has started, press the “sync” button by the balance board’s battery cover and then quickly press the red “sync” button on the Wii. Your balance board will get recognized as the fourth controller.
  3. Desperation measures. Some users have reported success when they rotate their balance board. Presumably if there was a stuck gyrometer or something, this would unstick it.
If none of these things work, chances are your balance board is totalled. The fact that the diagnostics work indicates that it’s not a problem with the actual balance board hardware per se, but perhaps a fried circuit board or something.
I ended up buying a new balance board at Amazon. The one good thing out of all this is that I can give the extra copy of Wii Fit Plus I get to my nephew for his birthday. It was a tough $93.99 pill to swallow, but now I know NOT to use a rechargeable battery pack in the future. I also used a credit card with extended warranty.

Has the “To start, please step off me and press A” white screen of death happened to you? Post a comment to report your troubleshooting steps, or just to vent!

119 Comments

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    Nov 27, 2009 2:39 pm

    I just had this problem with my balance board. Nintendo is fixing it for $55 so that's better than buying a new one but I bought a new one anyway since some of the fitness games let you use more than one. I was using the rechargeable battery pack. Nintendo told me on the phone not to use the rechargeable battery pack in the balance board or the rechargeable wii remotes so I've chucked all that stuff out. They said it was fine to use rechargeable batteries that were charged outside the wii devices (balance board and remotes). Funny thing is when I bought my new balance board what was sitting right on top of the display of balance boards at Best Buy? The rechargeable packs. Stop that Best Buy!

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    Dec 26, 2009 7:55 pm

    Just got one for Christmas and allready have that message….and NO…it's not on a carpet amd NO…I don't weigh 300 lbs and NO….I didn't neglet to try to reset EVERY BLOODY thing 20 times including removing batteries etc ad nauseum……
    What makes me mad is that yet ANOTHER irresponsible manufacturer passes on their "cruddy' and untested junk on a willing and trusting consumer only to throw up their hands and say…we didn't know….send it back ( at our expense BTW ) and we'll fix what should never have gone out in the first place and…oh….hope you like our polite answer-girls.
    I say….SHOVE IT NINTENDO…you haven't done anything right since the damm 8 bit and let's face it….even that was so breakdownable it made us resort to a hundred different home-remedies to fix YOUR problematic console….

  • Reply
    KB
    Dec 31, 2009 10:37 am

    Got wii fit for Christmas and haven't been able to use it yet because all I get is "Step off me and press A". I'm becoming really annoyed with it as I've tried all the disconnecting/re-syncing etc that everyone suggest.
    I'm going to have to contact the shop I got it from but if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know!

  • Reply
    HLReilly
    Jan 19, 2010 5:44 pm

    Yes, I've only had the board two days. The first day it worked. My daughter put the silicone sleeve on last night and sure enough… today we have the white screen of death. Glad I bought it at Walmart and they'll take it back.

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    Feb 05, 2010 8:08 am

    Easily fixed by reseating stress sensors.
    If anyone needs a detailed fix post a reply here.

    • Reply
      Sep 27, 2015 2:07 pm

      Please help. Having issues with my board 🙁

  • Reply
    judy kerrigan
    Feb 08, 2010 9:52 am

    it has happened to me but i am gonna try some of your tips and see if this works. will let you know the outcome. thanx

  • Reply
    judy kerrigan
    Feb 08, 2010 10:04 am

    unfortunately this did'nt work so i'm gonna have to buy another. thanx anyway

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    Feb 19, 2010 3:53 pm

    My husband just bought me the wii fit. Today is the first time I've tried to use it and all I keep getting is the "please step off me and press A". It will let me select a mii, choose my height and birthday and then when it says now it's time for a body test all I keep getting is "step off". And I've never even used it before nor have I ever stepped on the board.

  • Reply
    Trish
    Mar 17, 2010 4:30 pm

    I have this problem too. How do you reseat the Wii Balance Board stress sensors?

  • Reply
    Neville Lockerz
    Mar 17, 2010 6:03 pm

    I like your blog. Thanks for a great web site!

  • Reply
    Ryan
    Mar 19, 2010 4:43 pm

    How do your reseat the stress sensors?

  • Reply
    Kendra
    Apr 08, 2010 12:09 pm

    Please let us know what the stress sensors are, and how to reset them.
    thanks

  • Reply
    Dennis
    Apr 20, 2010 5:32 pm

    I have a brand new one and it was bad out of the box. I understand that these are junk but they are all there is. I would like the instructions for reseating the stress sensors. Information is a two way street and I would greatly appreciate this information. I am an electrical engineer and I have designed test equipment. I asked them for a calibration procedure but they told me there isn’t any. I believe they may just be getting these boards back and doing a simple five minute recal and sending them back out.

  • Reply
    steve
    Apr 20, 2010 6:09 pm

    It looks like “anonymous” who posted on February 5, 2010 is not responding.

    From the comments on this blog post, I can see this is a widespread problem. Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but Dennis, I think I agree with you. From the consumer’s perspective, we all probably give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt, in some cases even taking the blame upon ourselves. But bottom line, Nintendo shouldn’t be selling a product that has such a high failure rate and then not own up to it.

    I ended up selling mine on eBay, and I presume that people are figuring out a way to fix them, because people are buying them. Search for Broken Balance Board and you’ll see a bunch from week to week…

    If anyone out there has a solution, please post a reply here, and I’ll gladly dedicate a blog post to it…

  • Reply
    dez
    Apr 20, 2010 6:33 pm

    I just had this problem happen yesterday. Am going to try the fixes here before calling Nintendo. Why isn’t the rechargeable battery warning on the product? I never would have bought one if I knew.

    Does anyone know if NIMH batteries are okay to use with the Wii Remotes? It says on Nintendo support that they are, but now I kind of don’t trust what Nintendo says 🙁 Thanks!

  • Reply
    dez
    Apr 24, 2010 1:06 pm

    Well, none of the fixes worked for me, so I have to take the board in for repair (luckily, I work close enough to the repair center that I can drop it off and save $10 on shipping and weeks of being without my board). The support person said, though, that the rechargeable batteries were okay to use with the board. Hmmm. Will have to ask the repair folk about that and will post here with what they say, if anyone is interested.

  • Reply
    steve
    Apr 24, 2010 1:39 pm

    Yeah, I can’t think of any possible reason rechargable batteries or a plastic cover could possibly damage the balance board.

    I can see, perhaps, how the Nyko Energy Pack or any other unit that remains plugged in constantly may possibly cause some kind of power surge that might damage the unit. For what it’s worth, I’ve used Sanyo Eneloops on my Balance Board and my Wii remotes and have been very, very happy with them.

    I get the sense that Nintendo support is just using these as excuses to cover up a more chronic problem. I hope they are monitoring this and the many other boards and blogs discussing this problem and are working on a solution. Blaming a widespread problem on one’s own customers only goes so far.

    Anyway, definitely keep us update on how it goes. And if anyone out there has a DIY tip on how to get into the balance board to fix this problem, please let us know!

  • Reply
    dez
    Apr 27, 2010 10:34 pm

    Ugh, I have the Nyko Energy Pack, which I will never use again now. I did ask the tech about the battery packs, and he said he’d heard of this problem being caused by them before. He didn’t think it was a good idea to use rechargeable batteries in the board (although the instructions say NIMH are okay). He said that the silicone covers shouldn’t do any harm at all, though. He also didn’t know about the Wii Remotes & rechargeable batteries.

    I don’t know yet what was wrong with the board, but I received a replacement today, so whatever it was was not fixable. I’m very impressed that I received a new board today when: 1) I only dropped it off yesterday and 2) they shipped it UPS ground. Now that’s customer service 🙂

  • Reply
    Taff
    Jun 27, 2010 2:30 pm

    Hi…. I had the same problem after 10 months of very light use….only option was to send it in for repair. Had a letter back from Nintendo saying that it would cost £50 to repair…however found out that this was the cost for a new board from Nintendo. All sounds good …I thought…..apart from the fact that the kit fails after only using it a handful of times….quality workmanship and rigorous testing eh??? ha ha

    any way I paid the £50, and they sent me a wii balance board by return of post…. great …. here we go …. oh no…..no no nono straight out of the box the exact same error message !!!!! I borrowed a friends board to check out the system and theirs worked fine on my Wii…. my guess is that they have sent me back my old board….not bad for £50 eh? Nice one Nintendo – get your act in gear eh?

  • Reply
    JJ
    Aug 11, 2010 9:55 am

    I have the same problem and I used only the standard batteries that nintendo provides in the balance board package. I not even had the chance to replace them.
    So the problem is not the batteries.
    Nevertheless rechargeable batteries doesn’t work fine in the wiimotes. Playing Metroid Prime I’ve noticed that if I stand more than 5 or 6 feets far from the sensor bar, the main character gets the syndrome of Zoolander and can’t turn left.
    That doesn’t happen with standard batteries.
    I’m in Argentina and there’s no a Nintendo Representative in this country. So I’m fckd

  • Reply
    Ferdi
    Aug 15, 2010 9:32 am

    Hi All,
    Here is what WORKED for me!!!!
    I encountered the same problem. Tried to sync. Removed silicone cover. Used good batteries. No result. After reading Anonymous post of “February 5, 2010” it tried “reseating stress sensors”.

    Here’s how:
    – Remove the foots from each corner using a normal Phillips Screwdriver.
    – (keep them in the right order to put back later)
    – Loosen (remove) the “stress sensors” small metal plate you see now at each corner using a “torx” screw driver.
    – Re-seat the small metal plate by putting it back but don’t screw too tight.
    – Put the foots back on.

    This should do it. You can also test if it worked before putting the foot back on. If not try again.
    Good luck to you all, and safe $50.

  • Reply
    steve
    Aug 17, 2010 8:22 pm

    Ferdi, thank you so much for posting these details!

    I don’t mind giving money to Nintendo when they put out good games, but it just seems wrong to pay them when they not only refuse to acknowledge this is a problem, but also throw red herrings like rechargeable batteries and plastic covers around as excuses (placing the blame on their customers) rather than admitting the problem.

    I hope your fix works for a lot of people! For someone whose Balance Board warranty has expired, it is certainly worth a shot.

  • Reply
    Jim
    Aug 21, 2010 5:50 pm

    Can’t believe it worked but it did! I “reseated the sensors” which isn’t really reseating anything just taking it apart and putting it back together….
    here’s my tale… Had the same annoying message step off the board over and over..tried everything..no luck..read the “reseat the sensors and thought why not try..so it took it in the kitchen took off each of the plastic feet one by one (three philips screws) removed the plastic foot, unscrewed the big torx screw that holds the small metal plate on the accelerometer (rectangular piece of metal with tape on it an wires coming out) I tapped on each accelerometer also gently with the handle end of the screwdriver, also wiggled each set of wires a bit…then i screwed the plate back on and put the plastic parts back on and repeated for the other 3…plugged it back in and unbelievably it worked right away!! Can’t believe it but i’m so glad..i hope it works for others!

  • Reply
    Jim
    Aug 21, 2010 5:52 pm

    ..and yes…like the previous poster i did not put the plate back on real tight..they are very tight from the factory!

  • Reply
    Chris
    Aug 26, 2010 2:58 am

    Reseating the sensors (as jim says above) worked perfectly.

  • Reply
    Jessie
    Sep 08, 2010 9:35 pm

    Unbelievably the ‘re-seating’ worked for me as well! Nice work Ferdi!

  • Reply
    Paul
    Sep 12, 2010 7:19 am

    Got the message this morning after not using the board for over a month and a half. Searched the internet for help and did all the resyncing stuff. No joy. Got to the reset the sensors stuff and took one foot off, loosened the torx screw and put it back together. Either I was really lucky and got the “bad” one the first try or maybe they all need to be done but mine worked right after doing one foot. Seems to be great now. Thanks for the help. GREAT POST.

  • Reply
    Tim
    Sep 13, 2010 3:24 pm

    I tried the approach of removing the feet and loosening the sensors found there and it WORKED! If you run into this issue give this a try before throwing out your board. Good luck and I hope that you can revive your dead board. Thanks to Ferdi and the information provided. Have a great day all!

  • Reply
    Jonas Marshall
    Sep 29, 2010 12:19 pm

    Jonas here. Finally somebody with the same problem! But now I’m hesitant, I’m not sure if I should be bothering with the gyrometer, can’t you completely ruin the balance of the mat? Mine works again sometimes if I just unplug and replug everything and fresh restart my machine.

  • Reply
    Sir Kero
    Oct 11, 2010 8:19 pm

    There aren’t any gyrometers in the balance board. It may sound too simple, but it really just has four pressure sensors and nothing else! If you open one up you can see for yourself, it’s got one small circuit board and a lot of empty space. It’s surprisingly easy to get opened, AND put back together. It sounds like you don’t even need to go that far to fix it…
    Thanks everyone who found and confirmed this solution! 🙂

  • Reply
    Jim
    Oct 20, 2010 1:40 pm

    +1 for the removal of and reseating of the sensor fix. works fine and was sorted in 5 minutes.

  • Reply
    Gina
    Oct 22, 2010 3:41 pm

    I just got off the phone with Nintendo withthis same problem — after they had me re-sync it …he said hmmm…looks like I need to send it in for repair ata cost of $45.00 plus the shipping cost. I am so glad that I came across this because the reseating WORKED!!! — Thank You!

  • Reply
    Joan
    Nov 04, 2010 7:36 pm

    Thank-you so much Ferdi!!! Spent 30 minutes on the phone with Nintendo who could not help me. They recommended repair for $55 and sent me a FedEx label. I decided to check online again to see if anyone else had this problem. Unbelievable. I came across this site and read each comments and decided to try Ferdi. It actually worked!! Thank-you!

  • Reply
    Ron
    Nov 13, 2010 6:28 pm

    Thanks Ferdi; My wife’s Wii Balance Board went out today and I followed your advise and that of many who have had the same problem – and it worked. To show’s how sensitive the board is, one side affect we found is that it does not to read the weight correctly. Maybe I can adjust (tighten) the sensor’s more, I didn’t tighten down as you suggested and I thinks that was the key. Thanks again.

  • Reply
    TK Ireland
    Nov 23, 2010 4:18 pm

    Genius! Borrowed wii fit and there was panic when I thought we had broken it. Fix worked a treat … thanks for the help and saving me a small fortune and a friend!!

  • Reply
    Barb
    Nov 29, 2010 9:51 am

    Ferdie, you rock!
    I thought I was done with my board until I read this.
    I appreciate the total awesomeness that is your post!
    Thank you!!!

  • Reply
    John
    Dec 03, 2010 7:17 am

    Another very satisfied reader. Found this information and successfully got my board working again. You rock indeed!!

  • Reply
    Mark Jessop
    Dec 05, 2010 3:51 am

    Great advice. Another satisfied customer. Earned me some brownie points from the wife!

  • Reply
    user
    Dec 07, 2010 3:47 pm

    Worked for me too! I just received this used unit from an ebay seller. I’m not sure if it was damaged in the mail, or if they sold it because it had stopped working, but I did the fix above, and all is well now. Thanks!

  • Reply
    Cindy
    Dec 09, 2010 7:46 am

    Ferdi’s solution worked like a charm! I used a size 30 Torx wrench if that helps anyone. I did not replace the silicone cover but I did go back to using rechargeable batteries and so far so good. I also placed the board directly on a harder surface…not the carpet on carpet that it was on when it failed.

    THANKS FERDI!!

    Here’s what Ferdi recommended:
    – Remove the feet from each corner using a normal Phillips Screwdriver.
    – (keep them in the right order to put back later)
    – Loosen (remove) the “stress sensors” small metal plate you see now at each corner using a “torx” screw driver. (per Cindy: size 30 worked for me)
    – Re-seat the small metal plate by putting it back but don’t screw too tight.
    – Put the feet back on.

  • Reply
    Anne
    Dec 18, 2010 7:50 am

    Ferdie

    You just saved my £75! Was all set to buy another board after the white screen of doom, but you solution absolutely worked. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Can continue with with fitness regime now, hurrah for Ferdie

  • Reply
    Troy
    Dec 18, 2010 2:43 pm

    Add one more to the tally…works great! Someone should get this posted on the Nintendo Support site…bet they’d love that!

  • Reply
    Chris
    Dec 19, 2010 9:11 pm

    Thanks for the info. Ferdi’s solution worked perfect. It took me 5 minutes!

  • Reply
    Jules
    Dec 21, 2010 9:53 am

    Well that’s just made my Christmas. The Wii board hasn’t worked for over a year, and was just considering buying a new one! But with one final desperate troll of the internet for a solution came upon the re-seating fix.. and hey presto!!

    Kids are jumping up and down with excitement, and I just had a celebratory hula hoop of joy! Wow I’m out of breathe now and need to start using the Wii fit again!!!

    Thank you so much

  • Reply
    Ross
    Dec 28, 2010 11:18 am

    After two years, we are getting this error. After reseating, and cleaning the sensors (looked fine before I did so though), the wii board now works, but only if you lift it up and press “a”, then quickly get on. But doing so causes the board to read 10 pounds too heavy (I assume the weight of the board). Tested on a hardwood, not carpet.

    At least games now work again.

  • Reply
    Meow
    Jan 02, 2011 5:43 pm

    Fergie is the bomb, works like a champ.

  • Reply
    kmac
    Jan 03, 2011 4:43 am

    I did not think that this would work but it genuinely was as simple as taking the feet off and putting back on – try this first before trying re-synching the wii and board as this was a waste of time for us! Christmas just got better as we have saved having to buy a new board! thx for the posting

  • Reply
    Terry
    Jan 05, 2011 1:33 pm

    I guess I am one of the unlucky few. I tried reseating all my sensors and still had the one bad sensor. Tried again and same result. I guess I go to plan B now, that is “B”uy another board.

  • Reply
    sshelby
    Jan 06, 2011 7:59 pm

    Another happy poster. Worked like a charm!

  • Reply
    Sandra
    Jan 21, 2011 1:50 pm

    Ferdi’s solution from August 15th worked!!!! Thank you so much! I thought I was gonna have to buy a new one, you saved me a lot of frustration, time and money! thanks!!!!

  • Reply
    Phil
    Jan 23, 2011 3:39 am

    August 15th Solution works

    Checked the scales with pet weight and it is accurate.

    Many thanks

  • Reply
    Gail
    Jan 24, 2011 7:46 pm

    Ferdi – Thank you for the amazing quick fix requiring very few tools and easily read directions. I appreciate you saving me the money.

  • Reply
    Rosa
    Jan 27, 2011 7:23 am

    I had the same issue and followe the following instructions I found on the Internet and they worked!!!
    “I’ve heard of this problem before (only over the internet and never IRL) and there is apparently a solution although it requires a little bit of DIY skills.
    Quote:
    Here’s how:
    – Remove the feet from each corner using a normal Phillips Screwdriver.
    – (keep them in the right order to put back later)
    – Loosen (remove) the “stress sensors” small metal plate you see now at each corner using a “torx” screw driver.
    – Re-seat the small metal plate by putting it back but don’t screw too tight.
    – Put the feet back on.
    Apparently those sensors are screwed in too tight at the factory, which causes the Wii Fit board to register weight as being applied, even though no-one is standing on it. What I find a bit strange though is that you’ve had 2 boards with the same problem.

    But I’d give that a try if you feel confident enough, otherwise I would perhaps try and exchange for another new board at HMV. If that one still suffers the same problem then you are either incredibly unlucky, or that there is a different problem.

  • Reply
    Steph
    Mar 01, 2011 9:55 pm

    I LOVE YOU FERDI!!!!!! Worked wonderfully- didn’t have to waste $50 to get this fixed… Or $90+ to replace it!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!’

  • Reply
    Celina
    Apr 04, 2011 8:08 pm

    Just wanted to say THANKS SO MUCH to Ferdi for the reset instructions! The Nintendo wannabe “tech support” tried to blame the Nyko battery pack that has been working FLAWLESSLY for the past THREE YEARS – I guess that’s all you can expect from a tech support staff who have to “look up” their solutions! I did phone tech support for 8 years and I’m so glad I got out when I did, if this is the state of tech support these days :p

    Thanks again, Ferdi; and thanks for the post, Steve!

  • Reply
    Sarah
    May 05, 2011 11:03 pm

    Loosening the stress sensors worked like a charm. Thanks so much for the directions. Thanks for the help!!

  • Reply
    caity cait
    May 29, 2011 6:29 am

    Hi, Just read your tip on how to fix my problem. Have had my wii fit board for two years and i have had no problems at all until the wii board asked me to step off and press A. I unscrewed the feet and loosened the sensors and hey presto it worked. Thankyou so much for saving me money as i was going to go and buy a new board if your tip failed.

    Thanks a million.

  • Reply
    Thomas Drew
    May 30, 2011 9:39 am

    Well, our Wii had the “Please step off and press a” problem as well (for the past couple weeks). I finally did a Google search and found this link. I did the reset but still had the same problem. I loosened the stress sensors, cleaned of any dirt/grime and it is now working perfectly!! Thanks for all the advice!!

  • Reply
    Rae
    Jun 19, 2011 10:13 pm

    Loosening the stress sensors worked perfectly!

  • Reply
    Jill
    Aug 17, 2011 3:12 pm

    Thank you so much for this advice, I was ready to buy a new one.

  • Reply
    Gary
    Aug 21, 2011 3:12 am

    It worked! Thanks so much for posting the unscrewing solution. Perfect. It also recorded my weight more accurately (i.e. lighter!!) afterwards!

  • Reply
    amber
    Sep 22, 2011 5:42 am

    thanks, the unscrew solution worked! thanks so much my little brother is so happy 🙂 been trying to work out what was wrong with it for a while now! this is brilliant 🙂 x

  • Reply
    Daisy Browne
    Oct 06, 2011 6:09 am

    Thanks, you have gained a new fan. I will post a link to this page on my blog.

  • Reply
    dbini
    Oct 06, 2011 10:28 am

    AWESOME! i fixed my Mom’s balance board in 10 minutes, just with 2 screwdrivers. thankyou for sharing this.

  • Reply
    chloe
    Oct 09, 2011 12:14 pm

    I bought a used wii that came with the wii fit board when we tried to use it it did not work frustrated i looked for answers on line found this solution about the sensors it worked great thank you

  • Reply
    Lawrence of Kansas
    Nov 25, 2011 11:26 am

    Loosening the sensors worked for me. Thanks a million!

  • Reply
    Bethany
    Nov 25, 2011 1:57 pm

    This worked great. I had to use a drill with the torx bit in order to get the sensor plates off, but once I was able to do that, I just hand tightened the plate back on and my balance board now works again!

  • Reply
    Sue
    Dec 13, 2011 4:49 pm

    Thank you! Thank You!! THANK YOU!!!

  • Reply
    Kirk
    Dec 27, 2011 9:41 am

    I just told everyone on my friends list about this fix. It worked perfectly! So mad when i thought the board was shot. Now I have no excuse for not exercising… darn.

  • Reply
    Gerry
    Jan 01, 2012 4:25 pm

    This worked for me too! I didn’t have the right torx bit, but managed to get two of the sensors loosened with a hex tool. Even though it was only two of the four feet, the balance board is now working perfectly! Thanks!!

  • Reply
    Shadowrider
    Jan 04, 2012 7:23 pm

    I took the Wii Fit out again after 1102 days (and some 13 pounds later) to start working out again After a few tries I go the “Please step off me and press A” error.

    I followed the instructions and the board is running fine again. Thank you so very much !

  • Reply
    Leon
    Jan 09, 2012 7:01 pm

    Worked great! Thanks for the fix. Curse you Nintendo….

  • Reply
    Alexandra
    Jan 25, 2012 3:12 pm

    Wii is tricky like that and occasionally it might be tough to deal with the fixes.

  • Reply
    bitty
    Jan 27, 2012 9:06 am

    This solved the problem for me

    By avatarmikec757 308 days ago

    It is not a problem with syncing. It has to do with one of the corner sensors. I have repaired many in the past with this problem and 98% of the time, the screw inside of the board on the foot closest to the orange and white stick was too tight causing the sensor to always be on. The other 2% is most likely some damage with the circuit board which would require a repair from Nintendo.

    The Repair:
    with the board on and synced, go to the training menu and enter the part of the game where it tells you to step off and press A. Flip the board over and with a phillips head screw driver, unscrew the three screws around the foot I mentioned above. Remove the pieces and you will find a large Torx T30 bit under that holds a metal plate to the top of the sensor block. If you don’t have that, a Flat head screw driver that fits in the slot will work. Slightly loosen that screw. Just enough so that its a little looser but not too much because it will cause that side not to function at 100%. After doing this attach the foot and plastic piece and screw the three screws in most of the way. Flip over and press A and the system should go past the error. IF not repeat the steps with little adjustments until the problem is resolved.

  • Reply
    Rich W
    Jan 27, 2012 6:46 pm

    Works awesome – thanks

  • Reply
    sarah
    Feb 04, 2012 4:56 pm

    Thank you kindly! I would never have figured this out without your post 🙂

  • Reply
    Peter
    Feb 05, 2012 9:16 am

    Thankyou… just bought used system and this endless loop happened the very next day….
    Another tip that worked for me is using a torque control drill driver.
    It helps ensure fairly consistent tightening. My little Makita 12V set at 4 worked well for me.
    Thanks again for the tip….worked great!!!

  • Reply
    DC
    Feb 07, 2012 1:50 pm

    This works 100%! So impressed and very relieved. Wii board was seconds away from a trip out the window…

  • Reply
    Carole
    Mar 02, 2012 11:20 am

    Thanks so much! I’m a woman in my 60’s and it only took about 1/2 hour to follow your instructions and repair the problem!
    I didn’t have a tool for loosing the inside screw, but just swabbed it with rubbing alcohol (on both foot pad and the board) and gave it a squirt of pressured air under the pressure plate. The Wii balance board works perfect now — thanks to you!

  • Reply
    zeppy
    Mar 23, 2012 7:55 pm

    Awesome, it works! I loosened foot sensors then screwed back in and just tightened very gently. Thanks! GFY nintendo.

  • Reply
    Ron S.
    Apr 09, 2012 6:35 am

    Thanks for posting this!! It worked great for me. (It was the one in the corner closest to the orange and white sticker on mine, that was the only one I had to loosen.)

    By avatarmikec757 308 days ago

    It is not a problem with syncing. It has to do with one of the corner sensors. I have repaired many in the past with this problem and 98% of the time, the screw inside of the board on the foot closest to the orange and white stick was too tight causing the sensor to always be on. The other 2% is most likely some damage with the circuit board which would require a repair from Nintendo.

    The Repair:
    with the board on and synced, go to the training menu and enter the part of the game where it tells you to step off and press A. Flip the board over and with a phillips head screw driver, unscrew the three screws around the foot I mentioned above. Remove the pieces and you will find a large Torx T30 bit under that holds a metal plate to the top of the sensor block. If you don’t have that, a Flat head screw driver that fits in the slot will work. Slightly loosen that screw. Just enough so that its a little looser but not too much because it will cause that side not to function at 100%. After doing this attach the foot and plastic piece and screw the three screws in most of the way. Flip over and press A and the system should go past the error. IF not repeat the steps with little adjustments until the problem is resolved.

  • Reply
    Cindy
    Jun 01, 2012 10:11 pm

    Simply amazing! I had spent hours on this thinking that after having read about rechargeable batteries the DreamGear power pack was the cause. Then after continuing to read I came upon this of adjusting the sensor………Wow, THANK YOU for informing us of this!!!!!! I am again working. Thank you, Thank you!!

  • Reply
    Marilyn
    Jun 19, 2012 7:06 am

    Ive been reading your cure for the ”step off me and press A on the wii balance board.
    Ive also re-sync…and taken the rechargeable battery unit off and put new ordinary batteries in.
    Ive taken off the feet and cant for the life of me loosen ANY of the screws holding the sensor. Ive got one of those L shaped tools that tighten furniture screws and it fits the hole a treat but just cant budge the screws!! Any suggestions please? Thanks Marilyn

  • Reply
    Kristi
    Sep 07, 2012 3:43 pm

    Hey I just wanted to say THANK YOU!! I had been plugging into the recharger didnt know it was bad. Then my board quit working… so I thought it was done. Since most sites say that rechargers ruin the board. Decided to follow your 2nd part directions just to leave no stone unturned. I took off the feet as directed and now it works as good as it use to. Thanks a ton!! I almost ordered a new one.

  • Reply
    Adanda
    Sep 08, 2012 3:13 pm

    Bought a used wii fit balance board at a car boot sale for £4, Guy who sold it said it would work (LIAR) and guess what it had the “To Start Please Step Off Me and Press A” problem. Loosened the sensors on all four corners and now the wii fit board is working 100% showing correct weights etc… Well worth giving it a go and thanks for a great post !!

  • Reply
    Debbie Hamblen
    Dec 31, 2012 8:47 pm

    The first time this happened it was under warrantee and we went for about 10 days after Christmas to have it repaired (for free 3 years ago). The error “A” step off the machine was present and tonight (after pricing out new boards, etc. $99 for a new wii fit package) we arrived on your site and found your suggestion to loosen the four corners and then re-screw. IT WORKED !!! Thank you so so much Ferdi.

  • Reply
    Hazel
    Jan 22, 2013 5:57 pm

    Tried this on a 4-year old wii balance board (Jan 2013) and it worked perfectly. Weight measurement still seems fine and you’ve saved me the cost of a replacement board. Many thanks!

  • Reply
    Kristen
    Jan 28, 2013 7:34 pm

    I just used this and fixed my roommates balance board! It worked perfectly for us! Thanks!

  • Reply
    Steven Robertson
    Feb 02, 2013 11:03 am

    works for me too

  • Reply
    ING
    Mar 28, 2013 3:26 pm

    Reseating the sensor plates worked! An easier-to-find tool for me was an allen wrench (those little metal “L” tools) — perfect for the job. Thanks to whomever published that fix, I hope to get another few years out of my balance board.

  • Reply
    amanda m
    Apr 29, 2013 5:09 am

    Mine did the same this morning. I gave it a good old shake…and hey presto!! 🙂

  • Reply
    James
    May 11, 2013 9:14 am

    Thank you so much…. I thought that my wii board was broken tried your tip & now it works perfectly.

  • Reply
    Mazz
    Nov 16, 2013 2:12 am

    Yeah….balance board works again. Followed the directions to remove the feet and used the Allen wrench to loosen the sensors. Thank you!,,

  • Reply
    eric
    Feb 04, 2014 8:55 pm

    Hey I got it to register, now I don’t have that error but the weight is off and the balance seems to be off as well. How do get figured just right?

  • Reply
    SEH
    Feb 10, 2014 6:42 pm

    This was a life saver, it has happened to two boards ! This worked like a dream! Thanks for sharing the tip on fixing this problem.

  • Reply
    Samantha Williams-Davis
    Mar 13, 2014 12:28 pm

    Ferdi you are a GODSEND!!! I followed your directions by removing the feet with a Phillips and then loosing the sensor feet with a T27 size star bit(head) from my local home improvement store. Nintendo no longer makes Wii games and replacement balance boards are hard to find so THANK YOU for helping us!

  • Reply
    Jimbob
    Jun 25, 2014 9:08 pm

    Thank you soooooooo much. The removing the feet thing worked a treat. You are a star!

  • Reply
    Nola Roden
    Jul 27, 2014 1:44 pm

    Thank you so much. You are a true lifesaver. I am on a fixed income and cannot afford to go buy another board. God Bless YOU!

  • Reply
    Danile Marie Shepherd
    Jan 05, 2015 12:51 am

    this worked great!!! works like new again!! thank you for the helpful tip!!

  • Reply
    Jan 22, 2015 3:55 am

    It worked. tHAnks

  • Reply
    sasha minigram
    Jun 18, 2015 9:16 pm

    why does this type of stuff never work?????
    the regular wii works perfectly;(

  • Reply
    KC
    Jul 17, 2015 2:52 pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you! I started having the same problem of the board insisting I step off (when I wasn’t on it), and never being able to get past that message. If I tipped the board up on its side when I pressed A, and then quickly set it down and got on, sometimes it would work (though one time it was convinced that I only weighed 6 pounds), but I would have to do that every single time, and it didn’t always do the trick. I tried the initial recommendations here with no luck.

    Ferdi’s comment from August 15, 2010 was just what was needed, though it was a MAJOR challenge to get the Torx screws to move. The few Torx bits I had were too small, so I ran out and picked up a cheap Torx screwdriver set and found that the T30 was the right size. But the screws were in so tight I could not get them to budge at all.

    I then saw some of the comments that folks had success with Allen wrenches, so I tried one, and — combined with using the claw end of a hammer to get some extra leverage — finally got three of the screws to turn. That got the board working again, though the weight readings were off. The fourth screw still wouldn’t budge, and with repeated attempts, the screw head started to wear so that the Allen wrench wouldn’t stay in when I tried to turn it. I went back to the Torx screwdriver (which did still fit) — still wouldn’t budge. Finally, I wrapped the end of my rubber yoga mat around the screwdriver handle, which allowed me to finally able to get a solid enough grip to get the screw to turn.

    Loosening the Torx screws a bit alleviated the problem of the “To start, please step off …” message, but as others noted, the weight measurement was then way off. With some tinkering, I discovered that the looser the screws were, the lighter the weight reading was (at one point it was off by as much as 40 pounds); the tighter the screws, the higher the weight. After multiple adjustments (I lost count of how many times I took the darn feet off), I’ve finally got the weight within 1 to 1.5 pounds of what my bathroom scale says; for the time being, that will work.

    So again, thank you, thank you, thank you! It wasn’t quite as easy to do as it sounded, but it was indeed successful.

  • Reply
    Karen Trewern
    Aug 18, 2015 12:02 pm

    Thanks for this advice, I’ve reseated the foot plates and my wii board is now working perfectly. I’ve also removed the rechargeable battery packs which I had been using in the board and remotes. So chuffed I found this site, made my day.

  • Reply
    Jim lobdell
    Aug 25, 2015 3:02 am

    Your update worked!!!
    Thank you it was vary easy to do.

    You saved me from buying a new board.
    FYI. I have been using the rechargeable batteries for over 2 years and have not had any kind of a problem until now. The reason I think I had the problem is I was playing fetch with my 70 lbs Lab and she jumped on the board with all her weight and force. Which I am sure the force she placed on the board was well over the 350lbs max the board states on the back and not caused by the rechargeable batteries.

    • Reply
      Suzy
      Jan 17, 2016 9:50 pm

      Thanks for that advice! I followed it and now the board is back in business.

  • Reply
    Jan 11, 2016 10:43 am

    that worked thank you

  • Reply
    Mary
    Feb 03, 2016 2:15 pm

    It worked for me!!! I have a VERY old fit board and thought I needed a new one. NOPE! Took the feet off and metal plates, put em back on. Worked like a charm and only took a few minutes. 🙂 THANK YOU !!!!

  • Reply
    Baz ellison
    Jun 20, 2016 10:42 am

    Bought a board off ebay and the first time I tried it I got the dreaded message. Followed your instructions about reseting the sensors which seems to have worked, so thanks

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    Jul 02, 2017 5:22 pm

    Thx for the tip. Reseat the senors and it fixed the problem.

  • Reply
    Karen
    Feb 02, 2020 5:48 pm

    I hadn’t used my Wii in a few years and decided to start using it again. Got the “white screen of death” message. Nintendo support was no help. Found this post, did both of the above and it worked perfectly! Thank you for posting this!

  • Reply
    Active Grammy
    Aug 04, 2021 8:11 pm

    Thank you, thank you! After many years of untroubled use, my balance board developed this syncing problem and I was faced with the “white screen of death.” My grandchildren enjoy playing the Wii games so it was important to find a solution. My 13yo granddaughter found this article and, after a trip to the hardware store for the suggested wrench, we set to work. Mind you, loosening those bolts was not easy. My husband eventually rigged a tool using a drill bit and a torque wrench to get them loose, but IT WORKED!!! As to why my bolts would become too tight on the sensors after many many years is beyond me. At any rate, I am grateful to you clever individuals for sharing your knowledge and experience.

  • Reply
    Mike
    Jan 18, 2022 5:19 pm

    I had the same problem after the board had been put away for a while. Ferdi’s suggestion to loosen the sensor plates and retighten worked perfectly!

  • Reply
    Andi w
    Apr 04, 2022 7:00 am

    Thank you soooo much. This worked!!!! 😂😁😊💕

  • Reply
    Lynn Thacker
    Jul 06, 2022 11:31 am

    tried to reset the balance board, but it still wont work, dont want to take feet off as this will invalidate our guarentee, any more suggestions please

  • Reply
    larry
    Feb 10, 2023 12:14 am

    did not work as instructed, My son who is well versed in all of these systems told me I need to hold both buttons for 15 seconds each. constantly. yeh it worked.

  • Reply
    Lenora
    Jul 26, 2023 2:40 am

    God bless you! Back in business!

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