Have you ever thought of a possibility of the smartwatch freezing during a factory reset attempt? It could lead to unintended consequences, for sure. But, is there a way you could ensure that the factory reset process completes successfully,
Let us look at the real possibility of the smartwatch stalling during a factor reset and the subsequent actions you can take.
Assess the actual progress of factory reset
Are you sure that the Fenix 8 or your smartwatch has stalled during the factory reset? Well, try to assess the situation and find out if the factory reset process has actually led to freezing of the smartwatch.
Some indicators of a stalled factory reset would include:
Indicators of a Stalled Reset
- No Response: The screen remains blank or stuck on a specific screen without any changes.
- No Vibrations or Sounds: The device does not vibrate or produce any sounds that typically accompany processing.
- No Progress Indicators: There are no signs of activity, such as blinking lights or progress bars moving.
Indicators of Ongoing Reset
- Flashing Lights: Some Garmin devices display flashing LEDs during processes.
- Vibration Alerts: The device might vibrate intermittently, indicating activity.
- Progress Messages: Text or progress indicators may still be updating on the screen.
The actual factory reset process could take anywhere between 5 to 30 minutes for successful completion. If you observe any indicators of ongoing activity, allow the reset process more time (up to 30 minutes) before assuming the device is stalled.
If the factory reset process has indeed stalled, we would look at 2 main factors. The reset process may have stalled due to poor battery levels or charge. This is not a situation you would want to be in. Stalling of the factory reset process due to poor battery levels may cause corruption of the smartwatch firmware and render the device inoperable.
Build battery charge levels
So, the first thing you would do is to charge the Fenix 8. Connect the Fenix 8 to the charging socket, and give it around 30 minutes to build up a healthy battery backup.
Assuming that the battery backup has been restored to a healthy level, we would try to attempt the factory reset process once again.
There may be a situation wherein the battery level is healthy, and the factory reset did not complete or stalled in the middle. In such cases, we would force the smartwatch to force restart.
- Press and Hold the Light Button: Locate the Light button (usually the top-left button) and press and hold it for about 15-30 seconds. Continue holding until the screen goes black.
- Release the Button: Once the screen is off, release the Light button. Wait a moment before turning it back on.
Force restart the Fenix 8
By force restarting the smartwatch due to a failed or incomplete factory reset, we are allowing the smartwatch to reboot properly. If the watch reboots into the correct watch mode, we would immediately initiate the Garmin Connect app and force a sync of the smartwatch data with the app.
Once the sync between the watch and the Garmin Connect app is complete, we would go ahead and attempt the factory reset once again. This is assuming that the battery backup is built to an optimum level to last for at least 30 minutes of the factory reset operation.
What if the factory reset fails again?
If the battery is in good shape and has adequate charge, we would suggest reporting the issue to the customer support team of Garmin. The Fenix 8 would be in-warranty as it is a newer smartwatch. So, you may be entitled to further troubleshooting, support, repair or replacement from Garmin customer support.