Learn how to reset your Raspberry Pi with ease!

In this article, we will go through the process of resetting a Raspberry Pi, also known as ‘hard resetting’ or ‘factory resetting’, and provide you with some tips on why it might be necessary. …


Updated September 26, 2023

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In this article, we will go through the process of resetting a Raspberry Pi, also known as ‘hard resetting’ or ‘factory resetting’, and provide you with some tips on why it might be necessary.

  1. Shut Down Your Raspberry Pi

    • First, make sure your Raspberry Pi is not connected to any external devices like monitors or keyboards.
    • Locate and press the power button on your Raspberry Pi to turn it off. Wait for a few seconds until it completely shuts down.

  2. Unplug The Power Cable

    • Unplug the micro USB power cable from your Raspberry Pi. This is important to ensure that all components are properly reset.

  3. Locate the Reset Pins

    • On the underside of your Raspberry Pi, locate the small holes labeled ‘GPIO’ (General Purpose Input/Output). These pins are used for resetting the device.

  4. Prepare a Jumper Wire and Resistor

    • You will need a jumper wire and a resistor with a value of about 1kΩ. The jumper wire is used to connect the GPIO pins, while the resistor helps limit the current flow.

  5. Connect the Jumper Wire and Resistor

    • Connect one end of the jumper wire to the ground (GND) pin (pin 6).
    • Connect the other end of the jumper wire to pin 17 (GPIO0).
    • Insert the resistor between these two connections.

  6. Power On Your Raspberry Pi

    • Now, connect the power cable back into your Raspberry Pi and plug it in.

  7. Watch for the LED Indicator

    • Once your Raspberry Pi is powered on, you should notice that the LED indicator light next to the GPIO pins starts flashing. This indicates that the device is resetting.

  8. Wait for the Process to Finish

    • The reset process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two depending on your Raspberry Pi model. Once it’s done, you should see the normal boot up sequence.

  9. Reconnect Your Devices

    • Finally, reconnect your monitors and keyboards to your Raspberry Pi. You should now be able to use it as if it was brand new!

There are a few reasons why you might need to reset your Raspberry Pi:

  • Corrupted system files or software
  • Configuration issues
  • Incompatible software updates
  • Unresponsive device
  • Damaged SD card

Resetting your Raspberry Pi will help resolve these issues and get it back to a usable state. Remember that resetting is a last resort option, and you should try other troubleshooting methods beforehand.