Sony TV Woes? Restart & Factory Reset With/Without a Remote

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Are struggling with a glitchy Sony TV?

Whether it’s a simple restart, a factory reset, or resetting your PIN code, this article has you covered.

You’ll find straightforward solutions for rebooting your TV with ease, with or without a remote.

Let’s dive into how you can bring your Sony TV back to its optimal state.

Restart/Reboot Your Sony TV

Restarting or rebooting your TV will refresh its software and prompt the hardware to start up again. With your TV remote in hand, there are three ways to perform this process.

Follow the steps below to restart or reboot your Sony TV with or without a remote. 

With a Remote

With a remote in hand, there’s not just one way to restart your Sony TV but three! These methods allow you to instantly refresh your TV from the comfort of your couch.

1# Method: Press and hold your Sony TV remote’s Power button before selecting the Power Off option. Then, press the Power button again to turn the TV back on.

2# Method: Sony TVs can also be restarted via their Settings menu. This process varies depending on which Sony TV model you own. To see model-specific instructions, check out this Sony article. Alternatively, you can find the instructions for our Sony TV listed below. 

Step 1: Launch your Sony TV’s Settings menu and navigate to System.

Step 2: Go to Restart and click on Restart again to confirm your action.

3# Method: Finally, you can long-press your Sony TV remote’s Power key before selecting Restart.

Without a Remote

Don’t let a missing remote stop you from fixing your glitching TV! You can restart it in a few simple steps without it by following the instructions listed below. 

Step 1: Find your Sony TV’s Power button on the back or bottom of the unit. Press it once to open the Quick Menu bar.

Step 2: Then, press and hold the Power button to choose the Power option.

Step 3: Wait a few seconds until the TV finishes shutting down before pressing the Power button once more to turn it back on. 

Soft Reset/Power Cycle Your Sony TV

A build-up of excess power can sometimes cause a TV to glitch. Alternatively, the TV’s software may have started up incorrectly. Both scenarios can lead to unprecedented issues that can drastically affect your TV’s functionality. 

Soft resetting or power cycling your TV will drain it of any excess power and ensure the software starts up normally. 

Follow the steps below to soft reset or power cycle your Sony TV with and without a remote. 

With a Remote

While you can use your remote to soft reset your TV, you will still have to do some steps manually to drain it of its power. 

Step 1: Turn your TV off by hitting the Sony remote’s Power key.

Step 2: Disconnect the TV power cable from its socket for at least 30 seconds. It’s also a good idea to press the TV’s Power button to drain all electricity before moving to the next step.

Step 3: Once all the electricity has drained from the TV, reconnect its power cable back to the wall outlet before pressing the remote’s Power key. 

Without a Remote

Soft resetting or power cycling a TV without a remote is just as easy with one. Let’s learn how!

Step 1: Find and press the Power button on your Sony TV to open the Quick Settings menu.  This button can usually be found on the back or bottom of your TV. Then, press and hold the Power button once more to turn your TV off.

Step 2: Next, unplug its power cable from electricity for at least 30 seconds. You may also press and hold the Power button to drain the TV of any residual electricity.

Step 3: Reconnect your TV to power before pressing its Power button to turn it back on.

You’ve Forgotten Your Sony TV’s PIN Code/Password? Here’s How to Reset It

Many Sony TV models feature Parental Control settings, which can be enabled/disabled and adjusted using a custom PIN. However, with so many passwords and PINs to remember, this code is frequently forgotten. 

Luckily, there’s an easy way to reset it. 

Follow the steps below to reset your Sony TV’s PIN.  

Step 1: Using your remote, open Settings before going to System.

Step 2: Navigate to Parental controls. When prompted for your forgotten PIN, enter one of these two Sony master PINs instead: 4357 or 9999. Some Sony TV models may have a different master PIN, so if neither of these codes works for you, contact Sony customer support.

Step 3: When prompted, enter and confirm a new PIN.

Factory Reset Your Sony TV

Factory resetting is often used as a last resort to fix any deeper software issues that may have arisen from customized settings, improper app/feature installation, and so on.

This hard reset will erase all personal information and apps from your TV. So, make sure you have all your account passwords ready to log back into the apps once you reinstall them.

With a Remote

The most common way to factory reset a Sony TV is by using its remote to navigate its Settings menu.

The steps to do so may vary depending on your TV model. You can head to Sony’s guide for model-specific instructions or see the steps outlined below that I used to factory reset my Sony TV model.

Step 1: Open the Settings and head to System.

Step 2: Go to About followed by Reset. Then, navigate to Factory data reset.

Step 3: Click on Factory data reset once more to confirm your action.

Without a Remote (Forced/Manual Factory Reset)

If you don’t have a remote, you can force your Sony TV to factory reset using the control panel buttons and its power source.

This process varies widely depending on what kind of Sony TV you have since they have different control panel buttons.

There are three different types of Sony TVs. Those with:

• Only one button: The Power button is on the TV’s bottom center or on the left side when viewed from the front.
• Three buttons: The Power and Volume buttons are on the right or left of the back of the TV.
• More than three buttons: Their placements and purposes vary depending on the TV model.

Sony TVs with one button can be forced factory reset by following the instructions listed below.

Step 1: Disconnect the TV’s power cable from the wall outlet.

Step 2: Long-press the Power button on your TV’s control panel (not the one on the remote). With one finger pressing down the Power button, connect the TV back to the wall outlet. Keep pressing the Power button until a white LED appears next to the Sony logo found on the front of the TV. You may have to wait about 10 to 30 seconds until the LED light illuminates white. (If possible, I recommend having a friend help you with this step.)

Step 3: Once you see the white LED light, you can release the Power button. If the white LED light fails to illuminate after 30 seconds, start over from Step 1. 

Step 4: Wait a few minutes for your TV to Factory Data Reset, during which your TV will restart twice. If your TV doesn’t automatically turn back on, you can power it on manually using the TV’s Power button.

Step 5: Once the Welcome setup screen starts up, set up your TV to start using it again. If the Welcome screen doesn’t appear, disconnect your TV’s AC power cable from its wall outlet before reconnecting it. When your TV finishes factory resetting, you’ll see the Initial Setup screen.

Sony TVs with three buttons or more than three buttons can be forced factory reset by following the steps below.

Step 1: Unplug the TV’s power cable from its wall socket.

Step 2: Simultaneously press down the TV control panel’s (not the remote’s) Power and Volume Down (-) buttons. Continue holding the buttons down while you reconnect the TV to power and wait for a green LED light to appear beside the Sony logo found on the front of the TV. The LED light may take around 10 to 30 seconds to turn green.

Step 3: Only when the green LED light appears can you release the buttons. Go back to Step 1 if the white LED light does not turn green after 30 seconds.

Step 4: Allow your TV to rest for a few minutes while the Factory Data Reset process finishes and wait for your TV to restart twice before the Welcome screen pops up. Once your TV has been reset, the Initial Setup screen will appear.

FAQ: How Long Does a Sony Factory Reset Take?

Factory resetting your TV may seem like a lengthy process since it’s swiping all data and apps from your device, however, the whole process takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish.

The factory reset process should only take about 2 minutes, while you’ll have to spend another 6 minutes or so going through the initial setup process.

These times don’t include reinstalling any apps you may want and logging into your accounts. Luckily, some apps allow you to log in remotely using your smartphone instead of manually typing in your username or password, which can drastically speed up the task.

Wrapping Things Up

Whether you’re trying to restart, soft reset, or factory reset your Sony TV, rest assured you can do so with or without a remote!

If you do have a remote handy, these processes can usually be completed using the remote’s Power button or by navigating the TV settings. Without a remote, you can achieve the same result by pressing the TV’s control panels and disconnecting the TV from power.

Have you forgotten your TV PIN? No worries! You can reset it by entering your TV’s master PIN before setting a new one.

What’s your experience restarting or resetting a Sony TV with or without a remote?

Let us know in the comments below!

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