Sony TV Keeps Restarting? 5 Fixes to Stop Its Rebooting Cycle

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When your Sony TV disrupts your entertainment with constant reboots, the answers you need are here.

This article provides troubleshooting insights based on our tech team’s hands-on experience.

Discover how to secure your data, address potential causes, and explore final measures for a seamless viewing experience.

Initial Actions

Before discussing possible causes and solutions, it’s important to take a few initial actions to ensure your TV’s data is secure and that this problem isn’t the result of a glitch.

Back-Up Your Data If Possible

If your TV reboots rarely enough for you to use it for a few minutes, it’s a good idea to back up your data.

We strongly recommend doing this if you have important data or files saved on your TV that you don’t want to lose. Backing up your TV’s data will also help recover some app data, so you won’t have to reinstall everything on your TV.

However, if your TV is rebooting too frequently to navigate its settings, it’s best to skip this step and proceed to the next initial action.

Step 1: Hit your remote’s Home button.

Step 2: Click on the Settings option.

Step 3: Follow one of these sequences to select your TV’s synced apps depending on your Sony TV model:

1. Device Preferences → Google → Choose synced apps
2. Accounts & Sign-In → Google → Choose synced apps
3. Google → Choose synced apps
4. Personal → Google → Choose synced apps

Step 4: Find and select all of your TV’s data you want to back up. Consider that any data not backed up may be lost.

Step 5: Click on Sync now.

Power Cycle

Your TV may be storing residual power, causing it to glitch and reboot.

Step 1: Disconnect the TV from its power supply.

Step 2: Leave it disconnected from power for at least two minutes to drain any residual power that may be stored.

Step 3: Now, re-connect your TV to power and turn it on.

Causes and Solutions

1. Loose Power Cord

An improperly placed power chord can make it difficult for your TV to maintain a stable power supply. The cable may intermittently maintain contact with the wall outlet, turning on one moment and then turning off the next.

This may also occur if you’re using a broken power strip that can’t properly power the devices plugged into it.

So, double-check that your TV is securely plugged into the wall outlet. If you’re using a power strip, try plugging your TV directly into a power outlet instead.

2. HDMI-CEC Feature

If you have any external devices plugged into your Sony TV’s HDMI ports, their HDMI-CEC feature may be causing your TV to reboot.

HDMI-CEC allows HDMI devices to control one another through an HDMI connection (this does not apply to devices connected to your TV via HDMI adapters). This function can usually be found in TVs, consoles, AV receivers, sound systems, and so on, and allows you to control them with one remote.

This feature usually comes in handy when you have several HDMI-compatible devices connected to your TV at once. However, it can also cause your TV to reboot if it detects commands from any of the connected devices.

So, try unplugging any HDMI-CEC-compatible devices from your TV. If your TV stops rebooting once these devices have been unplugged, then you’ve found your culprit.

3. Malfunctioning Remote

Your TV remote may be sending random commands to your TV, causing it to turn off and on.

So, move your remote to another room or hide its infrared sensor with your finger or a piece of opaque tape. Then, wait a few minutes to see if your TV reboots again.

If it doesn’t, then your remote may be malfunctioning.

Replace your remote’s batteries with fresh ones. Then, try to use your TV normally to see if it reboots.

If it does, your remote may be broken and in need of replacement. Ensure you purchase a compatible replacement that will work with your Sony TV model.

4. Crashed During a Software Update

Software updates are delicate processes and your TV must stay on throughout them to ensure that all of the files are properly installed. So, if your TV crashed or was randomly turned off during one of these updates, its software may have gotten corrupted.

Unfortunately, the only solution to this problem is to factory reset your TV, which will erase all of its data and restore its default settings.

Factory Reset

If you have enough time to navigate your TV settings before it reboots, try factory resetting your TV via its settings. Otherwise, it’s best to force a factory reset via the TV buttons.

Step 1: Click your remote’s Home key.

Step 2: Open the Settings, found in the Home screen’s upper-right corner.

Step 3: Go to Storage & Reset.

Step 4: Head to Factory data reset.

Step 5: Click on Erase everything.

Step 6: Select Yes.

Watch the video below demonstrating how to factory reset a Sony smart TV.

Forced Factory Reset

If your TV is rebooting every few seconds and stuck in a boot loop, it may not be turned on long enough for you to access its settings. So, you will have to perform a forced factory reset using its control panel.

Feel free to use also this solution if you can access your TV settings.

This solution involves pressing and holding your TV’s control panel buttons. If you’re not sure where your TV’s buttons are, check out Sony’s guide to BRAVIA TV buttons.

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

Step 2: Press and hold all of the buttons on your TV’s control panels.

Step 3: Keeping all of the TV buttons pressed down, plug your TV back in. You may need a friend to help you with this step.

Step 4: Continue pressing the buttons until the erasing screen (marked by a rainbow ring) appears on-screen. Now, you may release the TV buttons and set your TV up.

Watch the video below demonstrating how to force factory reset on a Sony TV.

5. Audio Issue

Your Sony TV may be rebooting due to an audio issue. To see if this is the root of the problem, examine its LED status light. If it’s blinking eight times in a row, your TV’s faulty audio settings are causing the boot loop.

Step 1: Disconnect your Sony TV from all networks. If your TV is connected to Ethernet, unplug the Ethernet cable.

If it’s connected to Wi-Fi and stays on long enough for you to navigate its settings, disable its Wi-Fi function.

Alternatively, you may have to turn off your router. If your TV is connected to Wi-Fi via a USB Wi-Fi adapter, unplug the adapter from your TV.

Step 2: Now that your TV is disconnected from the internet, power cycle it by following the instructions outlined above.

Step 3: Then, factory reset or force factory reset it (depending on if you can access the settings) by following the steps above.

Step 4: Once you’ve factory reset your TV, follow the initial setup process, skipping the Network and IR Blaster screens.

Step 5: If your TV is still rebooting after this process, update its software.

Update via the Internet

Note: If you are unable to access your TV settings, you won’t be able to update your TV software via the Internet. Instead, skip to the next solution to update it via a flash drive.

Step 1: Press the remote’s Home button.

Step 2: Go to the left of the screen and open Apps.

Step 3: Head to Help.

Step 4: Go to Status & Diagnostics.

Step 5: Navigate to System Software Update.

Step 6: Click on Software Update.

Step 7: If there is a new software update, follow the instructions on-screen to install it. Your TV must stay on throughout this process.

Watch the video below to learn how to update a Sony TV via the Internet.

Update via a Flash Drive

While updating your TV via a flash drive is more involved than updating it via the internet, it is your only option if your TV’s display will not stay on for longer than a few seconds.

Step 1: Head to Sony Support on your computer. Since this solution involves downloading and adjusting files, you will not be able to do it from your smartphone or tablet.

Step 2: Verify your TV’s model number and type it into the search bar.

Step 3: Go to Downloads.

Step 4: Click on the firmware update file.

Step 5: Click on Download.

Step 6: Once downloaded, check the updated file’s size. Ensure you have a USB with a larger available capacity than the updated file.

Step 7: Plug the flash drive into your computer’s USB port.

Step 8: Before you can put the file on the flash drive, you will need to format the flash drive. Set the USB’s file system to FAT32 and adjust the volume label to “sony update” so you can easily find it later.

Step 9: Extract the .pkg file from the downloaded .zip update file.

Step 10: Now, copy said .pkg file to your flash drive. Then, extract the flash drive from your computer.

Step 11: Turn on your TV.

Step 12: Find your TV’s SS USB (USB 3.0+) port, which usually has a blue rim. Then, plug your flash drive into the port.

Step 13: If you’ve successfully formatted your USB and extracted the file, the update should install automatically. During the installation process, do not touch anything on your TV.

Do not touch any of its buttons, unplug or connect external devices, disconnect it from power, and so on. Touching any of the TV’s hardware could cause the update to fail and corrupt your TV, which can be very expensive (and at times impossible) to fix.

Watch the video below demonstrating how to manually update a Sony TV with a flash drive.

Wrapping Things Up

The first steps you should take if your Sony TV is rebooting is back up any data and power cycle it to resolve any glitches.

However, if this doesn’t work, check its power cable, connected HDMI-CEC-compatible devices, and remote. If you’ve recently installed a new software update that has failed and corrupted your TV, you must factory reset it.

Boot loops can also be caused by audio issues, and you may have to install the latest software updates to resolve them.

If none of the above solutions stop your TV from rebooting, we recommend contacting Sony customer support.

What’s your experience with Sony TVs rebooting? Did this article help you finally put an end to your TV’s boot loop?

Let us know in the comments below!

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