# Core won't connect, and the usual restore/reset methods aren't working **URL:** \ **Category:** Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [January 24, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323 "2014-01-24T01:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twalsh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/twalsh/32/2926_2.png) [@twalsh](https://community.particle.io/u/twalsh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/1 "2014-01-24T01:11:18Z")
Before today, my core was working just fine. Had some downtime at the office, so I played around writing a few simple cloud-controlled functions, everything was fine. It had previously worked well at my home network as well. Now, though, I cannot get the Core to connect. I’ve gone as far as factory-resetting it; manually programming the wireless credentials just left it blinking green endlessly. After using the Android app, it accepts my credentials, and begins flashing fuchsia as it does when it is being reprogrammed, then begins attempting to reconnect. It briefly flashes green, then rapidly flashes cyan for a moment, before sitting on a solid fuchsia light for a few seconds before repeating the loop all over again. Eventually, it will either begin blinking cyan as if it’s lost the connection, or it will just sit on a solid fuchsia light, as it is currently doing. It has done this both at my office and here at home; it’s worked fine at both places before. I’ve tried to reload the factory firmware via DFU mode, but that only results in dfu\_util.exe giving me the message “Opening DFU capable USB device… Cannot open device” How can I restore my Spare Core to working order? ---
**Author:** ![twalsh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/twalsh/32/2926_2.png) [@twalsh](https://community.particle.io/u/twalsh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/2 "2014-01-24T01:33:09Z")
Just in case my description of the light sequence is tough to follow, (long day at work plus a few hours of graduate studies…), I attempted to take a short video to show what I mean. [https://www.dropbox.com/s/wp4c5flf2ra006a/2014-01-24%2001.12.41.mp4](https://www.dropbox.com/s/wp4c5flf2ra006a/2014-01-24%2001.12.41.mp4) ---
**Author:** ![Lexa](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/lexa/32/20834_2.png) [@Lexa](https://community.particle.io/u/Lexa)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/3 "2014-01-24T02:19:00Z")
Hello, I have pretty much the same problem here. However, today is the first time I plug my spark. So, I never got it to work actually. My spark goes through the same cycle: white-\>green-\>cyan-\>magenta-\>reboot. See this video: > **[No photos or videos](https://www.dropbox.com/sc/3xoqbhdt2n19ts0/iJuP1D0EW9)** > > Shared with Dropbox I should also note that when it reboots, at the moment the magenta light disappears there is a small flicker on the blue D7 led. If I factory reset, the first boot it updates (if it does not get stuck on a fixed magenta…), then reboot to enter this loop :(. Could it also be similar to what some other people are reporting today, like [https://community.spark.io/t/solid-magenta-after-a-few-minutes-of-flashing-magenta/636/35](https://community.spark.io/t/solid-magenta-after-a-few-minutes-of-flashing-magenta/636/35) ? (Damn, seems I chose a bad day to start with my sparks… My second one does not even go through the flashing green ☹ ) ---
**Author:** ![Tom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/tom/32/2181_2.png) [@Tom](https://community.particle.io/u/Tom)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/4 "2014-01-24T03:04:17Z")
I’m having the same problem here. I can tell it is connected to WiFi and has been given an IP, but that’s about it. The Core never stops cycling through its various LED colors. This was its first time was out of the box. I tried a factory reset, no change. ---
**Author:** ![Joosh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@Joosh](https://community.particle.io/u/Joosh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/5 "2014-01-24T03:39:34Z")
Looks like im getting a similar issue as well, up until tonight my core has been able to connect and I’ve been doing plenty of work on it without issue. I’ve let my core sit and go through the noted color cycle, but I noticed that every so often I get 3 red flashes. From the support docs this indicates that there could be some sort of outage in the Spark Cloud, but there isn’t anything noted from what I’ve seen. If you guys let your core sit and attempt to connect do you see three red flashes eventually as well? ---
**Author:** ![twalsh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/twalsh/32/2926_2.png) [@twalsh](https://community.particle.io/u/twalsh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/6 "2014-01-24T04:18:21Z")
Yep, I sometimes get the three red lights as well. ---
**Author:** ![zach](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/zach/32/20714_2.png) [@zach](https://community.particle.io/u/zach)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/7 "2014-01-24T05:01:28Z")
Hi all - we published a firmware update today with a bug in it, but the issue has now been fixed; if you do a factory reset, it should revert back to normal behavior. Sorry about that! ---
**Author:** ![twalsh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/twalsh/32/2926_2.png) [@twalsh](https://community.particle.io/u/twalsh)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/8 "2014-01-24T05:29:23Z")
Thanks for your prompt response, Zach! But even after a factory reset just now, I’m still seeing this problem. Is there anything in particular I need to do beyond factory reset to force it to load the new firmware? Edit: Went to bed, woke up, everything’s cool now. Thanks again Zach. ---
**Author:** ![calistra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/calistra/32/2069_2.png) [@calistra](https://community.particle.io/u/calistra)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/9 "2014-03-13T14:28:56Z")
I have tried to reflash the core and I get the following Dave-Appletons-MacBook-Pro:build daveappleton$ dfu-util -l dfu-util 0.5 © 2005-2008 by Weston Schmidt, Harald Welte and OpenMoko Inc. © 2010-2011 Tormod Volden (DfuSe support) This program is Free Software and has ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY dfu-util does currently only support DFU version 1.0 Found DFU: [1d50:607f] devnum=0, cfg=1, intf=0, alt=0, name="@Internal Flash /0x08000000/20_001Ka,108_001Kg" Found DFU: [1d50:607f] devnum=0, cfg=1, intf=0, alt=1, name="@SPI Flash : SST25x/0x00000000/512\*04Kg" Dave-Appletons-MacBook-Pro:build daveappleton$ dfu-util -d 1d50:607f -a 0 -s 0x08005000:leave -D cc3000-patch-programmer.bin invalid dfuse address: 0x08005000:leave Dave-Appletons-MacBook-Pro:build daveappleton$ dfu-util -d 1d50:607f -a 0 -s 0x08005000:leave -D cc3000-patch-programmer.bin invalid dfuse address: 0x08005000:leave ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/10 "2014-03-13T14:33:55Z")
@calistra seems like your dfu-util is a little old at 0.5 could you install a newer version? The devices are showing up correctly but the memory space of them are not ---
**Author:** ![calistra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/calistra/32/2069_2.png) [@calistra](https://community.particle.io/u/calistra)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/11 "2014-03-14T04:58:34Z")
> [@calistra](#): > > invalid dfuse address: 0x08005000:leave My first core connected using the App but I could not claim it so I used USB to get the hex ID. I then checked setting the Wifi via USB and was asked for Wifi Type. For the second, the behaviour was different. It would not connect. It obviously connected to the app because it moved out of waiting mode to flash a kind of orange alternating with flashing cyan. I reflashed using 0.7 successfully - but still cannot connect ☹ I still get alternating between green flashing and cyan flashing even when setting wifi params via USB. Oddly - the second does not ask for interface type but the first one did. ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/12 "2014-03-14T05:36:05Z")
@calistra, You mean the 2nd did not asked for Wifi security type over USB? What are you flashing over dfu-util? You’re like doing multiple stuff at one go… 1. Settle on connecting the core successfully to the cloud 1st. 2. Over USB or using the tinker App. Also, make sure if the core is a u.fl type, there’s an antenna attached. 3. There’s no need to downloading anything through dfu-util when trying to connect the core to visit. We had a similar case where the core kept blinking green and cyan but did not become breathing cyan. There’s a solution for that. Can you try again to connect the core to the cloud and let us know the results? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![calistra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/calistra/32/2069_2.png) [@calistra](https://community.particle.io/u/calistra)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/13 "2014-03-14T15:56:19Z")
OK - both cores have chip antennae using the app #1 would connect to the cloud but not #2 I could not claim #1 so I used USB to get the hex ID (i) and since I was there I also set up the wifi manually (w) then claimed it via spark IDE #2 would not connect to the cloud from the App. You could see that it was trying to but it failed. So I tried USB to enter the credentials. It asked for SSID and Password (entered ok) and reverted to switching between the flashing orange and the flashing cyan. At this point I noticed that #2 did not ask: Security 0=unsecured, 1=WEP, 2=WPA, 3=WPA2: Since I was having no luck, and found on the forums that it may sometimes be needed to re-flash the core, I went where angels fear to tread and downloaded dfu-util (brew = 0.5, macports = 0.7) and the zipped stuff from the site, installed gcc-arm as instructed and while I could re-flash, no improvement was forthcoming… So I can tinker with #1 but was trying to get both up before I try doing something really stupid (sorry - that should read “impressive”). ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/14 "2014-03-14T20:48:54Z")
#2 core of yours has V01 of the factory reset firmware which doesn’t ask for security type. Are you able to send wifi credentials to #2 via USB? What is the status of the led agter you sent and the core restarts? ---
**Author:** ![calistra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/calistra/32/2069_2.png) [@calistra](https://community.particle.io/u/calistra)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/15 "2014-03-24T19:53:47Z")
Sorry - was a bit diverted… Just reset my network (was using ch13 - now ch6) Same - core #1 can connect core #2 cannot. Set credentials over USB SSID: Istana\_Bahru Password: ### correct password entered ### Thanks! Wait about 7 seconds while I save those credentials… Awesome. Now we’ll connect! … etc. I get a fast flashing orange with occasional fast flashing cyan === after power cycle ==== cyan slow flash (about 2 second) x 1 green flash (about 3 second) x 1 fast flashing orange with occasional fast flashing cyan ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/16 "2014-03-24T22:03:02Z")
Orange sounds like a bad handshake with the cloud which means there might be some issue with the key on the core. Are you comfortable installing Spark-cli and attempt to update the key? If you ever had breathing cyan, this shouldn't be a problem but looking at the symptoms, it's worth giving it a shot! > FLASHING ORANGE (RED/YELLOW) What’s the Core doing? My Core is flashing yellow/red/orange lights after it connects to Wi-Fi. What’s the problem? A decryption error occurred during the handshake with the Spark Cloud ---
**Author:** ![calistra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/calistra/32/2069_2.png) [@calistra](https://community.particle.io/u/calistra)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/17 "2014-03-25T01:59:41Z")
Yeah - why not. Will try later. Silly question - you wouldn’t happen to be in SG would you? (Just guessing from the name) ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/18 "2014-03-25T02:08:31Z")
Well indeed i’m from here 😉 ---
**Author:** ![calistra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/calistra/32/2069_2.png) [@calistra](https://community.particle.io/u/calistra)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/19 "2014-03-26T02:58:12Z")
Ok - visit HackerspaceSG quite a bit (I live in JB). I am using a mac and have been trying to install spark-cli. Having trouble with installing serialport module even though I updated the CLI Tools ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323/20 "2014-03-26T03:14:19Z")
Hmm try using sudo to install spark-cli or see this: > **[I have trouble with spark-cli](https://community.particle.io/t/i-have-trouble-with-spark-cli/3447/8)** > > There’s a solution for npm on Mac in general. sudo npm config set registry http://registry.npmjs.org/ chown \[username\] .npm Anyone interested to debug more and solve the issue can try http://stackoverflow.com/a/22207869 I worked... [Next page](https://community.particle.io/t/core-wont-connect-and-the-usual-restore-reset-methods-arent-working/2323.md?page=2)