# Dead Photon with Led D7 On **URL:** \ **Category:** Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [February 10, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921 "2016-02-10T11:14:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![biizuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@biizuka](https://community.particle.io/u/biizuka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/1 "2016-02-10T11:14:58Z")
Hi guys, Yesterday I updated my firmware photon to 0.4.9 and today I was trying to run some app. The app that I was trying to run was the example “blink the led”. When I flashed it, my photon was blinking magenta continuously and suddenly it stopped. Now, it is not showing any signal or blinking led. I’ve tried to put in the safe mode, but the setup and reset button are not working. The photon stays with the D7 on. What else should I do? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/2 "2016-02-10T12:14:44Z")
Nasty… hold the SETUP button and plug the usb in. What happens? ---
**Author:** ![Moors7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/moors7/32/588_2.png) [@Moors7](https://community.particle.io/u/Moors7)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/3 "2016-02-10T13:06:04Z")
Make sure there’s no external circuitry attached when trying that. Also, ensure your got a proper power supply, and a good USB cable. Wouldn’t be the first time that messed things up. ---
**Author:** ![biizuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@biizuka](https://community.particle.io/u/biizuka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/4 "2016-02-10T13:31:48Z")
Kenethlimcp… Thank you for replying. I’ve already tried this. The photon doesnt give me any sign that is working. Moors7… Thank you for replying. My photon is in the breadboard without any other component and my usb cable is the same that I use in my other photon (that is working) and the power supply is my laptop. Any other advice? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![kennethlimcp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@kennethlimcp](https://community.particle.io/u/kennethlimcp)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/5 "2016-02-10T15:15:11Z")
@corey ---
**Author:** ![jvanier](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/jvanier/32/5542_2.png) [@jvanier](https://community.particle.io/u/jvanier)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/6 "2016-02-10T15:32:19Z")
Is the blue LED brightly lit or dimly lit? Dimly lit means the debugger port is active. You can try connecting D7, D6, D5, D4 to GND to force all debug signals to an off state (make sure no other components are connected to these pins). Then power on the Photon and try safe mode. Also try the Photon outside of the breadboard. Maybe there’s a bad connection in your breadboard? ---
**Author:** ![biizuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@biizuka](https://community.particle.io/u/biizuka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/7 "2016-02-10T16:50:35Z")
The blue led is dimly, so I tried to connect D4-D7 to GND. The blue led now is off, but I’m not able to enter in the safe mode. The breadboard is working fine, because I tried the same breadboard with other photon in the same position and it is working. ---
**Author:** ![corey](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/corey/32/5703_2.png) [@corey](https://community.particle.io/u/corey)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/8 "2016-02-10T20:26:04Z")
can you put the device into [DFU mode](https://docs.particle.io/guide/getting-started/modes/photon/#dfu-mode-device-firmware-upgrade-) and issue `particle update` from the CLI (this will take your firmware to a version of 0.4.9) and let’s see if the issue still persists from there -Corey ---
**Author:** ![biizuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@biizuka](https://community.particle.io/u/biizuka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 9:08pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/9 "2016-02-10T21:08:57Z")
I’m not able to put in DFU mode. The setup and reset button are not working. Is there any other way to do it? As a reminder, the laptop is not recognizing the photon, it says the photon is disconnected. ---
**Author:** ![corey](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/corey/32/5703_2.png) [@corey](https://community.particle.io/u/corey)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/10 "2016-02-10T22:34:30Z")
reaching out to you now in a private message. ---
**Author:** ![maltesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@maltesea](https://community.particle.io/u/maltesea)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/11 "2016-02-13T13:38:42Z")
If you can keep this thread public that would be great as I’m having similar issue. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![FlaredElectronics](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/flaredelectronics/32/8962_2.png) [@FlaredElectronics](https://community.particle.io/u/FlaredElectronics)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/12 "2016-02-16T17:45:22Z")
OP, had this issue once and I found out it was from some kind of flaw in the handing of the photon or the placement of the heat spreader. This flaw could be either by myself or production because it was intermediate. My fix was simple. Get your hands on some precision Suface Mount sharp tweezers, and a magnifying glass. Check around the left side of the heatspreader for where it may be touching the wrong parts. ( hopefully someone from Particle can help us on what is the right parts) gently bend it upward slowly and attempt to power on, but NOT which you have the tweezers in there. I successfully recovered from these same symptoms, by fiddling with this idea. My guess is the next step is JTAG, which may be what the Particle engineers want to keep private. This is understandable. [the heatspreader is the laser etched Particle metal piece in the center of the unit] ---
**Author:** ![JuvsGamer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/juvsgamer/32/15760_2.png) [@JuvsGamer](https://community.particle.io/u/JuvsGamer)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/13 "2018-01-04T03:55:23Z")
Any solution to this problem? Same situation here… ---
**Author:** ![ScruffR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/scruffr/32/6952_2.png) [@ScruffR](https://community.particle.io/u/ScruffR)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/14 "2018-01-04T03:58:58Z")
If you update the system to 0.7.0 (currently RC6) _before_ this problem hits the device should be able to heal itself. If you hadn’t you’ll need to go the JTAG/SWD way 😉 ---
**Author:** ![qyomok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c6cbf5/32.png) [@qyomok](https://community.particle.io/u/qyomok)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/15 "2018-07-19T17:03:45Z")
I am having the same issue, i emailed particle support but i didn’t a response yet. How can i fix this issue? i tried updating the firmware but the setup and reset button are not working can’t put it in DFU mode. Only the D7 light is dimly lit. Can you please help ??? ---
**Author:** ![ninjatill](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/ninjatill/32/17370_2.png) [@ninjatill](https://community.particle.io/u/ninjatill)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 3:29am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/16 "2018-07-20T03:29:57Z")
I think this is similar to other posts regarding the dim blue LED. It would require a JTAG programmer to reprogram the bootloader: > [@Spark core not responding. Only small blue LED is on](https://community.particle.io/t/spark-core-not-responding-only-small-blue-led-is-on/824/38): > > Unfortunately a Dim D7 is caused by an erased bootloader and can only be fixed by JTAG or SWD. It can’t even be fixed by USB. The lost keys, lost settings, and lost boot loader may be variations of [this problem](https://community.particle.io/t/bug-bounty-electron-not-booting-after-battery-discharges-completely/25043): When some situation, it tends to be a low-power brown-out type of situation, occurs, it appears that certain flash sectors can be erased. Sometimes, it’s the sector that contains settings (like Wi-Fi settings or device keys), and sometimes it’s the boot loader. When the boot loader ge… > [@Electron Wont boot up](https://community.particle.io/t/electron-wont-boot-up/42439/2): > > Test pad D7 to GND. If the device is missing the bootloader D7 will be held high with a weak pull-up for JTAG/SWD. If you had a blue LED on D7 like the Electron, it would be on, dimly. If the problem is indeed the missing bootloader, then you’d need to flash that using SWD using a ST-LINK/v2 JTAG/SWD programmer (or similar). It needs to connect to D7, D6, 3V3, and GND. > [@St-link & programmer shield only! - So, you've decided you want to update your bootloader and everything](https://community.particle.io/t/st-link-programmer-shield-only-so-youve-decided-you-want-to-update-your-bootloader-and-everything/2355/7): > > If we can get a clear way to reproduce the failure, then yeah, we would definitely want to debug. ---
**Author:** ![jimini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@jimini](https://community.particle.io/u/jimini)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/dead-photon-with-led-d7-on/19921/17 "2018-07-20T14:42:10Z")
Or use a secondary photon with the Norweigan Blue code to reflash the bootloader?