Locked softAP wifi during setup

General
1

I purchased 10 particle Photons but only one out of all ten was able to be set up with the particle phone app. It stalls at “Disconnecting at softAP” and then every one of them gave me an error which said “! Uh Oh! setup process couldn’t disconnect from the photon WiFi network. This is an internal problem with the device…” then it asks me to reset it and try again. I did this on all 9 that failed. These were brand new units. Only one actually went through the entire process. Can you tell me what I do next with these units. I mean I’ve factory reset them and they still do it. I’ve double checked all the passwords and made sure everything on my end is correct.

2

How did you do that?
There is no inbuilt factory reset on Photons.

Try running particle update

3

What is it called when you press both and release the right one while holding down the second one until it turns blinking blue?

4

Right and left depend on how you hold the device.
Tapping RESET while holding SETUP (MODE on the Electron) wouldn't usually go blinking blue at any point. You'd rather see a short period of magenta (which would bring you into Safe Mode on release of SETUP) followed by yellow (ending in DFU Mode on release of SETUP), no other mode after that.
However, when you don't get into DFU Mode you will end up with blinking blue as long you have no WiFi credentials stored.

Also, if you power up the device (or tap RESET without SETUP) and then after that press and hold SETUP for 10+ seconds you'll see rapid blue blinking which indicates the reset of any stored WiFi credentials.

5

I see so when you hold down the right button (USB facing away from you) for 10 seconds, then it resets the WiFi credentials but taping on left and holding right doesn’t ever put you back to factory reset. I thought that was how factory reset works. I’ve got to stop watching Youtube videos!

6

Factory reset was only available for the old Spark Core and there it was an additional "mode" (blinking and rapid flashing white) after DFU Mode.

It's always better to use the button "names" that are printed on the board. The button on the right when you have the USB face away from you (and the chip antenna towards you - unless you are also looking at flip side of the device without actually seeing the buttons :wink: ) is the RESET button and that, when you keep it pressed, won't do anything else than keep the device in permanent reset.

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