# Photon SOS (+1 hard fault)

**URL:** <https://community.particle.io/t/photon-sos-1-hard-fault/42964>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Created:** [July 12, 2018, 9:34am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-sos-1-hard-fault/42964 "2018-07-12T09:34:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Pixinger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/pixinger/32/14345_2.png) [@Pixinger](https://community.particle.io/u/Pixinger)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 9:34am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-sos-1-hard-fault/42964/1 "2018-07-12T09:34:51Z")

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Hi  
I have a photon since a few months that stopped working. Now having time, I grabbed and tried to recover it. I know there are a lot of post about SOS hard faults, but none was helping me.

After powering the Photon LED is white for about 500ms (or what ever… you now what I mean). After this it immediately turns to SOS +1 (hard fault) code.  
I have no posibillity to come to “safe mode” as the SOS seems to interrupt the procedure. Also it seems to be impossible to turn on listen mode. However I can switch to DFU mode (yeah!).

I tried the following:  
particle update (successfull, but still SOS+1)  
particle flash --usb tinker (successfull, but still SOS+1)  
particle flash --usb system-part1-0.7.0-photon.bin (followed by a …)  
particle flash --usb system-part2-0.7.0-photon.bin (followed by a …)  
particle flash --usb tinker (successfull, but still SOS+1)  
particle doctor (not sure if successfull. It flashed the firmware, flashed the doctor, but SOS+1 occured after the message if it should scan for nearby WiFi).

particle version reports “1.32.4”

So, I’m out of ideas… Is the device maybe broken?  
Thanks for any ideas  
Pix

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**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:** [July 12, 2018, 9:40am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-sos-1-hard-fault/42964/2 "2018-07-12T09:40:47Z")

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> [@Pixinger](#):
>
> So, I’m out of ideas… Is the device maybe broken?

I fear so. I've had a couple devices which I probably didn't treat to gently (😔) behaving the same way and even with flashing them via JTAG I could not get them back to working order.

No idea what the actual cause is, but I've since used them as display items rather than working devices 🕶

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pixinger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/pixinger/32/14345_2.png) [@Pixinger](https://community.particle.io/u/Pixinger)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 9:45am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-sos-1-hard-fault/42964/3 "2018-07-12T09:45:13Z")

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Thanks ScruffR for your quick response.

At least I got the confirmation from an experienced user, that I most likely killed a photon 😣. No idea how this happend, but hey… can’t change it now.

Thanks again 🕶  
Pix