# Photon unresponsive, steady blue light
**URL:** https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725
**Category:** Troubleshooting
**Created:** [July 29, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725 "2016-07-29T23:59:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Michele](https://community.particle.io/u/Michele)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/1 "2016-07-29T23:59:29Z")
So today I found my Photon completely non-functional. The only thing showing is a steady blue light on the user LED off to the side. The main multi-color LED between the two buttons is off. I tried power-cycling, a different USB cable, etc. but every time I power it up, the small blue LED lights up and nothing else. I tried pressing various combinations of both buttons but nothing happens. Also, when I plug it into my laptop, it’s not making the usual “USB device connected” sound.
How do I get this thing going again?
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### Author:  [@ScruffR](https://community.particle.io/u/ScruffR)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2016, 6:48am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/2 "2016-07-30T06:48:40Z")
Any idea how your device got there?
There are some threads about _dim blue_ which usually tell you’d need to reflash the core firmware and bootloader.
For this you’d need a hardware programmer (even another Photon could be used)
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### Author:  [@Michele](https://community.particle.io/u/Michele)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/3 "2016-07-30T16:27:10Z")
This is my Sparkfun Weathershield Photon. Apparently, a connection to the solar panel came loose and the battery ran down.
The USB factory reset method won’t work because I can’t get the Photon into listening mode by pressing the button. But I found this thread: [Using the example app to Revive a Dead Device](https://github.com/m-mcgowan/embedded-swd). I actually do have another (working) (so far) Photon so I’ll give the method described there a try. We’ll see…
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### Author:  [@Michele](https://community.particle.io/u/Michele)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/4 "2016-07-30T18:49:42Z")
OK, so I connected the two Photons together as directed in the “Revive a dead device” page and ran the programmer app. It asked me if I wanted to continue and I said “y”. Then it instantly popped up: \> “SWD Fault error, Please double check the wiring, then try again”
Well I double, triple, and quadruple checked the wiring and all five wires are going exactly where the directions indicate: 3v3 - 3v3, GND - GND on both sides, D6 - D6 and D7 - D7, plus a 10K resistor from 3V3 to D7 on the programmer Photon.
The little LED by D7 is on bright blue on both devices, the multi-color LED on the dead device is still off and the one on the live device is on steady orange. I tried power cycling and running the programmer again but got the same result. I ran it once more and this time it went “Not sure about that. Do you have a dead device and wish to continue?” I said “y” and then it went back to the “SMD fault error”.
Now what???
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### Author:  [@ScruffR](https://community.particle.io/u/ScruffR)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/5 "2016-07-30T19:54:15Z")
In that case you may need to open a support ticket and ask for a replacement device - unless @mdma has an idea why his tool bails out.
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### Author:  [@Michele](https://community.particle.io/u/Michele)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/6 "2016-07-30T20:02:55Z")
I notice that several other people had the identical problem and the same “wiring error” message in this thread: [Dim D7 LED and no other lights](https://community.particle.io/t/dim-d7-led-and-no-other-lights/16329/18)` but no resolution for them either. I even verified jumper continuity by checking the resistance directly between the corresponding source and target pins, right on the header solder connections, in case I had a bad jumper wire or breadboard clip. Everything’s connected. There’s no “wiring error”.
Sigh - I guess it’s support ticket time, though I’d really rather get this one running again if possible.
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### Author:  [@ScruffR](https://community.particle.io/u/ScruffR)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/7 "2016-07-31T05:56:03Z")
The other option - for future instances of this - would be to get a Programmer Shield.
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### Author:  [@will](https://community.particle.io/u/will)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2016, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/8 "2016-07-31T13:12:02Z")
Hey there @Michele – thanks for your patience…we’ll make sure to get the issue sorted out as soon as possible for you. @BDub is ramping up our investigation of these symptoms, and we hope to have a root cause issue identified in the next couple of weeks.
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### Author:  [@Michele](https://community.particle.io/u/Michele)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/9 "2016-07-31T16:09:07Z")
Well many thanks to everyone who offered help with this problem and major kudos to Particle staff. I sent in a support request yesterday afternoon, on a Saturday, and had a reply in less than two hours that a new Photon would be going out to me on Monday. That’s what I call super customer service!
Meanwhile as long as I already have my one remaining good Photon stuck on the breadboard, I will use the time to implement a battery voltage monitor to help keep this from happening again.
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### Author:  [@Michele](https://community.particle.io/u/Michele)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/10 "2016-07-31T16:16:10Z")
> [@ScruffR](#):
>
> The other option - for future instances of this - would be to get a Programmer Shield
Do you mean something like this? [Pocket AVR Programmer](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9825) That might be interesting to play with, especially since Particle doesn't want the dead Photon back.
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### Author:  [@ScruffR](https://community.particle.io/u/ScruffR)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/11 "2016-07-31T19:09:19Z")
Actually I meant this one
[https://docs.particle.io/datasheets/particle-shields/#programmer-shield](https://docs.particle.io/datasheets/particle-shields/#programmer-shield)
Alternatively you could get an ST-LINK/V2
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### Author:  [@Michele](https://community.particle.io/u/Michele)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-unresponsive-steady-blue-light/24725/12 "2016-08-01T00:00:02Z")
I see - thanks!