Nest learning thermostat frozen on home logo

[MattJM]

Hi, I have a used Nest learning thermostat (2nd generation) that I'm trying to install in my home. It was my sister's but she moved and it's not compatible with her new system. I installed everything and connected the thermostat to the base, but all I get is a blinking green light and a white screen with the blue home logo. I left it like that for 15 minutes, but it made no difference. I tried restarting with the unit still on the base by holding it down for 10 seconds. It restarts and comes to the exact same screen and just stays frozen there. I took the thermostat off the base and connected it to my computer with the micro-USB cable for power. I tried the 10 second reset there as well: it restarts, shows the home logo and then says 'Please attach the display to its base'. I ended up having to reinstall the old thermostat for now so we'd have heat.

The old thermostat is very simple - heat only, two wires - white and black. I'm quite sure I have it wired up correctly, as I've installed a Nest learning 3rd gen before on the exact same type of thermostat with no issues. I tried stripping and reseating the wires. Same result.

Is there any way I can do a full factory reset when the menu to do so is currently inaccessible? Any help is much appreciated!

[Jake]

Hey there,

Sorry to hear about the trouble. I wanted to follow up and see if I could be of any help. Do you happen to know if the device is still connected to your sister's account? I found an article with more details on how to reset your device. Please let me know if you are still having any trouble from here, as I would be happy to take a closer look and assist you further. 

Best regards,
Jake

[MattJM]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'm not sure if it's still connected to my sister's account. I've already tried the restart listed in the article (hold down for 10 second) and it just comes back to the home screen. Because the interface is frozen, I can't navigate to the Settings to do a reset. Is there a way I can reset it when it's in this state?

[MattJM]

In addition to my last reply, is there a firmware update I can try applying while the thermostat is connected to my computer? Below is the info from the Nest's properties list file (plist), if that helps.

<dict>
	<key>Base</key>
	<dict>
		<key>Model</key>
		<string>unknown</string>
	</dict>
	<key>Display</key>
	<dict>
		<key>ActivePartition</key>
		<string>primary</string>
		<key>Model</key>
		<string>Display-2.8</string>
		<key>SerialNumber</key>
		<string>REDACTED</string>
		<key>SoftwareUpdateState</key>
		<string>Synchronized - fw:1:0</string>
		<key>SoftwareVersion</key>
		<string>4.5.1</string>
	</dict>
	<key>Network</key>
	<dict>
		<key>MACAddress</key>
		<string>REDACTED</string>
	</dict>
</dict>

[MattJM]

An update, for anyone encountering the same problem. I ended up speaking to someone at Nest Support who was able to provide me with a file that I placed on the Nest while it was connected to my computer. Honestly not sure what the file did, but it seems to have done some type of deeper reset and the Nest was no longer frozen when I connected it back to the base. So, I'm glad it's working now, but it's too bad it took many hours and dealing with 4 different support people before it was finally resolved.

[Jake]

Hey there,

I am glad to hear you were able to get the device working. I am sorry it took so long. I wanted to check in with you, and see if you had any further questions from here. Please let me know, as I will be locking the thread in 24 hours.

Best regards,

Jake