Reboot, reset, or restore HoloLens 2 (2023)

Use thecharger and the USB Type-C cablethat came with the HoloLens 2 as this is the best way to charge your device. The charger delivers 18 W of power (9 V at 2 A). With the included wall charger, HoloLens 2 devices can fully charge the battery in less than 65 minutes when the device is in sleep mode. If this accessory is not available, make sure that the available charger supports at least 15W power.

If the device is booted up and running correctly, there are three ways to check the battery charge level:

• From the main menu of the HoloLens device UI.

• Look at the LED near the power button (at a 40 percent charge you should see at least two solid LEDs).

  • While the device is charging, the battery indicator lights up to show the current charge level. The last light will fade in and out to indicate active charging.
  • When your HoloLens is on, the battery indicator shows the battery level in five steps.
  • If only one of the five lights is lit, the battery level is below 20 percent.
  • When the battery level is critically low and you try to turn on the device, an LED blinks briefly and then turns off.

• Open on your host PCfile managerand look for your HoloLens 2 device on the left belowThis PC. Right-click the device and select itcharacteristics. A dialog box displays the battery charge level.

  

If the device fails to boot into the boot menu, note the LED appearance and device enumeration on the host PC. Then follow theTroubleshooting guide. If the condition of the device does not match any of the conditions listed in the troubleshooting guide, run thehard reboot procedurewhen the device is connected to power, not to your host PC. Wait at least an hour for the device to charge.

Restart the device

In certain circumstances, you may need to manually restart the device without using the software's user interface. This can help you solve a problem you are encountering without having to reset/reflash your device.

Standard restart procedure

1. Disconnect the Type-C cable to disconnect the device from the power supply or the host PC.

2. Hold down theEnergybutton for 15 seconds. All LEDs should be off.

3. Wait 2-3 seconds and then press brieflyEnergyButton. The LEDs near the power button will light up and the device will start to boot.

4. Connect the device to the host PC and then open Device Manager. (For Windows 10 press theWindowskey and then theXbutton, and then selectdevice manager.) Make sure the device enumerates as correctlyMicrosoft HoloLensas shown in the following picture:

   

Hard restart procedure

If the standard reset procedure did not work, use the hard restart procedure:

1. Disconnect the Type-C cable to disconnect the device from the power supply or the host PC.

2. Hold down thevolume down+Energykeys for 15 seconds. The device will restart automatically.

3. Connect the device to the host PC.

4. Open Device Manager (for Windows 10 press theWindowskey and then theXbutton, and then selectdevice manager). Make sure the device is correctly listed asMicrosoft HoloLensas shown in the following picture:

   

Reset the device

You can reset your device directly from your headset. Choosesettings, then selectUpdate & security > Reset & restore > Reset this device.

Resetting in this way will remove all user accounts and erase all data.

Perform a clean reflash of the device

In exceptional situations, you may need to "clean-flash" the HoloLens 2. Please note that clean-reflash is not expected to affect the following issues:

• Show color uniformity
• Booting with sound but no display output
• 1-3-5-LED-Muster
• overheating
• OS crashes (which are distinct from application crashes)

There are two ways to reflash the device. For both you must firstInstall Advanced Recovery Companion from the Windows Store.

By default, Advanced Recovery Companion is set to download the latest feature release build. For the latest feature release, seeHoloLens 2 release notes. Download the latest monthly HoloLens 2 image to get the latest HoloLens 2 Full Flash Update (FFU) package to re-flash your device via Advanced Recovery Companion:https://aka.ms/hololens2download. This version is the latest generally available build.

Before starting the flash process, make sure the app is installed and running on your Windows 10 PC and ready to detect the device. Also, make sure your HoloLens has at least a 40% charge.

Normal flash process

1. While the HoloLens device is running, connect it to the Windows 10 PC where you previously opened the Advanced Recovery Companion app.

   The device will be automatically detected and the Advanced Recovery Companion app UI will start the update process:

   

2. Select the HoloLens 2 device in the Advanced Recovery Companion app UI and follow the prompts to complete the reflash.

Procedure for manual flashing mode

You may need to put the device into recovery mode if:

• The HoloLens 2 does not start properly
• Advanced Recovery Companion cannot detect the device
• You no longer know the password/PIN for a device that only has a single user

1. Disconnect the Type-C cable to disconnect the device from the power supply or the host PC.

2. Hold down theEnergybutton for 15 seconds. All LEDs should go out.

3. When pressing thevolume upPress and release buttonEnergybutton to start the device. Wait 15 seconds and then releasevolume upButton. Only the middle of the five LEDs lights up.

4. Connect the device to the host PC and open Device Manager. (For Windows 10 press theWindowskey, and then theXbutton, and then selectdevice manager.) Make sure the device is correctly listed as Microsoft HoloLens as shown in the image below:

   

   The device will be automatically detected and the Advanced Recovery Companion app UI will start the update process:

   

5. Select the HoloLens 2 device in the Advanced Recovery Companion app UI, and then follow the prompts to complete the reflash.

Wipe the device

You canErase your HoloLens 2 remotelyFrom the Intune Company Portal if youcannot access it to perform a reset. If you choose themPreserve registration status and user accountcheck box before starting theWipeAction you can keep the user data.

For more information, seeRemove devices by deleting, retiring, or manually unenrolling the device.

Troubleshooting Advanced Recovery Companion

1. Make sure your device has 40% or more charge before attempting to flash.

2. Check if your device is unlocked.

3. Check that your device is connected directly to the host PC and not to a hub.

4. If your device does not show up as a HoloLens/HoloLens recovery device under Universal Serial Bus Drivers, check the following:

   1. ports, as a Qualcomm HS USB device
   2. other devices, as a QUSB_BULK device - Your host PC lacks the necessary drivers to recognize your HoloLens. Right click and select update driver and search for drivers online orEnable optional updates in your Windows Update settings. After the driver is downloaded, ARC should be able to recognize it.

5. If ARC does not recognize your device, make sure you can connect to your device using File Explorer on your PC. If you can't;

   1. It's possible that your device has USB policies that disable this connection. If yes, try itManual flashing mode.
   2. If there are no guidelines, try a different USB cable.

6. Make sure your device doesn't display a1-3-5-LED-Muster.

Download ARC without using the App Store

If the IT environment prevents the use of the Windows Store app or restricts access to the retail store, the IT admin can make that app available through an "offline" deployment path.

Follow these steps to enable the mount point:

1. Go toMicrosoft Store for Businessand sign in with an Azure Active Directory identity.

2. Go toManage - Settings. To turn onShow offline appsundershopping experience.

3. Go toShop for my group, and search forAdvanced Recovery Companion.

4. change thatlicense typetooffline, and selectAdminister.

5. UnderDownload the package for offline use, select the second blueDownloadButton. Make sure the file extension.appxbundle.

   • If the desktop PC has internet access at this point, double-click the package to install the app.

   • If the target PC does not have an internet connection, follow these steps:

     1. Select the unencrypted license and then selectGenerate license.

     2. UnderRequired frameworks, SelectDownload.

     3. Use DISM to apply the dependency and license package. From an administrator command prompt, run the following command:

        C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /Add-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackagePath:"C:\ARCoffline\Microsoft.AdvancedRecoveryCompanion_1.19050.1301.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.appxbundle" /DependencyPackagePath:"C:\ARCoffline\Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00. UWPDesktop_14.0.27629.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe.appx" /LicensePath:"C:\ARCoffline\Microsoft.AdvancedRecoveryCompanion_8wekyb3d8bbwe_f72ce112-dd2e-d771-8827-9cbcbf89f8b5.xml" /Region:all

        note

        The version number in this code sample may not match the currently available version. You may have chosen a different download location than the example. Make changes to the command as needed.

Other Resources:

• Distribute offline apps
• DISM app package (.appx or .appxbundle) serving command line options