Samsung TV owners can factory reset a misbehaving set from the settings menu, Engadget guide says

Engadget says a streaming app may freeze repeatedly no matter how many times it is reinstalled, or the operating system may develop problems such as video glitches. A reset carries no guarantee of a fix, the guide states, but it is a reasonable troubleshooting step. Once a factory reset is triggered there is no going back: besides reconfiguring picture and sound preferences, owners will be redownloading apps and operating system updates.

Before starting, the guide advises writing down PIN codes and passwords, including logins for streaming apps and the Wi-Fi router, since they will be needed to watch anything after the reset. Viewers content with over-the-air television, a Blu-ray player or a connected console or PC may still want to go online briefly to install updates for Tizen, Samsung's operating system.

The factory reset itself takes few steps. From the home screen, select Settings, then All Settings, then General and Privacy; Reset sits at the very bottom of that menu. A PIN is required even if the owner has never created one, with 0000 as the default, and selecting OK begins the process a moment later. Engadget notes that Samsung periodically relabels buttons and menus when it updates Tizen, so the exact wording can shift between generations, though the procedure stays broadly the same.

For minor or one-off problems, the guide describes softer options. A simple reboot means unplugging the TV for 30 seconds or holding the power button on the remote for five seconds; the set turns off briefly and comes back with the Samsung logo. That clears the television's RAM and system cache and restarts background processes that can sometimes glitch.

A Smart Hub reset, meanwhile, reverts the hub's options to defaults and wipes its associated apps and account information, so apps must be redownloaded and logins re-entered. The path runs through Settings, All Settings, Support, Device Care, Self Diagnosis and then Reset Smart Hub, again with a PIN that defaults to 0000.

For connection problems specifically, the guide offers a network reset reached through Settings, All Settings, Connections and Network, followed by Reset Network and a confirmation. Afterwards the owner returns to Network Settings to enter the router's SSID and password. Engadget cautions that the fault more likely lies with the router or the service provider, and those should be checked first.

The guide concludes that if a reboot does not solve the problem, moving straight to a factory reset can save the hassle of resetting components one by one. The only thing really at risk, it says, is a critical login the owner cannot remember.