To perform a factory reset on a Samsung TV without a remote, you’ll need a USB keyboard. First, turn off your television. The physical power button sit in the bottom center part of the screen bezel and has a tiny red indicator light right beside it.
Turns out it was a button that will turn the tv all the way off.
Navigating the Reset Menu
You press that button to shut the TV off completely.
Plug it right into one of the USB ports on the back of the TV… The connector is basically a USB keyboard. It will recognize that as an input, and you might even see “No Signal” on the screen for HDMI 1 initialy.
The menu arrives.
You use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move through the Quick Settings menu. The menu display options such as Sound Mode and Picture Mode. To get into the General settings section, you’ll need to scroll down with up and down arrow buttons. Remote-free navigation isn’t that bad, just a little bit slow.
Now you’re on the General menu where you find options like Apple AirPlay Settings and System Manager. Because the factory reset function is labeled “Start Setup,” you go to that one and use the Enter key to select it.
But the screen will change instantly
Enter your default PIN (which is 0000). Hit Enter.
You don’t have to look anything up; it just works with the default credentials. You don’t need any special tool. And the PIN entry prompt show up right on-screen:
If you don’t want to download a SmartThings app but still want to use a remote, or if you just don’t like remotes, you can always use a keyboard. This way, there is no remote at all and no need to install Wi-Fi. Just plug it in physically and it will work great. You get your device back under your control, no need to buy a new one.
This will work on just about any Samsung device and the menu layout hasn’t changed between firmwares. Before you begin, make sure there is nothing covering the USB port.
Everything worked as expected; the arrow keys translates well into the menu with no delay and typing on the keyboard feels snappy. After resetting your television it wipes out all prior settings so you’ll have to configure your networks again. That’s not too big of a hassle if you’ve already made it in. Getting into the menus was the hard part.
The bottom line: Remotes suck so it’s nice to have a backup on hand. Less time lost means more time watching. No added steps required. Simply power off, plug in, go to bed, power on, go back to bed, press buttons, done. This would of worked in less than five minutes from start to finish. The TV isn’t broken, and the settings are reset and ready.
