The Forerunner 230 reboots several times when running since firmware 4.30 update

Any idea how to solve this? Can I go back to firmware 4.20?

I'd try:

• a user-initiated hard reset; and (if that fails to resolve the issue)
  
• restoring to factory defaults,
  

before approaching Garmin asking to get a firmware downgrade, which it may (if it agrees) send you watch-in-hand to an authorised service centre to have the watch's firmware downgraded – without it being repeatable by you, on-demand, by self-service, or running the risk of superseded firmware images being made available to other users in an unauthorised manner.

I certainly wouldn't assume a firmware downgrade to be available as a ready (or the easiest) DIY option, from the comfort of your own home, that minimises the likelihood of user data loss from the watch itself.

I am having similar problems with FW 4.30 causing the watch to reboot when recording an activity. In my case I have only tried to run a CIQ app since the update. The watch has been working fine as along as I only run a watch face and record steps. Here is the setup that has crashed 2 out of 3 attempted activities

CIQ app Hike version 0.14i and 0.14i.1
BLE enabled and connected to GCM android
Lap, pace, and HR alerts enabled
Garmin HRM3 connected
Garmin Footpod connected (I know this is not needed with the FR230)

When the watch reboots, it does come back to the resume screen to finish recording the activity as a run. I also have noticed that when the watch reboots, the footpod is turned off.

I have opened a support ticket with Garmin to see what they say. I may be time to hard reset the watch and see if that solves the issue.

ASmugDill may advice hard reset to fix the issue, but he knows that this will not help as it is well known problem also for FR235 and is described there.

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?350403-Watch-keeps-restarting-every-half-a-hour-loosing-activity-tracking-data-(fw-4-3)

Nothing help to fix this issue, we can only wait for fixed firmware or find a way how to downgrade it to previous version.

ASmugDill may advice hard reset to fix the issue, but he knows that this will not help

Actually, no, I do not know for sure it won't help resolve his issue (irrespective of whether it resolves yours), and it's certainly something to try before expecting to be sent somewhere to get a firmware downgrade performed on the watch. In any case, I've only come across (in this forum) one person who managed to get Garmin to authorise a firmware downgrade when all else failed.

CIQ app Hike version 0.14i and 0.14i.1

In seeing your post, I got something you can try (I don't have high hopes... :( )

In app-settings for Hike, uncheck the "use HRM" setting and see if it still crashes. If it is something with the HRM, that could explain why others see crashes in the native apps too.

If turning off HRM does help, it will aid Garmin in finding the problem..

GFM1011,

Thanks for the update. When I saw the thread in the FR235 forum, I suspected that the two watches were experiencing a similar problem. I will try it without BLE to see if it works. I expect it to since my wife also has a FR230, and was running the same app but did not have HRM or BLE enabled. She has not experienced any crashes. If it helps, I can provide the error log and event log files for both times my watch crashed.

SABEARD,

Thanks for the offer of the error log, but I was recently informed that the device team has determined the root cause of the issue, and will have it resolved in the next firmware update. I do not have a specific timeframe on when it will be released, but I will post again once the software update has been released. We appreciate the discussion and the feedback, and do apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused.

Hi !

BTLE is turned off all the time on my 230, hence I was a bit surprised to read about this problem with FW 4.30. Indeed, I am not experiencing the trouble, so it may well be related to BTLE.

Information might be helpful.

Cheers
Jay

We just released the 4.60 software update and this update resolves this issue.