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Hard reset for Triangle of death

Former Member
Former Member
BRICKED Watch? No reset sequences work for this watch to revive it if something corrupts a file? GARMIN REALLY?

Last week my FR 645 (non music) owned 3 weeks gave this triangle of death. I spoke to Garmin and they sent me a new watch. I took it out of box, sync’d with my iPhone (I was going away for the weekend so I wanted to use my watch and was thrilled to have it before my trip). Less than 5mins of new watch being out of box and I got another triangle of death. I’m considering returning the watch and going back to my FR 235.

How does ine hard rest this watch? I saw on a FR 935 thread that iPhone App and that watch have issues and causes these triangle of deaths. So I’m going to remove app and clean up workouts. Clean up registered watches and would like to start from scratch or figure this out myself. But no way to hard reset this watch like in all their past watches FR 205,305,610,620... etc.

Information on watch:

FR 645 non music sandstone
v3.10
iPhone 7
iOS 11.3.1
Garmin Mobile App 4.60.18

i updated a core workout added to my calendar in the app and selected sync to watch icon in app when it gave me triangle of death. When I received new watch, it asked to sync with phone and I did and received Triangle of Death.

UPDATE 5/28/2018: Went to REI to swap watch out for another watch (black band, not happy about that since I love the Sandstone color and no one in area has this color of the watchband), but Garmin is closed for the holiday and I have time today to work on this.

1, I deleted Garmin Connect Mobile App and reinstalled on my iPhone 7. I haven't tried to sync the watch to phone yet, but I am going to get Garmin on phone tomorrow to do this.

2, I just connected watch via USB to Garmin Express and saw the updated 3.10 software is on this watch already sync'd to this version, so I don't have to update watch.

3. i am afraid to use Garmin Connect Mobile App since that is what screwed up my watch. I am thinking of deleting all my workouts on Garmin Connect, since that is what originally hosed the original watch.

BUT the problem is the watch becomes a BRICK and you can not RESET IT without getting another watch!!

  • It’s really hard to brick a watch. Normally a master reset will get the watch back. That’s making sure the watch is powered off then power it in with the 2 right hand buttons held in. at the first bleep release the top button and on the second bleep release the bottom one
  • I had my 645 music for 4 weeks. From the first run it reset every time. Sometimes multiple times. The 3.10 software update seemed to make it more erratic. Eventually after nearly 2 hours on the phone to Garmin support they got me to do a factory reset. The watch never turned back on. I had it replaced and they were really good. The new watch also randomly shuts down but not quite so often.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    It’s really hard to brick a watch.


    Hard? Maybe if you're trying to brick it intentionally. My VA3 worked perfectly for 4 months. Unplugged it from my computer after charging and it was completely done. It wasn't hard at all. Uncommon may be a better word.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    I just got off the phone with support which the gentleman was absolutely amazing and gave me the proper information to Master reset this watch. Which are exactly what mr. chunky wizard stated above:

    Master Watch Reset for the Garmin 645:

    When watch is powered off

    Depress both Start/Stop (upper right) AND Lap (lower right), then depress Power button (upper left), when you hear first beep let go of Start/Stop (upper right), when you hear second beep let go of the Lap button (bottom right), then let go of the power button (upper left).

    Watch reset to factory mode,I was pleased. I just didn't see these particular instructions anywhere and was very frustrating.

    We deleted the workouts that were suspected to cause the the watch to take a flashing triangle turd. I like having my workouts (including strength, which aren't elaborate and I use the Garmin pre programmed names, just may add into the Notes section the reps and rounds. What might have caused corruption in the workouts is that I had trouble with the sending of these workouts to watch when originally programmed into Garmin Connect Web and I went over to my phone and used Garmin Connect Mobile and sent to watch. Although, original tech said I had too many special characters in my titles (this was also resolved and still crashed the watch).
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    I had my 645 music for 4 weeks. From the first run it reset every time. Sometimes multiple times. The 3.10 software update seemed to make it more erratic. Eventually after nearly 2 hours on the phone to Garmin support they got me to do a factory reset. The watch never turned back on. I had it replaced and they were really good. The new watch also randomly shuts down but not quite so often.


    Did they do the factory reset with the steps above or a different way? Because original tech had me holding down just power and start/stop while plugged into computer for like 90 seconds and all that did was give me indentations on my fingertips. So not sure every tech has the proper sequence of an actual master reset? I really was disappointed in that original tech because he could have had me easily have done this master reset and I would have been able to figure out that the workouts were corrupt. Try that on your watch, its a hassle but maybe you have corruption somewhere in Garmin Connection (that when it syncs to the newly cleaned up master reset watch it 're corrupts it', so I am not familiar with the music version but maybe one of your tracks are corrupt?
  • Did they do the factory reset with the steps above or a different way? Because original tech had me holding down just power and start/stop while plugged into computer for like 90 seconds and all that did was give me indentations on my fingertips. So not sure every tech has the proper sequence of an actual master reset? I really was disappointed in that original tech because he could have had me easily have done this master reset and I would have been able to figure out that the workouts were corrupt. Try that on your watch, its a hassle but maybe you have corruption somewhere in Garmin Connection (that when it syncs to the newly cleaned up master reset watch it 're corrupts it', so I am not familiar with the music version but maybe one of your tracks are corrupt?


    Hmm it was a few weeks ago now but I didn't have to listen for any beeps just hold down whatever sequence of buttons he said at the time. The watch never came back on just stayed on the 'triangle of death' so they arranged a replacement. New watch is equally as bad now after a promising start.
  • Thanks - for me the workaround with "Depress both Start/Stop (upper right) AND.." works perfect! Thanks

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

    This worked on my forerunner 245.