Last Updated on September 6, 2023 by Tim Wells
Over the years, I’ve reset my NVIDIA Shield’s back to factory specs more times than I can count. It’s a great way to ‘freshen up’ an older system and bring back some lost performance.
This article will show you an easy way to factory reset any NVIDIA Shield TV or Shield Pro from the Settings menu.
Then, I’ll show you how to access the NVIDIA Fastboot menu if you lose your remote control or it won’t boot to the Android TV launcher.
How to Factory Reset NVIDIA Shield TV\Pro
In most cases, you can factory reset your NVIDIA Shield TV and Shield Pro from the Settings menu.
To start, open the Settings menu by clicking on the gear-shaped icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Next, scroll down to Device Preferences and click on it to continue.
At the very bottom of that menu, you’ll see Factory Reset. Click on it to continue.
A full-screen warning message will appear asking if you want to start the factory reset process.
Click Factory Reset to continue.
One final warning message appears, asking you to confirm your decision.
Remember, a factory reset will erase all apps, settings, and data on your NVIDIA Shield.
Once you click Erase Everything, there’s no turning back.
How to Hard Reset NVIDIA Shield Without a Remote
In most cases, the above process will be enough to start a factory reset on any generation of NVIDIA Shield TV or Shield Pro.
But what happens when you can’t access the Settings Menu?
Underneath the Android TV operating system lies with something called the Fastboot Bootloader, or just Fastboot, for short.
Fastboot is a low-level recovery mode on all Android devices, including Android TV. It gives you several troubleshooting options, including booting to Safe Mode and a complete Factory Data Reset.
Unfortunately, there are different ways to load this menu, depending on which generation NVIDIA Shield you own.
We’ll cover how to boot to the Fastloader for the 2019 Shield TV’ Tube,’ the 2019 Shield Pro, and the 2017 Shield TV here. You can find NVIDIA’s instructions here if you have a 2015 Shield TV or Shield Pro.
Shield 2019 Tube
The 2019 NVIDIA Shield TV, affectionately known as the ‘Tube,’ is the only version of the Shield that has a physical reset button.
You’ll find it next to the HDMI port and micro-SD card slot, as shown in the image below.
A word of caution, however. Using a pen, toothpick, or another item to press the button can cause it to break off and fall into your Shield TV. Be careful, and don’t make the same mistake I did.
To start, unplug your Shield TV from the power supply.
Hold down the button and reconnect the power.
After a few seconds, your Shield TV should boot to the following screen.
Next, scroll down to highlight Factory Data Reset and select it.
Click to confirm, and the Shield TV will begin the factory reset process.
Shield 2019 Pro & Shield TV 2017
The 2019 Shield Pro and 2017 Shield TV have different processes since they don’t have a physical reset button.
To boot either Shield model into the Fastboot menu, you need a Shield game controller or a wired USB keyboard. Unfortunately, this trick won’t work with a wireless USB keyboard.
To start, unplug your NVIDIA Shield from the power supply.
Then, hold down the “A” and “B” buttons on the gamepad or the “A” and “B” keys on the keyboard. Then reconnect the power.
Select Boot Recovery Kernel.
After a few seconds, the dead Android robot will appear on the screen. Press “B” to go to the Android Recovery Menu.
Next, scroll down to Wipe Data\Factory Reset and click on it to continue.
Once the process completes, click Reboot System Now.
NVIDIA Shield TV Fastboot Not Working? Try This
Some users have reported difficulty getting to the Fastboot menu even after trying the steps above.
While rare, it happens immediately after upgrading to a new version of the NVIDIA Shield Experience.
The most common fix is unplugging everything except the power cable (including the HDMI cable). This allows the Shield TV to boot to the Android home screen without interference from devices or peripherals.
Wait approximately five minutes, then plug the HDMI cable back in.
In every case, the system booted to the Android TV home screen, and the user could begin a factory reset from the Settings menu.
After a brief hiatus from the industry he's back at the helm of AndroidTVNews.com to bring Android TV and TV boxes to the forefront of the streaming world.
When he's not writing, he spends as much time as he can with his beautiful wife and his bulldog.
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