← index #8594PR #15956
Related · high · value 3.773
QUERY · ISSUE

Enable factory reset boot mode without a user switch

openby cdwilsonopened 2022-04-29updated 2026-03-19
enhancement

The documentation at https://docs.micropython.org/en/latest/pyboard/general.html describes a "filesystem reset" boot mode which can be triggered by holding down the user switch during the power up boot sequence:

filesystem reset: resets the flash filesystem to its factory state, then boots in safe mode.

For supported MicroPython boards that do not have a user switch (e.g. SparkFun MicroMod STM32 Processor), is there any way to trigger a "filesystem reset" from software?

If not, would it be possible to add a new machine.factory_reset() function to enable this? (similar to the machine.reset() and machine.soft_reset() functions described in https://docs.micropython.org/en/latest/library/machine.html?highlight=reset#machine.reset)

For the sake of completeness, it would also be nice to support resetting into the "safe boot" boot mode from software as well through something like a machine.safe_reset() function.

CANDIDATE · PULL REQUEST

docs: Add reference for reset and boot sequence, document factory reset for esp32 & rp2.

mergedby projectgusopened 2024-10-03updated 2024-11-19
docsport-esp32port-rp2

Summary

This started out as a task to document boot.py and main.py on the rp2 port (Closes #15230). However, I realised the boot sequence and reset types were documented per-port and sometimes inconsistent so I decided to consolidate these into a common reference page that each port can link to.

In follow-up commits I added port-specific factory reset docs for esp32 and rp2 ports. These ports don't have any MicroPython-specific recovery features like Safe Mode boots, the factory reset process is to erase the entire flash. However, now it's explicitly documented as such.

Keyboard

j / / n
next pair
k / / p
previous pair
1 / / h
show query pane
2 / / l
show candidate pane
c
copy suggested comment
r
toggle reasoning
g i
go to index
?
show this help
esc
close overlays

press ? or esc to close

copied