My Opal does not start. How do I reset my Opal?

Hi.

The procedure below is the full troubleshooting when the RCA Opal is completely irresponsive and does not complete initialization.

Try first holding down the Power/Menu button for over ten seconds. This is called soft reset, and will reset the player to default factory settings. This reset will not delete personal files.

Depending on the model you may also have a reset button. In that case hold down the pinhole switch using a paper clip for more than ten seconds to perform an hard reset. It will take one or two minutest to restart the Opal after this reset, as files must be reinstalled.This reset will delete files and personal settings.

If that does not work, it means that system files are damaged. In that case you will need to reinstall the Opal firmware. Firmware for some model may be available online, but better calling or contacting RCA and asking them to provide you with an updated firmware for your unit. If the wrong firmware is installed the Opal may result damaged.
RCA can be contacted at the number listed on Opal documentation. Number in US should be: 1-800-878-5779 (RCA Audio Products Repair Centers and Warranty Info).

You can also get the firmware asking a question online. Use the following link: Create an Incident or ask a question.

See also: Information on RCA Opal M4001 MP3 Player.

To update firmware follow procedure below:

Download the firmware upgrade file.
Hold down the play/pause button for about twenty seconds .
Hold down menu button for more than 10 seconds
Keep holding play/pause button and attach Opal USB cable to computer at the same time.
The firmware upgrade will start
If you get an error saying that Windows cannot write to the Opal drive, that means that the Opal internal drive must be re-formatted. In that case go to Computer, click the right button of mouse on the Opal, and choose Format from the dropdown menu.
After formatting, restart both units, and restart firmware upgrade procedure.

Note: The procedure above must be used when the Opal is not starting at all. When instead the opal is starting, but it is not recognised by the computer, procedure will be different. In that case test the player on a different computer. Test different USB cable.Restart computer and Opal. Reset computer by disconnecting power cord, and eventually removing battery for five minutes. Try using System Restore to restore the computer to a date before having the problem. Reinstall Windows Media Player. Check System and USB hardware settings and driver on computer..