I am facing an issue while attempting to reset my Microsoft HoloLens 2 device.

Based on the described symptoms, use the supported recovery paths in this order and avoid repeating the same failing reset path:

1. Ensure sufficient battery and storage

• Charge HoloLens 2 to at least 20–40% before any recovery action. Use the supplied USB‑C charger if possible.
• If the device can still boot to the shell, check free space under Settings → System → Storage. If free space is under 6 GB, a reset or remote wipe can fail and leave the device in a bad state. In that case, delete files/apps until more than 6 GB is free, or proceed directly to a reflash.

2. Try restart and hard‑restart only (no reset) If the device is just stuck but not actually resetting correctly:

• Standard restart:
  1. Unplug the USB Type‑C cable.
  2. Press and hold Power for 15 seconds until all LEDs are off.
  3. Wait 2–3 seconds, then short‑press Power to start.
  4. On the host PC, confirm it enumerates as Microsoft HoloLens in Device Manager.
• Hard‑restart (if standard restart does not work):
  1. Unplug the USB Type‑C cable.
  2. Hold Volume down + Power for 15 seconds; the device will automatically restart.
  3. Confirm enumeration as Microsoft HoloLens in Device Manager.

If the device then runs normally and you still need a clean state, prefer a reflash instead of another failing reset.

3. If reset fails (especially with low space), reflash with Advanced Recovery Companion (ARC) When a device with less than 6 GB free space is reset (via Settings or remote wipe), the reset can fail and require a reflash to recover. In this situation, use ARC to re‑image the device:

Preparation:

• Ensure battery is at least ~40%.
• On a Windows 10 PC, install Advanced Recovery Companion from Microsoft Store.
• Download the latest HoloLens 2 FFU image first from Download the current image for HoloLens 2, because automatic download in ARC is no longer supported.

Normal flashing procedure (if the device still boots):

1. Start ARC on the Windows 10 PC.
2. While HoloLens 2 is running, connect it directly to the PC using USB‑C (no hubs).
3. ARC should automatically detect the device and start the update process.
4. Select the HoloLens 2 in ARC and follow the on‑screen steps to complete the reflash.

Manual flashing mode (if the device does not start correctly or ARC cannot detect it):

1. Unplug the USB Type‑C cable.
2. Press and hold Power for 15 seconds until all LEDs are off.
3. While holding Volume up, press and release Power to start the device; keep holding Volume up for ~15 seconds, then release. Only the middle LED of the five LEDs should light up (recovery mode).
4. Connect the device to the Windows 10 PC.
5. In Device Manager, verify it enumerates as Microsoft HoloLens or Microsoft HoloLens Recovery under Universal Serial Bus devices.
6. ARC should now detect the device and allow selection of the downloaded FFU image; follow ARC instructions to complete the reflash.

Important effects of reflash:

• All personal data, apps, and settings are erased, including TPM‑reset information.

4. If ARC does not detect the device If ARC cannot see the HoloLens 2:
5. Confirm the device is charged to at least 40%.
6. Ensure the device is unlocked (if it still boots) and connected directly to the PC (no USB hub).
7. In Device Manager:
   • If it does not appear as HoloLens/HoloLens Recovery under Universal Serial Bus devices, check:
     • Ports for a Qualcomm HS‑USB device, or
     • Other devices for QUSB_BULK.
   • If QUSB_BULK appears, the PC is missing the driver. Right‑click → Update driver → search online, or install via Optional updates in Windows Update. After driver installation, ARC should detect the device.
8. If USB policies on the device block File Explorer access, use Manual flashing mode as above.
9. Try a different USB‑C cable if detection is intermittent.
10. If reset is required but device is managed via Intune If the device is enrolled and cannot be accessed locally to reset:

• Use Intune’s Wipe action as documented in wipe your HoloLens 2 remotely. Note that:
  • Wipe will erase the device, but the device object may remain in Intune (known issue).
  • If Retain enrollment state and user account is selected, user data can be retained.
• If a low‑space condition caused the wipe/reset to fail, reflash via ARC as above.

6. If none of the above states match If the device cannot boot to the startup menu and its LED pattern or PC enumeration does not match any documented state, perform a hard restart with the device connected to wall power (not the PC) and leave it charging for at least one hour, then retry the recovery steps.

If, after following the restart, manual flashing mode, and ARC troubleshooting steps, the device still cannot be reflashed or detected, the remaining path is hardware/service escalation through the appropriate HoloLens support channel.

References:

• Restart, reset, or recover HoloLens 2
• Device Troubleshooting
• Troubleshooting implementation and managed devices