I really like this Garmin Forerunner 210, but twice it just gave me a blank screen and nothing else. After some research on the net I found some reset methods: (note: these were not always for the 210 model but until now method 1 and 2 worked for me; you may need method 3 one day …)
Method 1:
Press the lap/reset button a few seconds and then press the light button to switch on the Garmin device again. Pressing both lap/reset and the light button may work better: keep both buttons pressed for several seconds until the 210 watch is “reanimated” again.
Method 2:
If this fails you can try the hard reset; keep the following 3 buttons pressed together during some seconds: page/menu, lap/reset and light. Release the buttons and press the light button again.
Method 3:
Soft Reset: keep the page/menu and lap/reset pressed for a few seconds.
Update – 25/01/2014:
Garmin released a firmware update, which should fix this issue. I installed it today: hope it really helps 😉
See: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=5217
Changes made from version 2.60 to 2.70:
- Fixed an issue where the device could display a blank screen while connected to the charger.
It2tp 
Thanks! Step 2 worked for me!
Thanks for the information, it was very helpful. Step 2 worked for me.
Thank you very much step 2 did the trick!
Great! Thanks! This worked for me too!
Really appreciate your support! i could fix my watch! thanks!
Thank you thank you thank you!
WOW! Method 2 worked for me too! I had to do it 3 times, holding it for 30 seconds each time, but it finally worked! Yaaaayyyyy! Thank you sooooo much!!! = )
yeah…..my finger still hurt but these 30 seconds were necessary. Cheers
Big help. Thank you!
awesome
thank you thankk you
Method 2 worked for me too after locking on “saving activities” screen. You have to hold these 3 buttons down for maybe 15 seconds or more until the screen blanks before releasing and pressing the Light button
THANK YOU!!!
Wao!!! Thanks! Step 1 worked for me :). Muchas gracias!!
step 1 works after while, many thanks, you saved the day 🙂
THANK YOU!!! Step 2 worked for me.
Many thanks, method 3 worked for me
Great ! Step 1 pressing both buttons and the we are up and running.
thanks, Daniel
Thanks!!!!!!Method 2 works for me
Thank you so much. Method 2 works brilliantly! :))
Great. Thanks. David
method 2 lifesaver status
THANK YOU!! Method 2 worked! Amazing! I was about to raise hell! haha!
nothing of this works for me i just bought the 210 and unpacked and charged it, but the display doesn’t work .
Only the light works and the beeping sounds.
Some help please ?????????????????
That’s too bad. It can help to repeat the methods, because the timing seems to be rather important. Reassure yourself the device is correctly connected for charging; deconnect and reconnect again.
Sometimes a short movie is clearer: some of the tips can be found on YouTube. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccWYgdtB2JY and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyAw-4GjUJA (although they are not specific for the 210, they do work). Hope this helps.
excellent advice again
Dred61
Thank you!! Step 2 (30 sec hold) then press light for 3 sec worked for me!
This worked! Thanks
Thanks so much for this post! I was about to have a really bad, sad day. 😉
None of the steps are working for me..
Thank you!!! Method 2 worked for my FR 210.
Thank you! This worked for my FR 210. Life saver!
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!
Thanks!
Thank you – was at a complete loss as to what to do! Method 2 seemed to work.
thanks for saving me frustration and an unnecessary trip to the service center!
# 1 worked for me – thank you!
#1 worked. You are a start man!
#2 worked. thank you 🙂
#2 was spot on after trying other numerous methods to reboot my blank screened Forerunner 210.
Thank you #2 worked
Thankyou!!!
Method 1 worked for me. I had “saving activity” screen block. Thanks a lot!!!!
Ha funzionato il metodo 2, tenere premuto per parecchi secondi (almeno 20″/30″.
Grazie mille
you’re great !
My watch screen went all blank while trying to download data on my laptop and i couldn’t switch it on again!
Method 1 worked perfectly (Pressing both lap/reset and the light button; i did for 30 seconds and the screen went on; wow! magic!)
thanks so much to have spent some time on posting these solutions, it is such a great help for us!
It took a couple of attempts, but # 1 worked after about 30 seconds.
Big thanks!!
thanks, you definitely save my garmin from being thrown and banged up. appreciate the post.
Thanks, #2 worked after a dozen of tries. Few secs really has to be more than 15s. I really appreciated this help.
Tky. #1 worked !!!
RaiJr.
Thanks a lot, method 2 worked out the second time i tried.
#1 worked, thank you! But of course I lost the information of my last run :-S
Thanks!!! had to hold #2 buttons for at least 30sec then it worked
Here is a link to the Garmin support site for one way to rectify this problem, which worked for me. https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={6c85a300-7200-11e2-65d0-000000000000}
it2p, may many thanks. I am also very happy with the Forerunner and did not manage to wake it up again, although I have only used it for several weeks. Method 2 worked. Thanks a lot!
Thank You very much, Method 2 🙂
Thank you x million!!! Method 2 worked for me!!!!!!
Yeah, #2 worked! (30 seconds of pressing)
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your help. I appreciate the methods you posted.
Thanks… I thought it was kaput!!!
another success here, also #2 and 15+ secs of pressing. Thanks
Thanks, step 1 worked for my reset.
Thanks – all three methods failed for me. I went back to method 1 and held both buttons for 2 minutes then pressed the light for about 10 seconds – presto back to life.
Tks no. 1 for me
THX!!! #2 worked for me after 2 tries. Now that it’s back to life, I need to find out how to get my computers to recognize it. But thanks for this first step!
Nice one! You just got a little bit more karma. Thanks.
Okay thank you so freaking much. I have a 5k today and it was so ironic how my watch didn’t want to work. Until I found these methods. The first one worked for me. I had to do it serveral times though. All and all my life is saved. I would hate to go on a run with a normal timed watch. Thanks again!!
Thanks you very very much!!! Step 1 worked for me. What a shock!!! XD
Back to Life! Thanks! No 1 or 3 worked for me.
Thank you so much! Step 1 worked for me!!
Thank you so much for posting this. Every now and then my 210 decides to stop working and just beeeeeeep nonstop. And every time it happens I go through the google results unsuccessfully until I hit this page. And it works!
Lesson learned: bookmark this page for future use!
PS The “hold both” method of Method 1 worked for me this time. I don’t remember which methods I used in the past for this problem.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Excellent! Method 2 for me. Seems pretty bad that these watches do this, for the cost of them. I do like it though, so won’t be moving on to any other brand yet. 😉
Thanks so much man you saved me so much time. #1 worked for me 🙂
This is correct. 🙂 But why does it “crash” that much ? Mine “crashes” about once a month… 😦
And two years later after you first published this post… THANK YOU!
Method #1 worked for me. I agree with others.. very curious as to why the blank screen even occurs in the first place.
Thank you so much!!! I was about too go for a long run and it suddenly died on me!
#2 worked for me
Thank youuu!!! Method 2 worked.
THANKS – method 2 just saved me from a panic attack!
thank goodness! I was freaking out – I have only used it for a couple weeks now!
yup. method 2 works, but have to try few times to get the sweet spot!
Method 1 worked fro me. Thank you so much.
Did Method 1 by accident, was holding watch upside down thinking I was doing method 2 then hit ‘start/stop’ and voila the screen came alive. Thankyou thankyou thankyou.
This is the second time I’ve had to use #2- why do our watches suck!!
Thanks it worked for me as well #method2. Why does this happen though???
Thank you!
Thank u! Better than the Garmin Support!
You Rock! I thought I was gonna have to dissect it or send it back for repairs! Method one worked for me.
Thank you!
Methode 2 funktionierte, mindestens 30 Sekunden gedrückt halten, danach kurz den light button.
Vielen Dank!
Thanks !!! Step one worked for me.
Thanks for the heads up on the firmware upgrade. I thought I had the most up to date version as Garmin Connect usually prompts me when upgrades are available. Went through a different update procedure using myGarmin Dashboard, as instructed after following the link you provided. Maybe now we can finally see an end to these random blank screen issues. Such a drag for an otherwise great unit.
Method 1 worked holding reset/light straight away.
Thanks so much-I was panicking
Grazie, non so quale (li ho provati in modo convulso: ero disperato) ma qualcuno dei tuoi metodi ha funzionato.
Had continued locking up and blank screen issues. Garmin support recommended I delete old activity records on the watch, expecting one might be corrupted. I removed all of them, over 100, and it’s been totally stable. Garmin also recommended ejecting the device first, then unplug the USB & finally remove the watch from the sync claw to avoid issues in the future.
Excellent! Thx alot. Those garmins are note the most consumer friendly devices yet!
Thank you! I am not sure which reset worked but one of the three listed above FINALLY did the trick. I was on the verge of buying a new one after I had tried every thing I could find.
Thank you! Method 2 worked for me too. I held the buttons down for about 30 seconds, and then hit the light button after releasing all 3 buttons. And then my watch turned on.
Thank you! #2 for me. It took several attempts but it worked.
Thank you. #2 works every time!
Dankjewel!!! I used method #2
Great support! Thanks! Anyway this is my first but definetely last Garmin product #NeverGarminAgain
Thank you every so much!!! It’s fixed my Garmin just when I was giving up!!
Method one worked for me (for the forth time). Thanks
none of them worked for me
Method 2 worked and I didn’t lose any data. Thanks so much!
The files on my FR 210 were corrupt. Even after a master reset it was not usable. I had to remove ALL files en folders on the watch (not just the activities), followed by a master reset! (You’d better take a backup first though)