nrf52-erase
Meshtastic uses the littlefs library to store configuration, logs, and other data in the internal flash of nRF52 & RP2040 devices. Updating the firmware does not erase this additional data, which can cause issues when the format and location of data changes between releases.
:::info You may now use the Meshtastic Web Flasher to Factory Erase your nRF52 or RP2040-based devices. Visit the flasher, select your board, and click the trash can icon to the right of the Flash button. This will open a dialogue to begin the erase procedure.
Alternatively, follow the instructions below. :::
nRF52
To reset the flash storage on your nRF52 board:
- Download and unzip the latest firmware from Meshtastic Downloads.
- Connect your device to your computer with a USB data cable.
- Double click the reset button on your device (this will put it into bootloader mode)
- Notice a new drive will be mounted on your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
- Open this drive and you should see three files:
CURRENT.UF2,INDEX.HTM, andINFO_UF2.TXT - Open the
INFO_UF2.TXTfile with a text editor and note theSoftDevicevalue. - Find the file included in the downloaded firmware matching your softdevice major version number (7.x.x or 6.x.x). Either use
Meshtastic_nRF52_factory_erase_v3_S140_7.3.0.uf2orMeshtastic_nRF52_factory_erase_v3_S140_6.1.0.uf2and copy it onto the new drive. The device should reboot. - With the Meshtastic CLI installed, open your Terminal/Console and enter the command:
meshtastic --noproto. - You should see the message:
Formatting... Done.
Once the device has been erased, you can proceed to install the latest Meshtastic firmware on a clean storage filesystem by clicking the link below.
RP2040
To reset the flash storage on your RP2040 board:
- Download flash_nuke.uf2 to your computer.
- Press the BOOTSEL button and while keeping it pressed, connect it to your computer via a USB cable.
- The board should now appear as a mass storage device on your computer with the label RPI-RP2.
- Copy the flash_nuke.uf2 file to the device.
- The board will now restart and the flash memory will be erased.
Once the device has been erased, you can proceed to install the latest Meshtastic firmware on a clean storage filesystem by clicking the link below.