To factory reset a Denon AVR-S960H, press the power button to put it in standby, then hold TUNER PRESET CH + and TUNER PRESET CH – on the front panel while you press the power button again. Let go when the display says “Initialized.” If you can see the on-screen menu, you can do the same thing from SETUP > General > Reset > All Settings.
A full reset wipes every setting on the receiver. That includes your Wi-Fi connection, your Audyssey room calibration, speaker settings, and input names. The S960H also has two gentler options that many owners don’t know about: a network-only reset and a settings backup to a USB stick. Read the next section before you erase anything.
Pick the smallest reset that fixes your problem
Denon gives the AVR-S960H four levels of “reset.” Start at the top of this list and only move down if the problem is still there.
| Option | Use it when | What it erases |
|---|---|---|
| Restart | The receiver froze, the display looks wrong, or buttons stop responding | Nothing |
| Network reset | HEOS, AirPlay, Spotify, or internet radio won’t work, or Wi-Fi won’t connect | Network settings |
| Factory reset | Settings are tangled, you’re selling the receiver, or nothing else worked | All settings |
| Firmware restore | A firmware update failed, or the receiver still misbehaves after a factory reset | All settings, and the firmware is reloaded |
How to restart the receiver
Denon’s troubleshooting page says to keep pressing the power button on the receiver until “Restart” appears on the display. You can also unplug the power cord and plug it back in. A restart keeps all of your settings, so it costs you nothing to try first.
Back up your settings to a USB stick first
The S960H can save its whole setup to a USB flash drive and load it back later. This is worth doing even if you plan to start fresh. If the reset doesn’t fix your problem, you can reload the backup and get your Audyssey calibration and speaker settings back in a few minutes.
You’ll need a USB flash drive with at least 128 MB of free space, formatted as FAT32. Denon notes that some USB drives may not save or load correctly, so try another stick if one fails.
- Plug the USB drive into the USB port on the front of the receiver.
- Press SETUP on the remote. The menu appears on your TV.
- Go to General > Save & Load.
- Select Save Configuration. This can take up to 10 minutes, so don’t turn the receiver off.
- Wait until “Saved” appears.
The receiver writes a file named config.avr to the drive. Don’t rename it. If you do, the receiver won’t recognize it when you try to restore it.
To restore later, plug the same drive back in and choose Load Configuration in the same menu. The display shows “Loaded,” and the receiver restarts on its own.
Factory reset using the front-panel buttons
Because it runs entirely from the receiver’s own buttons and display, this method doesn’t need a TV at all. Reach for it when there’s no picture, or when a lock keeps you out of the menu.
- Press the power button on the receiver to turn it off. The receiver needs to be in standby before you start.
- Find TUNER PRESET CH + and TUNER PRESET CH – on the front panel.
- Press and hold both of those buttons.
- While you keep holding them, press the power button.
- Watch the display. When “Initialized” appears, let go of all the buttons.
The receiver comes back with factory settings. Your next step is to run the setup again, which is covered below.
Factory reset from the on-screen menu
If your TV shows the receiver’s menu, you can reset without reaching for the front panel.
- Press SETUP on the remote.
- Select General.
- Scroll to the bottom and select Reset.
- Choose All Settings. Every setting returns to its factory default.
The same Reset screen also has Network Settings, which resets only the network side. Denon’s warning for that option: don’t unplug the receiver or turn it off while the network settings are being reset.
If you only see “Setup Lock” in the menu: the menu is locked, and every other option stays hidden until you unlock it. Open Setup Lock, set Lock to Off, and the full menu returns. Or skip the menu and use the front-panel method above.
Reset only the network settings
If your speakers, TV sound, and inputs all work fine and only the streaming side is broken, a network reset is the better move. It leaves your speaker setup alone. Denon’s page for this reset specifically says the Amp Assign, Speaker Config., and Video settings are not reset.
- Turn the receiver on.
- Turn the SOURCE SELECT knob until the display shows HEOS Music.
- Press and hold ZONE2 ON/OFF and ZONE2 SOURCE on the front panel at the same time for at least 3 seconds.
- Let go when “Network Reset…” appears on the display.
- Wait. Don’t turn the power off. The display shows “Completed” when it’s done.
After this, connect the receiver to your network again. Our guide to getting the AVR-S960H back on Wi-Fi and into the HEOS app walks through every connection method.
Last resort: restore the factory firmware
Denon includes a deeper recovery step for when a firmware update goes wrong or a factory reset doesn’t clear the problem. It reloads the receiver’s firmware over the internet, so the receiver must be connected to your network.
- Make sure the receiver can reach the internet. Denon says this process has to reconnect to the network, so a wired Ethernet cable from your router is the simplest way to be sure it can.
- Press and hold MODE and BAND on the front panel.
- While holding them, press the power button.
- Let go when “Restoring FW…” appears on the display.
- Leave the receiver alone. When it finishes, “Completed” shows for about 5 seconds and the receiver restarts by itself.
This takes a while because the receiver reconnects to the network, restores the firmware, and then updates it. Don’t turn off the power until it’s finished. Afterward, all settings are back to their defaults, just like a factory reset. If the problem is still there, Denon says to contact its customer service.
What to set up again after a factory reset
After a factory reset, the S960H has forgotten everything you set up, down to the Wi-Fi password. If you saved a backup, load it now and you’re done. If not, work through this list in order. Each step depends on the one before it.
- Language and speakers. The easiest route is the Setup Assistant, found at the bottom of the SETUP menu. It walks you through speaker setup, calibration, network, and TV audio.
- Amp Assign. If you use height speakers, surround back speakers, or powered Zone 2 speakers, set Amp Assign to match before you calibrate. Audyssey Setup also shows this option on its first screen.
- Audyssey calibration. Your room measurements are gone. Grab the supplied microphone and run Audyssey Setup on the S960H again. If you already ran Speaker Calibration inside the Setup Assistant, that counts, and you don’t need to run it twice.
- Wi-Fi and HEOS. Reconnect to your network. If you use HEOS Favorites, check SETUP > HEOS Account and sign in if needed.
- Input names and assignments. Check Inputs > Input Assign and Source Rename if you had changed which jack goes with which source.
- Bluetooth devices. If a phone or headphones won’t reconnect, delete the receiver from that device’s Bluetooth list and pair it again. Our S960H Bluetooth guide covers both phones and headphones.
If the reset doesn’t work
“Initialized” never appears
- The receiver was on when you started. The front-panel reset starts from standby. Turn the receiver off, then try again.
- You pressed power first. Hold TUNER PRESET CH + and CH – down first, then press power while still holding them.
- The front panel is locked. The S960H has a panel lock that blocks the front buttons. The remote still works when it’s on. To cancel it, put the receiver in standby, hold TUNER PRESET CH + and ZONE2 SOURCE, and press power. Use TUNER PRESET CH + or CH – to pick “FP LOCK Off,” then press STATUS. You can also just use the menu reset instead.
The power button doesn’t turn the receiver off
If the display shows “ZONE2 On,” the second zone is still running. Press ZONE2 ON/OFF on the front panel to turn it off, then start the reset again.
The power light flashes red
A reset won’t fix this, because the receiver has turned on a protection circuit. Denon’s manual lists two cases:
- Slow blink (about every 2 seconds): the receiver is too hot. Switch it off, give it roughly an hour to cool down, and open up the space around its vents.
- Fast blink (about every half second): check the speaker wires. Unplug the power cord, look for loose strands touching each other or the back panel, twist them tight, and try again at a lower volume. If it keeps happening, Denon says to contact customer service.
The problem came back after a firmware update
Denon warns that a firmware update can sometimes reset settings on its own. If your settings changed after an update, reload your USB backup or redo setup. See our guide to updating the AVR-S960H firmware for how updates work and what to do when one fails.
Common questions
Does a factory reset change the firmware version?
No. Denon describes the factory reset as returning settings to their defaults. Reloading the firmware is a separate procedure, the MODE + BAND restore described above.
Should I reset before I sell the receiver?
Yes. A full reset clears your Wi-Fi network settings and your custom setup. If you signed in to a HEOS Account, sign out first at SETUP > HEOS Account > Sign Out, and then do the reset.
Where’s the official reference?
Denon’s online manual covers the front-panel factory reset, the network reset, and the firmware restore on separate pages.