To factory reset an Onkyo TX-NR6100, turn the receiver on, press and hold the CBL/SAT input button on the front panel, and press ON/STANDBY. The display shows “Clear” and the receiver drops into standby. Don’t unplug it until “Clear” goes away.
You can also reset it from the on-screen Setup menu: 7. Miscellaneous > Factory Reset > Start. Either way, every setting goes back to the factory default, including your speaker setup, calibration results, and network settings. One catch that trips people up: the reset won’t work while the first-time Initial Setup wizard is running, so finish or exit the wizard first.
Try a restart before you reset
If the receiver is frozen, ignoring buttons, or acting strangely, a restart may fix it without erasing anything. Onkyo lists this as the first thing to try, and your settings stay in place.
- Put the receiver in standby.
- Wait at least 5 seconds.
- Press and hold ON/STANDBY on the receiver (not the remote) for at least 5 seconds, then let the receiver start up again.
- If the problem is still there, unplug and reconnect the power cord and the HDMI cables, then try again.
Onkyo also notes that static electricity or outside interference can occasionally lock up the receiver’s internal computer. In that case, unplug the power cord, wait at least 5 seconds, and plug it back in.
Move on to a full reset if the problem survives a restart, if you forgot a menu change you can’t find, or if you’re selling or giving away the receiver.
Write these settings down first
Onkyo’s manual tells you to note your settings before a reset, because nothing is saved. A phone photo of each screen works fine. These are the ones that take the longest to rebuild:
- 2. Speaker > Configuration: Speaker Channels, Subwoofer, Height Speaker type, Zone Speaker, Zone 2 Lineout, Bi-Amp, and Speaker Impedance (especially if you set 4 ohms).
- 2. Speaker > Crossover, Distance, and Level Calibration, if you fine-tuned them after calibration.
- 1. Input/Output Assign > HDMI Input, if you moved any devices off the default jacks.
- Your Wi-Fi network name and password, plus any custom Friendly Name under 5. Hardware > Network.
- 6. Multi Zone settings, if you use a second room.
Method 1: Reset with the front-panel buttons
This is the fastest way, and it works even if you can’t see the on-screen menu. You only need the buttons on the receiver.
- Turn the receiver on. The button combination only works while the unit is on, not from standby.
- Press and hold the CBL/SAT input selector button on the front panel.
- While still holding CBL/SAT, press ON/STANDBY.
- Let go when “Clear” appears on the front display. The receiver then switches to standby on its own.
- Leave the power cord alone until “Clear” disappears from the display. Pulling the plug during this step can interrupt the reset.
- Turn the receiver back on and start setting it up again (see the section on what to do after the reset).
Method 2: Reset from the Setup menu
Use this method if the menu is working and you’d rather pick an option on screen than press a button combination. The Setup menu shows on your TV and on the receiver’s front display.
- Turn on the receiver and switch your TV to the HDMI input the receiver is connected to.
- Press the Setup button on the remote. You can also press SETUP on the front panel.
- Use the cursor buttons to select 7. Miscellaneous, then press ENTER.
- Select Factory Reset and press ENTER.
- On the Factory Reset item, select Start and press ENTER.
- Wait for the receiver to finish restoring its defaults before you press any other buttons or touch the power cord.
If you can open the Setup menu but can’t change anything, the menu may be locked. Go to 7. Miscellaneous > Lock and set Setup Parameter to Unlocked, then try again.
Which method should you use?
| Situation | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Receiver works, but a setting is off and you want a clean start | Setup menu | You pick “Start” on screen, so there’s no timing to get right. |
| No picture on the TV, or the menu won’t open | Front-panel buttons | It needs only the receiver’s own buttons and display. |
| Remote is lost or not working | Front-panel buttons | Both buttons are on the receiver. |
| Receiver is only frozen or glitchy | Restart first | A restart keeps all your settings. |
| Selling or giving the receiver away | Either | Both return all settings to factory defaults. |
What the reset erases
Onkyo says a factory reset restores “all the settings” to their defaults. In practice, plan on redoing:
- Speaker configuration, crossover, distance, and level settings, including your AccuEQ calibration results.
- Wi-Fi or wired network settings, and any changed device name.
- HDMI input assignments, HDMI CEC, and ARC choices.
- Zone 2 and Zone B settings.
- Menu choices like Auto Standby, the Setup menu lock, and listening preferences.
Onkyo’s manual doesn’t give a full item-by-item list, so if something you rely on isn’t mentioned here, assume it’s back at its default and check it.
Your phone or tablet keeps its own record of the receiver. If Bluetooth won’t reconnect after the reset, delete the old Onkyo entry from your phone’s Bluetooth list and pair again. For AirPlay, Chromecast, or the Onkyo Controller app, the receiver has to be back on your network first.
What to do after the reset
After a reset, set things up again in this order. Each step depends on the one before it.
- Turn the receiver on with your TV switched to the receiver’s input. If the Initial Setup wizard appears, follow it. If it doesn’t, open it from 7. Miscellaneous > Initial Setup.
- Get the receiver back online. The wizard’s network step handles this, and our guide to connecting the TX-NR6100 to Wi-Fi covers every connection method and what to do when the router doesn’t show up.
- Re-enter your speaker configuration so it matches the speakers you actually have. Then run the room calibration again, because your old results are gone. Here’s how to redo AccuEQ Room Calibration for the best results.
- In the wizard’s ARC Setup step, choose Yes if your TV supports ARC and sends its sound to the receiver over HDMI.
- If you use a second room, set Zone Speaker or Zone 2 Lineout again. Our Zone 2 walkthrough has the details.
- Restore any custom HDMI input assignments and fine-tuned speaker levels from the notes you made.
A reset changes settings. It isn’t a firmware fix. If you were resetting because of a bug, check whether Onkyo has released a newer version with our guide to updating the TX-NR6100 firmware.
If the reset doesn’t work
Nothing happens when you press the buttons
- Make sure the receiver is on, not in standby, before you hold CBL/SAT.
- Press and hold CBL/SAT first, then press ON/STANDBY. Pressing them in the other order just turns the receiver off.
- If the Initial Setup wizard is on screen, the reset is blocked. Finish the wizard, or choose Never Show Again when it’s offered after the network step, then try the reset again.
The remote does nothing
The remote has its own reset that’s separate from the receiver’s. Press and hold MODE, then press CLEAR for at least 3 seconds. If it still won’t work, put in fresh batteries and check that they face the right way.
The receiver keeps shutting itself off
A reset won’t fix this, because it’s usually the receiver protecting itself. Onkyo’s troubleshooting section points to these causes:
- A stray strand of speaker wire touching the rear panel or another wire. Put the receiver in standby, then twist each wire end tightly and reconnect it so nothing sticks out of the terminals.
- Overheating. Give the receiver more open space around it, let it cool, then turn it back on.
- “AMP Diag Mode” on the display when you turn it back on. This means the receiver is checking itself for a fault.
- “NG” on the display. Onkyo says to put the receiver in standby right away and unplug it. Contact Onkyo support at that point, because this isn’t something a reset will fix.
The full reset and restart steps are in Onkyo’s TX-NR6100 support article on erratic operation and in the Troubleshooting section of the TX-NR6100 instruction manual (PDF).