Why does my Oculus Quest keep freezing?
The reason for your Oculus Quest to freeze might be anything from not using the recommended cable to having incompatible versions of software between your PC and the Oculus Quest. Before rushing into something, make sure you have everything in the following list checked out.
Table of Contents
- Not using the official Oculus link cable or the recommended Anker USB cable.
Make sure you are using the cables mentioned above and not your regular charging cables.
- The cable is not properly connected on both ends.
The PC and the Oculus should acknowledge each other in an instant of connection; if that doesn’t happen, there must be a fault in your connection at either or both ends.
- Software update not finished properly.
While installing or downloading the software update, sometimes the antivirus or the windows defender prevents the software from finishing the update. Using any VPN or proxy can also be the reason.
- Less duration of device inactivity time (Up to 5 minutes).
Having the duration of device inactivity set to lower limits such as 5 minutes can also get the Oculus Quest to freeze when idle for the same duration.
- Incompatible Oculus Quest Software and PC Software.
Having different versions of Oculus in your quest and your PC app won’t acknowledge each other. Also, the PC should meet the specification requirements to support the Oculus link.
Since the release of Oculus Link for the Oculus Quest in the year 2019, the 14 version software release has also come up with relevant fixes.
But along with that, many new bugs have also been discovered. With successive updates, however, some users have struggled to find fixes to problems such as frequent disconnecting, black screens, and the device freezing on the logo screen.
How to fix a frozen Oculus Quest?
To fix a Oculus Quest that keeps freezing, you need to disconnect your device from the internet and then manually uninstall the Oculus software.
Having checked each point in the above list of common reasons that lead to freezing of the Oculus Quest, you can try performing the following actions to get rid of your Oculus Quest from freezing again.
Before doing that, make sure you are well versed with the required knowledge to operate the hardware and software. Take the help of an expert if and whenever it is required.
- Plugging the USB to the correct port.
If your USB cable is plugged at the top of your case, try plugging it directly into your motherboard in the rear end.
- Using the correct USB extender
A lot of information is transferred through a single USB 3.0, which can make communication between the devices difficult. I recommend using a USB extender for smoother performance.
- Make sure the update finished properly.
Updates fail to install correctly due to the interference from antivirus, VPN, and proxy. To ensure the completion of installation:
- Check the quality of the network your device is connected to. Try switching between networks if possible. Disable any kind of proxy or VPN.
- Check whether the version of your antivirus is the latest, and real-time scanning is disabled.
- Make sure your Oculus software is allowed through the windows defender firewall. Try disabling the firewall for a certain time.
- Having done that, repair your Oculus PC application.
- Manually uninstall the Oculus software.
Sometimes parts of the installation files fail to parse completely, which leads to the erroneous installation of updates.
Checking the files manually and reinstalling them after uninstalling manually helps with the freezing problem in a lot of cases.
Before uninstalling the application manually, disconnect your system from the internet and make sure you have your necessary and personal data backed up.
To manually uninstall the application:
- Reboot your system into safe mode
- Open control panel and uninstall Oculus home.
- Delete each folder containing Oculus data from the following directories:
- C:\Program Files
- C:\Users\YourUserProfile\AppData
- C:\Users\YourUserProfile\AppData\Local
- C:\Users\YourUserProfile\AppData\LocalLow
- C:\Users\YourUserProfile\AppData\Roaming
- C:\OculusSetup-DownloadCache
- Reboot your computer in normal mode.
- Reconnect the system to the internet.
- Recheck your power output for USB power supply
By default, the computer has the USB power saving mode on for all USB ports by USB Selective Suspend.
Due to this feature, the PC limits the power output to the USB cable, which results in the freezing of the Oculus Quest.
If your Oculus Quest works fine after you unplug the cable and plug it in again, then this might be the reason.
To disable the USB power saving option, follow these steps:
- Click on the start button and on the search bar type “edit power plan.”
- In the down, left click on ‘Change advanced power setting.’
- Scroll down on the menu to reach ‘USB Settings.’
- Click on the little plus button against the “USB selective suspend setting” to expand further options.
- Disable both the ‘On battery’ as well as ‘Plugged’ options and then apply changes by clicking on ‘Ok.’
How to factory reset oculus quest?
The factory reset is the ultimate solution to get rid of the software glitches. Although it wipes out the entire data from your device, including the account information, it can help you deal with your Oculus Quest’s freezing issue.
Important:
- Factory reset wipes out all the device data, account information, downloaded games, and other contents from the device.
- This process is irreversible.
- You won’t lose your purchased or downloaded content, and it can be downloaded again on your device.
There are two ways to factory reset an Oculus Quest:
- Performing factory reset for your Oculus Quest using the headset:
- Switch your Oculus Quest off.
- Press hold the power button and the volume down button simultaneously till the boot screen appears on the screen.
- Using the volume up and down buttons toggle to the “Factory Reset” option and select it by pressing the power button.
- Highlight “yes” again using the volume buttons and press the power button to select.
- This will take a few moments to reset your device, and you can set your device up from scratch.
- Performing factory reset for your Oculus Quest using your phone:
You can only perform a factory reset of your Oculus through your phone if you have the same accounts synced with your phone and Oculus Quest.
- Open the Oculus app on the device that is paired with your Oculus Quest.
- Go to “Settings” at the bottom of the app and select the headset that is connected to your phone.
- Tap on “More Settings.”
- Select “Factory Reset,” followed by “Reset.”
- This will reset your Oculus Quest, and you can set it up anew through the app itself.
What should I do when my Oculus Quest is frozen and won’t turn off?
If your Oculus Quest has frozen and won’t turn off even after pressing the power button, while in the middle of using it, try holding the power button for a longer duration (usually 30 seconds or less), it should force reboot your device.
If that too doesn’t work, try charging your Oculus Quest using a different type-C charger and then hold the power button again.
Why has my Oculus Quest stuck on the logo?
When your Oculus Quest is stuck on the logo, try the previous method and hold the power button for a longer duration. If it still doesn’t solve your issue, try casting your Oculus Quest.
If you can access your device through your phone’s app, try the factory reset or perform reset manually, holding the power button and volume down button.
Sometimes, using a charger with higher amperage works too.
What to do when Oculus Quest gets stuck on a black screen?
The screen getting black is a common problem with the faulty installation of updates. Many times it shows the logo or the three dots after trying multiple power cycles or plugging in and out the charger, but again it goes back to the same situation.
Having problems with your wi-fi connectivity can also result in this issue. It can interfere while downloading the update or connecting with your PC.
- Try factory reset for your Oculus Quest from your mobile application and then reinstall the update for your device.
- Troubleshooting the wi-fi might work.
Why does my Oculus Quest get stuck on three dots?
Many complain about their screen getting stuck with three dots on it while trying to make changes to their accounts.
Mostly this issue occurs while trying to change credentials related to personal details such as username or password. While trying to boot up the device, it freezes with three dots on the screen.
The following steps will help you to get past the screen with the persistent three dots:
- Switch your Oculus Quest on.
- Start the Oculus application on your phone.
- Log in to the same Oculus account that is connected with your headset.
- On the mobile application, go to “Settings.”
- Select the headset that is having the issue.
- Connect both the devices using Bluetooth.
- Get to the wi-fi settings in the mobile app and connect the Oculus Quest to the wi-fi network.
You will now pass the screen through the three dots, and Oculus Home should continue loading.
You can also try switching the frequency of your wi-fi network from 2.4GHz to 5GHz or otherwise.
Why do I see an infinite loading screen on my Oculus Quest?
While trying to use your Oculus Quest on a normal day, you might experience that the headset won’t get past the loading screen.
Multiple reasons might cause an infinite loading screen. A few of the reasons are listed below with the solution to getting past the never-ending loading screen.
- Make sure that all Android SDK is installed in your device along with Unity.
- You can find the settings for Android SDK in the drop-down tab of the Unity Install in Unity Hub.
- After long hours of research, I have found out that Oculus isn’t a very big fan of windows defender. So try disabling it temporarily while working with your Oculus Quest.
- Your graphic driver might be the culprit behind this case. Try reinstalling your Nvidia drivers to get going.
My Oculus Quest keeps checking for updates. What should I do?
Does Oculus Quest appear to be checking for updates forever? Your headset might be showing ‘looking for updates’ or ‘installing updates’ without actually showing what it is updating.
The update process might also take to complete forever, even after keeping it connected for many hours.
Follow these steps to get out of this problem:
- Try resetting your wi-fi connection or switching to a different network.
- Restart your device multiple times to see if it works.
- Try the factory reset if possible.
- If your phone which is connected to your device is rooted, it might be the cause of it.
- Try disabling your firewall for your Oculus Quest.
Why has my Oculus Quest stuck on uninstalling?
Sometimes apps get stuck on uninstalling in the library without ever getting the uninstall process completed.
Few of the times factory reset works but before you get to clearing everything on your device, try the following steps first:
- Connect your Oculus Quest to your computer.
- Run ‘SideQuest’.
- Select “Currently installed apps.”
- Click on “Show All”
- Search for “com.oculus.ocms” or simply “ocms”
- Now clear the app data from your device by clicking on “Clear App Data.”
- Close App Settings
- Return to home by closing SideQuest.
This will help you overcome your issue and save you from deleting everything that you have downloaded on the device.
Also, before you go to clear all the app data, make sure you have enabled the read and write permissions for ‘com.oculus.ocms.’