Fetch Box Stuck On Starting? – (Don’t Panic! Easy FIX!)

Fetch box stuck on starting and you’re wondering why? This guide will answer the question!

The Fetch TV box could fail to load and display the homepage primarily due to a fault with the power supply, improper HDMI connection or, in rare cases, a failing hard drive.

This short guide will help you detect all faults with the Fetch TV box and apply practical tips and solutions.

If the Fetch box is stuck on “starting,” hold the power button for 10 seconds, power cycle the streaming unit and inspect the connection with the TV. If the TV box fails to load, start a factory reset and replace the hard drive.

There is much more, so let’s get started!

Why is My Fetch TV Box Stuck On Starting?

The reduction of loading and performance capabilities of the Fetch TV box could be caused by improper power supply or corruption of the hard drive.

The never-ending “Starting” screen typically indicates that the streaming device can’t load the operating system, so let’s learn why!

Let’s study the causes of the prolonged “Starting” Fetch screen further:

After acquiring a general idea of what could increase the startup time of the Fetch TV box, proceed with our expert solutions guide to explore all reliable methods to resolve the issue.

Fetch Box Stuck On Starting – Effective Ways to Fix

Tip: Follow the steps and instructions in consecutive order!

1. Long-Press the Power Button

If the LED lamp of the Fetch TV box is illuminated in bright red, it means that the Fetch TV box is in standby mode and has not been activated.

All you have to do to remove the TV box from standby is press the “Power” button on the remote control for long enough to send an IR pulse.

So, point the remote control of the Fetch TV box towards the receiver of the TV box and hold the “Power” button on the front for 10-15 seconds. 

This should verify that the TV box has made contact with the IR beam transmitted by the remote and should turn the LED bright blue.

Note: The bright blue light of the TV box translates into proper functionality!

2. Unplug the Fetch TV Box

You can address issues with the Fetch TV box simply by unplugging the power adapter until the hardware discharges from all residual electricity.

The power cycle procedure is highly effective against issues with the hardware, freezing issues with the Fetch box or reduced performance.

Here’s how to conduct a power cycle procedure on the Fetch TV box:

1. Disconnect the power cable from the back of the Fetch TV box.
2. Unplug the other end of the cable from the supplying A/C outlet.
3. Wait for 60 seconds while the Fetch’s hardware is discharging.
4. Reinstall the power adapter on both ends to re-supply the power.
5. Wait until the Fetch TV box turns on and check the LED status.

While the Fetch TV box is disconnected, determine if the power adapter has any visual faults or defects.

Ripped conductor covers or exposed wires could lead to severe issues with the box.

Note: Verify that the cable box’s power cable is securely connected on both ends!

3. Check the Box’s HDMI Connection

The loading screen might be produced by the connected TV, monitor or alternative viewing device instead of the Fetch TV box.

Inspecting the physical connection between the Fetch TV box and the viewing device should be the next step, as well as eliminating faults with the cable.

Here’s how to refresh the audio and video transmission of the HDMI cable:

1. Unplug the HDMI cable from the input on the back of the TV.
2. Disconnect the other end from the port on the Fetch TV box.
3. Plug the HDMI into a different port on the TV or monitor unit.
4. Reconnect the HDMI cable back into the single Fetch box port.

The HDMI cable line transfers audio and video broadcasts of the receiver to your TV and stands behind everything you see on the screen.

Hence, attempt to detect any physical faults with the HDMI cable that could lead to a frozen screen or degraded video to decipher the box’s problem.

Reminder: Have you checked if the HDMI cable is properly secured?

4. Remove Third-Party Equipment

The prolonged Fetch box startup time may be caused by power insufficiency, which indicates defective third-party equipment in the box’s setup.

You should test the TV box while its power cable is directly connected to an electrical outlet, without strips, dividers or any smart plugs.

So, uninstall any third-party equipment for delivering power to the Fetch TV box’s power port and plug the unit’s cable directly into an outlet.

Press the “Power” button on the front panel of the TV box once and determine if the unit will start properly or freeze during the system startup.

Tip: Press and hold the “Power” button for 30 seconds to soft reset the Fetch TV box!

5. Switch to a Different A/C Socket

One of the possible reasons for the sudden system startup malfunction of the Fetch TV box is the improper power supply from the outlet. 

It is strongly advised to plug the streaming device into a proven electrical outlet to verify that the box constantly receives a stable electricity stream.

Therefore, relocate the necessary equipment for installing the box in an alternative outlet and check if the “Startup” screen will last longer than usual.

Remember to secure the connection of the cable box with the outlet and avoid using third-party equipment to deliver the electricity.

Tip: You can test an outlet’s functionality using your phone’s charger!

6. Perform a “Blind” Factory Reset

Fortunately, a remote technique allows a Fetch TV box owner to start a factory reset procedure without having a direct view of the output.

This means you can factory reset your Fetch TV box even if you’re stuck on “Starting,” which is a guaranteed way to resolve any software problems.

All you need to do is input a consecutive combination of keys on the remote control, activating the reset process.

However, the factory reset will erase everything from your Fetch TV box!

Here’s how to perform a “blind” factory reset on the Fetch TV box:

1. Unplug the Fetch TV box for 30 seconds and plug it back in.
2. Wait until the “Startup” screen appears on the connected TV.
3. Press Blue → Yellow → Green → Red on the remote control.
4. After that, hold the “R” or “Paw” button on the remote control.
5. Optional: Type the activation code if prompted by the TV box.

Notice: If you haven’t activated the box, you will be prompted to insert an activation code!

7. Replace the Failing Hard Drive (Advanced)

If the Fetch TV box keeps failing to load after attempting all of our solutions, the Fetch TV box’s hard drive may be failing.

This is not something new; all hard drives are prone to get defective after a predefined number of re-writers, which is normal, and a total replacement is the solution.

Installing a new hard drive and cloning it with the old one is challenging and requires a complete disassembly of the Fetch TV box’s hardware.

WARNING: Disassembling the Fetch TV box voids the active warranty of the product!

How to Disassemble a Fetch TV Box?

1. Unplug the Fetch and lay it on a workbench or a flat surface.
2. Next, push the bottom panel towards the back of the machine.
3. Pull the side panels quite hard to remove them from the panel.
4. Remove a total of 5 torx screws hidden behind the stickers.
5. Undo the screws on the hard drive cover using a screwdriver.
6. Once removed, unplug the drive and remove it from the box.

How to “Clone” the New Hard Drive?

Cloning the hard drive is quite a challenging task, as using an unidentified HDD in your Fetch TV box must have the same directories and data types.

To clone a hard drive, you must either buy an already-cloned drive for Fetch TV or clone it manually.

To clone an HDD drive manually, you need a Hard Drive Cloning Device or “duplicator” to use the box’s current HDD fragments.

Based on the cloner device you have, follow the instructions to transfer the directories of the old drive and install the new disk in the box.

Note: Each hard drive duplicator has its own terms of usage and instructions!

Quick Recap:

When the Fetch box is stuck on starting, unplug the Fetch box from a power supply, inspect the connected TV/monitor and perform a factory reset.

If nothing helps, and the warranty has ended, replace the box’s hard drive by cloning another.

Follow us for more!