My Old Apple TV is stuck at the Apple Logo

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Wysland Author

Level 1

8 points

My Old Apple TV is stuck at the Apple Logo

I have an old Apple TV (At least series 2) and it will not get past the silver Apple logo on the black background.

The front light blinks.

I have tried:

Menu button + down arrow with not luck.
Apple TV Micro USB to Mac USB port - Apple TV does no show up in iTunes.
Apple TV + Power Cord & Micro USB to Mac USB port - Apple TV does not show up in iTunes.

At this point I don't know what else to try. Is my Apple TV a brick?

This document says you need to connect the power cord to the Apple TV to restore it using iTunes, but some of the articles in this forum say you don't. I tried both with no luck.

"To restore Apple TV using iTunes:

Disconnect the power and HDMI cables from Apple TV and take it to your computer.
Connect one end of a micro USB cable (sold separately) to the back of Apple TV, and the other end to your computer.
Connect one end of the Apple TV power cord to the power port on the back of Apple TV and the other end to a power outlet.
Open iTunes on your computer, select Apple TV in the Source list, and then click Restore."

AppleTV 2

Posted on Nov 29, 2018 4:49 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

vazandrew

Level 8

40,894 points

Nov 29, 2018 5:41 PM in response to Wysland

That would be a 2nd gen.

You would have to follow the steps exactly (disconnect all cables, connect micro USB). Power would need to remain disconnect, it is the 3rd ben and later that require power. Also try another cable, make sure it is capable of data transfer and if it was originally bundled with another device it may only be designed to work with that device.

If it were to persist or if the restore process continues to be unsuccessful then it is likely a hardware issue, it is 8 years old after all. As the 2nd gen is considered obsolete there is no further support.

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Answer 2

Urquhart1244

Level 10

146,526 points

Nov 29, 2018 5:06 PM in response to Wysland

Please share which model you have. The A-number should be on the bottom. Identify your Apple TV model - Apple Support

If the front indicator light is blinking, then it is likely failing to start up. A restore to factory settings is the logical next step. Restore your Apple TV through iTunes - Apple Support

The Apple TV (2nd generation) should be unplugged from power while connecting to the computer with iTunes. The Apple TV (3rd or 4th generation) should be plugged for power while connecting to the computer with iTunes.

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