Roku factory reset and we can't seem to reach you by email message (screen, wifi)

[Mary2014]

My Roku streaming suddenly stopped working yesterday - my first thought was to blame Comcast. However, my computer, my wifi and my smart phone and more importantly my email account were working just fine.

I spent hours doing all the suggestions checking Roku settings and finally came to the conclusion I needed to do a factory reset. I followed the instructions to do a factory reset and got to the point where I enter my email address and they send me a code to enter. The problem was I never received an email. The Roku kept saying I did not have an internet connection. I tried more than a dozen times over the next few hours and it finally came back with the "we can't seem to reach you by email".

After doing an online search it seems I was not the only one that has experienced this issue during the past 7 months. I double checked my Roku account was active and I was using the correct email address. There was one work around someone found (not by a Roku employee) I tried as a final attempt to fix the problem.

This time instead of going thru the Roku reset instructions to do a factory reset, I did a manual reset by using a paperclip to push in the reset button located on my Roku device. Then when the instructions came up (as in what the work around suggested) I skipped past the set up internet connection to the next step to activate the Roku.

The next step was to enter my email address and select/enter my internet connection and password. Roku responded with a code and an email to a link to activate. I then went online to Roku.com/activate and entered the code.

That got Roku back up and running and I could access the Roku channel. I had to go on line to reset up my PBS passport account, but, finally was able to do that as well. That was the only paid subscription I have.

So, my suggestion is if you ever run into this issue and need to do a factory reset, do so by using the manual reset button on your Roku device (my Roku device has a small hole in it and you use a paperclip to activate the reset). When you see the instructions on your screen, skip past entering your internet connection to the next step to activate Roku. Then you enter you email address, internet connection and password and you get a code. They automatically send you a confirming email, go on line to roku.com/activate and enter the code.

I still wonder if this issue was due to a change that Comcast may have done to my internet connection that impacted my Roku device or the other way around. Just glad that there was someone out there that found a work around.

If this helps even one person avoid all the frustration I went thru - it was worth this long post.