Zebra ET60 / ET65 troubleshooting: power, charging, scanning

CauseTablets with a battery ship in Ship Mode. Battery-free models run only in a powered vehicle dock. A tablet that was working may have a flat battery or a system crash.

Fix

1. Connect the USB-C to AC adapter, place the tablet in a powered vehicle dock, or press Power. Any of these ends Ship Mode.
2. Check that a battery is fitted and both latches have snapped in. A blank battery pack means a battery-free model: use it in the vehicle dock.
3. Watch the LED: a slow orange blink means it is charging. If two LEDs blink when you press Power, the battery is too low to start: charge or replace it.
4. Battery charged and the tablet still won't start? Do a hard reset as described in Fix 9.

CauseNo power reaches the tablet, or a charging error: temperature out of range, or about eight hours of charging without finishing.

Fix

1. Use the Zebra USB-C to AC adapter PWR-BGA15V45W-UC2-WW and check the mains cord at both ends. In a vehicle, check the dock's power supply.
2. Charge at room temperature. Zebra's charging range is 5–40 °C, and above about 37 °C charging may pause and restart. Let a cold tablet from a freezer warm up first.

CauseRed means the battery has reached the end of its useful life. A red blink once per second is different: a battery-free tablet connected to external power.

Fix

1. Open the Battery Manager app and check Wear and Health. Health shows Decommission when the battery should be replaced.
2. Replace the battery with the Android version: BTRY-ET6XA-9AH-01 (standard) or BTRY-ET6XA-18AH-01 (extended). Batteries for the Windows ET60W/ET65W don't fit.

CauseAfter you remove the battery, a super capacitor keeps the tablet running with Wi-Fi and mobile connections for up to 30 seconds. Then the screen turns off and your open session stays in memory for up to 60 seconds more. If the Backup Power icon shows in the status bar, the super capacitor isn't ready, for example after several swaps in a row.

Fix

1. Don't swap while the Backup Power icon is showing. Have the charged battery ready. Press the latches in, lift the old battery out and insert the new one, bottom edge first, during the 30-second countdown.
2. If the tablet doesn't come back on by itself, press and hold Power for 6 seconds. It reboots.

CauseDataWedge or your app's profile is off, the barcode type is disabled, or you are testing on the Home screen, where DataWedge is off by default.

Fix

1. Check your model: tablets without the SE55 imager scan with the rear camera and show a preview instead of an aiming dot.
2. Test in the DWDemo app. If it scans there, the problem is your app's profile.
3. Open the DataWedge app, then Settings, and check that DataWedge enabled is ticked.
4. In your app's profile, check that Barcode input and Keystroke output are on and that your barcode type is enabled under Decoders.

The full profile setup is in the DataWedge setup guide.

CauseWi-Fi is off, the access point is out of range, or the saved settings are wrong.

Fix

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen and check that Wi-Fi is on, then move closer to an access point.
2. Open Settings › Network & internet › Internet › Saved networks, touch the network and Forget, then connect again with the correct password and security type.
3. Check that the Wi-Fi frequency band under Network preferences › Additional settings › Band and Channel Selection is Auto, the default.

CauseThe SIM is not seated, mobile data is off, or the access point name (APN) is missing.

Fix

1. Switch the tablet off, remove the battery and access door, and check that the nano SIM sits with its contacts facing down and the holder is locked.
2. Check that Settings › Network & internet › Mobile network › Mobile data is on.
3. Under Mobile network › Preferred network type, choose Automatic(NLW).
4. Compare Mobile network › Advanced › Access Point Names with your operator's details; touch + to add one, save it and select it.

CauseThe touch mode doesn't match how you work, or condensation forms when you move between cold and warm areas.

Fix

1. Open Settings › Display › Touch panel mode and choose Finger and Glove, Finger and Wet, or Finger and Passive Stylus.
2. On the freezer version (blue line around the display), open the Heater Control app and check that the touch panel heater is on.

CauseAn app or the system has stopped responding.

Fix

1. If an app stops responding, press and hold Power until the menu appears, then touch Restart (soft reset).
2. If the tablet itself doesn't respond, do a hard reset: press Power, the Scan button on the back and Volume Up together for at least 4 seconds. Release them when the screen turns off; the tablet reboots. Zebra warns that a hard reset can damage or corrupt an installed microSD card.
3. If it keeps freezing, ask IT about the latest LifeGuard update.
4. As a last resort, an Enterprise Reset erases user data but keeps the /enterprise folder: open Settings › System › Reset Options › Erase all data (enterprise reset) and touch Erase all data twice. A Factory Reset erases everything; you install Zebra's reset package from the recovery screen: touch Restart, then hold P3 until the recovery screen appears.