Update, Reset or Recover (Flash) a SMART Board

Quick Reference QR-SM-003 · SMART · Rev 1.0 · Oct 2026

Check the board's software version, update iQ over the network or from a USB drive, factory reset it, get past a PIN or lock screen, and recover a board that won't boot using a file from SMART support.

Three levels of fix, smallest first. An update keeps everything and installs newer iQ software. A factory reset wipes the board back to the setup wizard. A flash (recovery) reloads the software from a file SMART support provides, for a board that won't boot or is locked and can't be reset any other way. Always try the smallest fix that can work.

What you see	Go to
Board works; you need newer software or a feature from a newer iQ	Steps 1 to 3 (check version, then update)
Settings are a mess, the board is being moved to another room or district, or an update problem won't clear	Step 4 (factory reset)
Lock screen asks for a PIN or password nobody knows	Step 5 (locked board)
Won't boot, stuck on a logo or "Updating", restarts over and over, or a PIN appears after a factory reset	Step 6 (recover / flash)

1️⃣ Check the current software version

1. On the board (or the AM60), tap Settings › About tablet.
2. Read Build number: the iQ build is at the end, in the form 4.X.X.XXXX.
3. Model on the same page shows the serial numbers, firmware versions and other hardware details. Write down the serial number now: you need it for any SMART support case.

Device	Current iQ (Oct 2026)	Build	USB update file (from SMART's download page for that model)
RX	iQ 4.7.2 SP1 (Aug 13, 2026)	4.7.2.9104	rxg_ota-official-4.7.2.9104r1.bin (4.1 GB)
MX (V5)	iQ 4.7.2 SP1 (Aug 13, 2026)	4.7.2.8104	mxg_ota-official-4.7.2.8104r1.bin (4.1 GB)
AM60	iQ 4.7.2 (Jul 28, 2026)	4.7.2.7092	AM60_ota-official-4.7.2.7092r1.bin (4.1 GB)

Each model has its own file: an RX file won't install on an MX (V5), and the reverse. SMART also runs an Early Access channel (iQ 4.7.3 for MX (V5), MX (V5) Plus, RX and QX (V2) Pro); use the standard release on classroom boards unless the district asks otherwise.

2️⃣ Update over the network

1. Make sure the board or AM60 is connected to the internet: automatic updates need it.
2. To install an available update now: Settings › System › Update, tap Update now.
3. To set when updates run: on the same page set Start time, End time and Run on. The window must be at least three hours. Updates download in the background in that window, and the board restarts if it needs to.
4. Don't turn the board off while it installs. During an install, touch, the front control panel and the remote don't respond: that's normal.

3️⃣ Update from a USB drive

Use this when the board has no internet, the network blocks updates, or a network update keeps failing.

USB drive	What SMART requires
Format	exFAT. The file is 4.1 GB, which is bigger than a FAT32 drive can hold in one file.
Size	No larger than 32 GB, and big enough for the 4.1 GB file (an 8, 16 or 32 GB drive).
File	The BIN file for that exact model, copied to the root of the drive (not in a folder). Don't rename it and don't unzip it.

RX and MX (V5):

1. Turn the display on.
2. Plug the drive into the USB port on the front of the display: RX, the USB 3.0 Type-A on the convenience panel; MX (V5), a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A on the front connector panel.
3. When the dialog box appears, tap OK. No dialog means the file isn't newer than what's installed (or it's the wrong file).
4. Don't unplug the drive or turn the display off until the install is complete. It takes several minutes: the screen goes black and the display restarts several times, then once more at the end.
5. Check the new build in Settings › About tablet, then remove the drive. If it didn't install, restart the display and try again.

AM60:

• Already running iQ: copy the BIN file unchanged to the root of the exFAT drive, plug it into the appliance and tap Restart in the dialog. No dialog? Tap Check for Update.
• New AM60 with no iQ yet (first install only): rename the BIN file to update.zip and copy it to the drive root without unzipping. Plug it in, then in Settings › Network & internet turn Wi-Fi and Ethernet off. Go to System › System update and tap Update. Turn Wi-Fi and Ethernet back on when it's done.
• The appliance may restart a number of times while the update applies.

4️⃣ Factory reset

A factory reset returns the board to the setup wizard: you run first-time setup again (language, network, board mode, sign-in). Expect local settings and files to be gone. Before you reset, write down the network settings, the board's device name, and whether it's enrolled in SMART Remote Management.

From SMART Remote Management (preferred when the board is enrolled):

1. Sign in to SMART Remote Management with the district's account and click Devices.
2. Click the board's row to open its dashboard.
3. Click Lock, then Factory Reset, then Yes.
4. When the reset finishes, the board re-enrolls automatically with the same tags and group.

On the board itself: the reset is in the board's Settings app. SMART's public iQ 4 pages don't currently list the exact menu path, so follow the on-screen prompts, and only if you can get into Settings (a locked board can't: see steps 5 and 6).

• Enrolling: the district owns the Remote Management account. The board enrolls by entering the key or domain SMART set up for that district's Remote Management. Get it from the district's tech staff.
• Lost token: in Remote Management, Devices › board's row › Manage › Reset Auth Token, then Reset Auth Token again to confirm.
• Replacement board still tied to another district's account (it has a token you never gave it): contact SMART support.

5️⃣ Board locked behind a PIN or password

First find out which lock screen it is. The board mode is set under Settings › SMART › SMART board mode.

Situation	What to do
Shared Mode, lock screen on the public profile (iQ 4.5 or later)	Tap Lock Screen Clean Up. It removes the public profile and makes a new one with no lock screen. Most local data is lost; items in Public Files (including Whiteboard files) are kept.
Shared Mode, lock screen on a user's SMART Account profile	Tap Back to public profile. No data is removed.
A user forgot the PIN on their own SMART Account profile	A district admin removes that user in Remote Management: Devices › board's row › Manage › Manage Users › Remove user, enter the user's UUID, Confirm. If the board is locked, restart it first. The user signs in again and sets a new PIN. This doesn't work for the owner or public user.
Classic Mode, PIN forgotten	SMART says a forgotten PIN in Classic Mode needs a factory reset. Enrolled in Remote Management: reset from there (step 4).
Not enrolled and nobody can unlock it, or a PIN appears after a factory reset	The board needs a recovery flash from SMART support (step 6). Switching modes also needs the current lock screen credentials; SMART says to contact them if you don't have them.

6️⃣ Recover (flash) a board that won't boot

Try these first, in order, and note what happens after each:

1. Check the power light (RX). Amber or red with a blank screen: press Power or Home, or restart. Green or white with a blank screen: the board is on, so check the input and source.
2. Restart: press and hold Power on the convenience panel or remote for 10 seconds.
3. Full power cycle: turn off the switch beside the AC power inlet, wait, then turn it back on.
4. Stuck after an update? Retry the USB update in step 3 with a freshly formatted exFAT drive and the correct model's file.

Still won't boot, keeps restarting, or is locked with no way in? Contact SMART support at smarttech.com/contactsupport and ask for a recovery file. Have this ready:

SMART will ask for	Where to get it
Serial number	Settings › About tablet › Model if the board still boots. Otherwise the serial sticker on the board: on the back or the bottom, depending on the model. Remote Management and the project's records have it too.
Model	RX275, RX286, MX275-V5, MX286-V5, or AM60 (plus the older board it's on)
Symptoms	Exactly what the screen shows, the power light color, when it started (after an update, a power outage, a factory reset), and how often it happens
What you already tried	Restarts, power cycle, USB update (which file), factory reset, and the results
Software and management	Last known iQ build, and whether it's enrolled in the district's Remote Management

Flashing the file SMART sends:

1. Read SMART's instructions all the way through before you start. The file and steps can differ by model and case.
2. Prepare a USB flash drive the way SMART's instructions say (exFAT is the format SMART uses for iQ 4 files). Use a known-good drive with nothing else on it.
3. Put the file on the drive exactly as instructed: don't rename, unzip or move it unless the instructions tell you to.
4. Plug the drive into the port SMART names. RX and MX (V5) have two service ports on the side and bottom panel (a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A and a USB 2.0 Type-A) besides the front USB ports, so match the port to the instructions.
5. Follow SMART's button and power sequence exactly. Don't unplug the drive or turn off power while it installs; expect several restarts.
6. When the board reaches the setup wizard or iQ home screen, remove the drive, run setup, re-enroll in Remote Management (step 4), and update to the current iQ (step 2 or 3).

Field tips and tricks

• Rule things out in order. Bad power, a wrong input or a sleeping board can look like a "bricked" board. Check power light, power switch and input before you call it a flash job.
• Write the serial number and build first. Photo of About tablet and the serial label at the start of every visit: you'll need them for SMART, warranty and the ticket.
• Bring two prepared USB drives (8 to 32 GB, exFAT) with the current RX, MX (V5) and AM60 files in labeled folders on your laptop. Copy only the one file you need to the drive root on site.
• No dialog when you plug in the drive? In order: the board already has that version or newer, the file was renamed or unzipped, it's the wrong model's file, the drive is FAT32 or too big, or the file is in a folder.
• Old board on iQ 4.5 or earlier? It must reach 4.6.0 before 4.7.2. Plan two updates and allow the time.
• Never interrupt an install. Pulling the drive or power mid-update is the most common way to brick a board. Put a sign on it and tell the teacher before you start.
• Network update not coming through? Check the board is actually online, its date and time are right, and the update window is at least three hours and at a time the board is powered.
• Use Remote Management before you drive out. A remote factory reset re-enrolls the board by itself; a reset on the board means fixing enrollment afterwards.

• Board won't enroll after a reset? Usually the old token: use the token reset warning icon or unenroll and enroll again. Check you're using the right district's key or domain.
• PIN after factory reset means it's still tied to an account or lock you can't clear locally. Don't keep resetting it: open a SMART case for the recovery file.
• AM60 boards: the iQ problem is in the appliance. Check the display itself works on another input before you blame the AM60, and give SMART the AM60's serial number.
• After any reset or flash: set the board mode the district uses, re-enroll in Remote Management, update to current iQ, check touch on each input, and confirm network access.
• Under warranty? Many RX and MX (V5) boards carry SMART Assure. Mention it to SMART when you open the case.
• In the ticket, write: serial number, model, build before and after, symptoms, every step you tried and its result, SMART case number, and the file version you flashed.

Still not working?

• Flash didn't take? Reformat the drive, recopy the file from SMART, try a different drive, and check you used the port and sequence in SMART's instructions.
• Same version needs reinstalling? A USB update won't reinstall the version already on the board; SMART says to use a factory reset.

• Still dead after SMART's recovery file? Go back to SMART support with the case number; it may be a hardware repair. Then call VSC.

---

📚 Sources & credits

• Compiled by Brad Roy, VSC Director of Operations, from SMART Technologies support documentation and VSC field practice (October 2026).
• SMART: "SMART Board RX system software - iQ 4" and "SMART Board MX (V5) system software - iQ 4" (iQ 4.7.2 SP1, Aug 13, 2026); "AM60 system software" (iQ 4.7.2, Jul 28, 2026); "iQ 4.7 system software (early access)"; iQ 4 "System software updates", "About tablet", "SMART settings", "Set up shared access mode", "Sign in", "Set up iQ 4 for the first time"; SMART Board MX "Updating the display's firmware" (support.smarttech.com, 2026).
• SMART Remote Management: "Return iQ 4 devices to factory settings and reset their authentication tokens", "Helping users reset their display PINs". SMART Board RX and MX "Connector diagrams"; RX "Turning on and turning off the display" and "Troubleshooting"; iQ "Troubleshooting USB update".