On February 24, Samsung released a software update for its soundbars. By March 10, the update became available for manual download from the company’s website, and on March 13, devices began receiving it automatically via Wi-Fi for users who had enabled updates through the SmartThings app.
However, soundbars that received the update over the air encountered a critical issue—freezing completely, losing Wi-Fi connectivity, and becoming unresponsive to factory resets. In contrast, those updated manually via the USB service port installed the update successfully and continued to function without any problems.
What is the cause of Samsung soundbar update failure?
This isn’t the first time a Samsung update has caused serious issues—previously, a faulty update rendered Blu-ray players unusable. The most likely cause of the soundbar failure is an incorrect update assignment. This theory is supported by the fact that devices updated manually via USB function normally, while those updated over Wi-Fi were affected.
Before downloading an update, the soundbar communicates its model and serial number to Samsung’s servers, which then determine the appropriate software version. However, during the automatic update process, a critical error occurs, rendering the device completely unresponsive.
The problem was first reported on Thursday, 13 March. It took Samsung two days to fully realize the scale of the problem, and three days to disable automatic updates and remove the update file from the website. Unfortunately, by this time, many soundbars had already downloaded and installed incorrect updates in standby mode. As a result, users who turned on their TVs found that their soundbars were no longer working.
Fixing Q800D-Q990D Soundbar Update Error
Given the current state of the affected soundbars, recovery through another update is impossible. With the Wi-Fi module disabled, the devices cannot receive automatic fixes, and since a factory reset is also non-functional, they cannot install an update via the USB service port either. Normally, when a USB drive is connected, the soundbar’s OS scans for update files and installs them if a newer version is detected. However, in this case, the OS itself is unresponsive, rendering the process ineffective.
The only viable solution is to reinstall the firmware manually, but since the soundbar does not respond to standard commands, this can only be done at a service center. A potential method for recovery could involve direct re-flashing or replacing the memory chip.
Initially, Samsung began recalling defective units. However, upon realizing the issue was global—affecting tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of devices—the company issued a directive to halt service center shipments and await a resolution. Despite this, on Monday, Samsung resumed accepting affected soundbars for repair in select countries. In most regions, however, the company has temporarily paused service while it explores potential solutions.
