Introduction:
There are a number of errors you may encounter while working with the Raspberry Pi, some are not as simple are they seem while others only take a few minutes. Today we will share some of the most common issues you may face while using the Raspberry Pi (we assume you are using the latest Raspbian OS) and how you can resolve them
1: Boot Issues: There are a number of factors that can lead to boot issues. Usually, this is indicated by the power LED (RED) being ON and the Activity LED (GREEN) if either OFF or permanently ON.
How to Solve this:
The green LED usually indicates when the Pi is working i.e. software activity. In case it doesn’t blink after regular intervals you should check your SD card lot. This is where the Pi’s software is housed. Check whether the SD card is properly inserted or not, in case of no effect, check whether the files on it are corrupt or not. In this case, format your SD card and flash it again with the OS. Before formatting, keep in mind to copy your important data into a separate PC.
2: Boot Process or NOOBS OS get stuck on splash screen: When this happens your Raspberry Pi’s boot process gets stuck on the splash screen and can be quite irritating.
How to Solve this:
You can resolve this issue by formatting your SD card. Once formatted, make sure the correct NOOB files are copied into it. In case this doesn’t work, use another SD card or use the same SD card on another Raspberry Pi. In case the issue is still not resolved, install Raspbian stretch or any other distro.
3: Unable to Access the Raspberry Pi over SSH: This is better recognized as a security feature built into the Raspberry Pi operating system. When the raspberry pi is running an update of the Raspbian stretch, communication over SSH is disabled.
How to Solve This:
In order to resolve this, you must activate communication over SSH from the settings of your Raspberry Pi.
With your Pi connected to a monitor, go to preferences, then select configuration. A configuration window will open, from there ‘enable’ the SSH configuration.
In case your Pi is running in a headless mode, remove the SD card and insert into your PC. Create an empty file names SSH in your SD and then re-insert into your Pi.
4: Irregular Rebooting: In this case, your Raspberry Pi might be randomly rebooting at intervals or when the board is on, the power LED will be off.
How to Solve this:
This is a power issue i.e. when your Raspberry Pi is not getting enough power. The Raspberry Pi 3, for example, requires a 5V, 2.5A power supply to function or it will not function properly. See that your Pi is getting the required power.
5: USB does not work: In this case, the USB device connected to your Pi does not work or is not recognized.
How to Solve this:
This could happen due to a number of reasons. For instance, if your Raspberry Pi is not getting enough power and cannot power up the USB device. Your USB device could be faulty, in this case, test it with your PC beforehand. Another solution is to connect your USB to your Pi before turning it on. In some cases, the Pi needs to do some initialization beforehand, so this could help resolve the issue.
In some cases even though your device connects to your Pi, but it is not available for the operation you using it for. In order to see if this is the case run the command:
lsusb –t
This will give you a list of the USB devices connected to your Pi.
In some cases, your USB device may not be compatible with the OS of Raspberry Pi. To see if your device is compatible or not, check this list of compatible devices. Before connecting your device, check if your Pi is updated to the latest software, as this can also be the reason why your USB is not functioning.
5: Keyboard Character Display Error: In this case, the key displayed on the screen is different from the one you pressed. This happens due to default UK configuration of your software.
How to Solve this:
You can resolve this issue by changing the configuration to that of your keyboard. To do this go to the configuration menu, under Internationalization, select the keyboard setup and scroll down and select the keyboard layout that matches the layout of your keyboard.
In case you are working with a display, go to preferences, select the mouse and keyboard settings and select keyboard layout.
A new window will appear, from here select your keyboard layout.
6: Raspberry Pi Not Working with HDMI Based Display: In this case, your Pi does not work with a display over HDMI.
How to Solve this:
There are two solutions to this. Check your HDMI cable. Or connect the display to your Raspberry Pi and select the mode (HDMI or VGA) before powering up your Pi. Remember to turn on your screen before powering the Pi.
7: Blank Camera or Black Capture: In this case, although your Pi would have taken a picture, the image would appear black.
How to Solve this:
This can also happen if your software is not upgraded. Therefore, you should keep your Raspberry Pi upgraded to the latest software.
8: New Password does not get registered/ trying to Change the Password hangs the Pi: In this case, attempting to change the password hangs the Pi or the password is rejected.
How to Solve this:
This is another case of the low power supply. Make sure that your Raspberry Pi is getting the required power supply in order for it to function.