A standing desk is a must to improve office ergonomics, as it helps incorporate movement into your eight-hour work shift. It can even improve user well-being by offering these benefits:

• improved posture, reduced body pain, and
• increased energy, mood, and productivity.

Yet, you can only achieve these advantages when it works correctly. That is where the importance of a functioning desk comes in.

You’re likely reading this because your standing desk has a malfunctioning issue. Your adjustable desk has lost power, is stuck in the lowest position, or the control box cannot control the duty cycle.

These problems are common with an electronic sit-stand desk. Yet, these issues can be resolved through resetting and the proper use of a standing desk.

Learn how to reset your standing desk in this guide!

Understanding the Standing Desk Mechanism

There are two significant types of sit-stand tables: manual desks and electric sit-stand desks.

A manual standing desk is adjusted via the handle. When this is turned, the screw in the desk either goes up or down, depending on which way the handle is turned.

Meanwhile, an electric standing desk can be controlled through an up and down button. Once you push the arrow or button on the panel, one motor (or two) rotates to achieve the action.

Automatic change in height is possible with an electric sit-stand desk because it has control box cables and a control panel that is directly dependent on a power cord connected to an electrical outlet.

How a Standing Desk Works

A standing desk is a height-adjustable table that enables office workers to change their working position and stretch their legs, preventing pain by elevating the desk’s height.

Once your feet get tired of bearing your standing weight, a standing desk can revert to a sitting height position to help your body rest. The height you set it at will depend on your preference and observance of proper posture.

There are several types of stand-up tables. These include:

• Fixed-height
• Adjustable
• Converter
• Treadmill

Normal malfunctioning issues occur in the electric types classified as adjustable, converter, and treadmill tables. These issues most often require a complete reset using the reset mode.

Common Issues Requiring a Reset

As mentioned, once the desk malfunctions, one of the ways to fix it is by using the reset mode. But what are these issues that require resetting your desk?

Here are the common reasons or issues that require a complete or partial reset of a sit-stand desk or table:

• The outlet lost power;
• The table does not follow up or down commands;
• The control box type is malfunctioning, continuing to move because of the absence of or too much friction;
• The table stops midway through adjustment or goes up and down slowly.

Identifying the Root of the Problem

The best way to know to reset the desk is to identify the root of the problem.

You can observe the following root causes of problems in a malfunctioning standing table:

• There may be an object, like mounted shelves, obstructing the parts enabling up-and-down movement
• There is too much weight on top of the desk;
• The leg cables and other cable connections are not securely connected;
• No power travels through the desk;
• The desk’s control box can’t control the duty cycle;
• The legs are uneven; and
• The desk control includes an upper container stop and a lower container stop.

How to Reset Standing Desk

There are three easy ways to reset and ensure the proper height of your desk: unplugging and reconnecting, resetting the control box, and manually adjusting the desk’s height.

The best reset method will depend on the type of standing desk you own, the issue your problem desk is facing, and the root cause you have identified.

Unplugging and Reconnecting the Desk

The most common option (and easiest at that!) for resetting a standing desk is to unplug and reconnect it. This is usually done when your desk control loses power or if the desk stops moving upward.

To make this happen, you must observe every safety precaution by checking the desk’s manufacturer instructions or reset procedure. After that, you have to unplug the desk from the power outlet and plug it back in after 30 seconds.

If you hear clicks, that would mean that you need to push the down arrow until the desk is at its lowest height. Then, press it again until the desk slowly moves up, which signals that the restart has been completed.

Resetting the Control Box

Control boxes limit how many times they can go up and down. Once it is all used up, all you need to do is reset the control box by giving it a rest stage or grace period.

After resting your standing desk control box for 20 minutes, your desk will work as it did before.

Adjusting the Desk’s Height Manually

Sometimes, the reason why desks stop moving is that the desk is uneven. A standing desk ceases the movement of its adjustable height to prevent damage when the control box observes uneven height.

In fixing this issue, you need to adjust it using a manual handle and calibrate the desk’s height yourself.

Troubleshooting Specific Standing Desk Brands

We showed you how to resolve desk issues in the previous section. Now, we will give you a clearer picture of how to troubleshoot specific desk brands.

But before that, you must choose the best standing desk to make resetting easier. Scroll through to learn more!

Resetting a Costco Standing Desk

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how you can reset your Costco standing desk:

• Connect your standing desk to an outlet
• Look for the Haller wire (the one with the prongs) and disconnect it
• Search for the H2 display button on the desk and push it to return the desk to its normal height
• Reconnect the Haller wire, and the reset is complete

Resetting an UPLIFT Desk

For those of you who own an UPLIFT desk, here are the things you should do to reset it:

• Remove all the items under the table, as these may hamper the desk’s movement to the lowest height
• Push the down arrow until the desk is at its base height
• For 30 seconds, hold the down arrow until the control panel shows ASr or RESET
• Hold the down arrow until the desk moves up and down and stops
• Unplug the power cord from the outlet and hold the down button for 10 seconds
• Plug the power back in and repeat the steps above until the desk works properly

Resetting a VARIDESK

Some of you may have a VARIDESK, which utilizes a straightforward process that you can follow to reset your desk:

• Ensure that all control box, leg, and motor cables are connected securely
• Press and hold the down button for 5 seconds until the control panel shows the RST prompt
• Release the down button for 2 seconds
• Press and hold it again until the desk is at its lowest level. It will raise slightly, and when the screen shows 25.0, the reset is completed

Resetting Other Popular Standing Desk Brands

Standing desks reset differently depending on their design. To cater to your needs, here’s how you can do it for the ever-popular Fully Jarvis brand, as well as other brands that may not have been mentioned:

• Push the down button until the desk is at its lowest point, then release it.
• Push the down button until the control panel shows the word RESET, then release it.
• Press the down arrow until the desk lowers, rises slightly, and comes to a stop.

How to Prevent Future Issues

Aside from solving your desk problems by resetting, you can prevent issues by observing the proper use and posture at a standing desk, conducting preventive maintenance, avoiding overloading, and ensuring a proper power supply.

Proper Desk Maintenance

In our experience, the best thing to do is to protect your desk like your life depends on it. It’s much easier to maintain that mindset by following these tips and tricks:

• Use a coaster when drinking liquids and instantly clean any spillovers
• Don’t let any spills reach the digital screen or monitor
• Clean your desk regularly
• Take regular desk breaks
• Use mouse pads
• Let it rest during work hours
• Contact your brand’s customer service for support

Avoiding Overloading the Desk

One of the most common reasons for desk issues is overloading the height-adjustable desk. So, keep these tips in mind:

• Only put the necessary office supplies on the table (e.g., a desktop monitor) and keep them within the desk’s lifting capacity
• Invest in under-cabinet storage as it helps the table rest from excess weight.
• Don’t sit on the desk when your weight is over the lifting capacity

Ensuring Proper Power Supply

The key to this machine functioning at its best is ensuring the outlet’s power supply matches its power needs. You will have to check the wattage of your outlet to ensure this is the case.

Moreover, it will only work as intended if you securely connect the cables, control boxes, and other wirings.

Frequently Asked Questions on How To Reset a Standing Desk

Why Is My Standing Desk Not Going Up?

Your desk stops going up because one or more of these impediments are present:

• Object obstruction
• Overload or past its lifting capacity
• Unsecured power connections
• Power outage
• Uneven legs
• The collision detection feature is set (lower and upper container stop)
• The duty cycle has run out

How Do I Unlock My Standing Desk?

You can unlock the desk by locating the unlocking lever. For other desks, you can push the M button or any lock button (depending on the desk’s manufacturer) for eight seconds.

You can contact the customer service or tech team if none of these solutions work.

Can I Manually Adjust the Height of My Standing Desk?

Yes, you can manually adjust the height of your height-adjustable desk by holding and maneuvering the handle or lever.

What Is the Warranty for Various Standing Desk Brands?

The warranties for various desks are as follows:

• Costco: 2 years
• UPLIFT: 25 years (extended)
• VARIDESK: 1 year
• Fully Jarvis: 7 years

Can Common Issues With Standing Desks Be Fixed at Home?

Yes, common desk issues can be fixed at home (e.g., desks stop moving, get stuck, motor issues). Most of the time, these tables simply need rest and resetting.

Conclusion

A fully functioning standing desk offers many health benefits, conveniences, and comforts. However, that’s only when it’s functional.

To ensure it works well, you must take care of it by resetting it when needed. The general reset method entails unplugging and reconnecting the cord, resetting the control box, and manually adjusting the desk’s height.

Ensure you follow all safety precautions in resetting a sit-stand desk to save you from headaches and accidents. If the steps listed don’t work in the long run, you can always check the user manual or contact your brand’s tech support team!