A popular myth among sellers and a fear among buyers

In my repair practice, two dialogues are regular:

Salesman:“I did a factory reset before the sale, now the file counter is back to IMG_0001.JPG - does that mean the mileage was reset?”

Buyer:“What if the seller pressed Reset in the menu and the entire mileage was reset to zero?”

As an engineer who works with camera microcontrollers, I give a clear answer: **NO, resetting settings through the menu is NOT RESETS the shutter counter**.

Why doesn't Reset affect the shutter counter?

In camera architecture, the built-in control menu has limited access rights:

• User settings (Reset menu):clears user presets, Wi-Fi settings, focus points and resets the sequential numbering of file names (for example, IMG_9999 to IMG_0001). This affects only RAM settings.
• System counter (EEPROM/Flash):located in a deep non-volatile sector of the chip motherboard. It can only be accessed by the internal microcode of the processor with each sensor pulse. movement of the curtains.

What happens during a Firmware Update?

Even if the camera is completely flashed to a new software version (for example, from v1.00 to v2.00), the EEPROM service block remains untouched. The counter will continue counting from the same number.

The only exception: Replacing the motherboard

The mileage can be reset to zero (or become 0) only in one case - if a **replacement was made at the service center the entire motherboard (Main Board)** to a new part from the box. Honest services record in warranty card.