Spent $230 for what is starting to feel like trash at least software wise

Brand new out the box really disappointed.

The firmware refresh itself succeeded, but the Micro is still not healthy.

What I see:

• The ESP32-S3 was flashed to 100%, followed by “Flash ended,” “Reset done.”

• After reboot, it correctly reported firmware v0.6.1.

• macOS currently detects the Creator Micro 2 normally.

• However, its old keymap.json survived the reflash and is corrupted. Input reports invalid JSON at position 3076.

• That retained keymap contains KC_K, which likely explains the endless “K.”

• Shortly afterward, filesystem writes and Codex lighting/status requests begin timing out again.

So the firmware binary is installed correctly, but the device’s persistent configuration/storage was not erased. Reflashing the merged firmware again the same way will probably produce the same result.

The next repair is a full factory/chip erase, followed by one clean v0.6.1 flash. This will permanently delete every existing Micro profile and layer. If Work Louder Input does not provide an explicit Erase Flash, Factory Erase, or Format Storage option, I recommend contacting Work Louder before using a command-line ESP32 erase—the evidence is now specific enough for support to act on. Currently, Codex cannot establish a working control connection despite macOS seeing the device.