How to Hard Reset the HTC HD2

The hottest Windows phone device available today is the HD2 from HTC. It’s beautiful large screen, fast processor, and ultra-thin design make it a joy to use. HTC’s Sense user-interface sure helps too. So there’s no question that this is the current smartphone that all the other Windows Phone devices will be judged against.

So you just picked up a device off ebay, or perhaps you’re getting ready to sell yours. Or maybe the unthinkable has happened – a 3rd party application is causing problems and the device will no longer boot. You’ll need to hard reset the device so it’s back to factory settings. Here’s the steps to get that done:

1. Turn the phone off
2. Press and hold both the volume up and volume down buttons
3. Press and release the Power / Hang-up button
4. The device will turn on – release the volume buttons when you see the tri-color screen. It flashes for a second or two
5. The device will then display a prompt asking you to confirm the reset of the device
6. Press the volume up button to continue with the hard reset, or press any other button to cancel.

If the device still boots up, you can perform the same reset using the software on the device. Just tap Start / Settings / Security / Factory Reset and then enter the 4 digit security code – 1234, and the hard reset will begin.

Be sure to charge the device prior to performing the hard reset. As well, it’s worth noting that all of your data will be erased from the device during the reset process. Be sure to backup any valuable files or information before following these steps.

My Zune HD Froze and Won’t Respond to Any Key Press

Today on my car ride home from work, my Zune HD stopped playing in the middle of a song and the screen turned off. I keep it plugged in when I’m using it in the car so the screen stays on and I can see all the song details. For some reason, that I’ve yet to understand, it decided to stop playing.  Since I was sitting in heavy traffic, I tried a couple things to get it back on – like pressing power, or the volume buttons, but nothing seemed to work. I gave up pretty quickly and switched on the satellite radio for the rest of the drive.

Now, this has happened to me a couple times in the past. The device just stops playing and won’t respond to any button or screen taps. Sometimes the screen is off, other times it’s on, but locked shut. Usually, I can get it to respond inside of a minute and all is well.  But that wasn’t the case today. Nothing seemed to bring it back.

When I arrived at home, I plugged it directly into the wall thinking that something may have been wrong with the car adapter. Sadly, that didn’t make any difference, and at this point I started to fear that the device might be dead.

[ ..Read More.. ]

How to Hard Reset the HTC Hero

The HTC Hero has quickly become a popular Android device. If you have picked up a used device, or perhaps you’ve managed to install too many apps and crashed the device, there is a way to restore it back to factory settings. In the past, Darren posted about how to hard reset an Android phone from the menus on the device. The steps he posted work perfectly on the Hero, but what if the device won’t boot? No need to worry, there’s still hope. Just follow the steps below, and you’ll have a factory fresh install on your device in no time at all.

If the device is on, turn it off.  If you can’t turn it off, remove the battery! Now, with the phone off, press and hold the Home and Back keys. Keep pressing on those keys and then press the Power/End button, but don’t hold that button down. The reset process will start after a short time, at which point you can release the Home and Back keys. That’s all there is to it.  Please post and let us know how it works for you.

Hard Resetting the Propel Pro Smartphone

Occasionally something goes wrong and your device becomes unresponsive or perhaps you just purchased a used Propel Pro off eBay and want to wipe it clean before you start configuring it for your personal needs. Regardless of the reason, I’m going to tell you what you need to know to hard reset the device and make sure it’s back to the factory default.

The Propel Pro, also know as the i627, shares a lot with the Samsung Jack (i637) including the process of hard resetting and just like the Jack, there are 2 different methods for hard resetting the Propel Pro – Master Clear and Master Reset. The Master Reset function will reset the phone back to factory settings. The Master Clear option will reset the phone and wipe clean the user storage locations.

If the phone still starts then you can wipe the phone from the Start Menu by pressing Start / Settings / Security and then select the reset method of your choice. You will then see a prompt to enter a password before the wipe takes place. By default, the reset password is 0000 (that’s four zero’s).

If your Propel Pro will not start, you can still perform a reset. From a powered off state, press the power button while holding down the “F” key on the keyboard. Keep holding down the “F” key until you see the format menu. Here is where you can select which type of reset you would like to do. Press 1 for Master Clear and 2 for a Master Reset. After making your selection, the device will then be wiped.

Now you’re back to the beginning and can start to customize the device to your liking.

UPDATE: I mentioned above that during a hard reset from the Security menu, the phone will prompt you for a password. That’s not the case with the Propel Pro. It will take do the wipe as soon as you say “Yes” to either method. So PLEASE be careful when doing this!

Hard Reset the HTC Touch Pro 2

HTC’s new Touch Pro 2 device is finally starting to make its way into the hands of people around the world. The TP2 has been available in Europe for a little while. Canada’s Telus has recently started offering the phone, and AT&T in the US is expected to start offering the phone shortly.

To hard reset the Touch Pro 2 when the phone is on, simply select Start / Settings / All Settings, and then tap Clear Storage. Enter the password, by default it should be 1234, and press Yes. You’ll be prompted to confirm the wipe of the device and then you’re ready to go.

To hard reset the Touch Pro 2 when the device is powered off, the first thing you need to do is make sure you warm up your fingers because you’ll need them to be flexible in order to get this just right. Press and hold the following 3 keys – Call, Hang Up, and Volume Down. Now, with all 3 of those buttons pressed, you need to take the stylus and press the reset button on the side of the phone. Continue to hold those keys until you see a white screen with instructions on how to continue. Follow the on-screen instructions and you’re good.

Hard Reset the Samsung Jack

Sometimes there is a need to start fresh with your device.  Perhaps you just picked up the Jack from eBay or maybe you’re getting ready to list it for sale and want to clear off any personal details from the phone.  Or maybe, you’ve installed something and it’s your device un-usable. That should never be the case, but you never know, right?  If you want to start over, you need to perform what is called a "Hard Reset”.  This will wipe your device clean of any personal information and revert the device back to factory settings.  There are a couple ways to do this on the Samsung Jack.

Just to be clear, this article is talking about the AT&T Samsung Jack (SGH-i637) smartphone, also known as the Omnia Pro B7320.  If you are using a Rogers or Fido Samsung Jack, then and need to look at the hard reset instructions for the BlackJack II, which can be found here.

On the Samsung Jack, there are 2 types of reset options, Master Clear and Master Reset. The Master Reset function will reset the phone back to factory settings. The Master Clear option will reset the phone and wipe clean the user storage locations.  To access these options, you need to hit Start / Settings / Security and then select the reset method of your choice.  You will then be prompted for a reset password. Unless you have changed this value, the default is 0000 (four zero’s). Enter the reset password and you will be prompted to confirm the reset. If you picked the Master Clear, you will be prompted to select which user storage will be wiped.

If the Samsung Jack won’t boot or hangs just after booting, you can still perform a hard reset on the device.  From a powered off state, press the power button while holding down the “F” key on the keyboard. Keep holding down the “F” key until you see the format menu.  Here you will be prompted on which type of reset you are looking to do. Select 1 for Master Clear, or 2 for Master Reset and the device will be wiped accordingly.

Hard Resetting the Samsung BlackJack II

How can someone go about doing a hard reset on this device?  If you’re looking to wipe the device clean and return it to factory settings – that means removing all of your personal settings and data stored on the deivce, then the easiest way is to press Start \ Settings \ Security \ Reset and then follow the prompt to wipe the device and/or the storage card.

But what happens if you’ve managed to really mess things up and you can’t get the phone started?  No problem.  With the phone powered off, press and hold UP on the directional pad.  Then, turn on the device and continue to hold the UP key until you see a message on the screen.  You will be prompted to select 1 for reset or any other key to cancel. I recommend doing this with the device connected to power or with a fully charged battery. I can only imagine the mess that would result if the battery ran dry during the hard reset process.