Perform a hard reset to restore your device to its original state

A hard reset restores your Windows Mobile device to the condition it was in when you removed it from the box. Any data you’ve saved on the device and any programs you’ve installed are gone. You’ll want to perform a hard reset if you sell your device or give it to someone else to make sure you’ve delete sensitive information. It might also be necessary if your device locks up and stops running. In this case, you should try a soft reset first. Finally, you might resort to a hard reset if your device is behaving in a strange manner or is acting sluggish and unresponsive. In this case, you’d want to first try removing any third-party programs you’ve installed to see if they are causing the problems.

The procedures for performing a hard reset vary widely from one device to another. They should be described in the user’s guide that came with your device or on the vendor’s Web site (look for/search on “reset,” “resetting your device,” or “hard reset”). Another way to do the equivalent of a hard reset is to remove your device’s battery. Since some devices have internal backup batteries, you have to leave the main battery out until the backup battery discharges completely—usually about 10 minutes.