How to: Hard reset your Nokia N97
If you’re unfortunate enough to encounter a problem on your Nokia N97, a hard reset maybe what you need to do. This wipes the entire phone memory and settings fresh to how it was (or should be) when you bought it. It’s also useful if you’re also unfortunate enough to have to send away your Nokia N97 for repair or exchange, or maybe in future you maybe selling it and don’t want your information/details/media stored onto your device for someone else to access.
The traditional method won’t work as the N97 doesn’t have the old keypad. After you’ve backed up your data onto memory card/pc/ovi, turn your phone off and simultaneously press these four buttons circled in red.
- Caps shift
- Space bar
- Delete button
- On button
You’ll know it’s worked when you see the initial set up screen, asking country of origin. I haven’t actually tried this, but I’ll be doing so when I return the trial N97.
Update 26-07-09 - tried it -
- wiped phone memory but did not touch the mass memory (you’ll have to format that separately via File Manager) – got 61 MB back.
- Applications installed onto the memory card are still present
- Fixed voice dialling, but after restoration from memory card, voice dialling was disabled again -_-
- Hasn’t Fixed broken GPS. Refuses to get a GPS fix.
- Restoring from memory card doesn’t put back widget/applications from phone memory you would have hoped to have been backed up on memory card – e.g. facebook/Nokia Messaging/N-Gage is gone.
- Restoring from memory card does not restore the menu to how you may have reconfigured it (extremely annoying).
I’m not sure if the *#7370# code (enter code in dialler) has the same effect of wiping everything on the N97 – I’m not going to try and find out. In previous experiences with other Nokia devices, the button method has the advantage of being able to reset your phone if your device refuses to turn on.
Soft reset
- back to factory settings: This should maintain your data (contacts/messages/calendar/notes etc), just returning your N97 back to all previous settings
From menu:
Settings> Phone>Phone Management>Factory Settings
Via Symbianplanet
Category: 5th Edition, How to:, Nokia, Nseries, S60, Symbian
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Sites That Link to this Post
- Thoughts on the N97: A firmware upgrade should give you the option to restore EVERYTHING to factory default | The Nokia Guide | August 6, 2009
- Tip of the day: How to: Hard reset the N97 | The Nokia Guide | August 11, 2009
- Problem with N97 screen and keyboard - Page 2 | September 19, 2009
- Hard reset N97 | September 20, 2009
- Version 11 update problem | September 23, 2009
- My Nokia N97 Won’t Start!!! I don’t want to Hard Reset. « My Nokia Blog | October 2, 2009
- Changing Branding on a N97 | October 26, 2009
- How to: Escaping the Nokia N97 hard-reset (tips and tricks) | My Nokia Blog | November 5, 2009
- How to hard reset Nokia N900? | My Nokia Blog | January 3, 2010
- New Nokia N97 firmware update V21.0.045 and 21.2.045 from Feb 1, 2010, 08:00GMT. | My Nokia Blog | February 1, 2010
- N97 Failed Boot up/Hard Reset Problem Fixed by new firmware update V21.0.045?! | My Nokia Blog | February 2, 2010
- N97 Failed Boot up/Hard Reset Problem Fixed by new firmware update V21.0.045?! phones, reviews, games free download, software, themes, applications free download, price, features, update, wallpapers, free download | February 4, 2010
- Onderweg… » Archief » Nokia N97: Blijft lastig | June 9, 2010
- Changing the Product Code on your Nokia N97 | Shane's Place on Mobile Convergence | October 4, 2010
- How to: Hard reset your Nokia N8 | My Nokia Blog | October 12, 2010
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- How to Hard reset your Nokia N8 | Cell Pakistan | February 21, 2013
It only resets the mobile settings. To format C drive refer to this article here.
http://www.weppot.com/how-to-complete-format-nokia-n97-solved/
Hello Buddy.
Thanks for this tutorial. 100% working.
love this tutorial. thanks.
perfect… thanx mate….
thankssssss
I tried the keys combination but didn’t work.
Then I tried the *#7370 sequence and made the full reset, after rebooting it was asking for the initial configuration (country)
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Hi Team,
Thanks for your information.
Pela sequencia ñ deu mas pelo codigo *#7370# de muito obrigado por isso valeu mesmo eu fiquei quase 2 anos com meu N97 parado por ñ consegui asisténcia técnica pra ele fui no Paraguai e me cobraram 80 reais depois de um mes sumui a memória de volta ñ tinha adiantado nada eu gastar
querro saber como limpar a memória de massa dele sem ir la e ir em opcão-formatar quero outro método
Excellent post. Keep writing such kind of info on your site.
Im really impressed by your blog.
Hello there, You’ve performed an incredible job. I’ll certainly digg it and individually
recommend to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this website.
thanxxxxx a million guys, atleast i can use my phone now……
THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH GOD BLESS YOU <3
thank you so much to halp
I have a Nokia 5530 Xpress Music. 5 months back while doing MMS it just stooped responding I waited for
nearly 10 minutes but just same hangup so I tried to Sw Off the phone but no use. I am forced to remove
the Battery and refixed after a minute and tried to SW ON the phone but only a vibration sound and
it does nt Sw On. I tried several times for two days but no use. I gave the phone at a nearby
Nokia Care center for repairs after one week they returned it stating that they could not repair this.
Please Let me know How could I get this phone repaired ? Where can I get this done what I should do ?
my email roschetronic sify.com”
why after i use the keypad to format my n97 mini,my message and some photo that store in mass memory was gone? I thought it is only format the phone memory and mass memory was still remain…can u tell me how i can get back those things which was gone? those message are very important
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this is very good,100%good for n97