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

Tags: *#7370#, Deep Reset, Hard Reset, How to:, N97, Nokia, Nokia N97, Nseries, S60, S60 5TH EDITION, Soft Reset, Symbian

Category: 5th Edition, How to:, Nokia, Nseries, S60, Symbian