How can I restore factory settings for a Palm T/X?

[paulevy]

I want to sell or donate my Palm T/X but there is data on it.  How can  restore factory settings?

[smkranz]

Howdy, what you need to do is a Hard Reset:

1. Press and hold the Power (on/off) button on the front panel of your device.
2. While holding Power, use your stylus, and gently press and release the RESET button inside the hole on the back panel of your device.
3. If you see a progress bar (see below), keep holding the Power button.
4. Next, the Palm Powered screen will appear. Release the Power button when you see it.
5. You'll see a screen that asks: Erase all data? YES = "up" button NO = any other button. Press UP on your 5-way navigator to complete the hard reset.

This Palm Knowledgebase Article also has complete instructions for all types of Resets for Palm OS devices:

http://qa-kb.hpwebos.com/wps/portal/kb/common/article/887_en.html

[paulevy]

When I follow the directions for a faxtory reset, either the PalmPowered screen stays on or reverts to the Preferences window appears.  I never see a screen that asks to erase all data.  Even removing the memory card still leaves all the data on the Palm TX.

[smkranz]

They designed the Hard Reset to be a little awkward on purpose, to make it difficult to do by accident.

Power button...hold down.

Press and release the Reset button...keep holding down the Power button.

Orange Palm logo appears.  Keep holding down the Power button.

Gray Palm Powered logo appears.  RELEASE POWER BUTTON NOW.

Then you should see the screen to delete all data.  Press the Up portion of the 5-way navigator pad to answer Yes.

BTW, a SD expansion card has nothing to do with a successful Hard Reset, or the data on the TX.

[paulevy]

Every time I follow these instructions, after the gray "Palm Powered" logo appears and I release the power button, the gray logo stays on for a few seconds and then the Preferences screen appears--I have never seen a screen that says "Erase all data?"

Is there any other way to wipe off the data so I can safely dispose of the device?

[WyreNut]

Before taking a hammer to it, try installing this program onto the TX called "Hard Reset" from this link:

http://www.palmpowerups.com/file/HardReset.prc

It will start a Hard Reset 10 seconds after being run.

WyreNut

[smkranz]

There is an app here called HardReset which you can install and run, which supposedly performs a Hard Reset if the device's hardware is not letting it happen.

Let us know if it works.

(Does device's power button otherwise works properly?)

[paulevy]

I guess I opt for the hammer.  I have no idea how to install a program on this device for which I have it, a stylus, a power cable and a case.

[smkranz]

Hotsync (requires Palm Desktop on your computer) is the typical way to install a program.  Download the app file, and double-click on the file with the .prc extension.  (Sometimes they are bundled inside a .zip file which you have to extract first.)  

If you have Palm Destop installed on your computer, when you double-click on the .prc file, the application is loaded into the Installer which is part of the Palm Desktop/Hotsync Manager software.  Perform a Hotsync, and the application is installed.

In the alternative, depending on the application, sometimes they can be installed via your SD expansion card.  Since you've already said you use a card, it will already be properly formatted.  Using a card reader on your PC, copy the application .prc file into the /palm/launcher folder on the card.  When you reinsert the card into the TX, you should be able to launch the application from there.

[paulevy]

I managed to add t to the Launcher folder but could do nothing thereafter.