Category Archives: Hardware

How to factory reset your iPhone to erase all data and return to factory settings

Tutorial about how to factory reset your iPhone and erase all data (iPhone factory reset)

Tutorial about how to factory reset your iPhone and erase all data (iPhone factory reset)

If you’re planning parting company with your iPhone, for whatever reason, you’ll want to erase all the data on it and reset to factory settings. Luckily, the iPhone allows you to this very easily. Read on…

Tutorial on factory resetting your iPhone to erase all data and return to its factory settings (otherwise known as a ‘factory reset’ to erase all content and settings)

Warning: this will erase everything including photos, apps and accounts and it’s not possible to undo this. If you do choose to reset your iPhone, I would recommend making sure that everything is backup first!!!

Here goes…

  1. from your iPhone’s home-screen Go to ‘settings’
  2. Click on ‘general’
  3. At the bottom of the ‘general’ menu click on ‘reset’
  4. Click on ‘erase all content and settings’
  5. If you have a ‘passcode’ you will be prompted to enter it now
  6. Confirm the reset by clicking ‘erase iPhone’

This process may take up to 2 hours depending on the iPhone version so it may need to plugged in while you reset it

How to format your HTC Desire HD

HTC Desire HD factory reset

HTC Desire HD factory reset

The following steps show you how to hard reset or factory reset your HTC Desire HD

This is pretty self explanatory. Remember that this will wipe the phone so make sure that you have backed up everything you want to keep first!

Here goes:


  1. Turn off your phone.
  2. With the phone turned off, press and hold the VOLUME DOWN button, and then briefly press the POWER button.
  3. Wait for the screen with the three Android images to appear, and then release the VOLUME DOWN button.
  4. Press VOLUME DOWN to select CLEAR STORAGE, and then press POWER.
  5. Press VOLUME UP to start the factory reset.

How to format your Nokia 5800 mobile phone


How to remove back cover, SIM card and SD card from Nokia 5800

How to remove back cover, SIM card and SD card from Nokia 5800

When it’s time to upgrade to a new phone it’s important to delete the information on your old one to help keep your private information such as email addresses and contacts safe

To format your phone and delete all the information in the memory there are two options.

The first should work for most recent Nokia phones:

1. Dial *#7370#
2. Type in your lock code. The default number is 12345. (If you’ve changed this number and forgotten the new one, this format
method won’t help)

the phone will restart back to the original out-of-the-box settings and your information will be wiped.

The second method works with the Nokia 5800 V. 20.0.012

1. Turn your phone off
2. Press power button to turn on
3. As the phone starts booting up, hold down the red and green buttons on the front together with the camera button on the side.
You’ll still need your lock code for this method

Once restored to factory settings, don’t forget to remove your SD card and SIM.

To remove the SIM and SD card:

1. Take off the back cover by putting your thumbnail in the notch on the back at the bottom and pulling backwards away from the phone. The back cover will open like a book as opposed to sliding open
2. Take out the battery
3. Open the side access doors (they’re on the left-had side as your looking at the phone from the front
4. Push out the SIM card by putting the stylus into the hole under the battery compartment
5. Push the SD card in with your nail or the stylus and it will pop out

It should now be ready to pass on

How to view and disable HTC start-up processes

Startup Auditor allows you to view and disable your HTC start-up processes

Startup Auditor allows you to view and disable your HTC start-up processes

When you boot your HTC phone with Andriod operating system, it’s a fair bet that you’ll have a whole load of applications starting that you don’t need or want to run.

There is, however, a very simple and quick application that allows you to disable start-up processes very easily.

Simply download ‘Startup Auditor’ and install. You will now be able to choose which applications start-up when your phone boots.

The software has a trial version with ads (and other restrictions) but the paid-for version also has a trial period. To buy it costs around 63p (at the time of writing)

Take another look at the Amazon Kindle

New Amazon Kindle wireless reading device

New Amazon Kindle wireless reading device

If you’re anything like me you’ve probably always dismissed the idea of the Amazon Kindle before looking into it in any real detail. I have, however, looked into it in a bit more detail recently and am very impressed by the spec! The following might just sway you too:

  • It’s got a high-contrast super-bright screen that’s as easy to read in bright sunlight as paper so can be used almost anywhere
  • It has up-to a months battery life so you’re not tied to a plug socket
  • It has Wi-Fi so you can download books direct. The Kindle 3G (3G + Wi-Fi) can also download books and access the Kindle store for free over 3G–with no monthly bills or annual contracts
  • It holds up-to 3,500 books in its memory
  • Its wireless so doesn’t require any computer connection although can be connected using USB if required
  • And the best bit? It only costs £109 for the standard Wi-Fi version and only £149 for the Wi-Fi + 3G version!

What are you waiting for? Click here for more information

Here are the other technical specifications (Wi-Fi version/Wi-Fi+3G version)

  • Display size: 6 inch diagonal
  • Overall size: 109mm x 123mm x 8.5mm
  • Weight: 241/247grams
  • Capacity: 3,500 books
  • Battery life with wireless turned off: 1 month
  • Battery life with wireless turned on: 10 days
  • New book download time: 60 seconds
  • Text to speak: yes (this means it’ll read your book to you)
  • Price: £109/£149

HTC Desire HD crashing when making calls

HTC Desire HD crashes when making calls

HTC Desire HD crashes when making calls

If you’re one of the lucky ones with a new HTC Desire HD phone you may have noticed there is a rather annoying bug related to the proximity sensor.

Basically, you make a call and the screen immediately turns off and becomes unresponsive

It seems like the phone has crashed but it continues to stay connected and make the call. None of the buttons work such as the ‘home’ button and the only way to ‘wake up’ the phone is to plug in a 3.5mm jack to wake the screen up or just take the battery out

In the longer term, you should update the software. To do this, connect to a WI-FI network then:

Go to ‘Applications’ > ‘settings’ > ‘about phone’ > ‘System software updates’

‘Check now’ for updates then install any available software updates.

The phone will download and install the update then restart after a few minutes.

Setting up a computer from new

Emergency computer reset

Computer reset lever

I’ve just set up a new laptop for someone and thought to myself that it might be interesting to write a short list of the changes I make and the software I install during the process.

The problem with new computers these days is that they arrive pre-installed with all sorts of software you didn’t ask for and don’t need. Whilst this software more-than-likely subsidises the cost of the new computer, it’s something that I’m personally not a big fan of – it slows down your computer and there are often better free versions of this commercial software available.

The last 5 or 6 laptops I’ve bought have all been Toshiba because I like their reliability and I currently buy from Insight as their prices and service are very good (Prior to that it was eBuyer)

Insight laptops don’t tend to arrive with too much pre-installed software, unlike a certain other larger mail-order computer supplier I could mention, so it’s not too time consuming to sort out.

This particular laptop is a Toshiba running 32 bit Windows Vista Business

  1. Firstly, I connect to wireless internet (if available). If you’re installing the operating system too, XP prior to Service Pack 2 doesn’t have wireless internet support as standard so the best thing to do is download XP Service Pack 3 network install version to a flash drive (or disk) and install before you’re able to connect wirelessly. Of course, you could connect with a cable if you preferred but I find them so 1990’s
  2. Secondly, I download Google Chrome Browser and install. This browser is miles ahead of it’s nearest competitor and I don’t use anything else these days for day-to-day browsing. When installing, I set as default browser. I also install flash player browser plug-in at this time. This is something that is not essential but will probably need to be done at some time.
  3. Thirdly, I Download Revo Uninstaller free version and install. This is a great utility for removing applications from your computer as it will also remove left-over registry entries and files
  4. I download (but don’t install yet) Microsoft Security Essentials. Free software and currently, the best option for your virus and malware protection, IMO.
  5. I remove McAfee anti-virus using Revo Uninstaller.
  6. I install the Microsoft Security Essentials I downloaded earlier. Once installed, update and run the ‘quick scan’ finish installation.
  7. Run Widows Update until all updates have been installed
  8. Download and install Ccleaner. This free utility has some very useful little features that should come in handy, firstly;
  9. Run Ccleaner and navigate to Tools/Start-up. Disable or delete any items you don’t want to start-up when the computer starts
  10. Open Revo Uninstaller and uninstall and application I don’t want

This is the basic list above. Below are a few other optional steps:

  1. Install Microsoft Office. Once installed, update.
  2. Download and install Skype. Couldn’t do without this application!
  3. Download and install AL Show free version. A great little media player
  4. Download and install Bullzip PDF printer free version. Installs as a printer and allows you to create PDFs using the normal ‘print’ command

Hope this helps?