A while back Dmitry Grinberg released a small application that would hard reset your device for you, without using the hard buttons. This was released because quite a few devices have/had faulty power buttons that prevent a user from hard resetting their device.
Well, while fooling with my third bricked T|X (Yep, it bricked already) I found that by holding all four power buttons in the right way, you can actually preform a hard reset without using the power button!
The steps are more-or-less as follows:
- hold all four hard buttons (home, calendar, tasks and web)
- When the black progress bar on the first screen reaches 100% it should stay until you let go of the buttons.
- Let go of the buttons and the split second the device switches to the grey palm powered screen reapply the buttons.
- wait a few seconds and release the buttons. With any luck you will be shown the “Are you sure you wish to erase all data screen.”
- Press up to complete the hard reset.
Watch a video showing the procedure.
Did this work for you?
Just to clear things up folks, the steps are to be done as it is resetting! ~Ryan
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T3 = no progress bar.
Three bricked TX’s!! Wow, I didn’t think their product quality could drop further. My T3 is really busted, but I just keep patching it up.. new battery, etc
Hi, Doesn’t work on Lifedrive, it switches bettween all applications linked to these buttons.
It worked on my TX. Well, at least the hard reset screen was displayed. I didn’t check to see if it actually did the hard reset.
Do you really have to press all four application buttons at once?
Pressing any one of the application buttons on a T|X turns it on, just as if you had pressed the power button.
is just one application button enough for a hard reset?
Yes, it must be all four. The reason your device turns on when you press any button is because it’s launching the application that belongs to that button.
Hi Tournesol,
as it resets?
Pinchies,
perhaps just hold it?
I don’t know if it will work or not, as I don’t own a T3!
And the T|Xen were, in my opinion, destroyed due to surge/short in charger.
Hah, I have the version that you simply hit “hard reset” on and it does it after ten seconds…
Right on the T|X? Cool!
Best regards,
Ryan
If I’m not mistaken, Brad Green is talking about Dmitry’s Hard Reset application….While Ryan is talking about something builtin to the OS, right?
Hi,
I’m confused. Brad, are you talking of Dmitry’s app or the OS?
Hard resetting with the power buttons is an OS thing.
Best reagrds from a Ryan on the go
Cleared things up a bit, folks! Hope it helps (I see how some were becoming confused)
Regards,
Ryan Rix
for guranteed success, hold the first 3 hw buttons on TX, release when u see gray power screen – works 100% of the time. see key matrix layout as to why
for T3 it will not work since the power button is not in the CPU’s key matrix
Hi Dmitry,
Sounds simpler than my way!
Where could I get a copy of the key matrix layout, besides opening up my T|X?
~Ryan
It worked,it worked, and saved my soul
Hi David,
Glad it helped! w00t!
Best regards,
Ryan Rix
The all-four-buttons method doesn’t work on my TX. But the first-three-buttons method worked beautifully. (Hey, a PalmOS version of the Three-Finger Salute!) Thanks for the information.
Hi Pat,
Thanks for talking back! I guess my method isn’t as reliable as what Dmitry pointed out. I still have no problems using the four key method, but whatever works best for you!
Best regards,
Ryan Rix
How can I turn of the Palm TX if the power button is inop?
Look for an application called “powerbtn” — It will allow you to turn one of your application keys into a power button!
http://www.freewarepalm.com/utilities/powerbtn.shtml
Best Regards
Ryan Rix
Yes, worked for me. Thank you a million times! I still can’t believe what pieces of garbage palms have become, that they have so many problems that so many people have, and support is even worse than the crappy hardware. Thank god for the amazing user community, finding solutions you can’t get from Palm, making mics (I couldn’t buy a TX until there was a mic solution), etc. Thanks again for posting this; saved my (vitual) life.
- Philip
Thanks!!!!!!
Works like a charm.
It may be worth while \awakening\ your power button. I heard this tip and it worked for me when the push all hard buttons trick did not.
1: Blow into the power button on top of the TX for a few seconds (the moisture seems to make the contacts work for a minute or so).
2: Press the power button, and then while holding the power button, reset with your stylus. Wait until the Gray screen with the Palm Icon appears, then release the power button.
3: Hopefully the hard reset option screen will appear. Navigate up and it should hard reset.
Hope it works for you too.
Scott
Worked great on my T5. Slight modification to the instructions for a T5 though.
Keep holding all four buttons until the grey screen appears, then release. Do not re-press the buttons. The Yes/No screen will appear when you release the buttons.