A Hard Reset restores the original factory settings and will erase all personal content, including apps that have been purchased and downloaded, remove contacts stored in the handset memory, remove email and other accounts on the handset, etc. It does not erase data stored on the SIM card.

Applications downloaded from Market are linked to the users Gmail account; to restore these applications after a Hard Reset, the user will need to sign in with the same Gmail account. Also, if the user selected the backup option during the devices initial set up, the user’s data (settings and application data) will be automatically backed up to their Gmail account and then restored to the device after they have signed back in with the Gmail user id Note: this does not restore all settings. If the user declined this option during the set up, they can enable it by going to Menu>Settings>Privacy.

Menu Path Method:

1. From the Start Screen, press the Menu button and select Settings.
2. Select SD & phone storage.
3. Select Factory data reset.
4. Select Reset phone.
5. You will be prompted again, and select Erase everything.
6. The device will reset and restore the device to the original factory settings.

Key stroke Method

1. Power off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Down and the Power Button until you see the HTC logo, followed by white screen with text and a few menu options.
3. Press the Volume Down button to scroll down till you highlight “Factory Reset”.
4. Press the Power button to restore your phone to factory settings and also your phone will restart.

Note: This process can take several minutes to complete.

I could not get the power-on + volume down button combination to work.  I found it much easier to just reboot the phone while holding the two buttons; that method immediately worked first try..

That would possibly be due to FastBoot being enabled on your device (is by default) so you would need to remove the battery and put it back in to get a COLD Boot and use the Keystroke method.

I've tried the methods mentioned above and neither are working. So, now my phone is unusable. The keystroke method does not work either way.

I am having a similar issue as above. I can't seem to get into my phone after my son created too many failed patterns attemps and now my phone is prompting for email (username) and password. I have tried all and nothing works. I have been able to access email. Help! And I am unable to perform the above functions to do a hard reset with the keys

I have also have the same problems as above, BUT it is now going on about 35 min and the hard reset is still not complete. Should it take this long?

This restart method worked for me! Thanks lot. My kid has down loaded and installed an animation 'desktop' theme which disabled all the phone's buttons. The only way back is factory reset the phone. Tried many times the official factory reset button instruction without success.

(1)While the phone is ON, push the POWER button

(2) Wait for the power down option pop up

(3) Select 'Restart  the phone', and the phone is shutting down as usual

(4) While the the phone is shutting down, press and hold the 'VOLUME DOWN' and 'POWER ON' button until the phone is restarted to the HTC factory screen which includes a 'Factory Reset' among other things

(5) Follow the on screen instruction to start the 'Factory Reset'

For some reason my phone keeps going into This cold boot mode after I restarted the phone once. I tried doing "Factory Reset" but, it won't reset and it goes back into the Cold Boot mode. What's wrong with my phone?

Can you walk through the process of reinstalling apps from a Google account please. Thanks in advance

dont have any idea about what my kid do to this phone but now i try to do a factory reset  "Key stroke Method" since my phone wont boot, i only see 3 very happy little androids and stay until the battery gets drain, please help, also try to upgrade de OS but i got usb conection error

My kid's password locked herself out :) , I had to do this Factory Reset again today.  It worked.  I think the step (4) should be modified

(4) While the the phone is shut down and rebooting (not too fast, otherwise stuck in the power down/restart loop),   press and hold the 'VOLUME DOWN' and 'POWER ON' button until the phone is restarted to the HTC factory screen which includes a 'Factory Reset' among other things.

I am not sure if my question posted. I am unable to get to the HBOOT screen, but if I try do a factory reset, recovery or boot normally, the HTC logo appears, the phone vibrates several times and goes blank. Do you know what is happening? Do you have a fix?

Please don't tell to take it back to AT&T. Their "device service center" just claimed "water damage" and said I will have to pay to have it repaired. The phone is only 7 months old and there is NO water damage.

Sorry, I meant I am "able to get to the HBOOT screen", not unable.

The HTC tech support rep said I should download the ROM update from HTC and run it while it was on the HBOOT screen. I also had to down the HTC Sync software to get the ROM update to see my phone, but it worked. I have a working phone again. I am still irritated with AT&T for giving me the run around. I am going to be switching to another carrier as soon as my contract ends.  The UP-Volume button on my phone still doesn't work. I am going to think twice about buying an HTC again.