Hello,

So I have been using an N900 for a review on our site for the last week or so, but it has some serious bugs (I posted in the Issues, Please, etc. topic Thread in this same topic if you are curious as to the extent of the issues). I wanted to basically hard reset the device back to our of box state to see if I could fix these issues (before I send the device in). BUT when I format the N900 internal storage (using the built in File Manager) and THEN FLASH the device using the Nokia Software Updater. My contacts and files from old apps that were uninstalled STILL remain in the phone.

Does anyone know how to completely erase the phone and get back to out of box? Is there certain folders I should erase (maybe using one of the more robust file managers in the repositories) before I flash so I can assure a complete wipe?

Thanks guys!

So when you go to Settings, and then choose the only available option in the menu ("Restore default settings" or something like this), it doesn't erase the accounts?

If that doesn't cut it you can obviously re-flash using the FIASCO image and the command line flasher-3.5 tool.

The manual states that resetting options keeps user's data.

Manually deleting directories with personal data should do it, but I guess reflashing as suggested above would be best.

I'll try the Fiasco image etc probably, but out of curiousity where does Maemo 5 save all the contact info and app data (its not just my conacts etc its the fact that uninstalled apps data is still hanging out too)?

Contact info could be coming from the SIM card? The app data is probably being stored in the 2 GB /opt or the /root partition.

It keeps some of this stuff in SQLite database(s), it's better to re-flash it anyway if you want to get to factory level of clean.

However, you can easily remove the accounts, contacts and conversations from the UI if this is the only concern.

Not coming from the SIM. It even still has their caller id images and multiple numbers per contact which indicates the phones memory (and there are people who arent on the SIM still there too).

And are those directories safe to wipe clean without effecting the rest of Maemo?

You want to wipe the root partition? Don't, you'll brick your device. Just re-flash and be done with it.

open xterm and type:
rm -r /home/user/.*
and press enter. Say bye bye to your contacts, calendar entries, application settings, configs and so forth.

arent they kept in the trashbin? Anyway you could always restore them using restore software. They are not gone 4ever