TIP: iPAQ and Other Pocket PCs

iPAQ 3100, 3600, 3700

Remove any expansion packs. Slide open the battery door on the lower left and slide the little switch to the right. Wait 30 seconds and slide it to the left again and plug the iPAQ in.

iPAQ 2200, 3800, 3900, 5100, 5400, 5500

Turn the device on and remove any expansion packs and/or memory cards. Press and hold down the outermost right and left buttons and then press and hold in the soft reset button with the stylus. This is a bit tricky to get all three buttons at once. Wait until the screen fades completely out and wait another 30 seconds. Now, plug the device in and press the soft reset button.

Note that this will not clear the iPAQ File store. You will need to launch File Explorer and manually delete all data in there if you want to remove all data. With newer iPAQs (like 2200 and 5500 series) you may not need to apply power - simply do a soft reset. Applying power won't hurt, so if it doesn't work on the battery, plug it in then soft reset.