[puff601]

Im in an area that has no 3G so ii have to do this all the time in order to get 3G.. It works great and doesnt require a soft reset:

1) Open Registry Editor - Go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\OEM\EPST - DWord entry PreferMode = 4 (Automatic)
2) Change Value to 10 (HDR Only)
3) Exit Registry editor
4) Disable Radio (Just turn Airplane Mode ON)
5) Enable Radio (Just turn Airplane Mode OFF)

This will allow you to force 3G but be aware that you will not be able to receive calls or texts while 3G is forced. Hope that helps