How to erase all data / user information

[bakntyme]

Originally Posted by weedahoe

You likely could but here is what you have to understand. That is hard coded info and carrier specific. If the OP did that and then gave it to you and you tried to do OTA programming or even activation and it didnt work (because nothing points to the carrier) then you would be upset. Most people dont know about EPST or even how to access it. Even if someone did, the only thing they are going to get is your number. Nothing else can be identified back to you.

MDN and MSID are not hard coded as they are changed often during ROM flash and need to be corrected, and a carrier activation should update them. Neither MDN nor MSID points the activation to the carrier; in most phones it is the cell phone number, which could not be entered prior to initial activation as it would be unknown, so activation has to work starting with spaces or zeros in those fields. Also, they cannot be intrinsically carrier specific as I ported my number from Verizon to Sprint and my MDN is that number. In my phone, the NAI has my name in it because my Vision email address is my name.

Bottom line, those fields can be cleared of identifying data and it will not prevent the phone from being activated by the new user.

[weedahoe]

So what would happen right now if you went in YOUR phone and zero-ed everything out?

If nothing is carrier directional or specific you should still be able to function quite well. By hard coded I am saying it cannot be changed with a flash, not that it cannot be edited at all. Where do the carrier customizations come from (directed to) if it is all zero-ed out? I agree that it cannot be the phone number that is carrier specific because they were forced to be able to port numbers. The ROM is no more than an OS that can be fully edited and modified. So what in the EPST is carrier specific and directs its attention to the carrier in the event of a hard reset and carrier customizations?

[diterex]

Would it be possible to slide out the keyboard and use the two soft keys on the keyboard itself?

[flyers2114]

Originally Posted by diterex

Would it be possible to slide out the keyboard and use the two soft keys on the keyboard itself?

Never tried it but anything is possible....

[bakntyme]

Originally Posted by weedahoe

So what would happen right now if you went in YOUR phone and zero-ed everything out?

If nothing is carrier directional or specific you should still be able to function quite well. By hard coded I am saying it cannot be changed with a flash, not that it cannot be edited at all. Where do the carrier customizations come from (directed to) if it is all zero-ed out? I agree that it cannot be the phone number that is carrier specific because they were forced to be able to port numbers. The ROM is no more than an OS that can be fully edited and modified. So what in the EPST is carrier specific and directs its attention to the carrier in the event of a hard reset and carrier customizations?

I do not know what is set by carrier customizations, or otherwise, that tells the phone that it is a Sprint, Verizon, or whatever carrier device; but in the past, when my MSID and MDN were modified to invalid data during ROM flashing, the phone still knew what carrier it was supposed to access. I did not suggest clearing every entry in the EPST; just MDN, MSID, and NAI. Maybe someone with more knowledge than I have could enlighten us; but for now, for the OP's purposes, the data that identifies him or her individually can be scrambled without destroying the next owner's ability to use the phone.

[MrObvious]

Originally Posted by diterex

Would it be possible to slide out the keyboard and use the two soft keys on the keyboard itself?

It didn't work here.

[matty032]

Do an RTN reset. ##RTN# It wipes everything out. You have to know your MSL, or MSID, don't remember which to get the phone working again.

[weedahoe]

THX bakntyme

Anyone wanna try the RTN and post before and after info?

[bakntyme]

##RTN# then Menu>Reset

Gives Warning: ALL data will be lost, Continue?

Sets MDN and MSID (as well as all numbers dependent upon MSID) to 000-000-1336, set NAI to spaces

Did not reset Life Counters and Timers

NAM Name is still SPCS

Still says "Sprint" at top of phone dialer screen

Attempts to dial out reach a "Your phone is not authorized to make calls" recording

Looks like this does remove all identifying data. Gonna go fix my phone now.

edit: re-entered MDN and MSID, all MSID-dependent fields immediately updated; IOTA fixed NAI. As soon as phone rebooted from the EPST edit, dialing out worked normally. Now to reload my Sprite Backup.

edit 2: I found this in my notes from a year ago; at my advanced age, I guess I need a note to remind me to check my notes! (786 is RTN)

##786# Resets entire phone to factory settings. Wipes out everything and completely resets the windows mobile installation to factory defaults removing anything you have done. It differs from holding the reset and pressing the softkeys in that it resets the phone as well. Before you can use your phone again you will need to reset the MSID and MDN

[weedahoe]

Lol....thx