Deleting personal info from Axim

[Capt. Verde]

Hello, I'm selling my Axim X51V and I can't seem to be able to erase the info for my wireless network connection. I don't want to sell it with certain things still on it. I'm also not being able to delete the info for my MSN log in.
Can anybody help me?

[F Tifino]

If you do a Hard Reset it will wipe all your Settings and Data.

[Capt. Verde]

Will it delete any programs I have installed?

[F Tifino]

Yes, it will remove everything that wasn't on it when you first got it.
It will be as new.

As well as doing a hard reset you should also format any SD cards of CF cards if you have any of your information stored on them. A hard reset will not delete anything stored on a memory card.

[bigbop]

Performing a hard reset will NOT delete personal information in the user flash area of the ROM and reformatting your flash cards will NOT wipe out your data either as formatting only updates the directory. You data is still recoverable just as if it was on a hard drive.

Flash memory can be wiped out by deleting everything on the flash and then over-writing the full flash space with garbage files. You need to do that twice in order to overcome wear leveling algorithyms internal to the flash device.
The garbage files should be small so that most directory entries are filled to wipe out any partial filenames that may have been left over.

NEVER run a defrag program on a flash device as it will wear it out (ie: damage it - flash cells have a definite # of writes cycles) very quickly. Flash devices never need to be defragged at any time as there is never any access latency due to no mechanical parts.
Never use a disk wiper app on a flash device unles you choose a single pass, for the same reason as the defrag app above. Flash devices don't need to be overwritten repeatedly - it just wears them out.

So, for the internal user accessible storage on the Axim, you need to delete the files and then store a pile of small files into it until you fill it up., then delete them all.
Do the same for any flash devices you have.

Hope this helps.

Reformatting your flash cards will NOT wipe out your data either as formatting only updates the directory. You data is still recoverable just as if it was on a hard drive.

This is true if you format the cards in the PDA. But if you have a card reader them you can format them using your desktop. Right click on the drive letter and select Format. You will then be given the options of Fast Format or Full Format. The first merely deletes the directory as you say but Full Format will delete everything and wipe the card clean.

Pocket Mechanic Format will also delete everything on the card.