is a hard reset and a "Factory Reset" the same thing?

[tracerit]

just wondering if both are the same. as I understand, a hard reset requires using actual buttons to reset the phone while the Factory Reset you just go to Privacy and select Factory Reset.

 

[powrman811]

Some people have different opinions on what a "hard reset" is:

In Sprint's eyes and hard reset is actually resetting the phone to the point where even you're phone number has to get reprogrammed into the phone (##786#). This will reset your phone back to factory settings and also reprovision your data and voice.

Factory reset will do everything a hard reset will do but does not reprovision your data or voice (your phone number never "left" the phone).

 

[rem_kujawa]

If you do a hard reset will auto reprogram when you start it.

 

[tracerit]

i went ahead and did a factory reset first, then a hard reset. there didn't seem to be any extra steps i had to go through after the hard reset.

 

[rem_kujawa]

That's odd if it erased your number you should see the auto-program screen that you saw when it was first turned on.

 

[hopefulfarm]

This is a bit of an older thread but it popped up in a search...

I'm purchasing a used phone. Would like to do a hard reset when I get it before I activate it. Can someone point me to the instructions on how to do a hard reset? 'Cuz I can't seem to find it via search (finding lots of references to it but no instructions)... or just describe here.

Much thanks.