A factory reset or master reset is a full restore of an electronic device to its factory settings. Such electronic devices include handheld computers such as PDA

Personal digital assistant

A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...

s and cellular phones. It entails deleting all information stored in the device. This is essentially the same as reformatting a hard drive. A factory reset may become necessary from time to time on a device which is no longer working. It should be used with caution, as it destroys all data stored in the unit. Many problems with a hand held electronic device such as freezing can be resolved by performing a factory reset or hard reset.

Microsoft Windows

In Microsoft Windows, resetting to the factory default settings can be accomplished by reinstalling Windows. Many brands of computers have a factory reset setting that can be found in the start menu.