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The consequences of performing a hard or soft reset differ widely. While a soft reset is a relatively painless procedure that can clear up some performance problems, a hard reset is a severe measure that should only be taken as a last resort.

The Soft Reset
A soft reset of your device clears all active program memory and shuts down all active programs.

If your device is running slower than normal or if a program is not performing properly, this can sometimes help to fix the problem, very much like it does when you re-start your PC. Sometimes, a soft re-set is also required after installing a program.

Unsaved work is lost when a soft re-set is performed, so be sure to save your work, if you can. To avoid general data loss, it's wise to turn off your device before you perform the soft reset.

On the Sprint Mogul by HTC, you can do the soft re-set by using the stylus to press and hold the Reset button located on the bottom of the device. When the device has restarted, it will display the Today screen.

When to Hard Reset
A hard (or full) reset is a drastic measure. It wipes your device clean and restores it to its default settings.

It should only be performed as a troubleshooting measure if a normal reset doesn't solve a system problem and other attempts at correcting the issue have failed. Any programs you installed and data you entered will be deleted, along with your customized settings.

The hard reset is akin to reformatting your PC's hard drive; only the Windows Mobile software and other pre-installed programs will remain. If you are returning a device, donating it to a good cause, selling it, or otherwise passing it on, you should back up your data and then do a hard reset before you part with it.

How to do a Hard Reset
Performing a hard reset, as with a soft reset, varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and device to device. Check your users' manual for specific instructions about how to do this your device.

On the Sprint Mogul by HTC, for example, you can perform a hard reset by following these steps:

 Press and hold both of the softkeys on the device and at the same time, use the stylus to press and hold the Reset button (located on the bottom of your device).

 Hold until you see the message, "Do you want to erase all user data and restore to manufacture default?"

 Then release the stylus button, keeping the softkeys pressed while you slide open the hardware keyboard and press R to restore to the device to its factory default (go through with the hard re-set) or press X to exit the hard reset process.

Remember, before you perform a hard reset on your device, which will wipe clean all of your personal data, settings, and applications, be sure to back up any installed programs and user data.

Click here to learn how to soft and hard rest one of Palm's Windows Mobile-run Treos. You'll see that these actions for the Treo require very different actions from what we've described for the Mogul.