A hard reset should only be necessary on rare occasions when all other attempts to resolve an issue have failed. This process WILL erase ALL of the data on the iPad, including documents, photos, or email. After completion, your iPad will operate as though you just took it out of the box for the first time unless you restore it from a backup stored in iTunes.
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This process *cannot* be undone. That said, if you have been regularly synchronizing your iPad with iTunes, it will keep a backup of your iPad settings and data, which iTunes will restore once it has erased all data on the iPad.
Step 1 – Plug the iPad into the computer via the USB cable that came with it, and start iTunes.
Behind the home button seen in the image below, you will find the cable plugin.
Step 2 – Press and hold the Sleep/Wake + Home for 10 seconds.
Keep holding these buttons until you see the logo, as seen in Step 3.
Step 3 – Once you see the Apple Logo appears, release the Sleep/Wake button.
Continue to hold down the home button for about 5-10 seconds. Look in iTunes and see if your device has shown up.
Step 4 – iTunes will notify you that you are now in Recovery mode.
Click on OK to continue with the restore process.
Step 5 – Press the Restore button.
iTunes will proceed to apply default factory settings to your iPad. If you have not updated in quite some time, iTunes will ask if you want to download the latest iOS update. If you choose to do so, it will take a few minutes to download before beginning the restore process. If you have never connected the iPad to iTunes before, it will force the download. It’s important to regularly connect your iPad to iTunes, as doing so will allow iTunes to create a backup of your data, which WILL be lost if you do not have a backup and need a hard reset on your iPad.
If you find you still need help with your iPad, we provide Tablet Technical Support & Help to Clients in Canada, the United States & South Africa.
