What's the difference between performing a hard reset and a soft reset of my iPAQ?

A. To perform a soft reset on 3600, 3700, and 3800 series iPAQs, use the stylus tip to push the recessed button in the hole on the bottom right of the device. Be careful: If you press the recessed button for more than 3 seconds on the 3600 and 3700 series iPAQs, you'll perform a hard reset. You can also perform a hard reset on 3600 and 3700 series iPAQs by throwing the switch behind the door on the bottom left of the device. To perform a hard reset on a 3800 series iPAQ, you must tap the Calendar-Itask and the soft reset button at the same time.

A soft reset clears unused memory but keeps all software intact. In addition, some minor features will revert to their factory default settings (e.g., sidelight, input method) but you won't lose any user-entered information (e.g., contacts, installed programs). A hard reset causes the iPAQ to lose all user-entered information and revert to its original factory configuration.