How do you completely reset a touch to factory new condition without any personal information left in the device? After several resets with data wiping mine still connects to iTunes, and displays my iTunes account / email address. Other personal information is left behind also.
I am guessing that you want to totally clear the device because you intend to dispose of it in some manner and don't want personal data to remain on it?
In that case, I expect you already accomplished your goal with Settings -> General -> Reset -> Erase All Content & Settings.
The data you see when you connect the Touch to your PC is data which is stored within iTunes itself. iTunes recognizes your Touch (by its embedded serial number, I presume) and automatically brings up your account info.
When I noticed the account information after doing a "Erase All Content & Settings". I then,
1) Restored the touch to factory conditions in iTunes (not a backup restore)
2) Unplugged the iPod touch
3) Reset and Erase All Content & Settings in the touch menus
The account information was still there when I accessed the iTunes store (still untethered).
Well, I am confused... In your original post, you asked about deleting all data and settings from the Touch and I believe you have already accomplished that goal.
Now it sounds as though you are worried about the account info in the desktop iTunes application; is that correct?
"Well, I am confused... In your original post, you asked about deleting all data and settings from the Touch and I believe you have already accomplished that goal."
The Erase All Content and Settings function does not erase all data.
I have a 32 gig iPod touch that connects to a secured (WPA2) AirPort extreme with an unpublished name. With the iPod unplugged and powered down,
1) Power up
2) Select Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings
3) Enter passcode
4) Select Erase iPod
The busy icon spins for a while.
iPod reboots and does a power up sequence.
The iPod automatically connected to my AirPort extreme.
I did not have to enter the network name and password. (The account name did not display at the bottom of the iTunes wifi store page this time. Interesting that that problem is gone but the underlying problem remains. Could be me.)
The question remains. How do you erase all personal information from the iPod touch?
Jeff Johnson12 wrote:
The iPod automatically connected to my AirPort extreme.
I did not have to enter the network name and password.
Ah, well, that
is interesting. Now that the problem is clear, perhaps someone can address the specifics.
PS: Did you try a separate Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings? (though I can understand that this would not assuage all of your concerns...)
The problem was clear. Perhaps I should have written, "Hey, I did a reset and the iTunes store button still worked, and it showed my account name and address when I scrolled to the end of the display! What's up with that?"
Part of the problem cleared up (most likely a server side iPod serial-number-as-cookie issue), and clearing all the settings in a "reset all" operation will probably show up in the next revision.
FYI, in the process of re-testing this I used the iTunes iPod restore function. Has anyone noticed that it only performs a partial restore? There is also a next-sync issue that is dealt with by ignoring it, leaving it to the user to fumble though sync issues.
