[taguluchi]

what is the difference between doing a soft reset with ALT+SHIFT+DEL and doing a battery pull does any of the two actually do anything different from each other or is it the exact same result?

[anon(1522652)]

fingernails lol

I don't think there is any difference

[bgwavrder]

I'm no expert but I haven't noticed a difference. I prefer the easier way of not pulling the battery out.

[babytraci]

I notice a difference in memory.... I have more after a battery pull vs. Alt+Shift+Del

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[VTshorty78]

more memory free after a battery pull

[amazinglygraceless]

... and both are completely unnecessary under normal
circumstances. I used to be an inveterate battery puller (daily)
but after testing several theories I have not reset my device,
k/board or battery pull in more than a month.

Do a search for patrick.waugh's explanation of this issue and
you'll understand that there is rarely, if ever, a need to do this.

[patrick.waugh]

what is the difference between doing a soft reset with ALT+SHIFT+DEL and doing a battery pull does any of the two actually do anything different from each other or is it the exact same result?

As a developer, this is what I believe to be the case:

The difference in BB lingo is that the battery pull is a "hard reset", and since it removes all power, it resets the device more completely. The details of the difference are a bit technical, but it is only rarely necessary. I have had to do it only twice, once due to some of our alpha software going fubar, the second from a situation which you might run into and so I will describe in more detail.

If you install a program, and then later attempt to do an OTA install of an updated version, normally you would not delete it first. The BB browser will ask you if you want to replace version 1 with version 2, and all just works fine. However, if the new version which the vendor released does not have a different version number, and/or they have modified the way the software uses the persistent store on the device, you will likely have to do a battery pull to get the software to work. No big deal, but this is why many vendors recommend a "preventative" battery pull after their software is installed. In truth, if they program properly, and version their software correctly, you should not need to do this except where they specifically have made modifications to the way they are using the persistent store to improve the program. In short, if they tell you to do it, do it.

People often notice the "free memory" being reported as higher, but as I have pointed out many times in the past, this is an illusion. That number basically just tells you what memory is immediately available, meaning it is on the "free store", but does not (except right after a battery pull) tell you the total available. This is because as memory is consumed and then released by software, it is not put back on the free store immediately, but only after the Garbage Collector (GC) is run. Your BB specifically is designed to NOT call the GC unless necessary, and only then when the BB is idle to keep you from having to wait for it (the occaisional 2 sec pause you get). In other words, your BB is working hard in the background managing your memory so you don't have to do so.

In short, while it is good practice to get rid of things you don't need on your BB (extra software, messages you can delete, optional stuff from your vendor you don't need, etc.) there is nothing else you need do, or can or need to do to improve the free memory.

My rule of thumb is this:

If you BB freezes,

a) Try soft reset (SHIFT-ALT-Delete)
b) If the above doesn't work, then and only then do a battery pull

Why? Because pulling is a pain, pulling at the wrong moment can brick your BB requiring an OS reinstall (very rare, but can happen), and because over time it can degrade the PNP and NPN junctions in the electronics.

The is more info on the exact differences on the RIM site.

Patrick

[raylol16]

That makes absolute sense wow good explanation! It just doesn't appear as quick like it does on a PC but it's the same principal.