VZWNMN text messages from 6250

Are you getting multiple VZWNMN:1 text messages from 6250?  Not to worry, it’s an easy fix.

All you have to do is remove Backup Assitant Plus from the features of your account.  You can accomplish this in one of three ways.  You can do it yourself by accessing your account online at VerizonWireless.com.  You can visit your local Verizon Wireless store.  Or you can call technical support from your cell phone by dialing *611 and asking them to remove the Backup Assistant Plus feature.

To do it yourself, log in to your account at VerizonWireless.com.  You should be brought to a welcome screen showing your current account usage.  Scroll down a little bit and you will see a row of boxes.  Click on the box that says “Change Features” and on the following screen choose your phone.

You will then see the features that you have active on your account and features that you can add to your account.  Look for the feature that says “Backup Assitant Plus” under Cloud Storage and remove it.

That’s it.  You’re done.  Hope this helps.

How to add an Apple ID on your IPhone without a credit card

I’ve been asked if it is necessary to input a credit card when creating an Apple ID on a new IPhone. No, it is not necessary. It is absolutely possible to activate your new Iphone and start downloading apps without entering any credit card
information. Just follow these easy steps:

1. Make sure you are logged out of ITunes.  (If you’re unsure, you can check by going to your Settings then scrolling down to Store.  When you touch Store, the following screen should say “Sign In”.  If it does not, you need to touch on the logged in name and then touch “sign out”.
2. Once you are signed out, press the Home key.
3. Open up the App Store by touching the icon that says App Store.
4. Attempt to download any free app.
5. You will then be prompted to either sign in to an existing account or to set up a new account.  Choose the option to create a new Apple ID.
6. Go through the screens entering your information until you get to the Billing Information screen.
7. On the Billing Information screen, you will now see the options of Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover and (voila) none.
8. Choose none and continue through the process.

 

That’s all there is to it.  You have now set up an Apple ID on your Iphone without needing to input any credit card information.  Have fun.

Motorola Droid XYboard Hard Reset

To Perform a Hard Reset:

1. Touch Home
2. Touch Apps (in the top right corner)
3. Touch Settings
4. Touch Privacy
5. Touch Factory data reset
6. Touch Reset Tablet and follow the directions on the device.

Alternate Method:

1. Power off the XYboard.  (If you can’t power off your XYboard, scroll down to the next section.)
2. Turn on the XYboard by pressing the power button, wait for the tablet to start showing the red Motorola logo, then press and hold the Volume Down key.
3. If done correctly, “Android Recovery” will appear on the screen. Release the Volume Down key. MAKE SURE THE SCREEN SAYS ANDROID RECOVERY.
4. Press the Volume Up button. The screen will say “Entering Android recovery mode” and then you’ll see the Android robot on the screen. Release buttons.
5. Press and hold down the power button. While holding down the power button, press the Volume Up key to see the Android Recovery screen menu selections.
6. Use the Volume Up and Volume Down keys to move up and down through the menu.
7. Move to “Wipe data/factory reset” by using the Volume Up or Volume Down key.
8. Tap the Power buttom to select the “wipe data/factory reset” option.
9. Use the Volume Down key to scroll to “Yes, delete all user data”.
10. Tap the Power button to select.
11. Wait until you are back to the Android recovery screen menu. (This will take a few minutes.)
12. Tap the Power button to “Reboot system now”.

Soft Reset:

If your Motorola Droid XYboard is frozen, you may just need to perform a soft reset.  To do this, simply press and hold the Power button and Volume Up button simultaneously.

Motorola Xoom Hard Reset

To Perform a Reset:

1. Touch Home
2. Touch Apps (in the top right corner)
3. Touch Settings
4. Touch Privacy
5. Touch Factory data reset
6. Check the Erase USB store box. (This will erase all content on device.)
7. Touch Reset Tablet and follow the directions on the device.

Alternate Method:

1. Power off the Xoom.  (If you can’t power of your Xoom, scroll down to the next section.)
2. Turn on the Xoom by pressing the power button, wait for the tablet to start showing the red Motorola logo, then press and hold the Volume Down key.
3. If done correctly, “Android Recovery” will appear on the screen. Release the Volume Down key. MAKE SURE THE SCREEN SAYS ANDROID RECOVERY.
4. Press the Volume Up button. The screen will say “Entering Android recovery mode” and then you’ll see the Android robot on the screen. Release buttons.
5. Press and hold down the power button. While holding down the power button, press the Volume Up key to see the Android Recovery screen menu selections.
6. Use the Volume Up and Volume Down keys to move up and down through the menu.
7. Move to “Wipe data/factory reset” by using the Volume Up or Volume Down key.
8. Tap the Power buttom to select the “wipe data/factory reset” option.
9. Use the Volume Down key to scroll to “Yes, delete all user data”.
10. Tap the Power button to select.
11. Wait until you are back to the Android recovery screen menu. (This will take a few minutes.)
12. Tap the Power button to “Reboot system now”.

Soft Reset:

If your Motorola Xoom is frozen, you may just need to perform a soft reset.  To do this, simply press and hold the Power button and Volume Up button simultaneously.

Why they call me “the Wizard”

At work my buddies refer to me as “the Wizard.”  Soon, my friends outside of work and some family members began to question why they call me that.  The truth is, I always thought they call me “the Wizard” because I work in tech support and I am always able to fix any problems put in front of me.

So I’d go around struttin’ my mental stuff, thinking I was all that.  No technical issues anyone would throw at me would be left unanswered.

Until the last couple of days…

Yesterday I had a customer walk up to me and say that she had been to our location before with the same problem and they were not able to fix it.  Then she said that she called our tech support tier 3 over the telephone and was on the line with them for 2 hours and they were unable to help.  So I said to her “well, you haven’t dealt with me yet.”  I tell her what I am about to do to fix the problem and she tells me that they already did that at my location and that tech support tier 3 walked her through it also and it would not work.  I did it anyway.  And of course it worked.  She asked me how I did it.  I said “I’m the wizard.”

That was the start of it.  I did exactly the same thing they had done in the store before.  I did exactly the same thing that tech support Tier 3 or whoever she spoke to told her to do.  They did not resolve the situation.  I did.

Earlier today a customer walks in and says his laptop is not working.  It will not connect to the internet.  He goes on to tell me that he was on the phone with technical support for over 2 hours and during the past week he has still been unable to get on the web.   I asked him to power up his laptop.   I kid you not, I didn’t even touch the laptop, but as soon as it booted up it connected to the internet.

He looked at me.  I looked at him.  He said “I don’t understand.  It’s working now.  I’m in tech support too and I’ve been trying to make this work for the past week.  I even called in for help and they couldn’t do anything.  I was on the line with them for 3 hours.”

“That’s why they call me ‘the Wizard.’”  I responded.

“But what did you do?”

I thought about it.  I didn’t do anything.  I was just there.  It happens frequently.  People come in to my location and need help.  They’ve done everything.  They’ve talked to different techs, they’ve switched devices, the upgraded operating systems….  and all I ever seem to do is touch the device (or in this most recent case, look at the device) and everything is once again in working order.

I looked at the customer and said “I didn’t do anything.  It just works.  That’s why they call me “the Wizard.’”

So I’m making this blog.  In hopes that maybe some of my wizardry will rub off on you and you too will be able to fix all your electronics just by looking at it.  …. and also just to blog.