Samsung forum: Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 GT-I8160 factory reset

Having looked at several internet searches I reset the phone from cold by holding down various power/volume/on keys. It also appears that pressing the power key for several seconds works. Unfortunately, it's made it worse as the unenterable password screen now comes straight up. I contacted Kaspersky last week and am still awaiting a reply. Your question re security echoes the guy in the phone shop I took it back to - he couldn't help either. I don't profess to be an internet expert and hadn't seen the article, but there are people out there who delight in causing misery for others. I loaded the security suite so that it didn't happen to me.

The only person I know that caught a trojan has rooted and was installing apps from torrents. Not one drive by infection has been seen around here. I'm only one of those folk that work in an office porting to Android with gads know how many androids around the office. If there was a virus, we'd like to see it.

The reset you noted turns on the power so I hope you can see why I had to write no.

The cellular service counters usually can flash a phone back to life.
Bob

I've resurrected my phone by entering the previous all numeric password. That's good.

The "reset to factory settings" process seems to have done nothing. All the apps/changes I made previously are still there. Why would this be? Should the SIM/SD card be in or out?

The SIM card does not hold any code besides data. I don't think you need a dissertation on what code and data is.

"settings" are just that. It does not mean we are erasing user data or user installed apps.
Bob

I had wrongly assumed that the reset function would put the phone back to its state when I bought it. I've uninstalled Kaspersky but I'm not sure it's all gone. I've now got to work out why, having done the "normal" unlock phone process, I go straight to another key entry screen which requires the Kaspersky password before I can access the phone's functions. Not too clever when the phone's ringing.

Some Android phones/pads/devices have another menu somewhere to wipe user data and apps. This is not standardized and be careful since it could take a phone offline where the cellular carrier has to setup the phone again (I can't guess what they want.)

One of my favorite tools on Android is ES File Explorer. It allows me to look at all folders and in many cases delete something that does not have an uninstall.
Bob

Bob, does your confidence in Android OS re malware also apply to tablets running on it?

All these things that allow us to install apps means that there is a risk we could go get a bad app. Your everyday person on the street will call it a virus but in the circles I run (really need to stop going in circles?) we call them by the usual other names.

OK, malware is possible but for now we have to, in almost every case go find it and install it. Stock, and apps from the Google store are as safe as we can get today without moving to a more closed system such as Windows 8 RT or Apple's.

In my opinion, Android has the right balance here. The others are a bit draconian or a prison that others call a "walled garden."
Bob