Windows 10 mobile reset protection. How to get rid of slowdowns in your smartphone on Windows Phone

", we talked about the security level of Android devices. Today in this short article we will talk about mobile security. operating system Windows 10 Mobile.

First of all, we are interested, of course, in the flagships produced by Microsoft itself - these are the Lumia 950 and 950 XL. The fact is that these devices were originally developed specifically for the needs of corporate consumers.

Most interesting Windows feature 10 Mobile is that it is the only mobile OS that is not based on some version of UNIX. Its own approach to designing the kernel and the system itself, excellent optimization of the OS and all software for a limited list of supported chipsets place Windows 10 Mobile somewhere in the middle between the completely closed iOS and the completely open Android.

Microsoft's OS has the option of full-disk encryption (but, unlike Apple iOS, there is no multi-level data protection here), which, however, can be turned on and off at the request of the user (or network administrator). You can also configure it on external media (microSD cards, if used).

Unlocking the phone is possible using both a traditional PIN code and a biometric sensor - an iris scanner (only for Lumia 950 and 950 XL models). In terms of speed and ease of operation, the iris scanner is noticeably inferior to the fingerprint scanner in iOS devices, and even in modern Android devices. Security, however, is at the level. Unlike Android, Windows 10 Mobile does not support or tolerate insecure authentication methods.

Windows Security 10 Mobile. Iris authentication is enabled in settings

Windows 10 Mobile security. Iris authentication is enabled in the settings. Granular control over application permissions is present: it is possible to limit application access to the user's location and the ability to prohibit work in the background.

Windows 10 Mobile security. Left: applications with access to geodata, right: telephony access switch

There is application isolation in the sandbox. The ability to install applications from third-party sources is blocked by default and can be further enhanced by a corporate security policy that prevents the user from enabling the ability to install unsigned applications.

By the way, for Windows 10 Mobile there is an analogue of jailbreak, which allows you to get escalation of privileges, access to edit the registry (it, by the way, is practically no different from the “big” Windows 10 registry) and file system. Installing it is not very easy, but everything is done with the help of quite regular funds from the developer mode: there is no question of anything, the method has long been known and remains operational in all Windows versions 10 Mobile, including upgrade to Creators Update.

It’s hard to say whether this is a plus or a minus from a security point of view; after all, such a “hacking” has no effect on unlocking the phone or access to encrypted data (unlike jailbreak in iOS, which successfully bypasses the security mechanisms built into the system).

Just like Apple, Microsoft collects information about users of its devices. In terms of data volume and the scale of “surveillance,” the company is again in the middle between Apple and Google. IN Microsoft cloud OneDrive phones create backups (including application data), synchronize calls and SMS (but iOS synchronizes only calls, but not messages). Passwords and browser history are also synchronized.

Windows 10 Mobile security. The backup function can be disabled for individual applications.

There is a service for protection against theft and remote blocking of the Find My Phone device, but here is a service similar iCloud Lock(Apple) or Factory Reset Protection (Google), available exclusively on models released for the US market.

As is the case with iOS, all these features are quite easy to disable, both in the device settings and using corporate security policy.

Microsoft, like Apple, regularly updates its devices and promptly fixes found vulnerabilities. The update situation here is much better than in Android. However, the low prevalence of the system and the weak interest of Microsoft itself in the future of the platform neutralize many of its advantages.

As part of the transition to Windows 10, Microsoft announced that older Lumia smartphones can also receive an update to the latest system Windows 10 Mobile. Since the update is already available for these smartphones, we will demonstrate cleaning a smartphone using Windows 10 Mobile as an example.

Freeing up memory

To get information about memory usage, in the menu quick access tap Settings and go to System | Storage." It displays the volume of occupied internal memory device and SD card (if available).

In the "Save Locations" section, you need to specify that new downloads, music, pictures and videos should be saved to the SD card in order to free up internal memory for applications. You can also set the SD card as the default storage for apps, but this rule is invalidated when you install the first app that cannot be stored on the SD card.

To move an app to your SD card, tap This Device in the Storage menu and then tap Apps & Games. For better review Select "Sort by Size" from the drop-down menu. Then tap an app to see if you can move or delete it. For system applications without the ability to uninstall, these options are not available.

Additional feature Memory release consists of deleting the motion data that is saved by default. If you don't use fitness apps, their data will only clog up your device's memory. To remove them, go to the “Settings | Privacy | Move" and then tap "Clear History".

Block background applications

If an app is running in the background, it's consuming energy and CPU time (as well as Internet traffic) even when you don't see it and it's likely that you don't need it.

To speed up your smartphone, you need to block all applications that you do not need to constantly send and receive data, such as games.

In the Settings | Privacy | Background Applications" Specify which applications can run in the background. By default, the permission is turned on for all apps, but you can change this - just tap the switch on the right.

Increased battery life

To ensure that the GPS module does not “thoughtlessly” waste battery resources, it should only be accessed by those applications for which this function is really necessary, for example, the “Maps” application.

The corresponding menu is located in the “Settings | Privacy | Location". Then scroll down a bit to see a list of apps accessing the location service and set their permissions.

To determine which apps are consuming the most power, go to Settings | System | Saving battery." In the Overview menu, tapping Battery Usage will display a list of apps sorted by energy use. It is recommended to delete the most power-hungry applications that you no longer need.

If you want to set at what battery level the smartphone should automatically turn off background applications and dim the display to save power, select Battery Saver Options. If necessary, you can use the quick access menu to manually enable power saving mode at any time.

Loss or even theft of a phone with OS Windows Phone can happen to anyone. In such a situation you can call the phone, block it or even erase all data to make it easier to find or protect the data stored on it. It is also worth preventing unauthorized reset of the phone and access to it. The Protection Before Reset service can help with this task.

Protection before reset is a free service available at account.microsoft.com that provides an additional layer of security. It prevents you from resetting or using your phone if it falls into the wrong hands.

Enabling Reset Protection

After you set up your phone, sign in with your Microsoft account and accept the recommended settings. This is enough to enable the "Protection before reset" service. If you don't enable it when setting up your phone, you can do it later by going to the section Settings → Updates and Security → Find my phone, and turn it on there.

Once you turn on Reset Protection, you'll receive a confirmation: “Reset Protection - Welcome!” sent to the email address associated with your Microsoft account.

To disable Reset Protection before selling or transferring

If you do not disable the reset protection service, the new owner of the phone will not be able to use it:

1. If you want to transfer your data to new phone, make a backup copy of them.
2. Go to Settings → System → .
3. If all personal data is ready to be deleted, select Yes, and then select Yes again to confirm the action.
4. Enter your Microsoft account password - after a while, the Reset Protection service will be disabled.

To disable the Reset Protection service if you do not own the phone

If someone received your phone with Reset Protection enabled, you won't be able to set it up.

Here's what you can do in this situation:

1. Go to account.microsoft.com/devices.
2. Select an item Remove device next to a phone that you no longer own.
3. Check the box Everything is ready to remove the phone, write down the recovery key and click on the Delete button. The recovery key will appear on the website and will be sent to you by email.
4. When you are sure that the recovery key is saved, check the box I have a saved copy of the recovery key, and then click OK.
5. Email the recovery key to the new owner of the phone.

This phone will be removed from the list of your devices, and the new owner will be able to remove reset protection using the option Disable using recovery key.

You want to buy or receive someone's phone

Here are a few things to consider before you receive a Windows 10 Mobile phone that was previously used by someone else:

• Reset Protection service status - you can see it at account.microsoft.com/resetprotection. On the page Checking the reset protection status enter the IMEI or MEID code. You can get them by dialing *#06# on your phone.
• If your phone is set up but locked, contact the previous owner. This person must have the password needed to unlock the phone.
• You always need to know who you are receiving the phone from.

If your smartphone starts to glitch, become dull, or stops turning on altogether, one of the surest ways to restore normal operation is to reset Windows Phone settings. Windows background can be restored to factory settings in two ways - from the system and from recovery mode.

What is a Windows Phone reset?

When factory reset is mentioned windows background many people think that this operation simply restores factory settings windows settings background without affecting user data. That is, it simply sets the standard ringtone, etc. This is not true!

You can also do without resets. Users who practically never install new applications or make platform updates do not face the need to reset their settings for several years. Especially if they did not install test builds and programs from unverified sources.

Three ways to completely reset settings

There are three main ways how to reset on Windows 10 Mobile completely - that is, to fulfill the so-called Hard Reset. The first is to perform the following steps:

1. Enter the main settings of the smartphone;
2. Search for the device information section;
3. Selecting the “Reset” item.

The second method requires even less action. To implement it, go to the phone dialing menu and open on-screen keyboard smartphone. After this, the command *777# is dialed and Reset is pressed in the window that appears on the screen.

The third method is intended to be performed in Windows 10 Mobile factory reset those smartphones that have been locked (and the user has forgotten the code) or do not turn on at all. Before starting zeroing, you should turn off your mobile device and hold down the volume down and, at the same time, power button for several seconds. After you feel the vibration, release the pressed keys. And then hold down the volume down button until an exclamation mark appears on the display. Now you should press in a certain order:

1. Volume;
2. Volume;
3. Nutrition;
4. Volume;

After rebooting, the smartphone restores the settings to factory settings. This may take a few minutes. And all previously installed applications and settings made will be deleted.

Partial system reset

Execute soft reset Windows 10 Mobile, without resorting to completely resetting the settings, it is possible in cases where the smartphone is simply frozen and does not boot in the usual way. To perform the operation you need:

1. With the phone turned off, simultaneously hold down the volume down and power buttons. After about 10 seconds, the boot menu appears on the display;
2. Do not release the button until the system reboots. After a soft reset, all platform settings and installed applications remain the same.

Another one regarding new way to restore the functionality of a smartphone without resorting to a complete reset to factory settings, appeared at the end of 2016 in test versions of the platform. The App Reset feature allows you to reset the settings of one or more specific applications. In this case, the program with which problems arose will not have to be completely reinstalled, as should have been done before.

Reset Features

When executing full reset Windows 10 Mobile some nuances should be taken into account. First of all, there is the possibility of losing not only settings and applications, but also information stored on the phone - photos, documents and multimedia files. To prevent this from happening, you should copy all data to a PC or microSD card before resetting. You can also make a backup copy:

1. Go to the settings menu;
2. Select backup item;
3. Open another settings;
4. Start creating a backup.

The result of the operation will be not just copying files from the smartphone’s memory, but also saving SMS or MMS.

Many users upgrading their operating systems to Windows 10 Mobile or installing the latest cumulative updates or builds for an already installed platform are wondering whether a reset is necessary. After installing a new operating system, it is advisable to perform a reset, which will speed up work with applications and reduce the likelihood of problems.

Possible problems

Sometimes the performance of a smartphone may be disrupted during the update process. For example, if new software installed on a device with an insufficiently charged battery (it is recommended to update the system only if the battery charge exceeds 50%). In this case, the only way to reset is to use the volume and power buttons. If this method does not help, you will have to contact the service.

In the system Windows 10 Mobile there is a special reset protection as a password. It is needed to prevent the reset operation from being performed accidentally. If the password is known to the user, this combination must be entered before resetting. If security code forgotten or installed by the previous owner of the smartphone, hardware reset of the settings is impossible. And you will have to reset only using hot keys when the smartphone is turned off.

Smartphone theft is a big problem. Its scale is so great that the governments of many states and interstate entities have adopted a number of laws aimed at radically reducing the attractiveness of phones in the eyes of thieves. This is how smartphones introduced a kill switch mechanism for remote blocking and destruction of data, and later linking a smartphone to a user account, which should make theft pointless. But how effective are these measures really and are they easy to bypass?

The first law aimed at protecting user data was adopted in the state of California in 2014. The law spells out a new requirement for all smartphone manufacturers wishing to sell their devices in the state. According to this requirement, from July 1, 2015, manufacturers are required to build in a so-called kill switch, which will allow the owner to remotely block the phone or destroy data.

It should be noted here that remote data destruction has already been used in practice by such manufacturers as Apple (Find My iPhone function), BlackBerry (Protect) and Android (via Android Device Manager). In fact, the law made the use and activation of these functions mandatory. In particular, Microsoft smartphones have caught up: now all new devices sold in the United States have a Find My Phone option.

However, it quickly became clear that the thieves are completely uninterested in the user’s data, which is destroyed by a remote command. All the thief needed was to reset the phone to factory settings as quickly as possible, and then configure it to work with or without a new account.

Manufacturers have tried to improve existing system, adding linking of devices to the user account and protection that would not allow such linking to be bypassed. According to statistics, these measures worked: after their widespread introduction, smartphone thefts decreased by a very noticeable 40%. How effective these measures really are and how to circumvent them is the topic of today’s article.

Read also: Cryptoproof androids. How does data encryption work on a memory card in Android?

Apple iOS

• Factory reset protection: yes, on all relatively modern devices
• Remote lock: since iOS 4.2 (November 2010)
• Reset protection release date: iOS 6 (September 2012)
• Geography: all over the world
• Firmware downgrade protection: yes, and works great
• To remove protection: unlock the device (PIN or fingerprint required), disable Find My iPhone (Apple ID password required)
• Current status: protection is working

iOS is a closed system, the code of which is completely controlled by Apple. All relatively fresh iOS versions(and this is about 98% of devices in the hands of users) it is impossible to bypass the moment of activation of the device. iPhone activation impossible without a “go-ahead” from a server controlled by Apple. Accordingly, if a device is tied to a specific account, then this binding cannot be bypassed without access to the server - at least in theory.

The remote lock feature is enabled by default. Control of this function is available in the iCloud menu → Find My iPhone:

What happens if a phone with Find My iPhone enabled is stolen? Even if an attacker immediately turns off the phone, after which he resets it to factory settings or completely reflashes it (no problem - this is done easily through iTunes), then the first thing he will see when turning it on is the activation wizard. The phone will need to be activated, for which you must connect to the Internet. As soon as the phone establishes a connection with the Apple server, the activation wizard will ask for the password for the Apple ID that was used before the hard reset.

In older versions of iOS (before iOS 6), it was possible to bypass activation. But where have you seen an iPhone with iOS 6? This will most likely never fall into the hands of the average thief, and if it does, its material value tends to zero. Roll back to old version iOS will not work either: for modern devices, vulnerable versions simply do not exist in nature, but for old devices, very effective protection against downgrading the system version will work. However, even bypassing activation on vulnerable versions of iOS did not allow using the device as a phone; in fact, instead of an iPhone, it turned out to be an iPod Touch.

Read also: The cross-platform Mokes.A backdoor is dangerous not only for Windows and Linux, but also for OS X

What if you're just going to sell a phone you're tired of and don't want the buyer to have problems? Everything is simple here, but you will have to do this before you reset the device to factory settings:

1. Unlock your phone (with fingerprint sensor or password).
2. Turn off Find My iPhone in iCloud settings.
3. Enter your Apple ID password.

That's it, you can reset it. Protection is disabled. But an attacker will not be able to disable the protection. To do this, he will have to overcome two levels of protection: screen lock and Apple ID password.

Protection against reset and unauthorized activation in Apple smartphones works great all over the world. Get around it programmatically does not seem possible. Forgot your Apple ID password or deleted it account? Go to Apple Store or call support, be prepared to present a receipt or other evidence of the legitimacy of ownership of the device. Since the protection is activated on the server side, when such evidence is presented, Apple employees can help.

There are hardware ways to bypass the protection. For very old devices, it was enough to solder a single capacitor. Modern ones require disassembly, direct access to the memory chip and handmade programmer to change the device ID. After changing the ID, the device can be activated, but there is not the slightest guarantee that it will continue to do so after the system update. In any case, this bypass method is too complicated for an ordinary thief, so they try not to mess with the iPhone - the stolen device can only be sold for spare parts.