Android tablet reset problems

Computer Help and Discussions Software
1

I'm trying to help a friend with his android tablet.

He had a problem and the suppliers support line advised a factory reset.

He did this but now can't get into the thing again.

It keeps asking for his previous google account details.

And of course it's been some time since he set this up and doesn't remember the password.

I factory reset it myself. (Pin in the hole job).

Still the same problem.

So 'forgot my password' routine, got a code by text and entered it, but it just reset to asking for the old account again.

Anybody know how to force the thing to think it's straight out of the box so he can set up a new Google account on it?

(And yes I realise that there are security implications if it was easy to do this).

2

Which android tablet is it?

3

It was a Time2 tablet.

Unfortunately I can't play about with it now.

Had no luck with it so he has now taken it home to try and find/remember what password he used.

As I said we did the google 'forgotten password' thing and they sent a code to his phone.

But entering this code and setting a new password did nothing, it kept coming back asking for the old password.

TBH we may have been trying to reset the wrong account.

He has various gmail accounts with different addresses/passwords, he's been setting up a new google account everytime he gets a new device.

And most are associated with the same mobile number, which is not a smartphone.

So for now I've told him to try and remember what email address and password he used for that tablet.

Failing that he's going to have to get back onto Time2 and see if they can do anything, at least they are in Blackburn and not China.

PS. I had another friend who was 'locked out' of her Windows laptop last month. At least with Windows I could force it into troubleshooting mode without a password and do a complete reinstall.

I was looking for the possibility of some option like this to get into the Android tablet without a password.

4

The plot thickens a bit.

Further talking it turns out that before he came to me his daughter had factory reset it, and then somehow he set up a 'sketch' type password by making a random squiggle on the screen.

Of course my factory reset should have cleared that.

I'm reading that I may be able to connect it to my laptop and completly reset it with a new account - if he had certain settings on the tablet.