SNIP...After about the 25th try I did manage to get it into DFU restore mode. What exactly happens after I restore the phone? My contacts are synced through MobileMe, my calendars are running off of Google, but will all of my email accounts and other settings get wiped? What about my carrier settings (or is that information saved via the SIM)? I've never had to restore before, so forgive my ignorance/concern!
The last step will be to restore from a backup (or as a new phone). Select a backup.
Backups contain the following:
call logs, recent call list, call timers, voicemails
settings
saved app data (like saved games and app settings - however, this is partially up to the developer to implement)
text message history
notes (if not being synced with notes on your computer)
stocks
weather cities
camera roll photos (no other photos)
app locations/placement (on 3.0 ONLY, saves what pages and locations you kept your apps)
It does NOT backup:
Contacts
Calendars
Emails
Apps
Music
Videos
Photos
Ringtones
(Basically everything that you should have saved on your computer or mail service)