How do I clear recorded messages? & how to reset number of rings

The 29897 has only one mailbox, so you can't use it to separate messages.

To record an outgoing message, hold down the GREETING button. Record your message at the tone. Release the GREETING button when done.

You can download the manual at
http://www.home-electronics.net/ge/pc/IB/29897GE1_IB.pdf

nschutz,

Remote Operation

You can operate your answering system from a remote location (when you are away from home, or from another room using a handset).

Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or delete message. When using any touch-tone telephone, you can even record a new greeting message.

Remote Access away from Home
You can operate your answering system from a remote location using any touch-tone telephone.

1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming messages, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command from the following chart:

*For Memo Record and Greeting Message Record function, the first time you enter the corresponding command, it starts the Recording function. If you want to stop the recording, enter the command again.
5) After all of the voice prompts have been played, you hear intermittent beeps indicating that the system is in the command waiting mode. You may enter another command at this time from the chart.
6) When you are finished, hang up to exit the system. The answering system automatically returns to standby.

0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 4 Delete a Message 0 then 9 Answering System Off
0 then 5 Stop Operation
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming messages, press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system on. You hear the outgoing message and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

Respectfully,

Adam04

Remote Operation
You can check, play, or delete messages, even record a new greeting message from a
remote location (when you are away from home, or from another room using a
handset). Additionally, you can turn on or off your answering system remotely.
Remote access away from home
You can operate your answering system from a remote location using any touchtone
telephone.
1) Call your telephone number and wait for the system to answer. If the answering
system is off, it will answer after about 10 rings and sounds a series of beeps.
2) During the greeting message (or a series of beeps when the answering system is
off), press 0 and enter your PIN code within 2 seconds (see "Setting a PIN Code"
on page 25).
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages
stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming messages, press zero-two. For
help, press one-zero." You will hear a beep.
4) Enter a command within 15 seconds, each command there after must be entered
within 2 seconds. You may select a command from the following chart:
* For the Repeat a Message function, press 0 then 1 within about four seconds to
repeat the previous message, or press 0 then 1 after about four seconds to repeat
the current message.
**For the Memo Record and Greeting Message Record functions, the first time you
enter the corresponding command, the phone starts recording. If you want to
stop the recording, press 0 then 7, 8 or 5.
5) After the command has finished, you hear intermittent beeps indicating that the
system is in the command waiting mode. You may enter another command at this
time from the chart above.


Command Function Command Function
0 then 1 Repeat a Message* 0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 2 Playing incoming Messages 0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop**
0 then 3 Skipping a Message 0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop**
0 then 4 Deleting a Message 0 then 9 Answer System Off
0 then 5 Stop Operation 1 then 0 Help

See if this works for you.

Remote Operation
When you are away from home, you can operate your answering system with any
touch-tone telephone.Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or
delete messages, even record a new greeting message.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code.
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages
stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming message, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command
from the following chart:

Command Function
0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 4 Delete a Message
0 then 5 Stop Operation
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 9 Answering System Off
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

If you forgot to turn on answering system the directions for that are here:

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely
from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the
number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming message,
press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system On. You hear the outgoing message
and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

I think that you can reset the system to factory settings by unplugging all power cords and waiting ten minutes, try this out.

Try this...
See if this works for you.

Remote Operation
When you are away from home, you can operate your answering system with any
touch-tone telephone.Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or
delete messages, even record a new greeting message.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code.
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages
stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming message, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command
from the following chart:

Command Function
0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 4 Delete a Message
0 then 5 Stop Operation
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 9 Answering System Off
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

If you forgot to turn on answering system the directions for that are here:

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely
from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the
number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming message,
press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system On. You hear the outgoing message
and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

i followed the advice posted & it worked fine after that. thanks.

disable name display

Lets see if I can get my hands on a manual. one moment

I can't seem to get the security code entered.  It won't change.  None of the numbers will change when I try to set it up.