New 1940 ~ Alarms Will Not Work! - Please Help Before I Go Insane...

[willh]

I've been using iPaq's for the past three years, and while I've heard of alarm issues, I've never experienced it.

Yesterday, I received my brand spanking new ipaq 1940 and proceeded to install PI 4.5, Calligrapher, eWallet, and ListPro. That's it.

When I make a calendar item with an alarm - the unit will not wake up to alert me! #$%#@!! This is the WHOLE POINT of HAVING THIS THING.

So - I spend an extra $10 and buy SuperAlerts... and still - NO ALARMS.

I'm about to jump ship over to Palm and just return this PocketPC. Of all the basic functions of a PDA - alerting the owner with an alarm is at the top of the list. If HP and M$ can't get this right - they don't deserve my $$$.

Sorry to go off on a rant here - but I had been waiting 2 years to upgrade from a 3630... which despite it's own list of problems - the alarms at least worked. Now - the new and improved 2003 OS comes out with a new hardware... and it doesn't work.

Please - anyone - can you help me out?

[Jason Dunn]

Try this:

1) Hard reset the unit
2) Don't install anything
3) Using the built-in calendar program, create one appointment
4) Don't turn the power on the Pocket PC off, just let it turn off on it's own

If the alarm fires, it's possible there's some freaky sort of conflict with the software you installed. If the alarm doesn't fire, you have a defective Pocket PC.

[mattchapin]

I'm having the same problem with my Toshiba E755 with Windows Mobile 2003.

I thought it was my toxic combination of PocketInformant and Today Screen plugins, but even after I do a hard reset, enter one appointment, and wait, it still sometimes (rarely) fails to wake up and sound the alarm!

-Matt

p.s. Yeah, I had an Ipaq 2215. Hyper-sensitive d-pad drove me crazy, so I traded it in for the E755. (I am enjoying the wi-fi!)

[Chris Spera]

While I agree with Jason's assessment and troubleshooting steps, my guess is that this is an issue with the ROM. I am hoping that MS and HP are looking at this so that they can quickly issue an update.

I am planning on getting the 194x from Best Buy once they hit. If I come across anything different when I get mine, I'll let you know.


Kind Regards,


Christopher Spera

[willh]

OK - the 1940 appears to be working normal now...

Here's what I had to do...

I performed a hard reset and then renamed the device to a different ID.

Next, I installed each application, one by one, each time testing to see if the alarms would continue working after each installation. I installed:

Pocket Informant 4.5
ListPro
EWallet
Calligrapher 6.5
Pocket Streets

I thought ListPro may be the culprit as it has it's own alarms... but so far - each test alarm has worked....

Sorry for the earlier rant... yet I still think that the novice user would not be near as patient in getting the alarms to work as they should.

I'll keep you updated on any new findings - good or bad.

Thanks for all the assistance!

[medic119]

I think its a WM2003 problem. Same behavior is seen on 2215s. The alarms don't wake the unit.

[Chairman Clench]

This was a known issue with PPC2K2. I spoke with the senior iPAQ product engineer (not tech support) at HP/Compaq regarding this issue. He was able to reproduce it on ALL PPC2K2 devices.

He reported the issue to M$, who was also able to reproduce it. They refused to fix it in PPC2K2 because they were too busy preparing WM2003. They did, however, claim that it was fixed in WM2003, which apparently is a lie.

:really mad: I agree with several people who posted in a similar thread that this is a completely inexcusable issue. Sounding reminders is probably the single MOST BASIC function of a PDA. This is not a "cutting edge" feature that the early adopters have to expect to have problems with. This is BASIC FUNCTIONALITY. Having it not work is not acceptable. Having it not work in TWO releases of the operating system is really unacceptable. :really mad:

This type of thing is why people go back to Palm devices.

As for fixing the issue, on my 3970, it was about 95% fixed by installing a little app called SuperAlert. It costs $10. This app seems to wake the device up forcibly. Since installing it, I have had better reminder reliability. I am not sure if the app works in WM2003 or not. There is a trial of the app available.

P.S. - No, I don't have any affiliation with the people who make SuperAlert.

[mattchapin]

To the PocketPC Thoughts team:

I think this should be a front-page news story on PocketPCthoughts.

A bug like this -- uncorrected for two versions (two YEARS!) is a major factor in users' decisions to purchase a new PPC or upgrade their PPC2000 devices.

Maybe then M$ will listen.

In the meantime, I'm charging my old Clie SJ30 while I decide whether to return my shiny new Toshiba E755.

The current generation of PalmOS devices can play Video much better than the old ones (my primary reason for upgrading to the PPC in the first place), and with SD capacities going up and prices going down, I won't need a CF slot to have plenty of storage at my disposal.

Maybe I'll relent and keep my new toy. I do enjoy surfing the web via Wifi.

-Matt

[mattchapin]

Just talked to Toshiba support and they said that in the settings for reminders (in the Sounds control panel) I should change the duration of the flashing light from 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

He couldn't explain why this would solve the problem... we'll see.

-Matt

[Chris Spera]

Just talked to Toshiba support and they said that in the settings for reminders (in the Sounds control panel) I should change the duration of the flashing light from 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

He couldn't explain why this would solve the problem... we'll see.

-Matt

It probably works because it over writes the registry. If you did this, then changed it back, it should have the same effect as the original change...

That's just a guess; but I've got a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed that say it does the same thing...

Christopher Spera

[Chairman Clench]

To the PocketPC Thoughts team:

I think this should be a front-page news story on PocketPCthoughts.

A bug like this -- uncorrected for two versions (two YEARS!) is a major factor in users' decisions to purchase a new PPC or upgrade their PPC2000 devices.

Maybe then M$ will listen.

In the meantime, I'm charging my old Clie SJ30 while I decide whether to return my shiny new Toshiba E755.

The current generation of PalmOS devices can play Video much better than the old ones (my primary reason for upgrading to the PPC in the first place), and with SD capacities going up and prices going down, I won't need a CF slot to have plenty of storage at my disposal.

Maybe I'll relent and keep my new toy. I do enjoy surfing the web via Wifi.

-Matt

I completely agree.

Well said.

[Chairman Clench]

Bump.

[Steven Cedrone]

Bump.

There is no need to do this. If you feel this deserves front page attention, submit it to the news team via the "Submit News" link...

Thanks,

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

[midtoad]

Well, I've just sold my Tungsten, and sidelined my Zaurus. I want one unit that has two slots so I can use my GPS CF card, my WiFI card, my CF card and my SD card, and do it all well without hacking in config files. The 2215 was to be this dream machine. Now I find the alarm issue. Reading this thread has reminded that, hey, that's right, I haven't heard my alarm go off the past two mornings. I've only had the 2215 3 days now, and maybe some software screwed up the alarm - but alarms a pretty basic function! If they can't be relied upon to work reliably, this thing is going back to the retailer!

Having said that, I took a close look my Sounds and Notifications, in Settings. Yep, I have checked Enable sounds for Programs | Notifications (alarms, reminders). and, no, the alarms aren't working. But wait, let's check in the Notifications tab....
1. Select an event: Reminders
2. Select how to be notified: Play sound: Alamr1.
Hey, the box for that was unchecked! How did that get unchecked! As soon as I re-checked it, my alarms sounded again. So, if you're having problems, check your settings.

[SHoTTa35]

well i've never had that alarm issue once. Right now i'm testing so here goes..

Set Alarm for 4:32PM EST - Woke up and rang...
Clicked dismiss then turned it off again.
Set Alarm in Calendar for 4:35PM EST = Woke up and rang

so it seems to me maybe it's just a faulty machine. I haven't tweaked or changed anything and i remember it working as soon as i got it cuz i synched and i had a reminder in outlook that got copied over and it reminded me while watching TechTV. This was on the first day.