Dell Axim X30 ROM Update Released

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&SystemID=PDA_AXIM_X30&os=PPCA&osl=en&deviceid=6672&devlib=7&category=0&releaseid=R80725' target='_blank'>http://support.dell.com/support/dow...eleaseid=R80725</a><br /><br /></div>Dell seems to have quietly posted what appears to be a ROM update (A02) for their X30 handhelds. The listed updates are rather vague:<br /><li> Enhance your PDA with wireless security feature. (The enhancement is only for 624MHz & 312MHz integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth model)<br /><li> Enhance SDIO bus driver. If anyone's tried it and has more details as to what it does, let us know.

[Sven Johannsen]

OK I did it. Nothing earth shattering to report, but let me run through the experience.

Be forwarned..this is a ROM update and wipes your ROM. If you are one of those that reads all the instructions you can be back up fairly quickly. If not at least browse this.

It recommends you backup your Built-In Storage. Simple to do, just copy the entire thing to a folder on your hard drive. I did it but it turns out it didn't destroy it during the update. I wouldn't count on that though, so if you care about what you have there, back it up.

The instructions also indicate that you can backup your system, do the update and restore. That is not normally recommended as ROM updates often have the tendency to make registry structure changes that don't take well to having the old structure restored over them under the new OS build. I have ignored that advice in the past and had problems, difficult to diagnose problems. In this case, since the OEM recommended it, I assumed they knew it would be OK. The instructions said AS backup...I used AS backup. After the update I restored using AS and everything seems to be just as before.

The ROM update application gives you the opportunity to save a current ROM image. I did that. When you start the update, it also gives you the opportunity to save the current ROM image. I would recommend doing it, one way or the other. You can use the search function on this site and others to find the desperate posts from those who didn't and for some reason, needed to go back.

The whole process took about a half hour. Backups, system and ROM, update and restore all together. Fairly painless really, and I was reading newsgroups during the 'don't touch it' periods.

Follow the instructions, don't get ahead of yourself and hopefully you will have as uneventful and upgrade as I.

What did I gain? Beats me at this point. I do have an A02 instead of an A00 in the System info.

I have a new, I think, item in the control panel, in the system tab. There is an Odyssey Client. I don't recall that, but it might have installed with a couple of things I added this weekend without me noticing it. Anyone else have this? tapping it produces no result.

[Bruno]

Took just 10 minutes to backup and upgrade. Everything works just fine. :) Have to give it a couple of days to find the differences though.

And to Sven:

the Odyssey Client is part of the ROM upgrade. Seems to work with 802.11 networks. I will give it a try to se what it can do.

[Sven Johannsen]

And to Sven:

the Odyssey Client is part of the ROM upgrade. Seems to work with 802.11 networks. I will give it a try to se what it can do.

Thought it was new. It was pretty obvious, and I think I would have noticed it if it was there before.

A 'what's new' file really would have been nice.

[Jason Dunn]

I just re-built my X30 a few days ago, so I don't see anything in here compelling enough to warrant me doing that over again. I'm deeply suspicious of doing a restore after a ROM upgrade...:worried: Let me know how your X30 works over the next few weeks Sven...

[Sven Johannsen]

Like I said, I normally don't do that, but the instructions included in the download specifically detailed that. There have been others from HP in the past that suggested a backup, but never suggested a restore, and some that defined a backup as syncing the PIM stuff.

This one specifically instructed you on an AS backup and subsequent AS restore, so I figured, what the heck. No problems so far.

[Zab]

When i recieve my new Axim X30 ( 624 ) in the mail should this already be on there or should i do this upgrade

[Jason Dunn]

When i recieve my new Axim X30 ( 624 ) in the mail should this already be on there or should i do this upgrade

One would hope it would already be done, but you'll want to check and make sure. START > SETTINGS > SYSTEM > SYSTEM INFORMATION and look at the ROM version. If it's AA00, you have the old ROM.

[foldedspace]

I apologize for going OT, but I'm getting a replacement X30 in a few days and I'd like the Axim users to do something for me. In landscape, watch a video looking directly at the screen. I use Betaplayer, but I'm guessing WM would work. Does it look the same as every other ppc screen you've seen? Is there a big enough 'sweet spot' to comfortably view the video? I ask because my first one was difficult to view head on and only viewable by holding at an angle. The 'sweet spot' was very small.

[Zab]

When i recieve my new Axim X30 ( 624 ) in the mail should this already be on there or should i do this upgrade

One would hope it would already be done, but you'll want to check and make sure. START > SETTINGS > SYSTEM > SYSTEM INFORMATION and look at the ROM version. If it's AA00, you have the old ROM.

thanks much, ill bookmark this so i can check it when it gets here.

[CoreyJF]

I apologize for going OT, but I'm getting a replacement X30 in a few days and I'd like the Axim users to do something for me. In landscape, watch a video looking directly at the screen. I use Betaplayer, but I'm guessing WM would work. Does it look the same as every other ppc screen you've seen? Is there a big enough 'sweet spot' to comfortably view the video? I ask because my first one was difficult to view head on and only viewable by holding at an angle. The 'sweet spot' was very small.

I use it all of the time for video. I sit outside on our balcony and stream live and recorded shows through snapsream frequently. I always watch it in landscape and have not noticed any problems. Infact it handles video far better then my ipaq 4155 did.

[Sven Johannsen]

Well crud. Started having some stability issues. Symptom was mostly when I reset, it was touchy whether it would load all the way back. Sometimes had to do it a couple of times and it seemed real slow. Even Hard reset once and restored from that old backup. Same stuff.

For fun I restored the old ROM image and the backup that was made while it was active. Same reset issues.

So now I don't know if the ROM update is flaky, Dell lied about restoring from an old backup (which is normally not advised), or the backup might have been flaky (it was an AS backup after all).

So Since it would be advisable to start from scratch anyway, I figured the ROM update goes back on and I start rebuilding. Oh well, I've had it for two weeks, it was about time to hard reset and rebuild anyway :)

Moral: Even if Dell says it's OK, I probably should have trusted my gut and experience and not restored the old backup. YMMV

I'm going to run the box with the new ROM pretty pristine for a couple of days to see what shakes out.

Funny thing...that Odyssey Client I mentioned isn't in the System Tab this time, it is in the Connections Tab? Seems like a wireless network management utility. Wonder why I need that on top of Zero Configuration and the Dell WLAN Utility?

[Bruno]

I rebuild my X30 after the ROM upgrade. But that only takes like 30 minutes for me so its no big issue.

The Odyssey software was in my Connections TAB also.

Been running the upgraded ROM for over 24h now and not a problem. I did have to reset the unit when i installed MS Reader but the reboot didn't take exceptional long time in my opininon.

The only problem I have with the X30 (and this was before the ROM upgrade) is that Letter Recognizer refuses to give me accented characters. As I live in Sweden we have our special characters åäö which is a must for me. I guess I´ll call DELL support on this one.

[dilmonen]

Hey, I just registered to post this here:

I did the update as well over the A00 ROM and the Odyssey client was under System and NOT connections. I wouldn't run from their either.

I restored the original ROM, then put the A02 ROM back on, and now Odyssey is in the Connections tab and runs...

That's kinda strange to me. Now to hoping that my restore works and my apps aren't all flaky.

I'm glad I found this place as this Axim X30 is my first PocketPC and I've only had it about 2 weeks now.

[Mike Dimmick]

I'll let you know once mine turns up. Dell have been sitting on my order for a week - I now have a provisional ship date of Monday. We'll see.

[Sven Johannsen]

Now to hoping that my restore works and my apps aren't all flaky.

I wouldn't. It takes less time to just re-install, than restore, worry, wait, get irritated, hard reset, and then re-install, ;)

[dilmonen]

Now to hoping that my restore works and my apps aren't all flaky.

I wouldn't. It takes less time to just re-install, than restore, worry, wait, get irritated, hard reset, and then re-install, ;)

Actually the restore went quite nicely. There is *one* thing that is definitely odd though:

Odyssey Client is now back into the System tab and no longer in the Connections tab anymore... Don't know when it moved between the update and now, but I noticed that earlier tonight.