Has *anyone* found a solution for a locked Ipaq File Store problem (Ipaq 1940)?

[marconelly]

I have Ipaq 1940.

I think some people here are already familiar with this problem. I've searched the forum, and it has been discussed already. However, searching has not yielded any good solution.

I've got this problem yesterday, and I've tried to do everything I could think of, and nothing helped. For those of you who don't know, it's some kind of OS or hardware bug that locks up the Ipaq every time you try to write to or delete from Ipaq File Store. Why it appeared I have no clue, and now I also have no clue what to do to fix it, other than to send the unit back to HP for repair (some people from various forums did that and HP fixed it)

Here's what I tried:

- Hard Reset didn't help at all (File Store is not supposed to be deleted by hard reset, but I still gave it a try)

- Removed the battery for 24hours, then inserted it back in. This resulted in hard reset, but File Store was unaffected. All the files are still there, and I still can't delete anything or write to it.

- Then I tried to format with "Pocket Mechanic", but Ipaq just locks up and needs a soft reset to get back to normal. Same if I try to format with "Storage Tools" or "Resco Explorer"

- I even tracked down and run a small utility called PSMformat1.exe which was apparently made by Compaq to fix this very problem on ipaq 3800. However, it did absolutely nothing when I run it.

So here I am, hopeless and clueless. Why has this problem occured in the first place, and is there anything I can do to fix it?

[Darius Wey]

I've had a buggy h1940 before, supposedly due to a rotten egg ROM. Have you tried updating to the latest ROM version?

However, I might also mention that this happened before the ROM update was released. I had to get it replaced by HP because not only was my iPAQ File Store inaccessible, my Pocket PC was too. I couldn't boot into the OS.

[marconelly]

I have not performed a ROM update until this very moment when I read your suggestion.

When I ran the ROM updater, it said it will initialize my Ipaq's memory completely - both system ram and file store.

However, now that the updating is successfully completed (the new ROM is defienitely there, I can see changes here and there), Ipaq File Store is basically left untouched. All my old files are there, and Ipaq still locks up when I try to delete them or save a new file there.

Damn, I really thought this would help.

[Darius Wey]

Have you tried connecting via ActiveSync and deleting the files remotely from your PC?

[marconelly]

Yes, it just freezes the Ipaq, exactly the same as if I try to delete the files using the file explorer or any other file manager.

[Darius Wey]

Well, you've exhausted a lot of possible options so far, so I'd consider contacting HP and getting it fixed/replaced. Although, there is one other possible solution which may work. What files have you got on the iPAQ File Store?

[marconelly]

I'm keeping MameCE3 emulator there, roms for it, and an executable for FPSECE and a (trial) Morphgear emulators. I have all that backed up so completely wiping it out is not a problem.

[PDANEWBIE]

This probably has been checked but do you get the same error when cut and pasting from the file store to another PDA dir? How about copy and paste out? Maybe this will tell you if its a global file store problem or just the way the unit is interacting with the files being deleted directly from the file store.

If you take a new file and move it into the file store does that then lock up on being deleted?

[marconelly]

If I try to copy FROM the file store to another folder, it works fine. Files can be copied and they are not damaged or anything.

If I try to copy from another folder TO file store, the machine locks up. Same if I try to delete anything from file store or try to format it. Basically, any kind of write operation to file store results in lock-up before the operation had even had a chance to complete.

[Darius Wey]

Have you allocated "Read-Only" attributes to the iPAQ File Store?

[PDANEWBIE]

Since you indicated using Resco have you checked to make sure nothing was compressed or encrypted as well? The only scary thing is any format should take out any of these issues read-only included.