Tasks freezes for 5-10 seconds every time I complete an item!

[Scott716]

Every time that I check off a completed task in my Pocket PC, about 5 seconds later the icon comes up that indicates waiting (it's the colored circle with colors changing all around) . The Pocket PC stays like that for 5-10 seconds before coming back to normal. That might not seem significant, but when you are trying to check off lots of tasks, like grocery items, or phone calls completed, waiting 5-10 seconds for every item can be frustrating. It can take a long time. When the Pocket PC does this, tasks seems to be just moving the completed item to the bottom of the list. It seems like every 10 seconds or so, the Pocket PC scans tasks for changes -- like items completed -- and updates.

Any suggestions on how to speed this up? Or, can I disable that updating so it is every few hours rather than seconds? Any others with this experience, or is it just my quirky iPaq pocket PC?

[Darius Wey]

What device do you have, and are you running your applications with enough reserve memory?

[Janak Parekh]

A related question to Darius's: have you tried a soft-reset recently? It does sound like a lot of applications are running, and a soft-reset is probably the quickest way to debug this.

--janak

[Scott716]

Thanks for the responses.

It is an HP iPaq H2215
The OS is Pocket PC 2003 version 4.20.1081

Memory is 57.11 MB, On a typical day, it allocates 28.55MB for storage, using 6.98 and allocates 28.56 for programs using 8.81. >>> There seems to be lots of free memory.

In a more general way, it is very slow to update the scree. Even after I close all programs, when I click on Tasks or Notes or Inbox (anything...) the screen shows the icon for waiting (the circle with sweeping colors) for about 5-10 seconds. It is most frustrating when checking off tasks, because every few seconds that circle icon pops up and I am stalled for a few seconds.

is that normal? Any way to speed it up?

[Darius Wey]

It doesn't sound as though you're suffering from a memory shortage problem. Instead, it could just be a program conflict here that's taking a serious bite out of performance.

If you don't mind me asking, what programs/plugins do you have installed?

[Scott716]

The Pocket PC is running just the software that came with it (Tasks, Contacts, Notes, Calendar, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, etc.) plus Microsoft Reader, That is it!

An SD card is installed, but it is used just to backup the device.

I used to have a lot of 3rd party sofware on the device, but it crashed frequently. So I did a hard reset and now run just the basic software.

Are these iPaqs known for being typically slow? Maybe it is just the way the thing is built.

[Darius Wey]

The h2215 is a reliable device, so there's no reason why it should be slow for the state it's in (especially since you've just performed a hard reset). After hearing from you, I'm starting to think this might not be a software related issue, so let's run through a few hardware checks.

(1) I'm assuming you've tried a soft-reset as Janak suggested.

(2) Does this problem occur when you're connected to AC? Or is it a problem only while the device is running on battery power.

(3) Try removing your SD card and see if you can perform your day-to-day activities without the card in the device. Do you still suffer from slowdowns?

(4) Are there any signs of your Pocket PC overheating? Is the rear of the device unusually hot at times?

[Scott716]

Thanks for the advice. Oddly, nothing seems to improve the response time. There is an 8-10 second lag during which the indicator for waiting (the circle with sweep colors) comes up whenever I change categories in tasks, delete a task, enter a new task, or change a task. All other programs work fine, including Calendar, Contacts, and Notes.

The problem persists despite a soft reset, hard reset, removing 3rd party applications and removing the SD card. It also persists whether the unit is running off battery or in the sync cradle recharging. The unit back is not especially hot, and the problem occurs when the unit is first turned on too, when it is "cold."

Is it just natural for Tasks to take 8-10 seconds to deal with changes, like adding a task, deleting, or changing?

[Janak Parekh]

Is it just natural for Tasks to take 8-10 seconds to deal with changes, like adding a task, deleting, or changing?
No, not really. I have about 150-200 tasks and it's snappy (i.e., < 1s response time on actions). How many tasks do you have, out of curiosity?

--janak

[Scott716]

Thanks for the response.

I have about 300 active tasks, so response time should be quick

Is it possible that all my completed tasks are hidden and getting synchronized with the device? That could slow things down.