Explorer stuck, hard reset only solution. What's the cause?

[caubeck]

Occasionally - very occasionally - my ipaq 1935 experiences a strange problem which I know from surfing the net that others have shared. What I would really like to know is the cause, and perhaps a solution.

Problem: explorer gets stuck and shows an empty screen. You can't get beyond that screen to explore different files or sections, it won't let you. At the same time some programmes become disabled, particularly those on the storage card. But only a few of them.

Usual way out: once it solved itself when I removed and replaced the SD card, but that was a one-off. Soft resets don't help and only a hard reset and restore can achieve it. I'm not terribly affected because I always have several recent backup copies available on two laptops, but it would be a pain if ever it happened on a journey.

I've had my ipaq for about 2 years. It occurred twice in the first 4 months, then never again until today when I was loading a movie onto the SD card. Always different SD cards, by the way, of different sizes, well-known brand.

Never a problem otherwise.

Any ideas?

[Darius Wey]

Unless this is to do with your SD cards, it sounds almost entirely like a software issue.

What programs/plugins do you have installed?

[caubeck]

As I said, I have read other reports of the same, which led me to suspect it was a well-known bug. If you don't know of it, I guess I was wrong.

After my hard reset today everything is back to normal. If it is a software problem as you suggest and it happens again, I'll have to start experimenting.

In the interest of scientific investigation, or in case anyone else in the forum experiences the same problem, here's a list of what I'm currently carrying:

Latest Calligrapher 8 beta
Bejewelled
Monopoly
Scrabble
Billiard master 2
PHM Tools
NYDITOT
Battery Watch
BSoduko
CalcNote
Check List
Dynamo
Fonix iSpeak
Icbar
Rough Guide Madrid
MemMaid
Hallmark MobileDB
Oxford English Spanish
Phatpad

Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,

Resco Photo Viewer
Pocket Calendar
Resco Radio
latest Safe Mode
ScaryBear Fla****
Sunrise3 PPM
Spb Time
SplashID
TextMaker
TKCreator
TomeRaider
WinMobile Lens
Super Calendar
WordBook
World off-line
Pocket Player
China2Go
Pocket Stars
The Pad
Fast CleanUp
A freeware reset button
Pocket Prompt
Beta Player
WIMR
Resco Explorer
cLauncher
T-Day Counter
Spacer
StatusTicker

Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

[Darius Wey]

Long list. 8O

Glad to see everything's working properly after your hard reset. I'll have a quick flip through this list, and if I come across a bug, I'll let you know. :)

[Menneisyys]

At the same time some programmes become disabled, particularly those on the storage card. But only a few of them.



This issue is very common with Pocket PC's. (I've described for example here (http://www.firstloox.org//forums/showthread.php?t=3483) why Pocket Inbox does this. Some other apps also do this, so, it's not necesarily Inbox that is causing the problems.)

The reason for this behaviour is that your SD Card (mapping) directory is renamed to SD Card2 (notice the 2 at the end!) and a new, now, "real" (not just a mapper) directory is created under the name of SD Card. Most probably, but not necessarily, it has Inbox attachments (or, at least a directory that refers to this).

You only need to delete this directory and rename the SD Card2 to SD Card. Then, everything will be OK again.

Please let me know if this helps.

[Darius Wey]

This issue is very common with Pocket PC's. (I've described for example here (http://www.firstloox.org//forums/showthread.php?t=3483) why Pocket Inbox does this. Some other apps also do this, so, it's not necesarily Inbox that is causing the problems.)

Menneisyys, is that at all related to this?

"Problem: explorer gets stuck and shows an empty screen. You can't get beyond that screen to explore different files or sections, it won't let you."

I've heard of that SD Card issue before, but I don't see it being a cause of caubeck's browsing issues (unless the browser has been configured to cache on the storage card). Your thoughts?

[Menneisyys]

This issue is very common with Pocket PC's. (I've described for example here (http://www.firstloox.org//forums/showthread.php?t=3483) why Pocket Inbox does this. Some other apps also do this, so, it's not necesarily Inbox that is causing the problems.)

Menneisyys, is that at all related to this?

"Problem: explorer gets stuck and shows an empty screen. You can't get beyond that screen to explore different files or sections, it won't let you."

I've heard of that SD Card issue before, but I don't see it being a cause of caubeck's browsing issues (unless the browser has been configured to cache on the storage card). Your thoughts?

Yup, the "At the same time some programmes become disabled, particularly those on the storage card." may mean that the links to these programs become dead because the storage card gets renamed. It's not 100% that indeed this happens, but I think so.

[Darius Wey]

It's not 100% that indeed this happens, but I think so.

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from now. Thanks. I might read into it a bit more when I get the chance. :)

[caubeck]

Thanks for the replies.

I've seen the Storage Card (2) issue before. However, when this problem with Explorer happens I can't actually see whether the storage card is renamed because no explorer programme allows me to look. Certainly no such folder appears when I enter via the PC to take a look.

I've never used my PDA for downloading email or even browsing the net.

Oh well, thanks again and not to worry.

Chris

[caubeck]

Just to make this clear, I'm referring to a problem with file explorer (including the Resco one) not IE.

[Menneisyys]

Thanks for the replies.

I've seen the Storage Card (2) issue before. However, when this problem with Explorer happens I can't actually see whether the storage card is renamed because no explorer programme allows me to look. Certainly no such folder appears when I enter via the PC to take a look.

I've never used my PDA for downloading email or even browsing the net.

Oh well, thanks again and not to worry.

Chris

Mass .lnk file invalidations, in most cases, come from some subtle, hard-to-notice directory renaming. In this case, it's possible something different is the problem. You could transfer the contents of your \Windows\Start Menu to your desktop computer in such a case so that we can have a look at the .lnk files. Or, even better, get a full directory listing of your device with a

dir /s >somefilename

using the excellent "PPC Command Shell" app (http://www.firstloox.org//forums/showthread.php?p=34869) so that everything is visible even remotely.