Pocket PC Is ... dead

[sharky]

I got a iPAQ pocket PC and last night it just died on me.

I had been using it to update some software on there and also put a new theme onto it, later that evening i was using it to access MSN Mobile Messenger and it was running fine, then when i connected it to the computer to upload a photo to it it reset itself and died.

After removing it from the PC the screen was stuck on a three quarters load bar, the main screen that comes up the first time that the pocket pc is activated and then it froze. I checked this out online and it reccomended to try a "Soft" reset, i did this and no change, then it said to do a "Hard" reset, this cleared the screen and i thought great it will work, waiting 10 seconds to turn it back on and nothing, its just dead.

Another place said to leave the battery out overnight and try again in the morning, i did this last night and when i reinserted the battery this morning i attempted to turn it on and nothing happened, the iPAQ wont turn on, the computer wont recognise it and i have run out of ideas on how to fix it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Paul Martin]

Did you leave it on the charger for a while...let's say a day or so? After doing that, do another soft reset and see if it will come up. Beyond that, I don't have any other suggestions; that's just what worked for an ipaq 5400 I had that wouldn't come on.

Paul

[Sven Johannsen]

I got a iPAQ pocket PC and last night it just died on me.
Is this a brand new one, or one off e-bay or something? Brand new...take it back and get another one. Electronics, regardless of what they are, do suffer from infant mortality. It's possible you can get a flaky one right out of the box.

If it is a previously owned unit, could be the batterry is just given up. Did it give any such indication that the batterry might be discharging quickly? How does it do if you leave it plugged in while playing with it?

[sharky]

Paul thank you for the suggestion i have just put it on charge and will see what it is like in the morning, and i got the pocket PC second hand from a friend who has only had it about a year and a half.

When connected to the computer the computer wont recognise it as a pocket pc, it doesnt notice it at all, and there is no way to turn it on even attached to the pc.

[Paul Martin]

When connected to the computer the computer wont recognise it as a pocket pc, it doesnt notice it at all, and there is no way to turn it on even attached to the pc.

I had the same problem. It was really "dead". Hopefully the battery recharge might fix things, or as Sven suggested, it might be the battery itself is dead.

[Mark Kenepp]

Paul thank you for the suggestion i have just put it on charge and will see what it is like in the morning, and i got the pocket PC second hand from a friend who has only had it about a year and a half.

When connected to the computer the computer wont recognise it as a pocket pc, it doesnt notice it at all, and there is no way to turn it on even attached to the pc.

Not sure if this means that you are trying to charge it by connecting it to your desktop PC but my last few handhelds came with the warning that connecting the device to a PC via USB will only top up the battery.

A fully discharged battery will require connection directly to a power outlet using the supplied AC Adapter.

So, if it is that your battery is fully discharged, connecting it to your computer may not charge it.

[Paul Martin]

A fully discharged battery will require connection directly to a power outlet using the supplied AC Adapter.

Good point, Mark. In my scenario, I charged it up with AC power. Thanks for the clarification.

Paul

[sharky]

Thanks guys for the help, the problem was that it couldnt get the charge it needed off of the USB but needed hte mains adaptor,

Does anyone know a website that i could get an adaptor from? (UK plug socket)

[Paul Martin]

Does anyone know a website that i could get an adaptor from? (UK plug socket)

Sharky,

Great! I have a Dell Axim and it's power requirements are notorious for having problems with USB chargers. RE the UK charger, there are lots of places to try. You'll see the PocketPCTechs banner on this site. I checked and they offer US and EU plugs. Also, there's always ebay. :) Have fun!

[ToddJ]

i am also having a similar problem....i have had it before and after leaving the battery out for awhile, my pocket pc started working again (usually several hours) i would soft or hard reset it, but the soft reset button is broken. any suggestions?

[Nurhisham Hussein]

You could try apps that can do a soft reset. Memmaid and SPB Pocket Plus come to mind, though these are commercial apps. For freeware, there're any number of apps that can do the same thing, such as psShutXP (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1412) or Magic Button (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=680).