Problem: Wisbar Advanced and Pocket Informant

[socrates63]

Here's the scenario. I find that my iPaq 2215 requires soft resets way too often (at least once a day) because it hangs. Usually it hangs when I turn on the iPaq after it has powered off on its own, and the Today screen is displayed.

Yesterday, I found that when the iPaq powered off while displaying contacts in PI5 (latest version) and I turned it back on, the iPaq froze (displaying PI5 contacts); it would not respond to buttons or anything. Interestingly, this problem did not occur when iPaq powered off in PI5's calendar view.

Anyway, after resetting, I did not run Wisbar Advanced (latest version), and I found the above problem did not occur.

I thought the problem may have been caused by other Today plug-ins or programs. I had PIToday and HandyMenu running; I uninstalled both but problem still remained. Other than WA, I had nothing else running, including Today plug-ins, in the background.

I'm just wondering whether it's just my system and its funky combination of software since both WA and PI are widely used and I haven't seen anyone mention this sort of thing.

Right now, I'm thinking of going back to Pelmar's Wisbar or trying some other task manager.

Can anyone shed some light on this situation?

[mv]

I have exactly the same soft on my 1940: PI 5.01, PI Today, wisbar advanced 1.3, Start PI and handy menu. But i never had a problem... anything else is installed and running in the background?

[ironguy]

I have the new WisAdv 1.3.1.1 and PI5 and this doesn't happen to me.

[Jacob]

I have PIToday the previous version of Wisbar advanced and this hasn't happened to me at all.

Check the version of Wisbar and try getting the latest version.. that's all I can think of :|

[sublime]

Hard reset and start from scratch. That solves every problem

[socrates63]

Hard reset and start from scratch. That solves every problem
After living with the constant hangs for a couple of months, I just did a hard reset while installing the latest 2215 ROM update, and I began the investigation afterwards by installing the latest WA, PI5, and PIToday. Maybe I'll do another one to see where things may lead.

anything else is installed and running in the background?
There's nothing else running in the background.

Thanks for your replies!

[omikron.sk]

I had the same problem when I had PI installed on my CF card. Reinstalled to Main memory and everything works fine.

[socrates63]

Thanks! I'll try that. I have everything installed on SD.

I see a ray of hope yet (I even contemplated returning the 2215). :D

[omikron.sk]

OK, so this should solve your problem as I see. I'll explain what's it all about:
When you power down (suspend) a Pocket PC, storage cards are powered as well. Pocket PC OS is designed in the way that running applications should not know (should not care) when the user suspends and turns back on the device. Therefor PI runs as ussual. When you turn on the PPC, it takes a moment to power on also peripherials (storage cards, etc.) - it's about second or so. PI doesn't know that this is happening and tries to work with informations as ussual, but they are not available. Even the own .exe file is not! PI may need to load some resources, but it fails or generates an error, because OS is not able to get the information. There are many reasons, why whole PPC may freeze in these situations. I recommend to install things like SIP, today plugins, PI (and similar apps) into Main memory instead of storage card.

[socrates63]

Just following up to say that it looks like your diagnosis was right on. I installed the Today plug-ins, SIPs, WA, and PI5 in the main memory and problem seems solved.

So, for fellow neophytes, looks like there's a lesson to be learned. You should not install certain applications in the CF/SD card.

[ironguy]

I posted earlier that this had not happened to me. As of then it hadn't but...

I looked up a contact yesterday and, being in a hurry, didn't close PI. I turned off my 2215. Later, when I turned it on. My PI contacts was still displayed, but most of the PPC was frozen.

I could tap 'new' and the menu would pop up, but most other items were frozen. :(

I have PI5 and WisAdv 1.3.2.1 installed in main memory. I was not able to duplicate it through random testing. :?

(WARNING! - non sequitur ahead)
Then we went to my wife's 30 year high school reunion. 8O

[socrates63]

It's pretty weird. I think there's something with Wisbar Advance.

After installing most of the software to main memory, things appeared better, but after my last post, my 2215 partially froze. This time, it happened when the 2215 turned off by itself after I left Warlords 2 running, and when I turned it on, the Today screen appeared. So far so good. But...

Like you said, the New button worked, but WA bar did not work (although the Start menu worked ONCE and then wouldn't respond again). Three of the hardware buttons worked and invoked their apps, but the iTask button failed to invoke iTasks. When I managed to invoke the apps with the hardware buttons, WA did not display the close button.

If things get too annoying, I'll probably install Pelmar's Wisbar and remove WA.

(WARNING! - non sequitur ahead)
Then we went to my wife's 30 year high school reunion.
Hope you had a good time. I missed my 10th year reunion in '98 and got a lot of flack from my friends. I won't miss the next one.

[omikron.sk]

Uninstalling the WA won't help. If there is something also with iTask, it means, that applications that list current running apps (like WA and iTask) are unable to do so. You should stop the process that freeze with some kind of other way. You should use some "core" task manager, that doesn't only display only processes, that have initialized windows, but all processes. I use Task Manager in CE File Commander for that. When you "kill" the frozen process (you ussually now, which that might be), everything begins to work great. Apps installed on storage card and especially ones that use hard-core access to graphic buffer (GAPI) - like Warlords and most games - don't like to power down the devices while they're running. There are only few that can handle that. You should simply not to power down the device while running them. Reinstalling them to Main Memory (as I mentioned earlier) may help, too.

[socrates63]

Since my problem most often occurs when the device powers off while an app is open and Today is displayed when I turn it back on, my current workaround has been to set the Today screen to appear automatically only if the device has been off for 12 hours or more (that was the longest period that I find in the Today setting dialog).

I usually make it a habit of quiting games but sometimes, when the kids or wife beckon for attention, I don't have the time. :wink:

The workaround above in conjunction with installing the critical stuff to main memory (as per your suggestion) have pretty much eliminated the device freezing problems. I'll take a look at File Commander; useful freeware is always good.

Thanks for helping me better understand the problem. I was pretty close to returning the 2215.

[omikron.sk]

I was pretty close to returning the 2215.
Never do that!!! Except for a few minor bugs (side grips, D-button) it is THE COOLEST DEVICE IN THE WORLD!! Believe me :wink:

[blot]

So, for fellow neophytes, looks like there's a lesson to be learned. You should not install certain applications in the CF/SD card.
Blah, I hate installing things to the main memory... What about built-in flash ROM? Would that be any better?

[omikron.sk]

So, for fellow neophytes, looks like there's a lesson to be learned. You should not install certain applications in the CF/SD card.
Blah, I hate installing things to the main memory... What about built-in flash ROM? Would that be any better?
You cannot install programs directly to the ROM (at least not to the OS part), but most of the current PPCs have part ofdthe ROM user-accessible (iPaqs have "iPaq file store"). Programs installed onto iPaq flestore and programs preinstalled in the main part of the ROM have not problems at all with powering off (some games might have, if they have them in Main memory, too). ROM have no problems while the PPC accesses it by very similar way to the way it accesses the Main memory and ROM is also accessible any time (at the moment after turning on the PPC).

[blot]

You cannot install programs directly to the ROM (at least not to the OS part), but most of the current PPCs have part ofdthe ROM user-accessible (iPaqs have "iPaq file store"). Yeah, I have a Toshiba and their "file store" equivalent is called "Flash ROM Disk".
Programs installed onto iPaq flestore and programs preinstalled in the main part of the ROM have not problems at all with powering off (some games might have, if they have them in Main memory, too).
Thanks, I'll try the "Flash ROM/file store" for my today items and WA. I suspect that having them installed to my SD Card may be causing a lot of the lockups that I have been experiencing.

[omikron.sk]

Thanks, I'll try the "Flash ROM/file store" for my today items and WA. I suspect that having them installed to my SD Card may be causing a lot of the lockups that I have been experiencing.
Don't forget on input methods (SIPs). They don't like the storage cards, too.