Axim X50 flashing green light & can't sync

mysteryxpert · 03-28-08, 08:05 AM

Since January the on/off button on my Axim X50 has been flashing green constantly at 1-second intervals. I have soft-booted numerous times with no effect. I have also removed the battery for 30-minute intervals on several occasions, but the flashing resumes after the battery is charged.

While the light is annoying, especially at night, it does not seem to have any effect upon battery life which remains good. However, I have not been able to sychronize with Activesync from shortly before the flashing started. This has been a nightmare because I cannot update my contacts and cannot synchronize with Avantgo!

This seems to be a hardware problem because I have re-installed Activesync on all my PC's to no avail. I have not been able to find any technical manual that indicates what this flashing light means. Does anyone know?

Also, I have been trying to determine if there is a way to copy my contacts from my laptop to my SD card or CF card in order to synchronize with the Axim. Similarly, is there a way to sync Avantgo to a SD or CF card in my laptop and then insert the card in my PDA to view the updates?

If I can't resolve this issue I'm going to have to purchase a new IPAQ because I'm hooked on using a PDA.

super-6-1 · 03-28-08, 08:14 AM

well i am a noob with the Axim ( just got mine wendsday ) but as i seen in vidoes and such. does yours have wi-fi? if so then turn it off. My be malfunctioning. ill look into it more. be back soon if i find anything.

i cant find anything. Your battery me be malfunctioning as well. Sorry dude.

Gigi · 03-28-08, 08:18 AM

When you say you removed the battery for 30 minute intervals, did the device do a hard reset? If it didn't do a hard reset, you might want to try that but be aware that you will lose data and installed programs since it will revert back to factory state. Also, did you check to see if you have any alarms and notifications going off? That may be the cause of the flashing green light.

As for your sync issue, I don't think there's a way to sync from SD or CF card. Have you tried using the built-in backup utility? It can be found under Programs - Data Backup. It's not a great utility and is prone to failure (in my experience), but it's worth a shot and better than losing all your data (if it works).

bigdave240 · 03-28-08, 08:44 AM

The blinking light is telling you that you have some sort of alert. go to start>settings>sounds and notifications>notifications tab and see what is checked. there is a box for 'flash light for' and it sounds like it is set to continue to flash on one of the notifications. Hit the drop down and scroll down to Reminders and see how that one in particular is set. You can just uncheck the box and do a soft reset to see what happens but it sounds like you probably have some reminder that is hanging the unit up. If this clears it you can download a copy of Memmaid and see if there is some duplicate or something like that, that is causing this. I know you can export from Outlook but not sure you can import them to the pda. i'll look around a bit for that one but maybe someone else can answer in the mean time.

mysteryxpert · 03-28-08, 09:55 AM

I appreciate the quick replies from several folks.

BigDave -- I turned off "Flash light for" under Reminders and soft reset and the flashing light has gone away! THANKS.

With that issue resolved, I tried to synchronize using my cradle, but Activesync still will not open on my PC. I have tried all of my old tricks to push and twist the PDA in it's cradle, but it is just not making the connection (I bought 2 new Dell cradles in November but neither one is working now).

Super-6-1 I like your idea of syncing with wi-fi, but my mid-level Axim X50 only has Bluetooth.

Gigi -- I'm trying to avoid a hard re-set because I have numerous program downloads, some of which I won't be able to replace. I like the idea of using Backup to restore the contacts, but I can't figure out how to get Outlook on my PC to create a .dbk file. Any ideas?

Gigi · 03-28-08, 10:36 AM

What do you mean by ActiveSync will not open on your PC? Is it that it won't recognize your device when connected, or is it that it won't even open manually (i.e., going to Programs, then clicking on Microsoft ActiveSync)? Which version are you using?

Did you make any changes to your system before this problem occurred? For example, changed or added firewall, installed programs, etc.? Try disabling firewall to see if that helps. And if you're still running WM2003SE, I find ActiveSync3.8 the more stable and reliable. Also, try a different USB port and check to make sure the connectors on both your device and the sync cable/cradle are not damaged.

leex50 · 03-28-08, 11:52 AM

Try using a laptop and syncing with IR I sync both of my AX's that way.

mysteryxpert · 03-28-08, 02:24 PM

Gigi -- I can open Activesync (3.7.1) on my PC's, but it does not recognize a connection. For 3 years prior to January the Activesync program would open as soon as I put the Axim in its cradle. There are no firewall problems. I've also tried plugging the usb cable into all of the available ports without success. Regarding the connectors, I have looked - even with a 10X magnifying glass - but I don't know how to tell if the connectors are damaged. Do you know if there are enlarged photos available that show what to look for?

Leex50 -- I did not know you could use infrared to sync to a laptop. When I get home I'll see if my laptop has that capability. Unfortunately, my desktop PC at work is the computer that usually has the most up-to-date contact info. I guess I could export a .pst file to my thumb drive and copy it to my laptop at home, then do the IR sync. Thanks for the tip. Can you use IR to sync to Avantgo?

leex50 · 03-28-08, 03:04 PM

Not sure stopped using Avantgo a long time ago. But data transfer is data transfer.

Gigi · 03-28-08, 03:33 PM

I know you have already tried reinstalling AS, but how about trying version 3.8? Make sure you reboot your PC as well as soft reset before connecting for the first time though. And if you have a sync cable or any other way of connecting your device to your PC, you can try that too.

One more thought: before you try reinstalling AS, try deleting your current partnership then syncing if you haven't already done so. You can do this by going to Files - Delete Partnership when your device is not connected. If you have created more than one partnership in the past, make sure all of them are deleted.

mysteryxpert · 04-02-08, 01:25 PM

Gigi -- I appreciate your helpful suggestions. I followed your advice and deleted the partnership in Activesync and attempted to Get Connected using the wizard, but it says my "Device is Not Detected." I don't see how trying a different version of Activesync will make any difference.

By process of elimination, it seems that this must be a hardware problem, not a software one. In a previous post you said "check to make sure the connectors on both your device and the sync cable/cradle are not damaged." I have visually inspected my Axim connector and all of my cradles but I can't see anything out of the ordinary. About a month ago I tried using electrical contact cleaner spray on the connectors but it made no difference.

If I uploaded an enlarged photo of my connectors, would you be able to tell if there is a problem?

Assuming I have a problem with the connector, I have a sinking feeling that it would cost more than it is worth to get it replaced!

leex50 · 04-02-08, 01:39 PM

If you try the IR sync method you'll be able to determine if it's a problem with the cradle. I have read many, many posts about bad cradles causing problems.

If your ax will connect via IR then it's not your ax or Activesync

Gigi · 04-02-08, 04:44 PM

I don't know if I have the expertise to tell if there's something wrong with the connector, but other people here might. Also try leex50's suggestion of IR syncing; it can't hurt!