Thread for all built-in-storage problems - Page 2

xrrrkrrkx · 07-28-05, 03:33 AM

Hi again,

not like i know what i am talking about, BUT

I have never heard anyone mention this in the discussions about this problem....

The "BuiltStorage" driver?? i have 04.08.04.01

(i found this out with the Dell diagnostic utility)

what about others... people having the problem with Built-in Storage and people not...

my axim:

x30 high
Hardware Rev: A12
ROM A06

dr g · 07-28-05, 06:10 AM

I gotta say ... with the speed at which Dell gets a replacement unit into your hands, if the thing is still in warranty, it almost doesn't make sense to agonize over trying to fix it. Just notify support as soon as the problem happens, and you have a new unit more or less the next day. You have to reinstall software anyway.

Kinda sucks that it happens at all though. Here's something for the thread .. Strataflash seems to be discrete chips, so one of those buggers you can see in X50v.it's disassembly writeup must be it. Maybe even the one next to the graphics chip?

CRXGSR · 07-28-05, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by dr g

Just notify support as soon as the problem happens, and you have a new unit more or less the next day.

But you don't get a new unit, you get a refurb unit (unless it's new within 21 days)

nuclianba · 07-28-05, 07:24 AM

mine died when BIS was half full on AO2 (somebody above posted the link to my thread that i stated way back when)...got a refurb and it was fine and dandy, no dead pixels or scrathces etc.

From the research i performed, i was led to believe it is software related (i dont buy the maxed out read/write cycles on the chip...not in the 2 months i had it, and that wouldnt make it flat out dissapear). My guess is there is a sector in the ROM that says something like 'OS image ends here and BIS write space begins' so that the OS doesnt make its own image part of BIS. For whatever reasons, a bad timed crash or soft reset when installing software with 6 moons of jupiter aligned with mercury and mars, that sector is overwritten or corrupted. I should note that when mine died, i was using activesync to install a program (i dont remember which, AIM maybe) onto BIS, and it seemingly had stalled, so i soft reset (on the axim screen was the 'installing' dialogue, half done, had been there for 20 minutes). Reset complete, no BIS. Im guessing that the install was working or something, accessing BIS, and when i soft reset (using the button) it caused some sort of anomoly which corrupted the 'BIS starts here' sector. So when the OS doesnt find a BIS here sector, there is no BIS displayed. This would also theoretically explain why simply flashing the unit wont work, as it ONLY overwrites the OS files, and not that 'OS end BIS start' file or the BIS itself. You should note that the 'fix' on the x5 and other older units was flashing to a DIFFERENT OS. The different OS would have a different size in the ROM, meaning the flash would also have to rewrite the 'OS ends here, BIS begins' segment, effectively solving the problem.

This is all guess work on my part, but it seems logical and from what i know about computers etc (a bit, im a Mech E at MIT so i have lots of nerdy comp sci friends) it makes sense. I would be willing to wager a few bucks that when mobile 2005 comes out, flashing a 'broken' axim to the new OS would solve the problem. Or if it broke in 2005, flashing down to 2003SE would also work. Again this is all guess work on my part....

kitzj0 · 07-28-05, 07:36 AM

[QUOTE=dr g]I gotta say ... with the speed at which Dell gets a replacement unit into your hands, if the thing is still in warranty, it almost doesn't make sense to agonize over trying to fix it. Just notify support as soon as the problem happens, and you have a new unit more or less the next day. You have to reinstall software anyway.

My first replacement was here practically the next day. However,this replacement was shipped out on Monday (after talkingto customer service)and it has not arrived here yet.

dr g · 07-28-05, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by CRXGSR

But you don't get a new unit, you get a refurb unit (unless it's new within 21 days)

I know (see my other thread). I meant another unit.

dr g · 07-28-05, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by kitzj0

My first replacement was here practically the next day. However,this replacement was shipped out on Monday (after talkingto customer service)and it has not arrived here yet.

Oh well, so much for that idea. Maybe they start cheaping out on shipping after your first replacement.

xrrrkrrkx · 07-28-05, 12:06 PM

my 2 biggest concerns with a replacement are that

1) the new unit will be the same as my old one, the BIS problem.... this has been happening since 2003 from what i can tell on postings on various sites

2) that the new axim i get will look like its been run over or something... i have cared for mine like a new born baby and it looks perfect (if i am going to get a replacement with the same problem but full of scratches and dings, then why bother??)

Does everyone out there who has had a replacement have a perfect functioning unit now?

dr g · 07-28-05, 05:29 PM

I can't speak for everyone but the replacement I got is pretty much indistinguishable from my original.

Hey I have a theory -- maybe it doesn't have so much to do with the amount of data in BIS or number of rewrites but the POSITION of the particular data. Now that I think of it, this problem popped up concurrently with the deletion one of the earliest programs I ever installed on the device. That would make some sense, as it is probably written very close to the OS. Any thoughts?

kitzj0 · 07-28-05, 07:32 PM

Mine came in today. The refurb unit looks in excellent condition and I am happy so far with it. Crossing my fingers nothing goes wrong.

07-29-05, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by nuclianba

mine died when BIS was half full on AO2 (somebody above posted the link to my thread that i stated way back when)...got a refurb and it was fine and dandy, no dead pixels or scrathces etc.

From the research i performed, i was led to believe it is software related (i dont buy the maxed out read/write cycles on the chip...not in the 2 months i had it, and that wouldnt make it flat out dissapear). My guess is there is a sector in the ROM that says something like 'OS image ends here and BIS write space begins' so that the OS doesnt make its own image part of BIS. For whatever reasons, a bad timed crash or soft reset when installing software with 6 moons of jupiter aligned with mercury and mars, that sector is overwritten or corrupted. I should note that when mine died, i was using activesync to install a program (i dont remember which, AIM maybe) onto BIS, and it seemingly had stalled, so i soft reset (on the axim screen was the 'installing' dialogue, half done, had been there for 20 minutes). Reset complete, no BIS. Im guessing that the install was working or something, accessing BIS, and when i soft reset (using the button) it caused some sort of anomoly which corrupted the 'BIS starts here' sector. So when the OS doesnt find a BIS here sector, there is no BIS displayed. This would also theoretically explain why simply flashing the unit wont work, as it ONLY overwrites the OS files, and not that 'OS end BIS start' file or the BIS itself. You should note that the 'fix' on the x5 and other older units was flashing to a DIFFERENT OS. The different OS would have a different size in the ROM, meaning the flash would also have to rewrite the 'OS ends here, BIS begins' segment, effectively solving the problem.

This is all guess work on my part, but it seems logical and from what i know about computers etc (a bit, im a Mech E at MIT so i have lots of nerdy comp sci friends) it makes sense. I would be willing to wager a few bucks that when mobile 2005 comes out, flashing a 'broken' axim to the new OS would solve the problem. Or if it broke in 2005, flashing down to 2003SE would also work. Again this is all guess work on my part....

This is a very interesting theory and I would not bet against it. Hopefully my BIS will hold out until 2005 comes out.

I too have really babied my Axim and would rather have a solution than an exchange. I've had refurbished units before (on my X3) and with one or two exceptions, they were in good shape. I guess it would just bother me a little to have paid for a new unit two months ago when I could have saved money by buying a refurb, only to end up with a refurb. Again, I am kind of picky (actually I am picky to a fault) but it would make me feel a little cheated. That is why I was so interested in finding a solution.

Speaking of how picky I am, I would appreciate it if you guys and gals would check out another thread I started and post your comments. I've received a couple of comments but not a lot. The thread is located here:

http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=92242

dplus91 · 07-29-05, 05:05 PM

I don't know if my problem is connected to other problems listed here but here goes:

The hard reset doesn't restore the BIS and I've read that this is meant to be the case. But my Axim is no longer showing the files that are in the BIS, so I can't find them and delete them which is what I'd like to do in order to start again and reload stuff.

Is there anyway to get access to the BIS and delete the files there from either the Axim or my pc? At the moment I only have about half of the original 90MB available.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

dr g · 07-29-05, 07:15 PM

That does sound like a related problem, and unfortunately, if it is true to form, there is no way to recover the data short of getting a replacement.

07-29-05, 07:26 PM

I have had BIS dissapear on my (now sold) X3 several times, hasn't happened on the X50v yet.

Here is how I solved it each time: Fake hard reset.
Hold down the powerbutton and the reset button simultaneously for 2 seconds. Let go of both. The hard reset screen comes up asking for a confirmation. Hit the CANCEL button. The unit soft-resets and you are back. BIS is now visible.

dr g · 07-29-05, 08:05 PM

I just tried this quickly on my defunct X50v (well quickly is relative, it took 15 minutes to recover) ... didn't work.