Ghost in the (x51v) Shell

[gillius]

My x51v has a ghost, and I'm not sure where it comes from. What is happening is that in some cases my x51v while in standby mode (press power once) makes noises every few minutes.

The sounds that are played are always "msgbox" followed by "default" (the normal beep sound) half a second after. They are attached to the post. One evening I was in class and it was doing it every 5 minutes and bothering myself and others.

I'm still trying to determine the pattern, but I've never seen it happen when attached via USB cradle or sync cable, nor while it is on. Since I got my microdrive I can hear my microdrive spinning up right before the sounds happen.

I've seen it happen even when I don't have any unread mail messages, and it happens even if there are no calendar appointments anywhere near the current time. I watched that thinking it was ActiveSync which is the only thing on my PDA I've seen do anything in the background. It does not always happen (it's sitting on my desk now at work very quietly for about an hour).

As a different thing, I've noticed a few times my PDA waking up and turning the screen on when using TCPMP's blank screen function and in another few cases. But in these I can't be certain that I didn't hit some buttons, but I can swear I saw it come on a few times even when I have the lock switch on.

[gillius]

I'm still thinking it is ActiveSync. When it starts to happen if I go into the PDA and shut off ActiveSync it won't do it for a long time. It also might explain why it doesn't happen when I have the Axim connected.

It is indeed activesync. If you notice now, WM5 almost always starts activesync whenever it wants. In fact there wasn't any hint of trigger for that program to start automatically on the device. It annoys the heck out of me as well. I thought it only happens when the device was sitting in the cradle, but later I found out that it happens anywhere anytime....

Maybe it is really haunted... O_o'

[gillius]

If ActiveSync is starting on its own, there must be a registry setting or a background process starting it. I have a lot of experience only with desktop windows, but I've found many more similarities than differences so far with WM5 compared to Win 95. Therefore, I am doubtful that ActiveSync is built right into the system -- but then again it could be a driver type thing because AS has to start when you insert the USB.

What does the "poutlook" startup shortcut do, does that run a background process that runs AS?

[gillius]

I set the ActiveSync sync schedule from the defaults (10 min peak, 4 hour off peak) both to manual, and in 2 days I haven't heard a thing from it or have seen the battery drop.