Solution - Axim not turning on, Disappearing CF/SD Cards and Battery Discharge

[nathanwj]

uh, did it, still having problems mentioned/.....

[Ax'em]

Dear Dr G00nerz,

Thank you very much for the Prozac prescription to treat the over-active AS and bringing my X51v out of coma. Its kicking for the last 72 hours.

I noticed that if there was any error reported, chances are that it will not behave properly thereon. Only a hard reset, apply prescription and reload will help.

Now, I'll just have to wait for this baby to grow out of its milk tooth and develop a full royal blue tooth.

[shady]

I think disabling the Active sync is the 'fix' for all the problems. I did this thing and installed Pocket Plus beta 3.1. After that no more problems and my Axim is quite stable with A04.

[roger.hancocks]

Do you if this applies to other Axims. I might have a similar problem on my X5

[jds12]

After applying the A06 ROM, I saw the battery drain issue with the battery being hot. Both times, after a couple of hours of being turned off I would check something to see an error on the screen that looked like:

Error in \windows\task\something task (can't remember exactly)

And the battery would be at about 19-25%. This happened twice in one week. I applied the active sync fix to set it to manual, and I haven't had the problem since (48 hrs so far). Thanks dude, nice catch.

I only recently aquired the AXIM and following numerous issues with the pre-installed A01, I upgraded to A06. Everything looked fine, but now with over a week experience, I get the following problems:

CF disappears (1-3x daily -- requires soft-reset)
Won't turn on (1-2x faily -- requires soft-reset)
Battery drain -- over A01 the regular drain on the battery is excellent, but anyone else experience the complete drain over night? Sometimes leave it at around 60% and I wake up to it being completely dead????

Also anyone know how to fix these two issues?

Magic button causes issues with wifi settings -- locks, have to cancel one of the two settings in memory manager to fix!

Device cannot lock onto my home wireless network. I have a number of strong networks where I live and the device constantly tracks between them cause me issues. How do I lock it down to one whilst at home -- application?

** update -- I'm trying the new sticky -- manual activesync fix, hopefully that will cure the first two problems **
Jds

[david632]

Hello g00nerz
Regarding Activesync connecting all the time, (is that when your Ax is docked?) Yes this is correct and i got that wrong, sorry, but i still dont believe that this will fix loosing your cf card as iam more then certain this is a software issue, ive had my pda for around 6 weeks ,had it changed once, suprise suprise, dell sent a replacentment with verson a01 rom, dont they know this as so many problems?DOh, anyway i have updated to a06, worked fine for a week but then lost cf card, had to soft rest to get this back,i also have a sd card inserted, but never seem to lose this, your activesync fix may work for fixing activesync issues but i still stand by my orginal post and say it will not fix these other bugs, i aso think that ,the axim owners that say it as fixed there loosing cf problem, this will in time as for me, will strike again. its like a time bomb, were all doomed, kidding, lol

[mrcaze]

Ok, I've just reviewed the whole thread and didn't see that anyone mentioned it before.
After I had to do hard reset third time in a week on my X50v with WM5, I decided to do some analysis of what's going on.
So, the first application I installed was XCPUScalar, which allows you to monitor workload of the processor. I didn't do anything else. While my Axim was idle XCPUScalar showed about 40-50% workload not allowing for speed to scale down. After applying this tweak and soft-reset the workload was 0%.
So it really helps with the battery.

[g00nerz]

Hello g00nerz
Regarding Activesync connecting all the time, (is that when your Ax is docked?) Yes this is correct and i got that wrong, sorry, but i still dont believe that this will fix loosing your cf card as iam more then certain this is a software issue, ive had my pda for around 6 weeks ,had it changed once, suprise suprise, dell sent a replacentment with verson a01 rom, dont they know this as so many problems?DOh, anyway i have updated to a06, worked fine for a week but then lost cf card, had to soft rest to get this back,i also have a sd card inserted, but never seem to lose this, your activesync fix may work for fixing activesync issues but i still stand by my orginal post and say it will not fix these other bugs, i aso think that ,the axim owners that say it as fixed there loosing cf problem, this will in time as for me, will strike again. its like a time bomb, were all doomed, kidding, lol

Oh well, at least you tried. Thanks for adding your experience to the thread. Let's hope Dell sort the problems properly sooner rather than later.

[Chillywinter]

Ok, I've just reviewed the whole thread and didn't see that anyone mentioned it before.
After I had to do hard reset third time in a week on my X50v with WM5, I decided to do some analysis of what's going on.
So, the first application I installed was XCPUScalar, which allows you to monitor workload of the processor. I didn't do anything else. While my Axim was idle XCPUScalar showed about 40-50% workload not allowing for speed to scale down. After applying this tweak and soft-reset the workload was 0%.
So it really helps with the battery.

Has anyone ever done a hard reset, and then never installed any additional software (for at least a week).

Perhaps this is how DELL and M$ test for stability? Then if nothing goes bad, they can safely say "IT'S NOT OUR FAULT - IT MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SOFTWARE YOU HAVE INSTALLED, THAT'S CAUSING YOUR PROBLEMS"!

[cmk168]

[Note: This 'fix' is already known to many, but for those that are unaware, and those that don't understand why the Activesync fix will help, please read on - I have re-written in layman's terms. Those who actually use Exchange Servers for syncing their Axim should check posts #9 and #12 below before doing anything.]

Got a brand spanking new Axim x51(v)? Are YOU experiencing these problems?

• Axim Will not power on after standby?
• White Screen Of Death (WSOD)
• Losing CF or SD cards?
• Battery losing charge while on standby?
• Axim overheating when left in standby mode?
• If Leaving WiFi on when putting into standby, it's light starts flashing for no reason?

Feeling like you've just wasted your hard earned cash on a bad buy? Upset by people in this very forum telling you to send it back, take legal action, burn it, demand a refund etc? Fear not my fellow Axim user, for they are the uneducated... Let's start at the beginning:

These problems appear to be caused by Activesync, a program that runs in the background of Windows Mobile on your Axim - The good news is they CAN be solved in most cases!

There is strong reasoning to suggest that the cause of these problems is that little program we all know and love called Activesync. Read on fellow forumite, as fixing these problems should be a case of simply changing a few settings in Activesync's options menu!

Some Background:

Activesync on your Axim
Activesync is a program installed on your Axim by default as part of the Windows Mobile Operating System. It's primary function as far as I'm aware is for syncing data with your PC and providing a means to install software and transfer files. You cannot get rid of it from your Axim (as far as I know), nor would you really want to. Unfortunately for all the good things Activesync should do, it is a bit of a badly designed program.

Activesync on your PC, and Synchronising data
In order to connect and synchronise data between your Axim and a PC you also have to install a version of Activesync on your PC (included on the Axim CD). When you plug your Axim into it's USB Dock both versions of Activesync talk to each other and your information is synchronised automatically. Every change you make on your PC relating to your calendar, emails or shared files while the Axim is docked will trigger a new sync and vice versa. The Axim and PC will also sync every 5 minutes while docked no matter what. As far as I know this currently cannot be stopped without the aid of a third party program called Activesync Toggle, or some deft 'end tasking' in the Windows PC's Task Manager.

So, why do I keep getting the problems listed above?
This is due to Activesync launching itself on your Axim when it is not docked with your PC. You may ask why Activesync isn't intelligent enough to see that your Axim is not docked...

For an unknown reason Microsoft thought it would be a great idea to make Activesync load itself automatically and attempt to sync even when your Axim is not docked. Even if you manually close it, or go into Start > Memory > Running Programs > Stop on your Axim, it will simply re-launch itself 5 minutes later. It will then attempt to connect to your PC Activesync connection every 5 minutes by default, again even though your Axim is not docked. It does this no matter what you do. You could be in the middle of a critical Axim gaming moment on a processor intensive 3D game where all your memory counts, and suddenly everything becomes choppy and bang, you crash and burn... Activesync is eating your memory. Or your Axim could be on standby and Activesync will load and bring your Axim out of standby... How annoying! And what is worse, by default there is no option to stop it behaving in this odd manner.

Activesync - Microsoft's crazy logic
Nothing is more important to Activesync than synchronising your data... The only thing that ever goes through Activesync's tiny little program loop are the words "Must Sync, Must Sync, Must Sync". In Commodore 64 Basic (which it may well be written in) it's source code would look like this:

10 Print "Must Sync"
20 goto 10

Ok, now that we know Activesync is trying to sync constantly, why is this causing so many power-related problems? The answer is nobody knows for sure. We can only surmise that Activesync launching itself while your Axim is on standby is causing some kind of software error that means it will not switch on from standby. If it's in this state and you plug it into it's PC docking station you will most likely also see a WSOD (White Screen Of Death). Activesync switching your Axim on while unattended may also be the cause of WiFi suddenly coming to life, battery discharging itself overnight and finding your Axim very hot when picking up to use.

The all important Solution
This 'server trick' was discovered by another Aximsite forum member known as Invid a little while ago. This information is courtesy of him originally, and copied many times throughout the Aximsite forum, but I am re-writing in easy to follow laymans terms to hopefully make this a sticky, and stop the multiple posting regarding the same old problems. Here we go!

1. Turn on your Axim
2. Go to Start > Programs > Activesync. This will open the Activesync program.
3. Tap Menu at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This will bring up the Options Menu. Notice the option Schedule... is greyed out? This is the all-critical option we need to get access to. But as it's disabled we can't change Activesync's default synchronisation schedule.

Ok, so how do we enable the Schedule option? Easy!!! Fool Activesync into thinking there is an Exchange Server to sync with:

1. From Activesync's Menu tap on Add Server Source.
2. In the following screens you can enter any old garbage. It does not matter, but just in case your unsure, just type the following in the indicated boxes:

Server Address: fake
Tap Next
User name: fake
Password: fake
Domain: fake
(Ticking save password or going into the Advanced menu makes no difference, so no need to bother).
Tap Next
Untick all of the 'Data you want to synchronise' options
Tap Finish

3. Ok, we're done creating the server. You should now see in Activesync's main screen your normal Activesync connection(s), and a new connection called Exchange Server.
4. Go back into the Menu, and lo and behold the Schedule option is now enabled! Go ahead and tap it!
5. You will see that both options in the Schedule screen are set to Every 5 Minutes (A01 Rom), or Every 10 Minutes (A06 Rom). This simply will not do! ( * Advanced users - please see my note below * )
6. Using the drop downs, change both the Peak times and Off-peak times boxes to Manually.
7. Press the OK button at the top right of the screen.

Congratulations! Activesync is now gagged from opening on it's own and ruining your life! Your work is not done just yet though - time to clean up and get rid of the now unwanted fake Exchange Server.

1. Go back into Activesync's Menu, then Tap Options.
2. Highlight Exchange Server, then tap Delete. A warning message will appear about removing files etc, but as you have no files associated with the fake Exchange Server, it's nothing to worry about - just tap Ok.
3. The list will now only show your remaining PC Sync connection(s). Obviously do not delete these!

So there you go, your Axim will now be happy to lead a normal and fulfilling life serving your organisational needs.

You may now put your Axim on Standby safe in the knowledge it will turn back on when you need it to. You can be sure that your CF and SD cards are no longer going to go walkabout. You can be safe in the knowledge that your battery should no longer lose it's charge. Etc etc.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you.

Forum Admin - PLEASE MAKE THIS STICKY!!!

* Advanced users: The fact that the default Sync times have been changed by Dell on each of the new ROMs indicates they know Activesync is the cause of the problems... *

Hi,

Thank you for your beautiful solution! Battery drain has been my biggest headache and heartache. After investing on a device I thought (Axim V51v on A04 ROM update) would serve me well in entertainment and my reading needs. If your solution solves the battery problem. Voila, take my toast of good beer!!!

cmk168

[Thunder_PC]

Zeus661 - Do you notice if Activesync ever loads on it's own when your Axim is not docked? i.e. Do you ever switch it on and Activesync has loaded and is the first thing you see?

Can I also ask - Did you set the sync schedule to Manually yourself? Or was it already that way when you received your Axim?

If indeed this fix does not work for you, as far as I can tell you will be the only reported person the fix doesn't work for - at least since I've been hanging around on this forum (4 weeks max).

Are there any others I wonder? Could this Activesync fix actually only work on certain x51/x51v's?

It doesn't fix mine. I haven't experienced the disappearing card issues, but mine still gets WSOD and dattery drain frequently and ActiveSync is not loading after doing the 'fix'. A06 was when the problems started for me. I am very close to plopping this POS on ebay. I made a huge mistake buying it over the ipaq.

[Special155]

[Note: This 'fix' is already known to many, but for those that are unaware, and those that don't understand why the Activesync fix will help, please read on - I have re-written in layman's terms. Those who actually use Exchange Servers for syncing their Axim should check posts #9 and #12 below before doing anything.]

Got a brand spanking new Axim x51(v)? Are YOU experiencing these problems?

• Axim Will not power on after standby?
• White Screen Of Death (WSOD)
• Losing CF or SD cards?
• Battery losing charge while on standby?
• Axim overheating when left in standby mode?
• If Leaving WiFi on when putting into standby, it's light starts flashing for no reason?

Feeling like you've just wasted your hard earned cash on a bad buy? Upset by people in this very forum telling you to send it back, take legal action, burn it, demand a refund etc? Fear not my fellow Axim user, for they are the uneducated... Let's start at the beginning:

These problems appear to be caused by Activesync, a program that runs in the background of Windows Mobile on your Axim - The good news is they CAN be solved in most cases!

There is strong reasoning to suggest that the cause of these problems is that little program we all know and love called Activesync. Read on fellow forumite, as fixing these problems should be a case of simply changing a few settings in Activesync's options menu!

Some Background:

Activesync on your Axim
Activesync is a program installed on your Axim by default as part of the Windows Mobile Operating System. It's primary function as far as I'm aware is for syncing data with your PC and providing a means to install software and transfer files. You cannot get rid of it from your Axim (as far as I know), nor would you really want to. Unfortunately for all the good things Activesync should do, it is a bit of a badly designed program.

Activesync on your PC, and Synchronising data
In order to connect and synchronise data between your Axim and a PC you also have to install a version of Activesync on your PC (included on the Axim CD). When you plug your Axim into it's USB Dock both versions of Activesync talk to each other and your information is synchronised automatically. Every change you make on your PC relating to your calendar, emails or shared files while the Axim is docked will trigger a new sync and vice versa. The Axim and PC will also sync every 5 minutes while docked no matter what. As far as I know this currently cannot be stopped without the aid of a third party program called Activesync Toggle, or some deft 'end tasking' in the Windows PC's Task Manager.

So, why do I keep getting the problems listed above?
This is due to Activesync launching itself on your Axim when it is not docked with your PC. You may ask why Activesync isn't intelligent enough to see that your Axim is not docked...

For an unknown reason Microsoft thought it would be a great idea to make Activesync load itself automatically and attempt to sync even when your Axim is not docked. Even if you manually close it, or go into Start > Memory > Running Programs > Stop on your Axim, it will simply re-launch itself 5 minutes later. It will then attempt to connect to your PC Activesync connection every 5 minutes by default, again even though your Axim is not docked. It does this no matter what you do. You could be in the middle of a critical Axim gaming moment on a processor intensive 3D game where all your memory counts, and suddenly everything becomes choppy and bang, you crash and burn... Activesync is eating your memory. Or your Axim could be on standby and Activesync will load and bring your Axim out of standby... How annoying! And what is worse, by default there is no option to stop it behaving in this odd manner.

Activesync - Microsoft's crazy logic
Nothing is more important to Activesync than synchronising your data... The only thing that ever goes through Activesync's tiny little program loop are the words "Must Sync, Must Sync, Must Sync". In Commodore 64 Basic (which it may well be written in) it's source code would look like this:

10 Print "Must Sync"
20 goto 10

Ok, now that we know Activesync is trying to sync constantly, why is this causing so many power-related problems? The answer is nobody knows for sure. We can only surmise that Activesync launching itself while your Axim is on standby is causing some kind of software error that means it will not switch on from standby. If it's in this state and you plug it into it's PC docking station you will most likely also see a WSOD (White Screen Of Death). Activesync switching your Axim on while unattended may also be the cause of WiFi suddenly coming to life, battery discharging itself overnight and finding your Axim very hot when picking up to use.

The all important Solution
This 'server trick' was discovered by another Aximsite forum member known as Invid a little while ago. This information is courtesy of him originally, and copied many times throughout the Aximsite forum, but I am re-writing in easy to follow laymans terms to hopefully make this a sticky, and stop the multiple posting regarding the same old problems. Here we go!

1. Turn on your Axim
2. Go to Start > Programs > Activesync. This will open the Activesync program.
3. Tap Menu at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This will bring up the Options Menu. Notice the option Schedule... is greyed out? This is the all-critical option we need to get access to. But as it's disabled we can't change Activesync's default synchronisation schedule.

Ok, so how do we enable the Schedule option? Easy!!! Fool Activesync into thinking there is an Exchange Server to sync with:

1. From Activesync's Menu tap on Add Server Source.
2. In the following screens you can enter any old garbage. It does not matter, but just in case your unsure, just type the following in the indicated boxes:

Server Address: fake
Tap Next
User name: fake
Password: fake
Domain: fake
(Ticking save password or going into the Advanced menu makes no difference, so no need to bother).
Tap Next
Untick all of the 'Data you want to synchronise' options
Tap Finish

3. Ok, we're done creating the server. You should now see in Activesync's main screen your normal Activesync connection(s), and a new connection called Exchange Server.
4. Go back into the Menu, and lo and behold the Schedule option is now enabled! Go ahead and tap it!
5. You will see that both options in the Schedule screen are set to Every 5 Minutes (A01 Rom), or Every 10 Minutes (A06 Rom). This simply will not do! ( * Advanced users - please see my note below * )
6. Using the drop downs, change both the Peak times and Off-peak times boxes to Manually.
7. Press the OK button at the top right of the screen.

Congratulations! Activesync is now gagged from opening on it's own and ruining your life! Your work is not done just yet though - time to clean up and get rid of the now unwanted fake Exchange Server.

1. Go back into Activesync's Menu, then Tap Options.
2. Highlight Exchange Server, then tap Delete. A warning message will appear about removing files etc, but as you have no files associated with the fake Exchange Server, it's nothing to worry about - just tap Ok.
3. The list will now only show your remaining PC Sync connection(s). Obviously do not delete these!

So there you go, your Axim will now be happy to lead a normal and fulfilling life serving your organisational needs.

You may now put your Axim on Standby safe in the knowledge it will turn back on when you need it to. You can be sure that your CF and SD cards are no longer going to go walkabout. You can be safe in the knowledge that your battery should no longer lose it's charge. Etc etc.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you.

Forum Admin - PLEASE MAKE THIS STICKY!!!

* Advanced users: The fact that the default Sync times have been changed by Dell on each of the new ROMs indicates they know Activesync is the cause of the problems... *

This was the all time best tip I have ever seen on any computer forum of any kind...thank you!