X50v woes

jeditdv · 12-11-08, 12:08 PM

Over the past couple of years, my X50v has started locking up periodically. Usually a soft reset will get everything working again. However, about every 6 months it gets to the point where that will no longer work and a hard reset is required.

While frustrating, this has been workable. I just connect the docking station to my laptop, restore from my backup, and continue on. Well... this just happened again so I turned on my laptop, plugged in the docking station, and the laptop completely DIED. Zero power indicator lights anywhere.

I know the docking station was plugged into power. I don't recall whether or not the PDA was sitting on the docking station at the time. The computer was up and running. And it shut off the exact instance I plugged the USB cable into the back of the laptop.

The laptop has been sent off to be repaired. However, I'm obviously leary to plug the docking station into it again once it returns. However, I *DO* want to get my PDA back to fully functional with my other programs back on it.

Any thoughts on the safest method to proceed?

Anyone else had anything like this happen?

Unfortunately, my backup was only on that machine and the Windows sync program was only installed on that machine (and I'm not sure where the install CD is any longer). So I'm waiting to get the repaired computer back. However, I don't want to kill it again either.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

JakeRich · 12-11-08, 12:26 PM

read:

The Lethal Cradle Poll

and

USB sync/charge cable warning

Both are long threads. The connection is that the AX, with the battery discharged, draws much more power than the USB standard defines for a port. You can fry a mobo with that much demand, particularly if the port isn't protected. If your Power Supply was bad or disconnected or not properly connected and the AX was down on battery, you may have created the lethal cradle syndrome.

jeditdv · 12-11-08, 01:19 PM

Thanks for the info Jake. I'll read both of those. I had connected it plenty of times in the past with no issue. So it's better to have the PDA sitting on the docking station at the time you plug it into the computer? I think I already had it sitting on it this time where I don't think I did in the past.

Out of curiosity, would it be safer to run through a cable extender or a usb hub?

Will the dock work fine NOT plugged into external power? And would that be safer?

I charge it every night without the dock so I have to bring the power to the docking station (where I recharge and where the docking station is located is in two different locations) in order to plug in external power anyway. If I can do it without plugging in the external power AND it would be safer doing it that way anyway - that would be no problem to do.

In my case I'm not using any third party anything. Just plugging the dock straight into the computer. I just need to know the SAFE (safest?) method of connecting so this doesn't happen again. I'm still reading the other posts but there's a LOT of reading there :-(

JakeRich · 12-11-08, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by jeditdv

Thanks for the info Jake. I'll read both of those. I had connected it plenty of times in the past with no issue. So it's better to have the PDA sitting on the docking station at the time you plug it into the computer? I think I already had it sitting on it this time where I don't think I did in the past.

Out of curiosity, would it be safer to run through a cable extender or a usb hub?

Will the dock work fine NOT plugged into external power? And would that be safer?

I charge it every night without the dock so I have to bring the power to the docking station (where I recharge and where the docking station is located is in two different locations) in order to plug in external power anyway. If I can do it without plugging in the external power AND it would be safer doing it that way anyway - that would be no problem to do.

In my case I'm not using any third party anything. Just plugging the dock straight into the computer. I just need to know the SAFE (safest?) method of connecting so this doesn't happen again. I'm still reading the other posts but there's a LOT of reading there :-(

It's safer to go through a powered hub. Then the hub takes the hit instead of the MoBo. It's docks NOT plugged in that cause the problem. All the dock does is pass the signals (Open one up--it has power connections but no data processing in it). So, if the dock is powered, then the demand goes on the dock power supply, not through to the mobo. But even a very small interruption in that power dumps the load to the USB port. I don't worry about it much, my docks are all permanently plugged into appropriate power supply, so I can either connect the dock first, or drop the ax in the dock first. If you want the safer way, I would think putting it in the dock, seeing the light in the on/off button light up first, then connecting the USB cable to the laptop would be safest. You'd know the power load was firmly on the dock before you did anything to threaten the port.

jeditdv · 12-11-08, 01:56 PM

Thanks. That makes sense. I *DID* have the external power plugged in but don't know whether or not it was "charging" when I plugged in the usb cable. Who know - maybe I had a poor power connection. I just know I now have a $575 repair bill :-( ----- could have bought a new PDA for that instead.

jeditdv · 12-11-08, 03:08 PM

Ok, assuming I get the PC back with all my files intact INCLUDING the backup file, is there a way for me to restore WITHOUT needing to connect to the PC? What if I copy the file to a memory card and stick that in the PDA? Can I then restore from that?

At this point I'm basically scared to attempt to plug it back in again after reading all of those posts.

JakeRich · 12-11-08, 05:42 PM

To reduce the risk--put the Ax in the cradle, wait until the light turns green, indicating a full charge, then plug the USB cable into the PC and do the restore. A fully charged Ax takes less power because you aren't charging the battery at the same time you are running it. I don't think you can do a restore of a backup taken through activesync directly.

Although the threads are scary, basically if you just think about how much power you may demand before you connect you should be ok. A powered hub, with some sort of light to show it's still plugged in to the power supply, can be a great source of comfort here.

jeditdv · 12-12-08, 09:09 AM

Thanks for all your help. Just got an e-mail that the computer is repaired and on its way back to me. Should be here the middle of next week.

jeditdv · 12-19-08, 12:30 PM

Just wanted to give one final update here. I got the laptop back and it is working fine again (with a new motherboard). All my content is still on both drives so that's GREAT. However, I did not want anything bad to happen to it again.

So... I copied the backup file from the repaired computer, downloaded ActiveSync 3.8, and used another computer (an old desktop unit with nothing on it I need) to restore the backup to the Axim. I did go through a powered hub instead of connecting directly. Since the power cord was somewhere else, I just hooked up the docking station without power.

In this case, all worked as expected and I now have my programs available again. After seeing how the powered hub connects, I do feel it is a MUCH safer way of connecting the docking station. I felt much safer connecting through the disposable computer, though.