How to fix your IPAQ 6515 / 6915
Fixes
Fix the random shut down on Ipaq 6515 / 6915
Fix the red light of death on Ipaq 6515 / 6915
I cannot send TXT messages, I cannot access the TXT account on my Ipaq!
GPS won't lock onto satellite
Further information
How to minimise crashing of applications
Fix the random shut down on Ipaq 6515 / 6915
* Important - backup your Ipaq settings to memory card before performing this fix. Fooling with the battery and the microswitch on the back panel can erase your Ipaq settings *
Irritated by the random shutdown on your Ipaq 6515 / 6915?
I was. It was driving me crazy.
More investigation showed that the problem is a small microswitch in the Ipaq 6515. This switch tells the Ipaq to power up once the back cover is in place. Unfortunately, the switch is too sensitive and any movement in the back panel results in an Ipaq shutdown, fairly annoying if you are waiting on an important phone call or inputting data. Strangely it does not ever shut down if used with a mains or car charger.
The solution to this is simple....stuff some paper into the hole where the microswitch is.
You'll need some tweezers and some very small bits of paper.
 |
- 'scrunch' the small pieces of paper up into little balls before inserting with tweezers.
- ensure the backing plate can still be fitted after you have inserted paper in the slot
- you will know your paper insertion is successful because you will be able to turn on your Ipaq 6515 / 6915 without the rear panel/cover on.
- you may in the future have to insert more paper as the paper moves/compresses and may not be as effective. Most paper fixes last 6 months at least |
Fix the red light of death on Ipaq 6515 / 6915
You wake up, you switch on...well, you would switch on if the red light of death had not appeared on your Ipaq. No charging, battery removal, PC charging etc. can fix this. The unit appears dead.
A quick fix, is to change the battery if you have a spare. This worked for me once and powered up immediately.
OK, so what if you don't have a spare battery or this doesn't work?
Remove the back panel of your Ipaq. Plug in using MAINS CHARGER.
Now you'll need those tweezers again. And yes, you'll be inserting them into where the troublesome microswitch which causes shutdown.
With the Ipaq mains charger ON and plugged into the Ipaq 6515 with the back panel off, insert the tweezers into the slot as below and gently move around until you see the Ipaq power up. If there is paper already in there from the previous fix, just push against the paper until the unit powers up.
Once it's powered up, get the back panel fitted back on the unit and charge fully with the mains adapter.
Yeaaah, we're back in business!
I cannot send TXT messages, I cannot access the TXT account on my Ipaq!
One day I found that I couldn't send txt messages via my Ipaq. More to the point, I couldn't access the TXT account.
I backtracked what I had been doing with my Ipaq....I had made a backup file recently and then restored it.
So I restored the backup file again, wondering if the backup-restore process had gone wrong.
Some success, the TXT account appeared, but unfortunately, after sending 1 single txt, the TXT account disappeared!
Much investigation later suggested my BACKUP file had become corrupt. So I had to hard reset and start from scratch. Once the Ipaq was re-installed from new, the TXT message account worked fine. I made a new backup file also from this working Ipaq setup.
A note on backup files, I make mine 1-week apart and keep old ones just in case this sort of thing happens again.
GPS won't lock onto satellite
I found that when I received my Ipaq and used Tom Tom, it could take up to 5 minutes to lock on for GPS location.
Later I found, not so obviously, that the Ipaq 6515 / 6915 relies on a download file which gives a closer location of the GPS satellites.
You can download the file thru your Ipaq by Internet (in the cradle) or by mobile phone (SIM card). The file works for up to 2 days, at which time you must download another file.
Access the file update by START >>> SETTINGS >> QUICK GPS CONNECTION
Sometimes the file will not download, or looks expired but still won't download the new one. I find a soft re-set fixes this (small hole at the bottom of the Ipaq next to the power connector).
But I did all of that and my TomTom/ Ipaq 6515 still doesn't lock on to GPS. It worked the last time I used it?
In this case, you need to do a hard reset and restore from backup then re-install TomTom application.
- make an Ipaq Backup (Programs >> Ipaq backup)
- hard reset by inserting your stylus in the small hole at the bottom of the Ipaq (next to power connector) will holding down the power button. I usually insert the stylus first then hit the power button
- perform setup of Ipaq again e.g.screen calibration
- restore from backup. When the Ipaq 6515 finishes backup restore, it will ask if you want to reboot. Say NO
- update the GPS location file (under Connections)
I'm on the road - I can't do that because I don't have my laptop to re-install Tom Tom
Did you do a soft-reset? That can cause problems with GPS data.
In this case, you need to do a hard reset and restore from a previous backup.
- hard reset by inserting your stylus in the small hole at the bottom of the Ipaq (next to power connector) will holding down the power button. I usually insert the stylus first then hit the power button
- perform setup of Ipaq again e.g.screen calibration
- restore from backup. When the Ipaq 6515 finishes backup restore, it will ask if you want to reboot. Say NO
- update the GPS location file (under Connections)
- run Tom Tom
OK, I did all of that it and still didn't locate. The backup restore worked fine. My GPS location file is up to date.
Things are grim. Your backup file is saving the corrupt settings for GPS. You need to roll back to a previous backup file. If you've been making regular backups, you'll need to rename the extensions of the backup files you don't want to use otherwise the backup software will restore the newest file.
I usually rename the backup files I don't want to use to .xxx
Perform a hard reset (stylus in small hole at bottom of Ipaq/power on at same time) and restore from an older backup. Then update the GPS location file, run Tom Tom.
If this doesn't work or you don't have a working backup, you need to start from scratch. Hard reset then Re-install Tom Tom etc.
Minimising application crashes
I've found the Ipaq 6515 to be seriously unstable if you install many programs on it - even if you uninstall them afterwards.
My advice is to keep it simple - don't install ANYTHING on it if you can. I mostly use Resco file encryptor and Tom Tom, that's it. It is stable for everyday use although Tom Tom crashes fairly regular.
I found Skype to give me a lot of crashing problems also.
If your Ipaq is crashing regularly, I'd do a hard reset and start from scratch, installing as few programs as possible.
|
