2 TXs bricked in less than 10 days!

[robitaille88]

That's right, over the past 10 days I've replaced 2 Palm TXs. And boy I'm pissed.

The first TX handheld, which I've owned for over a year, was bricked after I attempted to copy PicselBrowser from my RAM from the expansion card, via ZLauncher, and it didn't show up in the launcher view. I was going to attempt to find it with PalmInsider Pro, but on lauching, my device went into a reset. One problem, on resetting, it would get stuck at the grey Palm logo part. Hard reset, soft reset, cold reset, warm reset, and even a zero-out reset did nothing. I let the battery die and recharged it, with no luck. I ended up getting it replaced.

Then, just yesterday, I was doing a wifi network hotsync and the connection was lost and when I went to look at new TX, it was in a reset loop. This time, the reset would stay on the grey screen for a few sec, then go blank and reset. Once again, none of the resets did a thing and letting the power die did nothing.

I'll be replacing the device tomorrow. Any ideas on why it's been happening, and/or how to prevent future problems?

[ShakeTheMaster]

I recently had to get my TX replaced. Good thing it was still under warranty. I had the same problem last week, it would not stop going into the same reset loop. I could not even Erase All Data on the hard reset to factory default. Palm ask me to return it and I just got it back today. I have no idea which 3rd party apps set it off into a loop. I reinstall all my PIMS back and carefully installing back my 3rd party apps with the help of the Palm TX Software Compatibility List.

http://www.palmfocus.com/txsoftware.php

Good luck,

[Palmisok]

weird, so you're saying your 2nd TX that just came from factory didn't have any apps and after a failed hotsync it wouldn't work?

[Furball]

Could it be static electricity? Are you in a cold, dry, climate?

[robitaille88]

Guys, just an update:

I've been talking with the famous Dmitry. He's informed me my bricked devices were most likely the result of a bug existing in the Palm TX's operating system. The bug on seemingly random occations will allow the system to write to memory it's not suppose to.

[alt236]

It usually occurs when the dbcache, the heap and storage ram is nearly full, if I remember correctly, although it could happen anytime in theory.

[phreakonaleash]

That's right, over the past 10 days I've replaced 2 Palm TXs. And boy I'm pissed.

The first TX handheld, which I've owned for over a year, was bricked after I attempted to copy PicselBrowser from my RAM from the expansion card, via ZLauncher, and it didn't show up in the launcher view. I was going to attempt to find it with PalmInsider Pro, but on lauching, my device went into a reset. One problem, on resetting, it would get stuck at the grey Palm logo part. Hard reset, soft reset, cold reset, warm reset, and even a zero-out reset did nothing. I let the battery die and recharged it, with no luck. I ended up getting it replaced.

Then, just yesterday, I was doing a wifi network hotsync and the connection was lost and when I went to look at new TX, it was in a reset loop. This time, the reset would stay on the grey screen for a few sec, then go blank and reset. Once again, none of the resets did a thing and letting the power die did nothing.

I'll be replacing the device tomorrow. Any ideas on why it's been happening, and/or how to prevent future problems?
Sounds like the same crap I have right now. How much time does your device spend attached to the cradle/plugged in charging? I've had to go in about as liong (more like 2 weeks) and have about 99% proof it is the power charger.

[dump71]

I've had to go in about as liong (more like 2 weeks) and have about 99% proof it is the power charger.

How might this happen???

[robitaille88]

Here's more information I got while browsing 1src: it is a bug in the system that makes it possibly for NVFS to errorneously write to the system area of flash, making the system image invalid and unbootable.

One seemingly easy solution would be to make the system area read-only, however the nand is non memory-mapped.

[Zxanphorian]

So how do you prevent this error from occuring (other than not installing the flagged apps from that article)?

[Palmisok]

I thought that memory problem was pretty rare though. If I'm right I read that Dmitry even said it's like a 1 in a million sort of problem.

[robitaille88]

I thought that memory problem was pretty rare though. If I'm right I read that Dmitry even said it's like a 1 in a million sort of problem.
Lol, I guess I'm really, really unlucky, lol

[phreakonaleash]

Here's more information I got while browsing 1src: it is a bug in the system that makes it possibly for NVFS to errorneously write to the system area of flash, making the system image invalid and unbootable.

One seemingly easy solution would be to make the system area read-only, however the nand is non memory-mapped.
I still think it was the power supply here.

When I unplugged it after it had looped, the case had, for some reason or other, seperated where the supply was, which i am 100% sure was not like that before.

[palmer74]

Bonjour à tous ...
I have had this problem, fixing by buying a TX with a broken screen, taking the motherboard ... nice during two days, then crash again.
I suppose it is coming from the screen, because I hotsynced on two different PCs (home and work) or a corrupted app ... or a virus !