Help! T3 blank screen! can't turn off! won't reset!

[plammaniac]

Hi, All:

Had my T3 for a couple of weeks now. Today I was trying
to install MSDict on it. I installed the *.prc in main memory
and loaded all the dictionaries on the card. After hot sync, I
tapped on the MSDict icon. The program asked where to
search for dictionaries. I just tapped "everywhere", then boom!
the whole screen goes blank & white. The power button stopped
working. The thing doesn't respond to the reset button either.

I tried hard reset but that doesn't work either. Did I just kill the
poor thing magically?

[mikegehl]

Let the battery run dry overnight, put it in the cradle and you'll get a hard reset.

[tanker_bob]

Or, you can disconnect the battery for about a minute. Here's how:

Turn the T3 over and open the slide. You will see two tiny holes, one on either side of the bottom edge of the serial number sticker. The sticker is actually cutout a bit to accomodate the holes. Using a tool like a paper clip folded over into a U, gently insert the tool into the holes simultaneously until you feel something like a spring clip push down to a limit on each side. While holding that, gently pull the slider down further and start to separate it from the T3 body. Don't pull it all the way out, but only enough to expose the battery connector. It's a tiny white connector with one red and one black wire going into it. Using a metal nail file, pocket knife, or needle-nosed pliers, gently pry the connector up to barely unseat it. Leave it off for about a minute, then push it back down. When the connector is firmly seated, gently push yoru slide back up into position. Push the power switch and your Palm should go through its initial startup like when it was brand new. All you data in RAM will be gone, but your Palm will be up and running.

I've done this and it works fine. Saves you five hours of waiting.

[plammaniac]

Thanks a lot guys! After 5 hours draining, the thing finally
came back to life.

[matrix42]

I'm a little confused, the disconnect battery procedure, what does it do exactly, I understand that it works in terms of letting "dead Palms" come back to life but how? I mean it can't be discharging the battery by doing that?, Perhaps the Palm gets it's juice from a "capicitor" that the battery powers so when you disconnect the battery the capcitor drains?

Just curious if anybody knows

-S

P.S> Good post for the how to forum!

[Sid]

Originally posted by matrix42
I'm a little confused, the disconnect battery procedure, what does it do exactly, I understand that it works in terms of letting "dead Palms" come back to life but how? I mean it can't be discharging the battery by doing that?, Perhaps the Palm gets it's juice from a "capicitor" that the battery powers so when you disconnect the battery the capcitor drains?

Just curious if anybody knows

-S

P.S> Good post for the how to forum!

This simulates a drained battery to the handheld, everything in RAM is lost, it is not discharging the battery at all. The two advantages are: 1) that it takes just a few minutes instead of several hours. 2) less stressful to the battery, it's not being totally discharged.