Okta Boss - Consistent hanging across 9 handsets

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Ashen

32 posts

Geek

#18831 25-Jan-2008 13:40

I'm running a suite of 9 Telecom Okta Boss handsets that are experiencing consistent, but intermittant, hangs across ALL devices. At least once or twice a week.

The behaviour of the hang is such that when attempting to us the device you get no response to any button pressed.

Sometimes it's as if there is a significant delay and it takes 30 seconds to respond, then fully hangs.

To rectify you need to drop power by switching it off (doesn't always work) or pulling battery out.

Could be a bad batch, yet some devices were purchased a month apart.

Setup on the handsets is basic, remote sync with Exchange 2003 SP2 server to Outlook mailbox using public SSL cert. No customised application installs - no synchronising with desktop activesync installation.

The hang can occur while on a call... possibly when reminders pop up.. or generally picking up the phone an hour or so after using it and finding it unresponsive.

Resetting the device and starting from scratch does not help - even when device setup via a desktop activesync install.

Telecom have mentioned there are no known instances of this being mentioned or being a known problem.

I'm interested in gleaning any information from any Okta Boss user who may have experienced a hang that's required them to drop power by removing the battery. Has it occurred more than once & frequently?

For those that have used MS based devices (The Falcon, Harrier, Apache and Titan) and Voda variants (I-Mate, Dopod etc etc).. I'm sure you can remember at least a few instances you've had to drop power or restart the device... esp. if you've customised it. I accept this as semi-normal.. they are PC's after all.

But the frequency of Okta Boss hangs gives cause for concern. Tread carefully if you're considering an Okta Boss.

I'll post results if there are any!

1 | 2 | 3

307 posts

Ultimate Geek

#106746 25-Jan-2008 16:15

Is hanging like freezing? I tell my customers that one or two freezes in a blue moon is okay, but if it does it consistently to bring it in and we sill send it away for a warranty repair - assuming it is under warranty. Why not send one or two away for repair and see if it improves them. If you don't send them all for a fix Telecom would say there isn't anything to fix, wouldn't they?

Ashen

32 posts

Geek

#106759 25-Jan-2008 17:33

Hanging like freezing.

For sure, once in a blue moon is fine...

Not so much Telecom would say there is nothing to fix if they weren't sent in - this is being done - but it was a general comment that there are no "known" isssues prior to sending them in.

Hopefully the fault can be replicated, isolated and easily resolved.

mobygeek

307 posts

Ultimate Geek

#106762 25-Jan-2008 18:05

Well, they know now!!!

Ashen

32 posts

Geek

#106763 25-Jan-2008 18:09

lol.. I hope so.

on2it

94 posts

Master Geek

#108619 5-Feb-2008 09:55

All Windows Mobile devices benefit from a regular reset - the Pocket PC 2003's needed one daily. Whereas my Palm Treo goes a month btw. resets. My Macs run fine for weeks but the PCs are unstable after a day or two at most.

As the previous poster noted, these are fabulous Microsoft OS devices after all...

"Ignorance is Bliss" - just keep taking the pills

Ashen

32 posts

Geek

#108620 5-Feb-2008 10:01

Hi, yup fully agree with your comments.

But the issue is not once in a blue moon, it is 3-4 hangs in one morning without any identifiable cause.

No update at this point on any cause.

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robk

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#111670 19-Feb-2008 20:07

Yep - happens about twice a week. I have to remove battery to reset. Now it has moved to speaker phone on its own accord, and I cannot work out how to switch it back

n00dy

482 posts

Ultimate Geek
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Lifetime subscriber

#111680 19-Feb-2008 20:34

I know of no known issues, remember that when opening a program it remains in memory and we have noticed that when checking sometimes there can be 10 programs running resulting in the phone running out of memory. So periodically check how much memory is in use however that said like most microsoft OS, freezing can be regular. I suggest the following. On one device, backup the phone (spb backup good choice) reset the phone using the soft reset and hold down both menu keys ( the top left & top right ) this will bring up the boot menu reset, follow the instructions to hard reset back to factory and erase ALL data. Once complete use that device but do NOT add any addition programs. Now see if the device freezes as often. From this point on start running different applications and note down how many applications are running prior to a freeze. If the device still doesnt freeze load your own applications one at a time and run 1/2 day or so each to see if one of the applications is the culprit. If it freezes with a clena boot then there may be a hardware fault

Ashen

32 posts

Geek

#111789 20-Feb-2008 09:29

Hi N00dy,

Thanks for your reply. Good suggestions, we've tried them all. Our Okta Bosses do not have any additional applications loaded. Out of the box with ActiveSync details loaded and no more.

Hangs can occur minutes after turning the phone on with battery removed. I agree that all MS OS's hang from time to time, some on certain PDA's more than often than others.

Telelogistics, the company which repaired the phone on behalf of Telecom have stated they identified the fault with one handset and could replicate it, they replaced the mainboard, reflashed the software and apparently upgraded the rom (which I'm not sure about until the phone returns).

They can no longer replicate. We'll be testing this for a few weeks and if confident sending all others with the same fault back to Telecom to perform the same steps.

It sounds as though we have been the recipient of a bad batch of Okta Bosses - which is something most of us have experienced with some technology at some point in life. Telecom have stated that hanging / freezing issues are not an issue with the Okta Boss.

There are no "known" problems with the Okta Boss at all - in fact they state that the device is performing better than previous MS OS based PDA's.

Will post back if the fixes resolve the issues for all other phones which are faulting.

freitasm

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#111792 20-Feb-2008 09:45

n00dy: I know of no known issues, remember that when opening a program it remains in memory and we have noticed that when checking sometimes there can be 10 programs running resulting in the phone running out of memory. So periodically check how much memory is in use however that said like most microsoft OS, freezing can be regular.

This is a multitask OS, so expect programs to be running when you switch between them. The OS is built in a way that if memory is needed the least recently used program will be closed and memory reclaimed. This has been true since Windows Mobile 2003 and they have been working on making this better on each version.

In my experience- and I have had almost all Windows Mobile devices released in New Zealand and some not yet - this is not a problem.

Freezing is not a regular occurrence on these devices actually.

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freitasm

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#111793 20-Feb-2008 09:45

Ashen: Telelogistics, the company which repaired the phone on behalf of Telecom have stated they identified the fault with one handset and could replicate it, they replaced the mainboard, reflashed the software and apparently upgraded the rom (which I'm not sure about until the phone returns).

I think they will confirm later this is a hardware problem.

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infused

65 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 3

#112703 24-Feb-2008 15:38

Mate, I have the same problem. Bought the phone about 3 months ago. Constant freezing/hanging. Using it to sync.

It's a bloody good phone but jesus, this is driving me nuts. It wont even power off sometimes, have to pull the battery out. It's like it's getting stuck in a loop or the processor isn't fast enough as if you leave it for 5 minutes it will recover.

Normally happens after a sync.

What should I do?

Ashen

32 posts

Geek

#112809 24-Feb-2008 23:48

Hi Infused, get it back to a Telecom dealer and have them send it away.

Describe your problem in full - don't leave any detail out. They'll send it off for repair.

They certainly identified a fault in the device sent for repair and this fault causes the problem you & I describe and it effects the majority of devices we own.

What I hear from Telecom is that there isn't a problem with the Okta Boss range. Time will tell though.

Good luck!

muso

28 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 6

#113443 27-Feb-2008 22:24

I've only had one person come into store with this problem (and it was last week). Haven't got it back from telegistics yet so can't confirm what they found.

Ashen

32 posts

Geek

#117312 18-Mar-2008 12:45

Unfortunately the device sent to Telecom to be fixed still returned with the same problem of freezing / slowing down itermittantly.

I've found reviews of the device from overseas that state the HTC Libra / S720 (Okta Boss) has two problems:

1.) Crashing when using Media Player

2.) Intermittant Hangs / Freezing

It looks to be a problem that extends beyond NZ's Okta Boss and to those handsets provided by other service providers in other countries.

After much frustration from users these devices will be returned.

I still think they're a great device - very functional, easy to use etc - but their consistent hangs absolve any of those benefits.

There is also a DST issue with them, in that they do not apply the Extended DST update properly for the end of DST in 2008 on the 6th April, not 16th March (under old rules). See my other post for details.

I'd advise caution in going down the Okta Boss path.

If you don't experience any of these problems I'd hazard to guess you'd be very happy with the device - but I wouldn't take that leap.

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