Syncing Vista and an unused HP iPAQ HX4700

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MorrisTheCat

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# 22155 18-May-2008 19:05

OK so the PDA is a bit old now but it used to really rock, until i paid out NZD$70 and flashed it to run WM5 from it's original 2003 SE. There were all kinds of promises like never having to backup again but the truth was the iPAQ became a pig f a thing and help, it ran so slow under WM5 i kind of resigned myself to thinking what a waste of a pile of $ for it and the software update. THe iPAQ just lay around in my room and at least i could WiFi email on it and play Solitare....

With a new notebook running Vista it was impossible to sync the iPAQ anyway so it sat forgotten 'till today...

I went hard and Scroogle Scrapped for anything that might let me rollback or speed the poor thing up.

For the benefit of other HX4700 owners, i found ROM flashing being the answer
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=311140&page=4

and
http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=243731

and downloaded WM5 speed hacks by kozhura. I can confirm the iPAQ has a new lease of life in the speed department. The old thing even runs ActiveSync with the notebook now but here's a laugh. Windows Media Sync option for music files (onto any kind of PDA's SD card i guess) can be better and far far quicker done using Explore (with the SD in the USB extened knuckle slot) just copy the folder across.....

Am i missing something or is Windows truly WINDBLOWS as its always been????

freitasm

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# 131636 18-May-2008 19:32

MorrisTheCat: Am i missing something or is Windows truly WINDBLOWS as its always been????

No, it is not. I am sorry but you paid $70 to someone to install a pirated copy of a software that was not tested on this hardware - so you can't blame the OS really.

Although the ROMs available from XDA Developers seem to be quite good, there are lots of people around who simply copy some ROM from other devices and install - without the appropriate drivers, etc.

The "no more backups" is not the case. Everything needs backup. The real truth is that Windows Mobile 5 and up uses flash storage instead of RAM, so the device won't lose the contents of its memory if the battery runs flat - but you still need backup because if your device is beyond repair or if you hard reset it then everything is gone. This is no different from any other storage really - I suppose you make backup copies of your main PC, surely?

This is also the reason why ActiveSync wouldn't work - the ROM wasn't for this model and probably was reporting an incorrect, beta or inexsitent device model, so ActiveSync wouldn't connect at all.

So at the end of the day, using pirated software may be fun, but brings problems...

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MorrisTheCat

84 posts

Master Geek

# 131654 18-May-2008 21:19

Ahhhh no....

You miss understand me.... frietasm

The $70 was paid DIRECTLY to HP for a download of their 'new" Windows Media 5 package that flashed the HX4700 iPAQ such that it's 'old' Windows 2003 SE was replaced. Under that system, i had to weekly, physically do a full BACKUP to a desktop computer of the whole data set on the iPAQ. It took ages and was a pain in the pahtootie.

That was one reason i did a wee bit of research and at the time the answer was to 'upgrade' to the then eagerly awaited WM5 by all HX4700 owners produced by Hewllet Packard and made available on their support site where i happily used my credit card (in the understanding it would be a step upward).

Months later and the whole world went very very sour on the thing because of their iPAQ became the biggest example of utter slowness. I've since learnt HP offered a credit back deal to USA based updaters!

So i was left with a thing that played Solitare and did email on Wifi nothing more... a $750 bedside paperweight, till today and i flashed it with the kozhura software.

The machine ROCKS as it once did under Win2003 SE and there's a whole work group dedicated to sorting this now (sadly) discontinued product.... plus it NOW Syncs with my Vista Notebook.... but as i said, there is a MUCH quicker way to transfer certain files across.

My real question is why'd Microsoft invest so much into the Windows Media file sync thing with fancy screens and colours under Vista when all it takes is to use Explore and copy the files onto an SD and pop it into the iPAQ....

I know what my LINUX mates would say....

freitasm

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# 131657 18-May-2008 21:41

Oh, now I get it. I thought you paid for someone to do it for you. Ok. So you got the official one - and still bad stuff. Yes, so discount everythihg from my first reply..

My technology disclosure | Digital Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Data Insights, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics