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Your pocket pc might not be bricked, yet. Try these easy recovery steps and get that upgrade which you wanted so much!

Problem reported:I canīt turn on my pocket pc after trying to upgrade its software (Available here:) Hi there!

I have a Compaq iPAQ H3630, and I recently bought a Pocket PC 2002 Upgrade to take it from Windows CE to PPC 2002.

Just for h3000 and h5000 series!

Anyhow, I started the update proccess. I backed up my current ROM Image, and that all went fine. BUT! Then it said "backing up updated ROM image" or something to that effect, and then it said that it cannot connect to the device and that I should reconnect and try again. The only available button to press was exit, so I clicked that. The problem is, is that I cannot connect my pocket pc!! I've been connecting it via a USB infrared adaptor, and the only way I could make it connect is by turning on the pocket pc and clicking the IR active sync button under connections folder in programs of the pocket pc. So, I can't turn my pocket pc on, and therefore I can't connect! As I presume the update has wiped everything in prep for updating everything?
This is what is displayed when I turn the PPC on;
As you can see, not a lot! I can't get any further than this. So is there anything I can do? The only thing I can think of is to try with my old cradle, but that ha a serial cable and I have no serial ports on here! Any help would be greatly appreciated! It's just annoying, seeing as I've just spend about Ģ90 on satnav software and hardware for it! Kind regards, Sam.

Solution suggested:

  1. You get the right ROM at the update installer from your manufacturer (HP for me, always). Some of them are hard to find... you got the installer: you got the ROM
  2. Remember to cut out the first 32bits from the ROM. Don't ask, read the post!
  3. Get the right secuence of buttons to enter your PDA in bootloader mode (for h36xx & 37xx: action button + power button + 4th button + reset button; for h38xx: 2nd + 4th + power + reset). Find it yourself, or ask altavista or google. You must get the bootloader screen and/or the USB REMOTE UPDATE screen
  4. You might brick your PDA. So try this only if your's is non-working after upgrading by the manufacturer's method. I'm not to blame, your manufacturer is no to blame, your PDA is not to blame, GOD is not to blame. Who's to blame?
    5. You need an USB or serial conenction. No BT, no IR, no WiFi, no keyboard, no ANYTHING ELSE. Don't ask why.

Details here:

...The bootloader should be fine. Check it yourself: with a full-powered battery in your PDA, unplug it from the A/C. Then press the power button + the action button + the reset button (in that order until you have they all pressed at once). Then release just the reset button, that's : keeping the action and power button pressed, yet. If you see a parrot and a USB remote update (or whatsoever), then you should move to the next step. [FOR USB] There are two communicators, AFAIK: Host11 and the Communicator (Multi-port/USB TTY). In both cases you will need to shut down WCESCOMM (a process, not a running application). You will have need of a .nb0 file (the rom. Usually in the installation folder of the Upgrade app, i.e. C:\compaq\blablabla or C:\ipaq\blablabla, etc) For Host11, rename the rom to nk.nb0 .Then place them in the same folder and run host 11 For Communicator multi..., it's intuitive (select the usb port, not any of the comm ports) Good luck...

(FOR SERIAL, ONLY)It might work just fine. You must do the parroting up to the point where you see the beautiful colorful gay-plentiful bird. If you get farther, you will see the remote USB update message. So, get the parrot, but not the USB I can only tell you that you will need the Multiport [which I mentioned]. It lets you use all serial ports. You will have to figure out which [serial]port you are using, so you can tell the MP/USB-TYY. Sorry. You will have to get the Multiport program. No links, no mail, no file! (don't worry, it's not that difficult to find). If you put your claws... hands on an USB cable, you would probably prefer host11.exe . It's clean and fast. BTW. That is just the file that you need: the PPC2002 ROM, congratulations! (Now give it a more amiable name... Do you like "nk.nb0" ). Now you must get a HEX editor so you can remove the first 32-bits from this file. The guys at my university use UltraEdit-32. You might start there. Summarize : (1) ROM file (16-32MB)
(1.a) Remove the first 32 bits of it (editor)

(2) Host11 (USB) or Multiport / USB-TYY (Serial)
(2.a) Kill activesync (process: WCESCOMM)
(2.b) Get the right port number, for serial. USB is straight-foward

(3) PDA in bootloader mode (parrot). Any PDA

(4) Start the re-flashing
(4.a) If a "Flashing done" message does not appear, something went wrong. Check the steps, again, and try once more (or twice, or thrice...)

Enjoy! PS: Sometimes you might find the way to "change the bootloader". Just one advice: D O N ' T !!! . Unless you are a literate who is willing to install his custom OS or Linux...

Did you select the APPROPIATE port? (you say you have.)