Windows Phone Thoughts: Read Instructions, Pay Bills

I had some Flash ROM problems last week. It all started with my iPAQ 3970. Bluetooth Manager crashed on me all the time when trying to connect to a Navman GPS 4400 over Bluetooth. For some awkward reason, HP decided to build Bluetooth Manager's data store on CEDB and ADOCE 3.0 (instead of in the registry or local XML files). The result is a crashing conflict between ADOCE 3.0 and ADOCE 3.1. Instead of just simply hard resetting my iPAQ 3970, I decided to upgrade to ROM version 2.10 since I had version 2.0. I downloaded version 2.10 and started the upgrade process. It stopped at 11%. Instructions said I should restart which I did. Stopped at 11%. I tried downloading the upgrade files again, re-booted my PC and tried again. It stopped at 11%. Now I should have read instructions, but instead I decided to hard reset the device and hope it would go back to version 2.0. It did not. It died. Instructions would have told me that hard resetting the device if the upgrade fails is a big no-no. UPS picked up my iPAQ 3970 last Thursday and I got it back Monday morning. Upgraded to version 2.10. I don't like Bluetooth Manager. I like HP Service.

Then I got some problems with my XDA (Pocket PC Phone Edition). I never got GPRS to work with the radio stack I used, so I decided to upgrade (actually downgrade) using an installation kit from the Swedish distributor. I got GPRS working immediately! But the day after the radio stack installation calling and answering phone calls didn't work. I tried reflashing the radio stack with all kinds of versions, until the radio stack didn't want to be reflashed anymore. The radio stack upgrade got stuck. I shipped it to people who can help. Just for fun, I tried the SIM card in another phone. Didn't work there either. I called my carrier to check the status of my subscription. They had temporarily shut it off (the day after my radio stack installation) because... and don't laugh, I had missed paying my monthly bill. Never has happened before. Now payed and all settled.

So, new week and all. Read instructions and pay your bills.