SOLUTION - Semi-Bricked h2200

This is a solution I found to what I like to consider a Semi-Bricked State.

First, Background:
What I mean by Semi-Bricked is things like booting Linux, it works!, then
reseting and it freezing at either a white or DEAD (NO backlight on) black
screen with ALL LEDs on along with the reset and power buttons NOT responding.
Basically ANYTHING BUT a TRUE BRICKED state (flashing a bad image).

SOLUTION:
I actually came across this by accident (playing around while WinCE was still
installed, deleted ALL data in WinCE, Opps!) and thought about trying it for
this Semi-Bricked scenario.

1. remove the battery and reinstall the battery door (so the battery door
switch
is pressed)

2. Place the h2200 on the POWERED cradle or power cord (to give external power)

3. if NO LEDs light up OR the screen doesn't show signs of ANY activity
(Backlight either coming on or flickering) tap the power button (at least
holding it in for 1 second) [DO THIS STEP ONLY ONCE, it's just to kick-start
the
processor. Even if it still doesn't present signs of power up]

4. Now pull the h2200 off the external power or cradle (You've just offically
pulled the power cord from the computer while it was in middle of boot up)

5. Install the battery & battery door and proceed as usual (You WILL need to
press the reset button to restart - just like when you pulled it from the
retail box)

WHAT WAS DONE:
the battery door switch is what tells the pda to use the backup battery when the
battery is being removed. Without the battery installed and the switch pressed
if the last remaining power is pulled (AC) the PDA crashes because the system
code didn't tell it "On battery, AC Pulled, if switch released OR battery dies
goto backup battery" it didn't have time to even think twice.

WHAT'S NEXT:
I think we should try to find out why this state happens. Did anyone try to use
a serial console while entering the Semi-Bricked state to catch any error
messages on the way in. I think it's using a power state the hardware doesn't
understand like maybe POWER OFF.

-- 
Thanks,
David Waybright
Certified CompTIA A+ Technician
Certified CompTIA NETWORK+ Technician
Apple Macintosh Repairs
XBOX/Playstation 2 MOD & Repairs
Audio/Visual Technician
Quoting h2200-port-request_at_handhelds.org:
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> Today's Topics:
> 
>    1. Brick h2200 - got rescued (Avatar Ng)
>    2. Re: stuck on black screen (Joshua Cummings)
>    3. Re: Re: stuck on black screen (Zdenek Kunicky)
>    4. Re: Re: stuck on black screen (Gerhard Zintel)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 00:09:04 +0800
> From: "Avatar Ng" <avatar21_at_gmail.com>
> Subject: [H2200-port] Brick h2200 - got rescued
> To: h2200-port_at_handhelds.org
> Message-ID:
> 	<5e55b5490706040909l23001404i131877242a393d11_at_mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> Thanks for the remove-battery-n-wait trick, it works.
> 
> Glad to have my Familiar GPE back :P
> I still haven't got enough out of it!
> 
> 
> -- 
> - by Avatar Ng -
> -------------- next part --------------
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:24:01 +1000
> From: Joshua Cummings <jrac_at_internode.on.net>
> Subject: [H2200-port] Re: stuck on black screen
> To: h2200-port_at_handhelds.org
> Message-ID: <1181049841.3995.8.camel_at_krumm>
> Content-Type: text/plain
> 
> Hi
> 
> I'd like to bump this post since I have been encountering the *exact*
> same problem since I bought my h2200 months ago. 
> 
> I've attempted every single installation method and kernel available for
> this model and still, watching the ramdisk rescue kernel fail to boot is
> as far as I haven gotten.
> 
> I supposed my point here is, are there any plans around the corner for a
> new Familiar release? Particularly, is there any chance of someone
> providing an up to date, working, bootable 2.6 kernel for the h2200?
> 
> I hope cross compilation isn't my only option here...
> 
> 
> p.s. I've yet to subscribe, please CC any replies.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> --
> Joshua
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:20:48 +0200 (CEST)
> From: Zdenek Kunicky<ZdenekKunicky_at_seznam.cz>
> Subject: Re: [H2200-port] Re: stuck on black screen
> To: H2200-port_at_handhelds.org
> Message-ID: <780.1591-23849-887140523-1181056848_at_seznam.cz>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Hi,
>   Familiar 0.8.4 installs and runs perfectly on my h2210. I use LAB and an SD
> card install; please send more info about what you're doing or mail me a
> private message. Kind regards, Zdenek
> 
> 
> >  Hi
> >  
> >  I'd like to bump this post since I have been encountering the *exact*
> >  same problem since I bought my h2200 months ago. 
> >  
> >  I've attempted every single installation method and kernel available for
> >  this model and still, watching the ramdisk rescue kernel fail to boot is
> >  as far as I haven gotten.
> >  
> >  I supposed my point here is, are there any plans around the corner for a
> >  new Familiar release? Particularly, is there any chance of someone
> >  providing an up to date, working, bootable 2.6 kernel for the h2200?
> >  
> >  I hope cross compilation isn't my only option here...
> >  
> >  
> >  p.s. I've yet to subscribe, please CC any replies.
> >  
> >  Thanks
> >  
> >  
> >  --
> >  Joshua
> >  _______________________________________________
> >  H2200-port mailing list
> >  H2200-port_at_handhelds.org
> >  https://handhelds.org/mailman/listinfo/h2200-port
> >  
> >  
> >  
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 17:39:24 +0200
> From: Gerhard Zintel <Gerhard.Zintel_at_web.de>
> Subject: Re: [H2200-port] Re: stuck on black screen
> To: h2200-port_at_handhelds.org
> Cc: Joshua Cummings <jrac_at_internode.on.net>
> Message-ID: <200706051739.25136.Gerhard.Zintel_at_web.de>
> Content-Type: text/plain;  charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> Same for me, Familiar 0.8.4 and Opie runs quite easily. It's far from perfect
> 
> but it works for me.
> 
> I am booting from Compact Flash Card using HaRET like described at:
> http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/HpIpaqH2200CardBoot
> 
> Where are exactly your problems?
> 
> Gerhard
> 
> On Tuesday 05 June 2007 17:20:48 Zdenek Kunicky wrote:
> > Hi,
> >   Familiar 0.8.4 installs and runs perfectly on my h2210. I use LAB and an
> > SD card install; please send more info about what you're doing or mail me
> a
> > private message. Kind regards, Zdenek
> >
> > >  Hi
> > >
> > >  I'd like to bump this post since I have been encountering the *exact*
> > >  same problem since I bought my h2200 months ago.
> > >
> > >  I've attempted every single installation method and kernel available
> for
> > >  this model and still, watching the ramdisk rescue kernel fail to boot
> is
> > >  as far as I haven gotten.
> > >
> > >  I supposed my point here is, are there any plans around the corner for
> a
> > >  new Familiar release? Particularly, is there any chance of someone
> > >  providing an up to date, working, bootable 2.6 kernel for the h2200?
> > >
> > >  I hope cross compilation isn't my only option here...
> > >
> > >
> > >  p.s. I've yet to subscribe, please CC any replies.
> > >
> > >  Thanks
> > >
> > >
> > >  --
> > >  Joshua
> > >  _______________________________________________
> > >  H2200-port mailing list
> > >  H2200-port_at_handhelds.org
> > >  https://handhelds.org/mailman/listinfo/h2200-port
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > H2200-port mailing list
> > H2200-port_at_handhelds.org
> > https://handhelds.org/mailman/listinfo/h2200-port
> 
> 
> 
> 
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