VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- How To / Troubleshooting (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=2)
-- WARNING: DDS - Dead Digitizer Syndrome (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=3136)

This is not an isolated malfunction. It happened to someone in my office last week, and to myself tonight. Both Visors were two or three weeks old.

Symptions:
After a Fatal Exception, Visor loses the ability to recognize writing on the screen, it does not respond to any stylus input. Neither soft reset, nor hard reset restore ability to sence the stylus. Visor startup apps display, requesting you to tap on the screen, or to tap in the center of the cross, but the tap is not detected. Hardware buttons still function and produce clicks from the Visor speaker.

Handspring technical support personal (Tenging) recommended leaving the batteries out overnight. Will comply, but it was a convient way to get me off the line.

Since this is not an isolated malfunction, and since I've only had my Visor 3 weeks, I'm very concearned. Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions on correction the problem.

Never heard of that one. Sorry you've had trouble. I've had my VD for a month and a half and I've never had that problem.

tyler

The same thing has happened to my Visor -- after about three weeks of use. Taking the batteries out is a temporary fix -- the problem has continued to reoccur. I am waiting until after the first of the year to pursue other options with HS -- I am hoping I can exchange the unit after the shipping problems have been resolved (okay, so I'm an optimist).

Just FYI, I tried everything. Soft resets, warm resets, hard resets, taking out the batteries over night. Taking out the batteries overnight is the only thing that got me past the dead digitizer. But even after taking out the batteries over night and reinstalling everything (meaning original applications -- I am not using any other apps or hacks), the digititizer is still not calibrated correctly. I have learned how to compensate for it by touching the screen in the spot I know will respond -- usually NOT where the "button" is. For example, instead of touching the "OK" button, I have to touch as far to the left of the screen as possible. If i tap the "ok" button, the "cancel or "delete" button is activated Yes, it is frustrating -- not to mention NOT RIGHT, but for now it seems the least frustrating cboice. YES, I have tried to recalibrate the screen, but if i do the visor gets stuck in an endless loop. I then have to remove the batteries overnight again in order to have any function at all.

If anybody has any other ideas, I would welcome them. Thanks.

Hmmm... Removing the batteries overnight did not help me, but then I only had them removed for about 10 hours. I've sent both Visors back to Handspring, but now that I know others have experienced this, I'm more concearned. The first Visor, I left the batteries in, so after the long trip in the mail back to handspring, the malfunction should still be preserved. The second, I removed them thinking it would not make a difference.

Handspring needs to determine why this happens and either fix the cause or devise instructions that end users can follow that will truly restore the digitizer's operation.
If anyone else had their digitizer stop working, please chime in.

After both a soft and hard reset, I still couldn't get past welcome screen. The stylus was dead. I called tech support. He had me take out the batteries, then hit reset button for several minutes to kill the backup battery (much the same idea as leaving them out overnight I imagine), but didn't fix it. It's now at the Repair Center. I hope I get a report back with it on how to avoid this again.

Just as an FYI, I've talked to people that are having this same type of a problem on Palm Computing (Palm IIIe and Palm IIIx) units as well.

-- Michael

Man is this frustrating. This happened to me a few weeks ago with my VDx and thought it was just a software conflict since a soft reset seemed to fix the problem. But alas the problem has crept up again. This time the digitizer does exactly what was described before. After a hard reset the welcome screen appears but the screen will not repond to the stylus (or any other object like my finger) and the buttons will make their sounds but no other visible reponse. I am going to try calling HS tomorrow but will try the battery trick in the meantime. At least I know I am not alone.

Please post any resolutions.

rollyo11,
HS tech support will probably recommend you return the unit. Be carefull to get all the return details. The first Visor I returned for this problem, the rep. didn't explain all the available options to me. Later I noticed a $20.66 charge on my credit card from them. When I needed to arange a return for a second Visor (same screen prob) I was told that I can pay for 5 to 7 day turnaround. However, its been over two weeks since the first unit was sent, and still no replacement. So I'm demanding a reimbursement for the first $20.66 because It hasn't arrived.

On the first return, they said pack everything up, but on the second, they said just the visor.

So make sure you get the name of the person you talk to and write down every step. Then wait a half hour and call them again and ask for return instructions again and make sure you get the same story. Send it by insured mail so that you can track it and proove delivery. Good luck.

Explorer1,
Thanks for the advise. Hopefully it will all work out. I sent it out yesterday and was told to only ship the Visor and none of the other components. I was never told about the shipping charge so I am going to call back and double check on that. $20 seems a bit stiff to charge someone for replacing a defective product (especially since it only cost me $7.50 to ship it FedEx 2nd day back to them)

I'll let you know if it ever gets here.

rollyo11,
I just received one of two RMA Visors. They charged my credit card $28.45 on Monday and it took 7 full business days, if I assume the Visor is for the more recent RMA which I specifically requested with the fastest turnaround (Advanced somthing-or-other). The new Visor is, it seems, better than the old one. The screen has no streaking at all, seems crisper, and the backlighting is much brighter - almost as bright as my old Palm Pro (I just compared), but then I've been going through Visor-Withdrawal for a week. No sign of the mysterious DDS, yet.

I hope everything turns out well. With a little luck, you should get it back before Christmas!



[This message has been edited by Explorer1 (edited 12-15-1999).]

I,too, am having problems with a dead digitizer - my Vdx also went into an endless loop. I am trying the "pulled batteries" suggestion but don't have much hope. If this is going to be an ongoing problem I'd rather just return the unit and get $ back especially as I'm in Canada (Toronto) and have serious concerns with the costs of shipping, not to mention that Handspring does not want to deal with Canadian shipments anymore. Has anyone yet found a fix they can do themselves?


------------------

The new Visor I received has some minor differences. The backlight is much brighter and their are no streaks at all. While I don't have the details on hand, I did notice that some of the internal boards may be of different rev as my original. Also, the previous Visor retained its memory with batteries removed for over 10 minutes - this one lost its memory quickly with the batteries removed. This 'may' help in recovering from DDS. So far its been running very smoothly, I'll will be sure to post if it 'malfunctions' again.

I have since been in contact w/Handspring Tech Support (only took 20 min on long distance to get thru!!) within a couple of minutes of discussion, the support guy said just to return it, they'd get right on sending me a replacement, even to Canada. OK, got my RMA - sent Vdx back, Purolator tracking says shipment received Dec 17 - let's see how long it takes them to replace it! Also, now I will use my hubby's Vdx to put it thru its paces and see if the same thing happens again. Basically, how DARE they (at Handspring) release product KNOWING there are these kinds of problems - I'm rapidly losing my "amour" of both the company and their product - The concept is great (obviously, or there wouldn't have been so many of us so ready and eager to buy!), but their implementation is dreadful! And this from people who have been there, done that! You'd expect they could have done better market surveys and been more prepared for the onslot of orders! Also, again with the prior knowledge & experience of the Donna & Jeff, I'm QUITE disappointed that they would KNOWINGLY release defective product just to get it out the door! However, I don't have much choice now, but to try to make the best of a bad situation. The money has been spent, the units received and used (sort of), so I'll just learn to follow my instincts and NEVER again order something new and untried in the computer marketplace.

I seem to have had a brush with DDS myself. We shall see if it comes back.

I was using the Quartus Forth development system, and program developement is guaranteed to produce a lot of Fatal Exception.

After one, I was editing my program in Memo pad,when it started acting like a ghost was taping the screen at random. Menus would appear, things would be selected, all without me touching the screen.

I thought that the vinyl protector I had on the screen might be at fault, but I did a soft re-set to be sure.

That's when I got locked in the infinite-digitizer loop.

Hard reset wouldn't help. The Visor got into a state where even the power button didn't do anything.

After reading this thread, I removed the batteries for 15 minutes, and used BackupBuddy to restore everything.

It seems to be fixed now, but SandyP says that the problem will re-occur. I hope not!

all these problems are begining to make a Win/Ce unit look attractive. I have my Sharp Mobilion for two year with no problems at all except two soft resets.

Now I am begining to wonder if I should get the Compaq with the built in rechargable bateries and be done with it.

Well, so far my Visor has worked just fine since I yanked the batteries.

So far everything is fine. And I'm getting a suspicion that my troubles were due to switching to NiMH batteries. I noticed that right before my Visor went crazy, the battery level had suddenly dropped real low (the batteries had been in the Visor for only a couple of days)
And after I yanked the batteries, I replaced them with good old non-rechargable alkalines.
Since then, I've had a few fatal errors with Quartus, but nothing else has happened.
Hmmmmmmmm...

Well it has been almost a month since I returned my visor for my Dead digitizer and I still have received no indication that a new one is on the way. I have tried to call but seem to get pushed off to various people every time with no answer. Will keep you all updated. Cross your fingers.

-d

Another victim of DDS. I have had my BVD since Christmas and the screen stopped taking input today.
Contacted tech support. After going through the soft/hard resets with batteries and without, they said a replacement unit will be sent out. They said to return the defective unit when the replacement is recieved.
Will keep you posted.

Hmm, yes another report of the DDS problem. Like many previous comments, the problem surfaced after around three weeks of use. Warm resets did not work and an attempt at leaving the batteries out overnight fixed the problem only temporarily -- enough time to hotsync plus ten minutes of use before the screen went dead again. VERY FRUSTRATING. Has there been any word from Handspring about fixes?