[Tip] Updating Sprint PPC-6700 ROM in Windows Vista

[elboriyorker]

WARNING!! Updating Sprint PPC-6700 ROM in Windows Vista Build APA_SPCS_20600_303_12700_WWE_Ship

All...DONT Use Windows Vista (I have Ultimate) with the Windows Mobile Device Center to upgrade your 6700 to build APA_SPCS_20600_303_12700_WWE_Ship, or I guess any ROM software build. I just did it and almost turned my beloved PPC6700 into an expensive paperweight!

(**NOTE - I am sure all Vista users have experienced frustration in installing devices i.e. printers, etc. via USB cable. Usually there is not a CD with the right software in the box...so you go to the microsoft, HP, toshiba, DELL etc. to get the right Vista Driver...you intall the driver, hook up the device and spend the next hour or so having vista, find, identify, (or not), then seek out the driver because even though you just installed it, Vista cant find it and you need to direct it to your drive...I just have it start at C:\ then seek all subfolders. Safest bet so far....anyway just a quick note and insight...oh yah...heaven forbid if you disconnect that printer while you have Vista...I just had to reinstall my printer AGAIN...unfortunately I have done this a few times...:( )

Windows Mobile Device Center is the Vista replacement for ActiveSynch 4.1, 4.2, and now 4.5. ActiveSynch WILL NOT install under Vista. That should have been my first clue.

Here is what happened...I installed the Windows Mobile Device Center in Vista...Hooked up my phone via USB synch cable and tahdah!! My laptop and 6700 were working perfectly together. I synched all my files, emails, calendar, contacts...worked like a dream (nightmare later!!!).

The Windows Mobile Device Center looks and works great...very fast and eye appealing. Then I got smart and went to my Sprint account to see if the PPC had any updates available...and to my glee it did!! Some very nice updates, fixes etc. I downloaded the software build...some 44+ MBs and read the instructions for install.

so...here we go....

I made sure my PPC was synched up, all other programs closed...did the soft reset...PPC resynched up...then I ran the software update...gives you a screen after a minute or so, stating... "make sure the device is synched, all other programs exited, and DO NOT DISRUPT THE UPDATE ONCE STARTED...Warning." Cool...clicked next and the update started...then I heard Vista make the sound of the USB device disconnecting...oh...ok...must have reset itself...then I heard the sound again as it reconnected...then the software update, indicated that there was no device attached to perform the update on...or ERROR 101 a second later...(which is the check your device connection etc...)

Oh...no!!! were the two words I probably did not say at that time. Anyway...I look at my PPC and it just shows in a very dim grey screen...USB....at top of screen...ver. 2.02. at the bottom of the screen. ACCKK!! I immediately called SPRINT Tech Support...(no laughing please...LOL) 20 minutes later I have Miguel on the phone...telling him the above process...

onward to Tech support land...

We do a soft reset by pressing the hidden button next to the PPC USB connection with the stylus...screen blinks for second...then goes back to the USB...ver 2.02 info...he says disconnect the synch cable...I do and now the screen in dim grey, mind you...states...SERIAL...ver 2.02...I plug it back in to the USB port (the cable and PPC Device that is) and the screen changes back to the USB info.

We then do the whole "take out the battery" "wait a minute or so..." put it back in...turn the device back on...now what do you see? Uhhh...same USB...ver 2.02...OK...now press and hold the two soft keys (oh yah the device is not connected to the laptop at this point via the synch cable...just wanted to clear that up...BTW) the soft keys on the PPC are the left and right "dash" "minus sign" buttons...then use the stylus to depress the reset hidden button (please place the PPC on the desk to do this...unless you have 3 hands or use your mouth to hold the stylus...not very attractive if someone walks in during this task...)...this now lights up the screen and asks the question "Do you wish to reset to factory Default? Press Y or N." "Uhhh...what Y or N?" I ask..."oh...slide out the keyboard" says Miguel...so I do and press Y...bleeps on screen the word "clearing"...then on screen shows Clear OK press Space to Reboot...I do and..........it goes back to the Dim Screen USB...ver 2.02. I state the obvious..."Its toast isnt it?" "Unfortunately "Yes"" Miguel states...Long story short...I close my eyes...look at my now, transformed into expensive paperweight, PPC (it is not even a PDA at this point!) and transfer my ESN back to the hated MOTO V3M...(no I did not buy this from a SPRINT STORE...I purchase from a friend of mine who used it for less than a day and went to a TREO 750...) (so I had no warranty recourse...)

I hang up...mope for 15 minutes...and my 30 years of IT intuition kicks in...I ask myself..."Self...you have nothing to lose...lets go to an XP machine...set up ActiveSynch 4.5 and see if that machine will see the PPC and allow us to reinstall the software..." So Self and I do just that...I install ActiveSych 4.5...plug in my PPC...XP recognizes the hardware addition...Windows Mobile Pocket PC (I think it said) and the usuall USB device installation..."Well that is some glimmer of hope...now lets see if we can sych up?"...kick off the ActiveSynch...ACCCKKK!! No Joy...as we say in the military. Dag nab it! I say...(yeah right) I try to sych 4 more times...nothing. Ah...what the hell...run the update software anyway...HALLELULIAH!!! (sp?) Key the angelic music...it starts to run the update...the still dim grey screen on the PPC shows the update progressing and the progress bar on the computer screen is moving!!! Ultimately it WORKED!!! My phone showed 100 percent updated...the computer screen stated "Congratulations, Unplug your device and do a soft reset"...I do that and it reboots to the normal SPRINT screen and Windows Mobile screen...I go through the whole tap the crosshairs thing and it reboots itself...installs the cab files (I may have the process backwards...but you know what I mean...) and I get back to my normal Windows Mobile Desktop. (thank you IT gods for giving me the wisdom to NOT give up!!)

I called SPRINT Tech support again to detail to them the process (hopefully helping some other poor Joe or Jane that did/do what I did) and get my ESN swapped back to my beloved PPC-6700...breathing one heck of a sigh of relief...

I hope this story helps someone else out there that thinks they killed their 6700 with the Windows Vista update process. (Well it worked for me that is...I make no warranties or guarantees that it will work for you...My disclaimer)

Good luck to all.

Dr. Faron T. Boreham

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