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eachna is offline eachna
2010-10-28 , 01:48
Posts: 109 | Thanked: 45 times | Joined on Aug 2010
#1
I ordered an n900 from Amazon and it arrived over the weekend.

I installed the Nokia "suite" software (the one with the calendar/contacts/etc). As something of an aside, that software sucks. It seems it's "not fully" compatible with the n900. Bleh.

Anyway, after spending an hour or two trying to import my Google contacts into the suite software, I gave up. I left the n900 plugged into my laptop on the USB cable overnight and went to bed.

The next day, the n900 was black and wouldn't power up. I fiddled with it a bit and then it occurred to me maybe I hadn't left it with the right connection (I have other devices that only charge on USB if not 'mounted').

So, I plugged it into my wall usb cable for two days (I had other stuff happening and couldn't get back to it).

On my way out the house to work, I grabbed the n900. It appeared to be powered off (black screen) but there was a green light, which seemed encouraging. I put it into the phone pocket on my purse and walked out.

Now, I think the phone may be bricked. I can get a (mostly) black screen with some faint backlighting, and bright white dots, and then it goes to a totally black screen. If I plug it into a computer with the black screen, the pc wants to install new hardware so the phone is "on".

I can also get to the black screen with the faint (not backlit) nokia logo and the usb symbol in the upper right as described here:
http://www.maemofanatics.com/how-to-...ur-nokia-n900/

Could I have bricked it just trying to load in my contacts? Could the OTA 1.3 update installed automatically without me approving it? Would those white dots indicate some other problem?

I did take out the SIM card (before I put it on the wall charger) since I needed a working phone. Should I put it back in?

If it is bricked, is there a way to recover from it on a computer that doesn't have admin privs? My laptop's been temporarily lent out and all I have access to for the next two weeks is a work PC running Windows XP.
 
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somedude is offline somedude
2010-10-28 , 01:57
Posts: 1,312 | Thanked: 736 times | Joined on Sep 2009
#2
The USB charging for N900 does not work very well, search the forums there was an extensive study on how N900 looses battery even though it was plugged in the USB. Ideal charging for N900 is always power outlet.
And also, N900 does not power the battery to charge or do anything once the battery has been completely drained, you will have to use either an external charger or if you or know anyone with Nokia 5800 you can charge your battery through that.
As you said that you saw the green light which I have never heard or experienced if the battery was completely dead.
Try to re-flash including the EMC, always flash the firmware first and then the EMC.
 
jaem
2010-10-28 , 02:00
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#3
Originally Posted by eachna View Post
I ordered an n900 from Amazon and it arrived over the weekend.

I installed the Nokia "suite" software (the one with the calendar/contacts/etc). As something of an aside, that software sucks. It seems it's "not fully" compatible with the n900. Bleh.

Anyway, after spending an hour or two trying to import my Google contacts into the suite software, I gave up. I left the n900 plugged into my laptop on the USB cable overnight and went to bed.

The next day, the n900 was black and wouldn't power up. I fiddled with it a bit and then it occurred to me maybe I hadn't left it with the right connection (I have other devices that only charge on USB if not 'mounted').

So, I plugged it into my wall usb cable for two days (I had other stuff happening and couldn't get back to it).

On my way out the house to work, I grabbed the n900. It appeared to be powered off (black screen) but there was a green light, which seemed encouraging. I put it into the phone pocket on my purse and walked out.

Now, I think the phone may be bricked. I can get a (mostly) black screen with some faint backlighting, and bright white dots, and then it goes to a totally black screen. If I plug it into a computer with the black screen, the pc wants to install new hardware so the phone is "on".

I can also get to the black screen with the faint (not backlit) nokia logo and the usb symbol in the upper right as described here:
http://www.maemofanatics.com/how-to-...ur-nokia-n900/

Could I have bricked it just trying to load in my contacts?
"Bricked" tends to get used rather imprecisely. If you're asking "could loading contacts have wrecked my install", I doubt it - at least, not that in and of itself. "Could the PC Suite software have wrecked my install" is a different question, but I've never used it. :P
Originally Posted by eachna View Post
Could the OTA 1.3 update installed automatically without me approving it?
No, definitely not. Nokia doesn't pull that kind of nonsense, so no need to worry there. It's your phone, and updating is your choice - heck, you could go download the original version from Nokia's downloads site and flash that if you really felt like it.
Originally Posted by eachna View Post
Would those white dots indicate some other problem?
The white dots are just a booting progress indicator. It sounds like the phone is just not booting fully, maybe due to power issues. There are plenty of discussions around here about how to fix such problems if they occur. I'm not sure, in your case.
Originally Posted by eachna View Post
I did take out the SIM card (before I put it on the wall charger) since I needed a working phone. Should I put it back in?
To my knowledge, that should make no difference. I certainly used mine for months before I even bought a SIM card.
Originally Posted by eachna View Post
If it is bricked, is there a way to recover from it on a computer that doesn't have admin privs? My laptop's been temporarily lent out and all I have access to for the next two weeks is a work PC running Windows XP.
To be honest, if that were the case, I'd be tempted to recommend using the Linux flasher for recovery. It's more reliable, but it's a command line program. I guess that's not an option, though.

In conclusion, I can't help you at all, but hopefully I've clarified some things. :S
 

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jaem
2010-10-28 , 02:05
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#4
Originally Posted by somedude View Post
Try to re-flash including the EMC, always flash the firmware first and then the EMC.
Note: Somedude is referring to the eMMC images, as per the relevant section of this wiki article.

Also, I just realized that the command line flasher (referred to ther as "Flasher") does work on Windows as well. I've never tried it on Windows, but it still is likely a better bet than the Nokia Software Updater in a pinch.
 
eachna is offline eachna
2010-10-28 , 03:01
Posts: 109 | Thanked: 45 times | Joined on Aug 2010
#5
I'm coming from Android (and still using my Milestone while getting through these growing pains), so I realize that things like putting contacts into a phone "shouldn't" brick it. I would have had to damage the firmware somehow in order to do so and the contact software wouldn't do that.

I was just trying to run through "everything" I did, because you never know what will be the important information. (I'm sure you folks know, but I don't ).

Because I'm at work and have nothing better to do with the phone other than look at the black screen, I plugged it in to a usb cable and have a slow blinking orange light. From reading elsewhere, I think that's would indicate it "should" be charging properly. Regardless of whatever else happens, I will put it back on my wall charger when I get home.

I'm still stuck in the short term -- is there a way to reinstall the firmware using software that doesn't need admin privs on Windows? The Flasher won't work.
 
geneven is offline geneven
2010-10-28 , 03:43
Posts: 5,795 | Thanked: 3,151 times | Joined on Feb 2007 @ Agoura Hills Calif
#6
First of all, "bricked" really means like a brick. Bricks don't light up at all.

You can flash it from the Windows command line; the process is very similar to flashing from Linux, which I hope is described in the Wiki. I don't remember the exact process.
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frostbyte is offline frostbyte
2010-10-28 , 03:50
Posts: 293 | Thanked: 373 times | Joined on Jul 2010 @ Westside
#7
Originally Posted by eachna View Post
I'm still stuck in the short term -- is there a way to reinstall the firmware using software that doesn't need admin privs on Windows? The Flasher won't work.
if you really need the flash and windows is not working, and you are willing to venture out a bit, the flash wiki with linux http://wiki.maemo.org/Updating_the_firmware#Linux will be your safest bet.

1. create a bootable live-usb with unetbootin http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
choose your flavor of linux, e.g. ubuntu

2. reboot your windows machine from the usb stick (typically F2 or F12 to change boot order during initialization process)

3. download the flasher http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/maemo-d...-downloads.php and firmware http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/nokia_N900.php

4. consult http://wiki.maemo.org/Updating_the_firmware#Linux for the step-by-step process

nice to see someone form Android jump onto this side. hope we don't scare you away

edit: the wiki does have detailed instructions for windows flash
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Last edited by frostbyte; 2010-10-28 at 03:52.
 
drucula is offline drucula
2010-10-28 , 06:49
Posts: 34 | Thanked: 44 times | Joined on Sep 2010 @ Israel
#8
I might have missed it, or not noticed, but did you remove the battery and put it back in?
 
airjaff is offline airjaff
2010-10-28 , 09:11
Posts: 189 | Thanked: 20 times | Joined on Mar 2010
#9
Originally Posted by drucula View Post
I might have missed it, or not noticed, but did you remove the battery and put it back in?
haha yea it does sound like one of thoes ones! ive had it happen a few times and the battery romove trick sorts it out
 
eachna is offline eachna
2010-10-28 , 09:22
Posts: 109 | Thanked: 45 times | Joined on Aug 2010
#10
Originally Posted by frostbyte View Post
nice to see someone form Android jump onto this side. hope we don't scare you away

edit: the wiki does have detailed instructions for windows flash
*LOL* Well, I will admit that Google has its hooks firmly into my soul. I've come to the n900 because the <multiple expletives deleted> nitwits at Motorola locked the bootloader on my Milestone and it's gotten buggier with each update. I like to tinker with things and I'm already familiar with linux. Even at a year+ old, the n900 is a very nice collection of hardware.

I would have bought one of the new Samsungs but the GPS is flaky and by all accounts its a tossup whether the firmware updates fix the problem.

I figure the n900 will be good for me while I wait for the next year's worth of Android updates to shake out. It doesn't hurt that a somewhat-working version of Android is available on the phones (if only the GPS was functional!) I _am_ willing to be wooed and wowed by Maemo/Meego, I just think it will be something of a high bar.

My experiences with *Android* have only been good. My experiences with Motorola much less so.

The windows directions presume admin access to install the command-line software bundle. I'll have to see if one of my incredibly ancient backup laptops will boot up and let me flash the firmware.
 
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