Upgrading an Ipaq 3870 to PPC 2003 (Page 13)

Hi Wcushy,

First of all - your efforts to help us 3870 users keep our work horses working are really appreciated! My 3870 ''died'' during the week - I just got a pink and white screen with the Compaq logo and nothing happened when i tried to do a soft reset. I think after the around 5 years the battery has packed in. Anyhow, I decided to try and revive it by loading Win CE4.20 according to your instructions. I started editing the nk.nb0 file, inputted my serial number at the first line of the address data, but could not find the address 01ff0e00h to 01ff0e14h (for some reason my data lines started with 00000000h and not as in your image with 01ff0000h !!) so I decided to see what would happen when I ran the host 11.exe file with my serial number inputted at only the first three address lines. Lo and behold! I was able to install Windows CE 4.2 - when I had a look at the asset tag - it shows a different asset tag than the original one - but everything appears to work okay. Does it matter that the asset tag is now different from the original one?

Thanks again for all your efforts,

Kevski

I found out what I did wrong with the edit on the nk.nbo file - located the correct addresses for changing the serial numbers, then reinstalled the host11 program and everything works a treat. PPC2003 works faster that 2002 - delighted with the results. Thanks again Wcushy for helping me revive my 3870!! As an aside - having mismatched serial numbers - ie using the given serial numbers in the nk.nb0 file did not appear to cause any glitches in the operating of my 3870 - MS Reader even worked - but since I figured how to do it right, I reinstalled in any case....

Hi all,

I have finally worked it out, and have a couple of hints about using ultraedit. When I first put in my serial number I made a couple of mistakes and put a charachter in the place of a dot, if you do this then put a dot in its place from the keyboard it does not make the correct hex value, you must type 00 into the hex not asc11 part, a dot put 2e in the hex not a 00 as is required. If this occours you end up with a square figure and not the letter or number you want in your serial number or asset tag. Simply getting rid of the 2e and replacing with00 inhex fixes great.

The upgrade certainly speeds up the whole PDA, but I still can''t get the damn bluetooth active sync or terminal services to work properly (If you have please tell me how!), but as I mainly use the PDA for in flight navigation in a sailplane it doesnt matter too much.

Thanks again WCUSHY, you da man!

If anyone needs a file prepared post serial no and email and I will mail you a file if wcushy cant get to it, he''s probably a busy man.

Regards all

Dave

dear wcushy, i have tried so many times using ultraedit to edit my asset tag, but i couldn''''t. i hope you are going to help me. here is my asset tag informations: asset tag and serial #: 4G23DW34N1KR. also you''''ve said that if we could give mail adress, you will give the correct file of wm2003 with our asset #''''s. here is my e-mail adress: xxx@hotmail.com. i hope; you are gonna help me. thanks a lot


oldav, this is message that o wrote wchusy but i think he''s a busy man. so i hope you prepare the file for me and upload it somewhere. thanks a lot for now.

Hi Berettags - wanted to give Wcushy a break - so as I have just figured it out, I am sending you the nk.nb0 file via www.yousendit.com with your asset tag inputted - you will have to create a password to enter the yousendit site and download your file (by the way - this file will remain on the yousendit server for only 7 days - so don't wait for too long to download). Don''t forget to save the nk.nb0 file in the same directory as your host11.exe file. You will find that your 3870 will work a lot better with PPC2003.

Good luck!
Kevski

P.S. By the way, if you are happy with the result - delete your email from your post - the spammers will pick it up and fill your hotmail with spam!!

dear kevski, i am very greatfully to you. thank you very much. i am also deleting my mail adress. thank you very very very much again.

Hi There

Thankyou Wcushy for guide to upgrade have upgraded and having similar prob as others with asset no please could you enter my number into nk.nb0 file for me please and email. Thanks for your time

Details are email --- asset number for 3870 is ---

Thanks again

Hi Philip,

I am sending you the nk.nb0 file with your asset tag through yousendit.com - you will get a link to down load the file from this site and will need to register with them before downloading. Save the file in the same folder as the host11.exe application. Suggest you delete your email address from your post to avoid spam.

Regards,

Kevski

Hi Kevski

Thanks in advance for speedy reply, (edit have now got all software loaded thanks again)

Philip

Ps Have backed up new rom, HP backup facility still comes up with error 100 and wont accept rom, not a huge problem but any ideas,

DickIron - sorry to be late replying -I''ve been busy. I am not a Linux user but will take a long slow look at the links you have posted and give it a go.

Thank you

hi all,

I have the same problem - need ppc2003.
can someone mail me upgrade files plz.
asset tag 4G21DW345009

I have taken the instructions found in this forum and have put together a simple how to.

See http://blog.crowe.co.nz/archive/2007/04/17/729.aspx

Chris

iisfaq

Interesting that you think you have had to do this as there is a simple step by step guide right here http://www.savefile.com/files/525968
along with the software needed.

There has been over 10,000 downloads to the instructions so far.

Does anyone know if I can ''reflash'' the 3870 Bios to PC2002 and if so where do I get the file?

Regarding Linux, I am having an 'intellectual deficit period' in trying it on my laptop so I am FRIGHTENED to venture onto the IPAQ

Hello, I just got my iPAQ h3870 out of storage and would like to start using it again. Please help me with the upgrade to PPC2003, or what ever the latest is. I just downloaded and installed ActiveSync 4.5.

Hello Morne01,

If you just took your 3870 out of storage - the chances are that the battery no longer charges unless you had it plugged in all this time - is your battery okay? If so good! Probably the best thing you can do is take a bit of time to read through the pages in these posts - Wcushy et al have explained it all - download the PPC2003 installation instructions - get your asset tag from the back of your 3870 (also known as the S/N number - this is a 12 letter and numeral serial code) download the nkb.nk0.bak and the Host11.exe files and finally download a free hex editor - if this all sounds like double dutch - it will be very clear once you read the instructions. Give it a go and if you have difficulties - send another post - there are a lot of helpful folk participating in this effort to keep a load of ageing 3870s in service!!

Good luck!

kevski

wcushy, firstly thanks for your time and energy in this forum.
I have followed the instructions provided and modified my asset no etc using the hex editor program but when I try to upload the new firmware via Host11, I keep getting USB timeouts - best I''ve got to is 30%. Any ideas or workarounds?
Thanks again
Andy

Hallo, mine is french, can you help me?

Sorry guys. I am a noobie and have started a new thread by mistake, so have reposted here. Hope someone can kill the other one.

I have bought a used 3870 to replace my old one. The new one has been used to dual-boot Linux, and has CRL bootloader 2.19.70, although Linux has disappeared (I think it was on a CF card, which didn’t come with the iPAQ). But you can boot into PPC2002 no probs.

My old unit had been upgraded to PPC2003. Because I have software and a backup file that will only run on 2003 I need to upgrade the new unit, but I can’t get the “Remote USB update” window to appear. I know the procedure (2+4+power+reset) and have run it successfully on other iPAQs, but this one just boots through the iPAQ splash screen and straight into the Today screen.

I assume this must have something to do with the presence of the bootloader. Is there a special technique for getting into engineering mode with the bootloader in place? If I have to remove the bootloader, how do I do it – I’ve checked CRL’s site and Googled for hours, but the only procedure I could find needed the Linux, which has now gone.

Hi guys.. I NEED URGENT help as my ipaq 3870 is in danger of getting thrown out of the window!!!! i am a vista user (unfortunately) and i have tried your guide and completed all the necessary steps. When i run host11.exe i get the error message "can''t open usb port, please re plug in usb cable, then rerun host program". As i am a vista user i do not hav activsync but i do have windows mobille device center (which doesnt work with my pda because it it ppc2002 >:( ). I would really appreciate some help from a kind user :)
Thank you very much

Robbie