They forgot to mention in the update walkthrough that leaving the test mode folder on the sd card keeps booting you into windows ce.
I used this to copy and back up my f90bt's file system onto my sd card.
Hopefully I'll be able to figure out why my TTS doesn't work, as well as maybe figure out where the graphic icons lay so I can stick my car onto the GPS map. Other more adventureous members with CE experience might want to poke around further.
One thing to remember is that the entire file system is held in ROM, so you can't change it. If you remember the update procedure, there's that weird white and then blue screen where it's actually rewriting the rom. You can't just copy/paste files TO the flash disk, although you can copy from it. So at least for now, don't worry about breaking or bricking your AVIC.
how do you go into test mode? I left the testmode folder, LPUE080 folder, and MiTACAP folder on my SD card. Everytime I boot up with the SD card in the slot, it goes and does the 2nd update..again, where there is a bar and it says ok at the top left when its done. I try to touch anywhere on the screen and it doesn't respond. If I reboot it will go through the same "update" process, at the end...again it doesn't respond after its done.
when i did it, it had "copy" minimized in the start bar, and i pressed that to open it. after that i didnt know if the update was finished or not and i think i jus pressed the ok button ora small x in the top right and it takes you to windows ce
One thing to remember is that the entire file system is held in ROM, so you can't change it. If you remember the update procedure, there's that weird white and then blue screen where it's actually rewriting the rom. You can't just copy/paste files TO the flash disk, although you can copy from it. So at least for now, don't worry about breaking or bricking your AVIC.
Sure you can. What do you think an SD Card or USB Thumb drive is? They are actually Flash ROMs and can be written to.
It doesnt make much sense to call them ROMs, but they are.
I actually wish I was a Linux Guru, because it now seems possible to put Linux on these drives. Windows CE and Mobile are notoriously clunky. I am farily certain a good deal of processes are loaded that the 900Bt does not need.
Sure you can. What do you think an SD Card or USB Thumb drive is? They are actually Flash ROMs and can be written to.
It doesnt make much sense to call them ROMs, but they are.
They aren't ROMs, actually. They're RAM.
By ROM's very name, it can't be changed, being read only memory and such. That's why they came up with the acronym "RAM", so people could randomly access the memory.
Sure you can. What do you think an SD Card or USB Thumb drive is? They are actually Flash ROMs and can be written to.
It doesn't make much sense to call them ROMs, but they are.
They aren't ROMs, actually. They're RAM.
By ROM's very name, it can't be changed, being read only memory and such. That's why they came up with the acronym "RAM", so people could randomly access the memory.
Flash memory is EEPROM: Electrically Eraseable and Programmable Read Only Memory. These, very much like Flash ROMs can be written to.
CD ROM can be written to as well!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory
So, ROMs can be written to.... its semantics at any rate. Its just an old term - like calling a 3.5" floppy disk floppy, even though it was not.
The point is that the Flash memory on the AVIC can be written to.
They are actually Flash ROMs and can be written to.
Yes, obviously with the update last night I know they can be written to. I even specifically without using their Flash ROM writer all you can do is pull stuff off the flash, not write to it. Please reread my comment above
...like calling a 3.5" floppy disk floppy, even though it was not...
The disk inside was floppy.
Otherwise, good points. I stand incorrect.
They are actually Flash ROMs and can be written to.Yes, obviously with the update last night I know they can be written to. I even specifically without using their Flash ROM writer all you can do is pull stuff off the flash, not write to it. Please reread my comment above
Have you tried?
Not that I would recommend modifying the system, but I have a hard time believe that it is not writeable. It is no more Read Only than the SD card you insert for the update. They are all Flash ROMs.
It shows up in My Computer as a standard drive from what I recall.
...like calling a 3.5" floppy disk floppy, even though it was not...
The disk inside was floppy.
Otherwise, good points. I stand incorrect.
Semantics. I still would not touch the data on the drive at any rate.
Ugh, I apologize for coming off so cranky as well. Lots of cranky folks around here... its really frustrating dealing with the problems on this system.
tacomaboy, is it possible to copy the files onto your sd card and then play with it on your desktop? so you can explore but not mess up the unit?
They are actually Flash ROMs and can be written to.Yes, obviously with the update last night I know they can be written to. I even specifically without using their Flash ROM writer all you can do is pull stuff off the flash, not write to it. Please reread my comment above
Have you tried?
Not that I would recommend modifying the system, but I have a hard time believe that it is not writeable. It is no more Read Only than the SD card you insert for the update. They are all Flash ROMs.
It shows up in My Computer as a standard drive from what I recall.
How about this. How about YOU try.
You're missing the point and getting hung up that I keep calling it an unwriteable Flash ROM. It's unwriteable until we can figure out a way to use the white/blue screen updater. Once it boots up it's locked. You've obviously never done this before concerning WinCE devices/GPSs. Start reading up on gpspassion.com please.
tacomaboy, is it possible to copy the files onto your sd card and then play with it on your desktop? so you can explore but not mess up the unit?
I have not tried, but I assume so. Remember, the "Desktop" is part of the AVIC-F's on board Flash Drives file system. So in essence copying files to it is writing to the Flash drive.
My concern is with messing up the drivers and applications installed that run the AVIC GUI that we see under normal operation.
I seriously doubt putting files to the desktop will affect that. Just dont go messing around in the program files area.
Exploring (viewing) is fine, I probably will do that some this evening. Just don't delete!
tacomaboy, is it possible to copy the files onto your sd card and then play with it on your desktop? so you can explore but not mess up the unit?
...I already wrote this in teh FIRST post of the thread:
"I used this to copy and back up my f90bt's file system onto my sd card."
Exploring (viewing) is fine, I probably will do that some this evening. Just don't delete!
Again, you seem to be missing the point, you can't delete. Once you take a copy of the file system on your card you can do whatever you want to it, but you can't (at least for now) get it back onto the system. *sigh*
They are actually Flash ROMs and can be written to.Yes, obviously with the update last night I know they can be written to. I even specifically without using their Flash ROM writer all you can do is pull stuff off the flash, not write to it. Please reread my comment above
Have you tried?
Not that I would recommend modifying the system, but I have a hard time believe that it is not writeable. It is no more Read Only than the SD card you insert for the update. They are all Flash ROMs.
It shows up in My Computer as a standard drive from what I recall.
How about this. How about YOU try.
You're missing the point and getting hung up that I keep calling it an unwriteable Flash ROM. It's unwriteable until we can figure out a way to use the white/blue screen updater. Once it boots up it's locked. You've obviously never done this before concerning WinCE devices/GPSs. Start reading up on gpspassion.com please.
I disagree, I will test this evening. In fact, didnt someone install a bluetooth wireless connection to Windows CE on this board? If they did that, they wrote to the Flash Drive, and have proven the point.
I am fairly certain we don't need a magic white/blue screen updater to write to a Flash Drive. I am always the first to admit I could be wrong, of course. But as I posted above, if I can copy a file to the desktop, then mission accomplished.
tacomaboy, is it possible to copy the files onto your sd card and then play with it on your desktop? so you can explore but not mess up the unit?
...I already wrote this in teh FIRST post of the thread:
"I used this to copy and back up my f90bt's file system onto my sd card."
Edited:
Have you put anything TO the desktop?
I partially misread his post. But if you can copy a file to the desktop of the Windows CE, then the file system is writable.
I would be really curious to see what would happen if someone hooked the unit up to a laptop with ActiveSync installed. Would the unit and PC sync together?
if any of this sounds retarded im sry im very inexperenced with computers but:
isnt there some way to locate the sd card in the windows ce? like when hooking up an ipod to ur computer you can see what drive its installed in if you go into my computer. if you can then shouldnt you be able to click and drag things onto the desktop?
again i probably have no idea what im talkin about, jsu throwin it out there..
if any of this sounds retarded im sry im very inexperenced with computers but:isnt there some way to locate the sd card in the windows ce? like when hooking up an ipod to ur computer you can see what drive its installed in if you go into my computer. if you can then shouldnt you be able to click and drag things onto the desktop?
again i probably have no idea what im talkin about, jsu throwin it out there..
Yes, open up My Computer. As I recall, its in there.
By the way, if you are not too experienced... I wouldnt mess with it.
Please stop. He didn't do any of that, he was just musing what's possible with test mode. You still have to get over the complication of actually writing to the system. Which he didn't. You want to shut me up? Take a picture of you running winamp for WinCE or any other CE5.0 application. Until then, please just stop. Also, CatchMeIfYouCan631 I've already pointed this out once before, I did just that. I put in my SD card, copied the files from the AVIC to the SD, but the reverse is not possible yet.
By the way, if you are not too experienced... I wouldnt mess with it.
trust me i have no intentions of even goin bak into the CE lol. im jus at work bored thinkin of any lil way to get something on the desktop of the unit
Please stop. He didn't do any of that, he was just musing what's possible with test mode. You still have to get over the complication of actually writing to the system. Which he didn't. You want to shut me up? Take a picture of you running winamp for WinCE or any other CE5.0 application. Until then, please just stop. Also, CatchMeIfYouCan631 I've already pointed this out once before, I did just that. I put in my SD card, copied the files from the AVIC to the SD, but the reverse is not possible yet.
you dont have to bold your words i read what you wrote the first time. and secondly not once did i address anything to you so cool your jets
and also i meant locating anything you put on the sd card inside the unit and then dragging things from that sd card onto the avic desktop since you were all talking about not being able to get things onto the CE desktop