Atom Life users - Please help!

[hopelessliar]

My MWG Atom Life has developed a screen fault rendering it unreadable and therefore largely useless. It's under warranty so I can send it for a repair but before I do that I'd like to synch it to get my diary changes etc from when it was last synched. The problem is it's currently in mass storage mode so I can't link via activesync. Although the screen is fubar, it appears to be runing fine underneath that. So, what I need to do is change the usb mode without being able to see what I'm doing...

I'm pretty sure that if I press the start menu key and then up twice before pressing the select key, that gets me into settings. Then I think up once will take me to the tab selection at the the bottom and right twice to the connections tab. Hopefully, you're with me so far. I'm also fairly sure that the USB to PC icon is on the far right, 3 from the top but I don't know where the 'cursor' goes when I press up once I'm on the settings tab, so I don't know how many left/right/up/dpwn etc I need to get to the right icon. Also, once there, I don't know how many ups/downs I need in order to select the normal synch mode (is it rndis? can't remember).

So, if somebody feels like doing a good turn could they PLEASE give me a step by step on how to get to the right icon and then how to change it. Also, if I'm wrong about the keystrokes I mentioned earlier please put me straight. I know this is a long shot but I'd love to at least give it a go before I have to send it off for repair so I'm really hoping somebody might be able to reply quickly.

Thanks for reading and if somebody can help I'd be incredibly grateful.

Regards

Mark

[malloth]

First thing You must do is soft-reset because You could have different focused icons in each settings tab.

Next lets have those mean:

L - left
R - right
U - up
D - down
C - center
W - windows
RP - red phone

Proceed as is: W, U, C, U, R, R, U | R, D, D, D, C - this changes the window, and next: U, U, U, C, RP - this will select RNDIS Sync Mode.
I hope You have same icons as me in the third tab. (You are in third tab with first icon selected, when You reach "|" sign).
My icon is in second column, fourth row.
Wish You luck on this :).

[hopelessliar]

I really appreciate the time you've taken to post these instructions. Unfortnately, they haven't worked for me but I think I'm close... Could I just clarify a couple of things?...

You start as: W, U, C but from memory and also from taking clues from

http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/index.php/2008/02/04/mwg_atom_life_unboxed

I think the bottom icon on the start list is 'help' and settings is the next one up? Certainly, that seems to fit what I 'see' on the screen - although I can't read the screen at all, there are a few visual clues eg. when I press W there is a discernible line that appears at the side of where the start menu would be. When I followed your pattern, there were no visual clues that I was on the riht track, but if I assume that UI'm right about 'help' being at the bottom and settgins bext up and amend your instructions slightly, proceeding as :
W, U, U ,C, U, R, R
pressing R twice seems to make the garbled mess on the screen change slightly on each press which corresponds with what I imagine to be the changing of tabs. So, assuming I'm right about that, your info that pressing U then takes me to the first icon in the first row is very helpful. However, exactly where the USB icon is is unsure. On the video referenced above it's in the third column 3rd row (I think, certainly 3rd cloumn anyway) but I don't know if mine is! Is there anything non standard in your settings tab that may have moved it?

Also, if I leave my phone connected via USB whilst I try these things, if I happen to hit upon the right icon and then press up to move away from mass storage mode, will the change be reflected immediately? ie will active sync start or do I need to disconnect and reconnect?

One last question, on the USB menu, what options are there, I can only remember mass storage, RNDIS sync and maybe a serial type connection? But your instructions seem to imply that there are 4 options here with RNDIS sync being at the top (I seem to remember that it IS at the top). Could you tell me which options there are under the USB option?

Again I offer you my heartfelt gratitude for bothering to try and help me with this. I can't possibly tell you how grateful I really am. Thank you so much.

[malloth]

Well yes, I have removed help from my Start menu (forgot about it - sorry).
Unfortunately every ROM may have different icons in third tab.
But usually USB settings are either on second or third column.

Remember that when You re-enter Start menu and third tab, after U You'll be on LAST selected icon. You can use this to get throught all icons there to find USB options (using instinct ofcourse :) ).

USB menu contains three options (RNDIS, Serial, Mass Storage). There's no focus on any setting and I'm going from down to Your option. That's why You have to click U 3 times (but You can do it with only one D instead 3x U).

You can still run autorun apps from SD card.
Maybe someone can make a console app to start with showing USB options.
(putting SD card - autoruns consol app - You are in the right window)

BTW. Do You have latest .NET CF framework instaled (2.0 SP2 or 3.5)?

[malloth]

Ok, found a perfect solution for You.

1) Get this file I created - http://www.driveway.com/e6p1b7o2w8
(requested NET CF 2.0 SP2 or later)

2) Copy the folder "2577" along with file inside to Your Storage Card root.

3) Unplug USB if You were connecting with SD card via PDA-PC connection

4) Take off You card from Atom life, whisle two times and put it again into slot

5) You'll notice something changing on the screen

6) Now You are directly in the USB panel press: D, C, RP

7) Plug Your PDA to PC

8) Get synced :)

Have fun.