Palm Problems: Pt 2: Digitizer Fixes
Published November 29th, 2005 in editorial, howto, palm, quickfix, quicktips(Last revised and updated July 16 2009)
Jump to:
Do a soft reset first
Determine what is touching the screen
Preventative screen maintenance
Clean edge of the screen
Tighten the screws on the device
Disable hacks
Install current updates and patches
More ideas found on the internet (proceed with caution)
Digitizer Software
Freeware digitizer software
Shareware digitizer software
Digitizer or Screen Test apps
Hard reset to determine software or hardware issue
Is the slider the cause of the problem?
Drain the battery
Repair
Before I begin, I just want to say that I have not (knock on wood) experienced any digitizer problems so most of what I’m going to be discussing is based on what I’ve read from various forums regarding digitizer madness, drifts, problems detecting the stylus taps, non-responsive screens, being stuck in the digitizer calibration screen, etc. This is turning out to be a lengthy post (is there such a thing as short posts with me?!!!) so go get a nice tasty beverage (that would be a nice dark or amber beer for me or a HUGE mug of coffee) and sit back for a long read. A lot of them may help you if you are in this situation of experiencing the situation of having the digitizer not functioning properly but some of them may not. I am just providing information I’ve read that seems to work for some people.
I do not own a Palm TX but have owned the Zire 71, Treo 650, Tungsten T3. Please keep in mind that if you are experiencing digitizer issues, it is very likely that it is HARDWARE related. Most of the solutions provided in this posting are software fixes, which, in other words, is merely a superficial, temporary fix. The best fix and solution is to get the digitizer and or the glass replaced and of course, if you are not experienced doing it, I’d strongly suggest getting a professional to do it for you. Also, something of note is that you should ALWAYS find a good backup solution and have a good archive of backups should any of these digitizer software cause any corruption or problems. That way, you can always restore back to a previous archive before the software started creating the problems.
SOFT RESET to get out of the digitizer screen
Prefs screen and Digitizer screen
Now, before we start dealing with the various digitizer fixes and ideas, maybe the first thing you can try to do is a soft reset (see this reset loops posting on how to do it) (poke an unfolded paper clip into the RESET hole) (if your Palm device has a reset hole). If not, remove the battery and leave it out for at least a second or two and replace it back in. Then, run the digitizer calibration (Prefs, Digitizer) in the Palm and see if the Palm can correctly detect your stylus taps. Sometimes, a soft reset and a digitizer recalibration is all that’s needed to get things working again. But in most cases, it may not. Try a soft reset first and see if the problem goes away.
If you are stuck in the digitizer screen and can’t get out (nothing can be done, it won’t recognize any hardware keys, icons, taps, and you can’t do a hotsync), do the soft reset. Most times, doing the soft reset will take you back to another screen that isn’t the digitizer screen. If you find that after the soft reset you are on another screen, most likely the Prefs screen, you can hopefully do something. Try using the hardware buttons and the navigation buttons (up, down, left right) to help you navigate out and take you to another screen. The hotsync button on the cradle or the Hotsync application can still be launched if you’re not in the digitizer screen.
Now, download any one of the software digitizer fixes I’ve listed below, install it using Quick Install and launch Hotsync (either via the Hotsync app on the Palm or the hotsync button on your charger or cradle) and see if anything happens. You should be able to do the hotsync and it should install the digitizer program without problems. Most times, once the program is installed, it usually will go straight to the launch program after the hotsync. See if this works. If so, try to see if the digitizer program will fix your screen responsiveness problem.
If it doesn’t work, try a warm reset, which can be done by pressing “up” on the 5-way navigator, or (directional) D-Pad or whichever button will register as “up” and keeping it held while you poke a paper clip in the reset hole. Don’t release the up button until you see the Palm logo splash screen. With the newer Palm like the Treos, you will have to keep it pressed during the multicolored PalmOne screen with the black bar at the bottom and still keep it held until you see the old black and grey Palm logo screen. Then, release the “up” button. If done correctly on the Treo 650, you will notice that the battery level icon is originally “empty” or white inside and then it will fill up. Regular soft resets won’t exhibit this behavior.
This “warm reset” is similar to the “Safe Mode” in Windows, which only loads the minimal necessary files so that you can easily delete the program or file that is causing problems. Again, our main objective is to go into a screen that is not the digitizer or calibration screen, which seems to not register the stylus taps correctly. If you’re successful in getting to any screen, then, hotsync and install any of the software digitizer fixes discussed below.
You can also try and see if you can navigate around using the directional keys and the hardware buttons. If so, you may want to try and see if you can navigate to the Welcome screen. For most of us, pressing the “Home” hardware button, which is normally the button with the house icon until you scroll and toggle amongst all your Categories until you get to All. Then, use your directional or 5 way navigator buttons to get to the Welcome program. And then see if you can calibrate or re-set you digitizer settings. If you are stuck, try the soft and warm resets as I’ve previously mentioned.
If you own an external portable keyboard, you may also want to try to see if you can plug it or activate it. Then navigate over to the Welcome screen using the keyboard as well. That’s another option to try.
Determine what the digitizer is touching on the screen
Most digitizer problems, especially those dealing with the screen not detecting the taps of the stylus at all, are usually due to the digitizer detecting something else which continues to “touch” the screen. For example, it could be debris, dust, sand, food, etc that possibly got trapped in between the Palm’s case and the glass screen. Or, it could be that there’s some pressure on one side or corner of the screen. Whatever the case, something is touching the screen and the digitizer isn’t able to distinguish between a valid stylus tap and a piece of debris or something else. Many times, you may not see it, but it’s likely something is touching the screen.
Remove the screen protector
The simplest ways to deal with a screen that isn’t responding to taps is to first make sure that there is nothing that is touching the screen. In most cases, if you have a screen/glass protector on the Palm, remove it.
If there is some gummy residue left over from the adhesive of the screen protector, I’d suggest cleaning that out since that may also affect the digitizer’s responsiveness. I remove any kind of adhesive residue by sticking a piece of transparent scotch tape onto the residue. Run my fingernails over it to make sure that the tape sticks well onto the residue. Then, remove the tape. This may take a while and quite a number of tries before you notice that the adhesive is actually sticking onto the scotch tape. You may end up using quite a bit of scotch tape. This is my method that I think is safest at removing the adhesive from the sensitive glass screen without possibly harming it.
Preventative screen maintenance
Avoid using any kind of solvents or chemicals to clean the screen
It seems that any kind of alcohol based solvents or cleaners is harmful to a glass or plastic screen. If you do a bit of research, many will advise against using any chemicals or cleaners that contains alcohol to clean the monitor screen.
Just because you can’t tell the screen is damaged doesn’t mean it isn’t damaged. You may want to do some research on what is and isn’t harmful for the glass screen. Personally, I try to avoid using any type of chemical (eg. Windex, rubbing alcohol, glass cleaner, etc) directly on the glass screen or even onto a cloth to clean it, polish it, etc because I have no idea how much damage they can cause. Over time, after prolonged use of chemicals, you will most likely discover the consequences of using these chemical cleaners. Obviously, by that time, it’s too late to reverse the damage.
Windex seems to discolor or change the composition of plastic
What I have personally discovered is that Windex is bad for plastic. I don’t use Windex much at all, and I was digging up an old bottle of Windex and found that the plastic bottle has become discolored and not transparent anymore. Rather than being the usual clear transparent non-colored plastic bottle, it has become yellowy and green and cloudy. The Windex solution is still working fine, but it has obviously done something to the plastic bottle. That is enough proof for me, that whatever is in Windex is not good for plastic and that it will react with the plastic. So, I’d strongly advise using Windex on plastic. If Windex does this to plastic, why am I risking my Palm screen with this? Uh. No. That’s not happening for me.
If you do some research on the internet, many people have advised against using Windex or other cleaners to wipe the computer monitors. So, if that’s the case, I’m not taking the risk on my Palm screen, knowing how sensitive it is and how important it is for the operation of the device.
Let’s remember that the less stuff you apply, whether it be any kind of chemical compounds, or solvents or solutions, etc, the better it is for the screen. It is starting to get a bit out of hand when people are coming up with various “ideas” to apply to their screen to make it smoother, so that the stylus glides better. Let’s not forget the fact that we want to “protect” the Palm screen. In my view, the best way to do so is to put something on it that can be easily removed and replaced without much hassle, don’t add or leave any kind of residue, gunk, or whatever on the surface that may react with the screen in any way.
If you need to make the protector material glide smoother, then apply whatever it is “on” the protector material. Don’t apply ANYTHING on the Palm screen. So, if anything happens (unexpected chemical reactions, etc) to the protector, it only affects the surface of the protector and NOT the screen. Please keep that in mind. PROTECT THE SCREEN. DON’T PUT ANYTHING ON IT EXCEPT THE SCREEN PROTECTOR.
After removing the screen protector, test to see if your Palm screen will detect your stylus taps. If it now works fine, then, it’s the screen protector that was the cause of the problem. Many Palm users tend to apply too much pressure when applying the screen protector and especially with the adhesive types, if applied unevenly, one edge or end or edge of the glass screen may be pushed in too much or pulled up, which may affect how the digitizer detects any taps. If you apply a new screen protector making sure to not press too much on any one end or side and apply it evenly. If the problem still persist, you may want to reconsider getting a different screen protector that won’t interfere with the screen detection.
You may want to check out an old posting in which I’ve discussed screen protectors here for suggestions on what are some popular screen protectors as well as links to many parts suppliers.
I don’t trust anything on my Palm screen so I only use the clingy plastic (bought at fabric stores) on the glass. It’s thick enough to protect the glass screen from scratches and it’s cheap and doesn’t leave any adhesive residue. I can easily clean it with soap and water, dry it and apply it. And if it gets too scratched up, I simply use another new one. They’re very cheap. But, some people may complain about the bubbles. To make the plastic glide even better, I spray a bit of Pledge on the plastic (don’t spray directly on the Palm but on a cloth or just on the plastic before you apply it, wiping any excess off). With the Pledge, the stylus glides just as nicely as if there were no protector on. It works for me.
Clean the glass screen
You may want to try to clean the screen physically. Maybe something is stuck onto the screen that the digitizer is detecting. A good way to clean the glass screen is to use a lens cloth (ie. eyeglass lens cloth or camera lens cloth) and a warm breath. Either get the cloth from an optician or anywhere that sells eyeglasses or sunglasses. The best ones to get are the ones for Crizal or specialty coated lenses. Or, get a camera lens paper or lens cloth from a camera store. These are probably the best cloths to get since they are specially made to clean without scratching, something that other cloths or paper may cause, even if it’s not detectable by the naked eye.
Do not use toothpaste (it is abrasive and causes scratches that’s undetectable to the naked eye), or Windex or other solvents to clean the screen. You may damage the screen due to the chemical compounds in these solvents that may react to the plastic or glass. You may not see it immediately, but over time, if you continue to keep using them, the scratches will get worse so that it will be detectable by the naked eye. Or, you can tell that there’s a noticeable effect of using these solvents. By that time, it’s too late because the scratches are there or it’s not fixable and there’s nothing that can remove them.
Remember. There’s really NO WAY TO REMOVE SCRATCHES regardless of what everyone tells you or what you read on the internet. Once something is scratched, it is scratched. You can’t “fill it in” with something. Most times, scratch removers are simply abrasive pastes, or solvents that removes part of the paint, plastic or whatever and allows you to somewhat try to mix it around the area, giving the appearance that the scratch is fixed or repaired. In most cases, it isn’t. What you can’t see with the naked eye doesn’t mean that it’s not there.
With CDs, what most people consider as scratch repair solutions is using toothpaste to make even smaller scratches so that the laser beam that hits the CD will reflect back, so that the pits will be detected on the CD. Don’t be fooled that you have “repaired” the scratches. You have made more scratches that somehow has allowed the laser light to reflect back. You can still see the scratches. And it seems “repaired” because you can now play the CD. Or using Brasso to fix it does a similar thing, although I believe that it works to reflect the CD better again, but not causing scratches. These “solutions” may help with making a CD playable on a CD player, but don’t do this to your Palm screen or risk making things worse.
If you must try it, try it on an old eyeglass and you can see that using toothpaste on the lens doesn’t fix the scratches. Nor, does using Brasso either. They may somewhat provide a means to allow you to play your old scratched CDs, but they don’t fix the scratches.
Prevent the scratches from happening in the first place by protecting it first, rather than try to fix it later.
Clean the edge of the glass where it meets the casing
Also, try to clean at the edges of the screen, where the glass and Palm case meets. Sometimes small particles of debris, dust, food may get dislodged there and touch the screen, causing this non-responsive screen effect. You may try to use a piece of somewhat firm paper and run it along the edges of the glass where the case and glass meets in hopes of dislodging anything that may be stuck. Or, use a brush. Again, try and see if the screen will detect the stylus taps after you’ve tried to clean the edge.
Loose screws or Lost Palm screws
Some Palm users have claimed that the screws that keep the Palm together may also be causing digitizer problems. Especially with the Tungsten T3, which has been reported that the screws tend to loosen and come off over time, you may want to check that the screws are still somewhat tight on the Palm. Either loosening or tightening up the screws may affect the sensitivity of the screen. Some users have reported that opening up the Palm and putting it back without doing anything has solved their digitizer problem. I guess it’s something similar to the screw tightening or loosening effect. If you found that you’ve lost your screws, you can try checking out your local optician and see if they can provide screws that can fit your Palm. Yes! Some Palm users have claimed that the screws fit. Or, purchase them from Carmine Castiglia’s store (I am an affiliate), UnityElectronics or PDAParts/GetHighTech
Along the same lines to do with the pressure, you may also attempt that by putting a slight bit of pressure (and I do mean very slight or you may crack the glass screen) on one end or edge of the glass screen and try tapping the screen to see if it detects the taps.
As for the loose screws on the T3, to somewhat prevent the screws from easily loosening and tightening I’d suggest sticking a piece of scotch tape over it so that it keeps the screw from moving. And even if it does move, having the scotch tape should somewhat keep the screw still in place. Some people have mentioned using various other ways like clear nail polish, or super glue, or Loctite glue (from an automotive department)(thanks to Dallas Hinton for this). Now, keep in mind that you don’t want something that will make it impossible for you to remove because we never know if we will want to open the Palm up sometime in the future. That’s why I suggest scotch tape because it’s inexpensive and you can easily remove it.
Disable any hacks or Graffiti recognition programs
Sometimes, “hacks” or application enhancement programs that require Hackmaster, X-Master, YAHM, etc and DA (Desk Accessory) apps (anything with a DA in the name like DBCacheToolDA, etc) may interfere with the digitizer. Or programs that run in the background like ClockAT, etc. Or Graffiti enhancement programs like TealScript, MobileWrite, etc may also have some kind of software conflict that may affect the digitizer. If you notice that by disabling the hacks or programs that the digitizer is working again, maybe you should contact the developer of the program so that he can create a fix for it. Or consider not using the program and finding an alternative that won’t interfere with the digitizer.
Software patch/updates for the digitizer for some Palms
If you own a Tungsten T, there is a patch to fix the digitizer. Check out Palm’s Tungsten T patch that fixes the digitizer problem for the device.
There’s also a patch for the Tungsten C. Check out Palm’s Tungsten C patch which also fixes the digitizer for the Tungsten C.
These are specific patches for the devices mentioned. I would not attempt to install them if you don’t own a Tungsten T or C because you may screw something up since each device can be quite different. Instead, try any of the software digitizer fixes I’ve mentioned below.
While I’m on the subject, I may as well remind anyone who has a Palm to make sure that they have installed the latest Palm patches and updates from the Palm support web page for their specific device so that whatever known bugs or problems could be fixed by these patches or updates.
More ideas found on the internet
Here are some more interesting ideas I’ve found on the internet. I don’t know how well these “ideas” work, but if you’re desperate and nothing seems to work, then, try these and see if they work. If they do, please leave me a comment so that this knowledge will benefit others. Thanks.
Wow! I’ve just came across this excellent web page which discusses the digitizer problems in detail. Please read this and get a better understanding of what causes digitizer problems Palm Pilot tap bug page and possible fixes.
Here’s a link to a Fitaly board posting that claims that using an overclocker application and overclocking seems to affect the digitizer responsiveness for a Palm IIIc. Please remember that is on a Fitaly board and they are discussing about a Palm IIIc and what works for those who posted may not necessarily work for you on your newer Palm device. Again, please make sure you have a backup before attempting anything just to be safe.
And here’s another link to Handheldnews’ board that offers another set of ideas for a workaround to digitizer problems.
Hopefully, these ideas may help you. Again, please remember that these are “ideas” (there are risks and consequences) that may or may not work for you.
You may find that installing third party digitizer software may somewhat help at fixing the digitizer problem. There are many different digitizer fixing software that’s available. I will attempt to mention some of them, with freewares being mentioned first.
Download the software, unzip them if necessary, install them using Quick Install or whichever way you usually do to install software. After the hotsync (if done with Quick Install and hotsync), the software should immediately be launched so that you can try the digitizer fixing software and see if you can get it to work. In most cases, DigiFix fixes most digitizer problems. So, even if you can’t get the screen to detect your taps, installing Digifix or other similar software may be all that’s needed to get it working again.
Or, if you find that you can navigate around the menus and icons using the 5-way navigator button (or directional buttons) or any of the hardware buttons, you can try to navigate your way around the launcher to the Prefs application and launch the Digitizer (or whatever it’s called now) and try to re-calibrate your digitizer. One time, a friend of mine was unable to get the Palm to do anything but pop up the Find pop up screen. I was able to navigate to the Digitizer screen using the directional and hardware buttons and once I did the recalibration, things were working again. You may want to try that.
You may want to try to install it via Pilot Install. Or, use a card reader and put the digitizer program onto the card under the /Palm/Launcher folder (if you put it elsewhere, you won’t be able to “see” it when you put in your card without a file manager program like FileZ). Then, put in your SD card back in, and run the program.
Most users seem to only concentrate on only downloading the freeware applications and avoid the shareware software. Why? If I were having digitizer problems, I’ll try EVERYTHING short of very silly or unreasonable ideas. Install the shareware and try them out as well. Maybe they may fix it that freewares can’t. You are under no obligation to buy it because they usually offer a “trial” period. If you find that it works when other freewares can’t, by all means, support the developer and buy it. If not, then uninstall it or delete it. There is no obligation. So, keep that in mind.
Also, some people have also mentioned that if they leave the Palm lying around without turning it on or touching it or using it for a few days that the when they try to turn it on days later that it will be working again. That may also be another idea. So, let the battery completely drain by leaving it in a drawer for a few days to a week or so and come back. If you can turn it on, then re-charge it back up. You may find that it “miraculously” has started working again. This same idea can also be accomplished by removing the battery on non-NVFS devices. So, if you’re proficient at opening things up, then, by all means, remove the battery for a few seconds and re-connect it. Some people even claim that removing and re-inserting the connector to the digitizer cable will also work. Again, this is strictly for those who are comfortable with it and can deal with the potential risk of damaging their Palm. So, do so at your own risk because you are voiding your Palm warranty (if your device is still under warranty)
Freeware Digitizer fixing software
DigiFix is probably the most popular digitizer fixing software out there. It’s usually the first one mentioned and most people usually don’t need to find other software since it seems to fix the digitizer drift problem.
DigiE is another popular one which apparently fixes a well known digitizer problem found on the Tungsten T3, which DigiFix can’t fix. ONE NOTE: You must either move the main digi_main.prc file over to the SD card or delete it once you’ve run it or it will drain your battery by frequently turning on the Palm if left in RAM.
Here’s a list of them all with screenshots to give you an idea of what they look like.
Please report any dead or invalid links
Please be careful when downloading the programs since all Palmgear links are dead, I had to update new links to them. So, keep your anti-spyware, anti-virus programs installed and running.
 DigiFix |
 DigiE |
 DigiMe |
 Re-Digi |
 Z-Digitizer |
 DigiDA (requires DA) |
 StylusPilot |
 Digi |
(EDIT. June 23, 2006). Power Digi. Digitizer fixing software specifically for the TX
Looks like Dmitry Grinberg has come up with a beta version to fix only those 320×480 screen devices like the TX. Check out this posting from 1src for more info. And download the program from PalmPowerups website
Use the calibrator in myKbd
For those who are interested in a full screen digitizer, apparently, myKbd has a calibrator in the keyboard software. And it’s still functional even if you don’t register myKbd. Check out this posting by the developer, Alex Pruss for the download link.
Shareware Digitizer fixing software
SureTap offers the ability to save your calibration settings and reset automatically after a soft reset. As well, it allows you to monitor how much the current settings are from the originally saved settings, to aid in diagnosing the cause of the problem.
Here’s the list of shareware digitizer fixing software with the screenshots.
Please report any dead or invalid links
 SureTap |
 AutoDigi |
 OnDigi |
 Set Digitizer |
 Calibrator |
AutoDigi for Palm OS 5 |
Although it’s not a Digitizer software, but HandyAid auto calibrates the digitizer when it’s powered on or you can opt to launch the digitizer calibration after a soft reset.
Hopefully, if you have experienced some problems with the screen’s lack of responsiveness or that the digitizer is not detecting the taps correctly that the above methods and programs have helped.
I’m not sure what purpose these apps do other than show that your calibration is off, but here they are anyway. What they do is show on the screen where it is detecting the tap. They don’t seem to be “fixing” anything, but more of a “test” app.
Tap Tester provides a small square where it detects the taps as well as the actual coordinates.
 Tap Tester |
 Ak StylusTest |
 Scr Test |
 TT Screen Tester |
DigiTest |
HARD RESET to check whether it it s hardware issue (digitizer) or software issue
If you have tried many of the software digitizer fixes as well as the other possible solutions I’ve mentioned, you can always try to do the HARD RESET to restore the Palm back to its default factory settings and state. Before doing the hard reset, please first make sure that you rename the Backup folder in Windows to something else like Backup-old or oldBackup or whatever, just as long as it’s not Backup anymore. For more info on this, please check out this posting on backup via Hotsync.
Doing the folder renaming will ensure that none of the programs and files are re-loaded and re-installed back when you do the hotsync. Most times, a software’s files or settings may conflict with the digitizer and cause the Palm to become unresponsive, and thus this problem. Doing the hard reset will easily prove whether it was a software problem (if digitizer is fine after the hard reset), or a hardware problem (no change and screen is still non-responsive). If it’s the latter, then, you may have to decide whether you want to spend the money to get it fixed or get a new Palm.
Digitizer problems: slider or internal cable related?
One more thing to note. It seems that many of the Palms with a slider mechanism namely the Tungsten T, T2, T3 and Zire 71 tend to exhibit problems with the digitizer. I sense that it may have something to do with the dreaded internal cable which is responsible for data transfer, battery charging and many other functions. As I’ve discussed previously, the cable can easily be broken due to the way it’s bent up inside the Palm and with each subsequent opening and closing of the slider, the bending gets worse until it finally breaks due to the stress. If you are experiencing digitizer problems, you may want to get someone to look inside it and possibly fix the internal cable. Or replace the digitizer. Check out my previous post here for online vendors that sell and repair Palms as well as other related links.
Drain the battery and leave it idle
Finally, I was recently trying to help someone on the Palm forums with a digitizer problem and what happens is that after trying all kinds of ideas, he ended up leaving it lying around for a couple weeks and then charged it, turned it back on and it works! I guess, there’s some kind of mechanism in the Palm that will somewhat reset the digitizer detection over time and whatever was being “detected” gets ignored. I don’t know what solved it, but if you are stuck (pardon the pun), try leaving it around unattended for a while and turn it back on and see if it works. Sometimes, electronics are strange and finicky. Maybe it needs a little nudge to tell it who’s boss, especially if you decide to ditch it for a while so it’ll figure out to play nice or risk being dumped in the trash. 
There’s a program called Battery Drainer that seems to look like it will help drain the battery. I personally have not tried it so I don’t know how well it works. If anyone tries it and it works, please leave me a comment.
Or check out these links:
Battery Drain Fix (Ben Steeves)
Battery Drain Fix (Conklin Systems)
If you find that even the battery drain doesn’t help the problem, then it looks like there is a hardware problem. I’d suggest contacting the following online repair services: Used PDA Parts (Shawn has been very generous in donating some non-working display units for Palm Discovery and he actively helps out at Brighthand forums), Chris Short for a quote who does Palm repairs who gets quite a good reputation amongst the Palm and PDA community. If you are located in Canada, try Palm Medic Canada, and in Europe, try PDA Tech Center. I’ve also provided a list of online repairers in the protecting your investment posting.
Again, I want to stress that I have not tried many of the digitizer fixes except DigiFix and DigiE so I’m not sure how well they may perform. Always create a back up of everything on your Palm BEFORE any new patches, updates, programs, etc because you may need to restore it back should something unexpected happens. The back up is your only recourse. Check this posting for back up program suggestions including freewares.
If you know of any links to software programs, ideas, tricks, or experience or anything related to the digitizer problem that you feel can add and help others, please contact me or leave a comment. My objective here is always to try to find ways to help others. On behalf of all the readers of this blog or just even any posting, thanks!
Also, please inform me of any dead links since it looks like a lot of the Palmgear links are dead now that the new Pocketgear has merged all Motricity company links together into one.
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Thanks for your helpful information. I’d been trying to sort out my T3’s digitizer problem for a whole day, that’s until I happened upon your blog. Your simple suggestion that there could be something else that the digitizer is detecting on its surface was the gem. I quickly pulled off the screen protector and wouldn’t you know it!! That’s after installing all sorts of irrelevant software calibration applications. Thamks again!!!
# posted by Anonymous : 1/06/2006 06:59:07 AM
You’re very welcome. Glad to be of help and that you’ve gotten it working again.
# posted by maceyr : 1/06/2006 07:48:43 AM
Just a little question:
A friend of mine gave me a Tungsten E2 with a broken screen…
It’s very hard to find a new one!
Do you know where could I?
Thanks in advance
David
# posted by Anonymous : 1/15/2006 05:02:06 PM
I have provided many links to places that sell Palm parts including glass screens in this posting.
I have done a bit of search for you and it looks like PDAParts sells it. You may want to go through all the links I’ve provided in the posting for a possibly better deal.
Here’s a link to repair instructions (although they don’t list the E2). You may want to check it out and see if it helps you:
# posted by maceyr : 1/15/2006 05:25:53 PM
Great blog! Very straight forward and informative. I recommend this one a lot
# posted by Legodude522 : 1/18/2006 07:58:45 PM
Thanks for the compliments, legodude522. And of course, for recommending this blog and posting at various forums and postings. It’s MUCH appreciated.
# posted by maceyr : 1/18/2006 08:05:46 PM
Hello May C,
I read your blog to which I was directed after submitting a question on the Palm Forum (”Screen protector messes up T5 digitizer”).
Very exhaustive and thorough, but it does not yet answer my original question:
the two screen protectors that I have installed were installed correctly, with no extra pressure. In fact I had used the same brands on my T3 and T2 before (I am almost also a lifelong Palm addict…).
I had never seen such an effect of “digitizer kill” on other devices.
I wonder: is the screen of the T5 more sensitive than the screens of former devices ?
Therefore, assuming that my protectors were very correctly placed, is there a possibility that what happened to me can be the first sign of a defective screen (this is my real question), which would make me return this “reconditioned” device still under warranty ?
Or can I keep it as is, as I have reconciled myseld not to use a screen protector on my T5, seeing its disastrous effect.
By the way, you speak in your blog of the T3 screws. You are correct, they tend to get loose and I lost two myself. This is where I could find replacement screws, if you do not already know the place: http://www.infosystemspro.com/pdaparts.htm
That was before I drove last month over my T3 in my driveway….. prompting me to the T5 experience which I do not regret in the least, except for the protector problem.
With kind regards and good continuation with your blog.
Rene Flipo
# posted by Rene : 2/19/2006 02:23:46 PM
I don’t own a T5 so I can’t really give you much of an answer. But according to Palm forums, it’s more likely that the screen is “less sensitive” than “more sensitive”. I don’t think that the digitizer problems or lack of sensitivity or unresponsiveness is it’s really limited to the T5 though.
If you are concerned, I’d suggest purchasing an extended warranty from GetHighTech (check for the link in this posting). Getting a replacement won’t necessarily get you a brand new Palm either since Palm gets the defective units fixed and then exchanges it for the new defects.
With regards to the digitizer problem, have you tried to use a different screen protector, for example, the clingy plastic that can be purchased at fabric stores and try that and determine if the problem still persist? Sometimes, it really could be due to the screen protector. Maybe it’s too firm or too thick, or whatever or the adhesive may be the culprit. If you find that even with the clingy plastic that you are experiencing the digitizer problems then maybe you may consider getting your unit replaced.
Thanks for the link to infosystems. I already know about it and thought that I provided a link but it looks like I haven’t. I will post a link to the blog. Thanks for the info. It’s much appreciated!
And of course, thanks for commenting on the blog and for reading! Hope you enjoy it.
May
# posted by maceyr : 2/19/2006 06:19:03 PM
Thank you very much May for this helpful advice. I really wish I had not taken off the light protector with which the device came in the first place. It was not bad after all, except for a slight dimming effect.
I have tried two different protectors to replace it (Covertec and Proporta) with the same bad result. I will look now for the clingy plastic (though I doubt that I can find it in France where I live). And I will keep observing closely my device during the 11 months still remaining for the warranty.
With best regards
Rene
# posted by Rene : 2/20/2006 08:35:13 AM
I wouldn’t think that it should be too hard to find the clingy plastic. They should be similar to the clear clingy plastic that some people use for table cover, thus why they can usually be purchased at fabric stores, craft stores or maybe industrial Home Depot type stores. If you ask around, I’m sure it shouldn’t be too hard to find.
I’d also take a good look at the screen to make sure that there aren’t any gummy residue left over and stuck on the screen that may affect it’s responsiveness. Again, I’d advise against using any solvents and would try to use tape or something else to remove them instead of solvents which may damage the screen.
Good luck.
May
# posted by maceyr : 2/20/2006 03:53:01 PM
Many thanks for your tips. For me I bought a small Torx screwdriver set and tightened up the screws (which indeed were loose), and now it works perfectly.
Mine was accepting the taps, but was sensing it about 3mm to the right of the actual tap. Made for some strange happenings.
Again, thanks for the tips.
Thanks for the great blog! Generally, I love my TX, but it’s been having digitizer problems (mostly at the bottom of the screen) for several weeks. I’ve tried many software solutions, including a trial of Power Digi which helped a LOT, but was not a 100% cure. After reading all your advice and information, I tried 2 new things that seem to have cured my problem: I used a piece of stiff paper to clean under the edges of the screen (dust and crumbs came out) … and I installed myKbd to use its free calibrator. Those 2 things seem to have brought my digitizer back to just about perfect! THANKS!!! Of course, only time will tell if my TX’s drifting problems will return, but for now I’m a happy camper again.
Thank you, Eric and mdspiro for taking the time to leave a comment to this posting.
Eric, I’m glad to hear that the Torx screwdriver has helped you tighten up the screws and that your Palm is detecting your stylus taps correctly again! Thanks for confirming that the screw tightening trick helps! Thanks for the compliments!
mdspiro, Thanks for the compliments! I’m glad that you have tried the other ideas to help you get things working again. Sometimes, one idea may work one time and another time, another one may work. I keep saying that you should keep trying other ideas if one doesn’t work. Glad to hear that they are working!
If any of you who commmented recently is interested in entering for the Nutshell PDA Case giveaway that I’m having right now (ends May 23rd), please leave a comment in the review posting for that instead of here or anywhere else on the site. I will only tally up those comment entries to that posting towards the Nutshell giveaway.
Has any T5 owner noticed that the digitizer is kind of loose? Not that it feels like falling off, but being pretty away from the LCD that taps sink down a bit? So taps, though responsive, feels less responsive. You need to tap harder sometimes? Does this make any sense?!
My E2 digitizer feels much better. It feels hard, as if you’re tapping on the LCD itself. Doodling on it is much easier.
The T5 looks compact and no screws seem to be loose. I wonder if opening up the unit and somehow stabilizing the digitizer would help.
Thank you so much for this information. I was unable to do anything with the touch screen. The download of DigiFix did the job.
Jo Ann
Thanks for leaving the comments, Dr Haisook and Jo Ann. Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer regarding the digitizer but I’m sure that you’ve probably gotten some good responses over at Brighthand.
And, Jo Ann. Glad to hear that you found DigiFix to help you.
Thanks for taking the time to leave your comments!
My wifes E2 went into the screen calibration loop after a hard reset. I believe the digitizer is shot. I was able to get out of the loop by inputing a stylus click at the very bottom center of the bullseye. Now the device is operational, but all inputs have to be below the intended target. At least now I know the digitizer is at fault. If you are suffering from the dreaded loop, try inputs above, below, right, or left of the bullseye. Just make sure all are in the same relative location.
P.S. Many thanks to anyone else that found this trouble shooting tip, Yet failed to report it in the MANY forums available for Palm devices. I hope you have to read more forums/threads than I did!
Thank you, Brad Porter for mentioning this “trick” and tip.
I guess that is probably one of the reasons why there are some calibration tester programs mentioned above that “show” where on the screen it is detecting your stylus tap. From there, you can determine approximately how far off the digitizer is and hopefully, you can compensate manually to fool the digitizer so that you can bypass that screen. Again, try using any of the calibration software mentioned previously in this posting and see if it can fix it. If not, it’s probably time to replace it.
Thanks again!
I had been having calibration problems with my TX that no apps could fix until I used Power Digi. Power Digi worked so well, I can not remember the last time my TX was calibrated this good. It worked so well that even though choosing the accurate mode takes longer (you need to tap 70 times), it is worth it in the long run.
thank you for recommending Power Digi.
Thanks for taking the time to leave your comments, mike Hedworth. Please keep in mind that although Power Digi may be working for you now that I hope you will also keep in mind that it is a “software” fix for a hardware problem. Eventually, even PowerDigi may not work anymore so you should expect to have to replace the digitizer and/or screen at some time in the future. I’d strongly suggest backing up your TX and keeping an archive should any problems come up in the future. And I have read that PowerDigi has caused problems for some people so please keep that in mind.
Glad that it has worked for you!
hi! thanks for your information! My Garmin IQUE 3600 is a Palm based GPS and the touch screen has not been responding for a long long time, despite many attempts to calibrate in various ways . I took my GPS and your information with me on vacation planning to spend some time trying your ideas …. but it started responding to touch immediately after the flight. I’m thinking perhaps the air pressure during the flight somehow reactivated the device to touch sensitivity.
I do appreciate the information you provided and am sure many many people benefit from it. Harold
Hi there,
I know this is not a “palm specific” question, and please forgive me for going off track, but im a desperate man! I have a Navman N40i gps module with a broken digitizer. I’ve looked high and low on the net and cannot seem to find a replacement. my question is as follows; is it possible to replace the digitizer with one of similar size and shape, assuming that the connections are compatible, or at least can be modified to make them so? One guy on ebay said that all brands\devices\models are different, depending on software pixels etc, whereas ive seen forums where guys have used digitizers that are not from their specific models but when fitted work perfectly. I would love to know your thoughts on the matter, and hopefully you could shed some light on this annoying problem i have. Unlike palm’s and pda’s in general, a broken digitizer on a gps means complete death as there is no keyboard or other interface available.
Thanks in advance, and great informative site by the way!
Barry
Anyone?
Nothing?
Answers?
Little help?
I hope someone can post an answer on this as i dont want to risk buying a different model digitizer only to find its useless to me!!
Thanks in advance guys and gals.
Barry
Thanks for your comment. I would suggest contacting someone who is more knowledgeable about digitizers for the answer. Try contacting Shawn Lux of UsedPDAParts.com regarding your problem and questions. Since he does repairs for Palms, he may provide you with some answers or a better insight. You can also try the other repair services I’ve provided in the “Repairs” section in this post. In my opinion, it’s much better to get someone to do it properly than to risk buying and doing it yourself. That’s my opinion. Maybe, someone else can shed some light on this. As well, you may find more helpful people at various Palm and PDA forums like Brighthand, etc. Good luck!
Thanks webmaster,
Wasn’t sure if anybody was modering this page anymore! I’ve tried many different sources for an answer, and no real concrete answer yet. ill probably go ahead and buy a digitizer that physically fits, and if all goes well, with you permission i’ll post the results here. Who knows it maght save a lot of people from inflated repair costs!
Thanks again
Barry
On 05-14-07 mdspiro mentioned cleaning around the edges of the screen on his TX & he installed MyKbd & used it’s free calibrater whereby his digitiser was repaired.
Please ask him if his TX is still working properly. Lastly, where can I purchase a Torx driver to use in the repair of my TX ? Do you know of any reliable instructions on how to remove the cover so I can thuroughly clean under it ?
Thanks,
Joe
Joe: To answer your question, my TX is NOT working properly. It’s still very usable, but the digitizer drift has continued to be a problem — even after my cleaning and MyKbd calibration (which I need re-do almost daily now). Typing on the virtual keyboard is an exercise in frustration since the drift is most noticable at the bottom of the screen … I have to hit the letter keys slightly above where they appear to get them to register properly. Besides the drift, I now also have a “dead spot” about 2/3 down on the left. Unfortunately, that’s the exact spot where many confirmation buttons appear on the screen. It’s extremely frutstrating when I can’t get those buttons to register when I touch them over and over and over!!! I’ve concluded that I probably need to go to the hardware fix and totally replace my digitizer with a new glass digitzer. I found them online for about $60. I haven’t ordered one yet, but the reviews seem very encouraging. I sure hope it’s not too difficult to install. Here’s a link to see what it looks like:
http://www.gethightech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=RD
Thank you, mdspiro, for taking the time to reply back to Joe.
I do believe that although digitizer problems can temporarily be “fixed” with software, most likely, the best fix is to get a replacement or have it repaired, which I have already mentioned at the end of the posting.
Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to share your experiences and help everyone!
I have contacted an law firm that is interested in pursuing a class action agaist PalmOne regarding the digitizer issues so many are having.
I would like to speak with others that are experiencing digitizer issues with their PalmOne device.
I can be reached at DigitizerProblem#41place*com.
The e-mail address needs to be corrected so the # symbol is replaces with an ‘at’ sign and teh asterisk is replaced with a period. This was done to avoid bots roaming the net gathering e-mail addresses.
Sincerely,
Gary
Regarding comment #20 from Gary E. I am unsure if this is a legitimate attempt to start a class action lawsuit as Gary E has not provided much information on this other than his word that he has contacted a law firm. There is no website or any other information provided.
I strong warning to others who read his comment to please approach this with caution as I have no idea whether this is a sneaky attempt to get email addresses and contacts. If you decide to contact Gary E, please use a disposable email address from Gmail or hotmail or others so that you can be somewhat protected.
Also, my personal opinion on class action lawsuits is that they usually benefit lawyers and law firms the most rather than the underlying shareholders and others who are at the bottom. To go through the submission of documents and claims only to get a few dollars may not be really worth the time. And that is if it actually goes far enough to the courts.
Again, this is my own personal opinion but please approach carefully.
Regarding message 20 (and 21), this is a legitimate attempt to start a Class Action against PalmOne.
The law firm that is going to be representing the class is Strange & Carpenter (www.strangeandcarpenter.com). Person to contact is David Swift (Dswift@ strangeandcarpenter.com)
By the many results returned when searching for Palm Digitizing Issues, that this is obviously a wide spread problem. I personally am just a VERY frustrated Palm user. I contacted the law firm because I felt my Palm T3 (digitizer/screen) should not have failed as soon as it had. The law firm did some preliminary research and felt this was a valid case.
Please feel free to contact me at the e-mail in msg #20 or the law firm directly.
Thanks for responding and providing more information on this claas action lawsuit, Gary E.
I would suggest readers to contacting the law firm directly and gather more information on what level of action has been taken and what stage they are in and then make your decision on whether to proceed with it.
Good luck to those who do proceed with this.
Thanks for the hot tip! My Treo 650 digitzer stopped working after a week of skiing–maybe some sunscreen got under the edge of the screen? Anyway, I found that in my case LOOSENING the screws got it back in action–maybe it released some speck of dust that was caught there. And everytime I re-tighten the screws, it stops working, so obviously there are still problems… but the screws are engaged, so I hope they won’t fall out any time soon. Sure helps to keep that tiny screwdriver on hand!
One bad day my Tungsten E2 touchscreen sturted not to work. No reaction at all
Tried to recharge ir, soft reset - no reaction.
Then I tried hard reset - after reset on calibration I realized than problem didn’t fix. Even badly - I couldn’t do anyfing and now I even can’t turn it on.
Maybe someone can tell me what I can to do now?
KrossLt: As I’ve mentioned previously in this post and also in my email to you (his comment was originally posted at the old host and I have reposted it here), the last resort to this problem may be to fully discharge or drain the battery. Simply leave it in a drawer or wherever for a few days to a week to make sure it fully drains. Once it is fully drained (won’t turn on at all), recharge it fully by charging it for at least 3 hours if not more. Then turn it back on and see if the digitizer will work. Most times, it will.
If it doesn’t, it’s very likely a hardware issue and you will need to have the digitizer repaired. Check out the various places I’ve mentioned above in the post for repairs.
Good luck!
I read your post but couldn’t find the answer to my problem. I just order and replaced my Palm treo 700WX digitizer. Unfortunately the screen will not light up. I tried reinstalling the old one, now it does not light up. I can call out without use of screen, however, I can not connect with incoming calls. Any suggestions? I tried cleaning around the screen.
Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer. Perhaps you could get some help by contacting Shawn of UsedPDAParts.com and see if he can help you since he fixes various Palm and related devices. Good luck
I bought a replacement glass digitizer from pdaparts for my palm TX, and followed instructions from instructables.com. It just works as new…. Anything else did not do the trick.