Palm LifeDrive with SanDisk Extreme III 4GB
I am a happy owner of Palm LifeDrive.
Before modifications that I have made, I couldn't say the same ;)
Inspired by :
Howto replace microdrive with compactflash in LifeDrive
and
How to manually install PalmOS on a LifeDrive HDD
I have made fresh customized ROM and replaced internal microdrive with SanDisk Extreme III 4GB CF, which gived quite amazing speed-up.
The only thing that I would be aware of is the number of writes that CF can handle, but I will post updates, as soon as my CF will fail ;) I know it is not a small number, so maybe I will never post updates (I hope so)
So what I did was very simple:
First thing that I made was to create customized ROM, please look at the How to manually install PalmOS on a LifeDrive HDD page, where it is described very well. Of course you can modify the ROM as you want during this step.
UPDATE: the change is no longer needed - updated in the wiki page
Note, that the step did not worked for me:
$ echo \
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQEABlgPCD8AAACACwIAAFgQCAAoHAu/CwIAgLAAAAAoHQsLz13xP7wCAIBLdwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVao=' \
| python -c 'import \
base64,sys;sys.stdout.write("\0"*432+base64.b64decode(sys.stdin.read()))' & gt; \
table.sct
So I had to use the following command:
$ echo \
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQEABlgPCD8AAACACwIAAFgQCAAoHAu/CwIAgLAAAAAoHQsLz13xP7wCAIBLdwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVao=' \
| python -c 'import \
base64,sys;sys.stdout.write("\0"*432+base64.b64decode(sys.stdin.read()))' > \
table.sct
The hardest part for me was to open my LifeDrive. Since I haven't did it before this was a little challenge. Hopefully there are some videos on youtube showing how to disassemble many parts from the LifeDrive.
Palm LifeDrive Screen Replacement & Take Apart Directions
Install a New Battery in Your PalmOne Lifedrive
After replacing microdrive with CF I have to say, that I was pretty much amazed how fast it is (5x faster??) and much more stable!! Battery life is also much better with that improvement, so I can simply recommend those modifications.
Posted at 01:19PM Mar 04, 2007 by migi in Personal | Comments[27]
Posted by Terry Hunek on March 18, 2007 at 03:23 AM UTC #
table.sct
--
cheers Migi
Posted by Michal Pryc on March 22, 2007 at 09:01 PM UTC #
Dear Michal,
I owned a LD only 03 wks. And its HD is dead now before I know something about saving an image of the Microdrive in it.
I am just an office staff and using Windows XP Pro SP2. I have the card reader, screw driver, and I will buy the CF.
Can you help giving me some instruction how to get a CF III 4 GB replaced in my LD?
Thank you in advance.
Posted by Van Thanh Nguyen on September 10, 2007 at 08:34 AM UTC #
Hello Van Thanh Nguyen,
In my blog entry, there are two links to documents, which describes this process in detail. I think I can't write more detailed instructions.
For sure it will be easier for you to use some OpenSolaris or Linux distribution to follow those steps, than Windows box. You can give a try on some Live distribution, which works from cd/dvd without installation. The only thing that you will need to do is to copy/paste instructions from the articles followed by links. You can try to use Ubuntu:
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Additionally you can find on youtube some videos telling how to actually open the LifeDrive:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lifedrive&search=Search
Also please note, that not all of the CF can be used with LD. The list that works can be also found in the documents that are pointed by the links in my blog enty.
Actually it is very hard to damage CF card, so you can have as many attempts as you want :) (I am not taking any responsibility for those words ;-)).
all the best
Michal Pryc
Posted by Michal Pryc on September 10, 2007 at 09:46 AM UTC #
Hello Michal and everybody else,
After over 2 years my LD HDD died, and I'm trying to replace it with a SanDisk Extreme III 4GB CF, using Ubuntu Linux and everything seems to go fine but please somebody can send me these 2 files:
1.unpdb.py
2.makecafe.py
I'm trying to download them but without success
or somebody have an image of the LD HDD so I can just clone it on to the CF
Greetings,
Pablo
Posted by Pablo on November 29, 2007 at 06:38 AM UTC #
Pablo,
I have those files, but I am afraid that I can't publish them on my blog, since there is no license information included in those files.
Michal Pryc
Posted by Michal Pryc on November 29, 2007 at 06:51 PM UTC #
Michal,
Would you be kind enough to put the rom.partition file as well? I have downloaded your table.sct; however, I could not find python scripts to build the rom partition.
your help is really appreciated.
Thank you.
Shirish
Posted by Shirish Ranjit on December 01, 2007 at 04:44 AM UTC #
Shirish,
I am afraid I can't do that, since this might break some licenses.
Posted by Michal Pryc on December 01, 2007 at 11:10 AM UTC #
Help - I've been searching high and low for an image of e LifeDrive microdrive to copy to CF, which at tthe moment is an expensive paperweight - does anyone know where I can download this....pleas
Brian
Posted by Brian Coutts on February 15, 2008 at 09:35 PM UTC #
Brian,
You will not be able to find image, since this is not free redistributable software, that is why I have post this blog entry, so everyone can create their own.
Posted by Michal Pryc on February 17, 2008 at 12:50 PM UTC #
I've talked to Palm Corporate, and those HDDs in the LD are failing all over the place now, probably due to age.
hackndev.com/node/92 has what you are looking for.
Posted by Joe on March 22, 2008 at 07:47 AM UTC #
how did u r lifedrive crash? what program was it how did u get it to crash do u know how to make it crash?
Posted by giggty on June 15, 2008 at 05:42 PM UTC #
giggty
It wasn't a program which caused it to crash. It was following the instructions to replace the microdrive with a CF card.
I did all that the instructions said to create the image, but on installing the CF it wouldn't boot. I put the microdrive back and it worked, I put the CF in and it wouldn't, I put the mnicrodrive back, and lo and behold the LifeDrive would not boot at all any more.
It is now repaired, with a CF card, having been sent to a man called Philip Sheard who worked his magic. And, I have to say, my LifeDrive positively flies, and is much more stable.
Does this help?
Brian
Posted by Brian Coutts on June 18, 2008 at 01:09 PM UTC #
Terrence,
Actually on windows it is much more complicated, so I if you really want to do the trick with LifeDrive without blowing away your windows, I would encourage you to download some LiveDVD/LiveCD version of Linux and follow the steps without actually installing Linux on your computer. In this case you will not only save your windows, but also have possibility to try Linux (or even maybe OpenSolris???) :-)
Posted by Michal Pryc on August 18, 2008 at 03:39 PM UTC #
I noticed since i put my e-mail on this public site ive gotten tons of spam could you edit it out or delete it
Posted by Terrence on August 19, 2008 at 07:02 PM UTC #
I couldn't edit this, so I removed your previous comment. Maybe you should give a try with liveCD distribution and connect external drive to have more space where you can actually put your dd image? Please remember that filesystems such fat32 have limit max up to 2G per file, so it would be the best to use some other filesystem.
Posted by Michal Pryc on August 19, 2008 at 07:39 PM UTC #
Hi Michal, thank you for the good post. can you send me these files?
1.unpdb.py
2.makecafe.py
I tried to download them but failed.
Robert
Posted by Robert on August 27, 2008 at 06:07 PM UTC #
Robert,
Currently those files can be found in the repository:
http://git.hackndev.com/?p=tools;a=tree
unpdb.py:
http://git.hackndev.com/?p=tools;a=blob_plain;f=unpdb.py;hb=HEAD
makecafe.py:
http://git.hackndev.com/?p=tools;a=blob_plain;f=makecafe.py;hb=HEAD
Sorry for not sending those files, just pointing, but there is no license information, so I can't redistribute those :-)
Posted by Michal Pryc on August 27, 2008 at 06:35 PM UTC #
Thanks for the quick reply! i got it now. =)
Posted by Robert on August 27, 2008 at 08:58 PM UTC #
Help!!!
My LifeDrive HD just died for the second time! Since it is now not covered by the warranty, I wanted to try the CompactFlash upgrade myself.
I purchased a Sandisk Extreme III 4GB CF card (model SDCFX3-004G-A31) which is listed as a card which has worked in the past.
I have performed all the steps as listed in the various pages linked to from this page, including using fdisk in expert mode to change the CHS of the card. All of the steps seemed to work, but when I insert the CF card into my Lifedrive, it stays locked on the initial PalmOne screen. I tried hard booting several times, using both Quick Erase and Secure Erase, but no joy! I'm at a loss at what to do now.
Anyone else out there have step by step instructions for the Extreme III 4GB card?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Posted by Bill on November 16, 2008 at 07:01 PM UTC #
Bill,
I did that quite a long time ago and since then everything works fine. You could try to do all the steps from the beginning once again, maybe this will help.
I was following the steps from:
http://trac.hackndev.com/projects/palmld/wiki/ReinstallingPalmOS
which works under GNU/Linux, not the ones that uses advanced fdisk options.
Posted by Michal Pryc on November 16, 2008 at 07:09 PM UTC #
i was wondering how to install a cf into a lifedrive if you do not have the original hd
Posted by joeogio on December 06, 2008 at 12:21 AM UTC #
Having the image file and only one step using cygwin (for passing image file to CF), waiting 3 hours for 4GB is a simple job.
Doubts? don't stop asking. Bye
Posted by eaguiler on December 29, 2008 at 06:49 PM UTC #
i try to do this, but i cant, i dont know what to do, i just think to buy a TX, some body, can sell me one formated CF?
thanks
Posted by Edd on February 15, 2009 at 01:22 AM UTC #
I've read all the comments above, bcuz my LD HD just died after 1month only of purchasing
and i arranged CF card and it's reader
but i have a problem understanding a ROM replacement mechanism
so please could anybody help me in deep details .
thanks very much
Mouhanad
Posted by mouhanad on March 01, 2009 at 09:35 PM UTC #
Hello guys
My second Lifedrive has died for no reason.
I have the CF card and reader.
Also I tried to mount the microdrive.
Doesn't work.
I am an official moron with Linux and such!
Could I please send my CF card to anyone to put the lifedrive image on it?
I am willing to pay.
Very desparate!
Rutger
Posted by rutger on April 27, 2009 at 05:59 PM UTC #
my LD crashed 2 years ago during an update for the ptunes app from the palm website. palm wanted $150 just to look at my LD before fixing anything, so i said to hell with that and looked around and found hackndev.com... ive been trying their instructions repeatedly for 2 years, i always get the proper verification response sequences when i follow their instructions however when i put my microdrive back into my LD, it still will not boot. i am wondering if anyone can just point me to an image or iso or something of the drive in original condition of how it came from palm that i could just write directly to my microdrive, pop it back into the LD and have it boot up the same as the day i bought it. thx in advance. :)
Posted by ihatemyLD on May 10, 2009 at 07:21 AM UTC #