Palm LifeDrive Repair Service

Instructions for Express Repair Service Instructions

This repair service is for the Palm LifeDrive, it includes the parts and services selected below(check boxes), return shipping options will be given near the end of the checkout process. You can use this service if you know the repairs needed or you can complete our online web form if you are unsure of the needed repairs. If you need to ask a question either use our Contact Us page or give us a call at (612) 326-4364 within business hours. If we find additional problems we will contact you.

In most cases the Palm will be repaired and sent back within two business days after receiving it. With the RUSH option every effort will be made to send the Palm back the same day as receiving it, these are top-priority upon receipt.

Description of the most common repairs for this model(click on the item to see the description)

• MicroDrive
  • The LifeDrive comes with a MicroDrive however it makes the unit very slow and is very susceptible to mechanical failure as it contains a physically rotating disk - any drop could cause the drive head to crash creating damage on the fragile surface.  In most cases you can tell when the MicroDrive has gone out by charging the unit then pressing the reset button, if the Palm logo shows up on the screen but goes no futher, if you hold it up to your ear you might hear a repeated clicking. It is highly recommended to have the MicroDrive replaced even if it is still working, this is where all your data is held, once it goes out the data can not be recovered.
• Flash Drive
  • This is a replacement for the above MicroDrive, it is a great improvement increasing the data transfer rate by 3 times, decreasing the battery usage to 1/3 and most importantly there are no moving parts so mechanical failure is greatly reduced if not eliminated.
• Cold Solder Joint Repair
  • If your LifeDrive is completely dead except for the charge light while it is on the charger then the problem is a cold solder joint under the ROM chip. This is a very common failure for this model, if you are getting other repairs it is a good idea to have the repair done as a preventative repair.
• Battery
  • In most case, even if the battery is bad the unit should turn on while it is on the charger/AC adapter. A new battery is usually needed if one or more of the following conditions are experienced; (1)battery life is less that what it should be, (2)drains very quickly, (3)charges very quickly or only turns on while on the charger/AC adapter, (4)does not fully charge even after being on the charger/AC adapter for more than four hours.
• Digitizer/Touchscreen
  • A new digitizer is needed if one or more of the following conditions are experienced; (1)Palm does not register taps on the screen, (2)locations on the screen register erratically and/or sporadic taps, (3)location where you tap is registered somewhere else on the screen - for example 1/8" up from tapped area, (4)graffiti writing is difficult, (5)during the screen calibration either the Palm does not see your taps or never completes the calibration process, (6)if you have a glass digitizer and it is cracked.
  • OEM Plastic Digitizer/Touchscreen
    • The OEM digitizer is made out of plastic, the benefit over glass is it will not crack/break, the downside is the plastic digitizer does not hold the calibration values as well as the glass and does not last as long. Palm started using plastic to lower the price of the components
  • Glass Digitizer/Touchscreen
    • With a glass digitizer the substrate, bottom layer of the digitizer, is made out of glass, it will still have a very hard plastic layer on the top just like the plastic digitizer so it can and will scratch but it will retain its calibration values better then the OEM. Because it is glass it can crack if dropped however the glass works to strengthen the whole display so if the unit is dropped it is less likely to break the fragile LCD screen which is behind the digitizer.
• LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
  • If you are able to turn the unit on and off but either there is no display(white screen), the display is washed out in some or all places, or you can see a crack anywhere on the screen.
• On/Off switch
  • the switch either does not work at all or only sometimes works but the unit can be turned on by either a reset from the back or one of the lower application buttons.
• Sync/Charge Connector
  • If the charge is inconsistent based on how the charge plug is held, it is difficult to complete the hotsync process, there is corrosion on the sync connector.
• RUSH!!!
  • Every effort will be made to send the Palm back out the same day as receiving it, these are top-priority upon receipt.

If we identify any other problems during the repair process you will be notified you via email or phone then given an option for the additional repair(s).

For a complete set of instructions please see Express Repair Service Instructions