Computer Hope

Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: Gregg123 on May 07, 2009, 07:45:53 AM

Title: 2nd Opinion on an old PDA
Post by: Gregg123 on May 07, 2009, 07:45:53 AM

Hi,
I posted this on another (inferior!) site, but no one would give me an answer specific to the PDA I am actually asking about.

Hopefully someone here can give me an answer regarding my Compaq IPAQ 3970 - I am sure the answer must be in the technical data somewhere, but I cannot find it. Even if I did it might as well be in Chinese!!

Thanks in advance!

I have an old Compaq Ipaq 3970 which I allowed to discharge and lost all the data.
I sent it to a Data Recovery Company to see if any recovery was possible, they came back and said it was not possible:
'This device uses ram flash memory therefore as soon as the power is lost all data is lost and does not exist to be recovered'
Conclusion: No recovery possible

However my IT guy in the Office said that apparently the Conclusion is a contradiction RAM would normally lose data when it loses power & Flash Memory would keep at least something.

I have no idea who is correct, so I thought I would try a second opinion from you guys!!If my guy is correct should I get a second recovery firm to take a look or is there no hope?

Thanks again!

Title: Re: 2nd Opinion on an old PDA
Post by: Aegis on May 07, 2009, 10:04:51 AM

I think your I/T person is closer to being correct! 

RAM is generally temporary memory. 

Flash memory will generally "hold" but I'm hedging -- I suspect, given a long enough time frame, that even flash memory will degrade.  I also imagine sometimes errors and things happen, too.

Title: Re: 2nd Opinion on an old PDA
Post by: BC_Programmer on May 07, 2009, 10:16:54 AM

Flash memory probably has a limit but it's yet to be experienced- most of the time flash memory dies from too many write cycles.

However they might have made a typo, and the device might NOT use flash memory, which seems a bit silly if you ask me.

Title: Re: 2nd Opinion on an old PDA
Post by: Aegis on May 07, 2009, 10:20:01 AM

Oh, man...if the PDA ran from RAM only, that would su -- not be good!   ;)