Recover a "bricked" iPAQ
Sometimes, an iPAQ seems to be "bricked" (completely dead, not even reset works) but it really isn't. Truly bricked handhelds are quite rare, and usually only occur if the bootloader becomes corrupted or the device develops a hardware fault. Try some of the following recovery methods.
Recovery methods
Hard reset
Try holding down the centre of the joypad and pressing the reset button with the stylus. On all devices except the h5xxx, you should see something on screen, or at least something on the serial port (use a serial cable and a terminal application such as Hyperterminal or minicom with the correct settings to check).
Hard reset with power connected
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Connect your iPAQ to the charger using the charger adapter (not the cradle) so that you can reach the power button. If you do not have a charger adapter, you may be able to get by using the cradle with a bent paperclip to press in the reset button, but this is not easy to do.
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Leave the power connected for a few minutes
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With the power still connected, hold down the centre of the joypad and press the reset button
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Look for screen or serial activity as above
Remove battery (h5xxx only)
If your device is an h5xxx series, remove the battery and wait 15 minutes. Then put it back and press reset. It should wake up. If it doesn't, try again but this time leave the battery out for a few hours.
If that doesn't work, try leaving the unit seperated from the battery for a couple of days, then put the unit in the cradle with power applied, and then put the battery in. I leave it for an hour or so, then when I take it out and reset it, it starts normally (buzzes briefly then boots).
Hard reset for original bootloader
If for whatever reason the original ("parrot") bootloader is still present on the device, you can hard reset using the following method (preferably with power connected):
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Hold down the Calendar and iTask (curved arrow) buttons and press the reset button
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Press the power button to switch the unit back on
If all else fails
If your iPAQ is still dead (ie, it really is bricked) there are a few different ways you can get your iPAQ working again assuming it is not faulty or damaged.
HP Service
You can send your iPAQ back to HP to have it fixed/restored. Beware that it may not be covered by warranty, so they may decide to charge you for the repair.
HP Service wants to replace the board on your ipaq for about 260$ (atleast for the 5400 series).
There is usually a 50$ Return-Unrepaired fee if you choose not to do this.
Other repair agents
Some PDA repair companies can do a restore/repair. Do a google search on "iPAQ repair". These usually offer cheaper board replacement options.
JTAG
If your iPAQ is genuinely bricked, and it's only a bootloader issue, you may be able to "de-brick" it yourself. Internally, all iPAQs and many other PDAs have a JTAG connector, which can be used to manually restore the bootloader. You should not consider attempting this unless you have electronics experience, are good at soldering and don't mind opening your iPAQ (and of course voiding the warranty).
handhelds.org
Several individuals at handhelds.org can fix a corrupted bootloader on a purely "personal favour" basis - email ipaq@handhelds.org if you think you need this.
