[Q] Unresponsive Touchscreen? - Hero CDMA Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello my fellow android hackers, I need your help. Recently, my touchscreen has been completely unresponsive at the top of the screen, near the notifications bar area, but three times as thick. The problem with this (Besides having to go to my homescreen every time I need to access my notifications, or having to go into landscape mode) is that It often renders my phone useless. Often times when I select an object or slide across homescreens, the UI will select an object at the top of the screen. Shortly after, I will be unable to select anything on the screen, and if I try, the UI will select something at the top of the screen and will begin erratic movements around the homescreens, web browser, and almost any touchscreen interaction. This movement will occur whenever I try to interact with the phone's touchscreen whenever it is in this state.
This is not native to any rom, I've tried reflashing and trying many different roms. I know the touchscreen malfunction is native to the hardware, since I've tried reflashing the 2.xx.x.x.xx.6 and the 2.xx.x.x.xx.5 ruu. I think I will need to replace the touchscreen, so could anyone direct me to where to buy the part, a website to install the part, or both. I'm pretty sure I can find how to install the part, just not where to get it. Also, I'm not sure if it's a problem with the inner or outer lcd screen.
ANYWAYS, this problem is more common with the HTC Hero GSM, but HTC has said that some hero's have bad touchscreens.
Heres a link to a video demonstrating the problem. (I am running CM 6.0.0 test 2, it's a great rom)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ORe2rjWt7A&feature=related
This is with the hero cdma, but the broken area is on the side of the screen, not top.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYQnCOAtTLs&feature=related
This is to the GSM hero, but the issue is with the bottom of the screen.
This is a problem native to the HARDWARE, and occurred during normal use of the phone, just shortly after watching youtube videos and browsing the web.
Could anyone even direct me to a location to get this repaired, since the Sprint store said there was no way to fix it, but online many people had this issue and got it repaired by HTC customer care. Could anyone confirm this, or state the time length of a cdma sprint hero warranty purchased from Sprint in the US?
(Occassionally the phone works, but only for a short while and then It starts acting up again, usally during data use, like web browsing or using several apps)
Any help would be appreciated.

Is it humid where you live? Do you use a screen protector?
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

Yes, it is humid, and I don't use a screen protector. I think the processor was overheating during heavy use (watching video, etc) and I left the screen on for a while. I think that this damaged the screen.

Have you tried a different rom, or maybe flashing one of the new any kernels for your current rom? Almost sounds like it could be a driver issue. I did have a friend that had this problem on his stock hero, and sprint replaced it for him. If you ruu and it still does it, make a scene, they will replace it.

had the same problem with my hero, unresponsive directly below notification bar, as well as becoming completely useless randomly. took it into sprint, and the tech seemed to know exactly what the problem was. an hour later, it was fixed as well as my peeling buttons replaced...free. apparently the touch sensor was going out and it must happen more often than not considering the tech new what the issue was immediately.

Ok, I will not start another rant and rave I promise, BUT, I will say be very careful going to Sprint with a problem. I just had the same exact problem, I had to go to FOUR different stores, and finally instead of fixing my SPOTLESS Hero, they ordered me a "new" one, it has scratches all over the screen, the back cover hangs off, my hardware buttons(home,menu,ect...)are lose, and the metal where the ear speaker is is sticking out, be very careful dealing with sprint.Oh, yes this all happened in the last 4 days, they didnt give me a loner phone, and it took me 3 days to get this piece of **** they call a new phone. Just my experience.

Related

Tilt no longer enjoys being touched.

So, i'm usually quiet on these forums. Just reading, trying roms, etc. But here is something that has me stumped. Last thursday my phone crapped out. When i woke up and looked at it (it was connected to my laptop/charging) Applications were opening left and right, i couldn't close any of them because stuff kept opening. I tried to soft reboot it and it didn't help. Once it rebooted stuff started opening itself at random again. I ended up pulling the SIM and battery out and leaving it for 5 minutes. When i put it back and powered it up the touch screen no longer worked, but apps weren't opening on their own.
What gives?
I have hard reset (which means it's waiting for me to touch the screen to setup my rom), i have also taken off the screen protector (in case it had something stuck under it. Neither of these things helped. Per the forums I got a new screen, just put it in, and the touch screen doesn't work still... I'm drawing a blank here can anyone give me some advice. Going back to my Prophet for the time being but I HATE not having a keyboard (and it's slower than molasses)
have you tried flashing a new rom via sd?
Check that the screen protector has not moved under the front bezel and keeps pressing your touchscreen.
Robert
I have totally removed the screen protector and even replaced the screen for that matter so I dont think that's it. I haven't tried flashing a new rom. I just found it odd that this has worked for so long and now I get what appears to be hardware problems. As for flashing Via SD memory, is that better than doing it via cable for some reason? I'd be willing to give it a go...
Any other suggestions?
fiddelm3742 said:
I have totally removed the screen protector and even replaced the screen for that matter so I dont think that's it. I haven't tried flashing a new rom. I just found it odd that this has worked for so long and now I get what appears to be hardware problems. As for flashing Via SD memory, is that better than doing it via cable for some reason? I'd be willing to give it a go...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Similar problem happened to my Kaiser phone, although no multiple files opened, the phone just won't react to any touching, not stylus pen either. So I first soft reset, then hard reset, none of them works, now the phone can Sync alright, but the screen just stands on the Window Mobile screen, saying "Tap the screen to set up your window mobile device"
I only have this new phone for <3 weeks.
I went to HTC site, want to download a latest ROM file from them, after typing in the S/N, it won't let me, saying that ROM is not suitable for my phone.
So now I am download ROM file from this site, will choose one to flash the phone, see whether it works.
I will call HTC tech support tomorrow after Thanksgiving, see what they suggest
Hope some gurus here can also make some suggestion, Thanks!
Well I replaced the LCD and the new LCD works great, but the screen still doesn't respond to touches. What gives?! I hard reset and I got past the windows screen alignment thing by creating a welcome.not file but it's still pretty much worthless w/o a touch screen. Anyone have any suggestions?
Whoa, i thought something odd was going on. Never mind i got entirely the wrong idea.
Ha, not the case.
Anyone know if a flex cable would fix my issue? I dont really know what the felx cable is for but i've seen posts about people replacing them w/ LCD problems. I don't know if it is touch screen related or not, and i'm kind of tired of buying parts that don't fix my problem
please just flash a new rom whch ever you want (for some reason i thought you said that it keeps restarting your device because if that was the case the only option you would have was to flash via sd as activesync would load long enough for you to get a connection to flash from the computer)..trust me just try it..what have you got to lose
I reflashed one yesterday actually. The newest HyperDragon (which is looks like a new one is available today) It wasn't rebooting but initially windows were popping open left and right so i restarted it a couple of times(which i first had the problem, not yesterday) Yesterday it worked like any normal rom w/o the ability to touch. Anywho, after the flash of a different rom. No luck. I'm thinking it's a hardware problem of some sort but as i've already replaced the LCD i have no idea what?
yah thats sounds funky..you can bring it in for a warranty exchange either at a local DSC or over the phone (that is if your with att) and if not call HTC..all devcies come with a 16 or 18 month warranty
Well I called ATT yesterday, apparently I purchased the phone On Oct 17th 2007 which means It's out of warranty (apparently it has a 12 month warranty?) So it sounds like I'm SOL. So, i guess I'm off to ebay to try and fine a phone that I can canibalize to try and get mine going again.
touch screen
this may sound dum but when you replaced the screen did you replace the touch part as this is different from the screen
Well I picked up this
http://www.blackberry8100parts.com/...B3-NEW-HTC-TyTN-II-KAISER-P4550-_p_35-70.html
which includes the digitizer (from what I know it's all one part when they send it to you) The screen has the digitizer built in. So i replaced the part they sent me.
I just stated having this issue. My touchscreen stopped responding to touches over the weekend while the keyboard was extended. I just took the phone apart to make sure everything was connected right & put it back together, & now the touchscreen doesn't work at all. This sucks!
Any news? i'm having the same problem: no response at all, stuck at "Tap the screen to set up Windows Mobile-based device"
An interesting problem with screen
well my tilt fell out of the car holster while using gps and i suspect the screen hit my gear shift. I didn't notice anything odd after i put the battery back in it (yeah it fell that hard lol). Later that night I went to check mail and noticed something not right. Turns out my screen seems to have been pushed in a bit. Well here's the issues I've noticed so far: All the touch responses seem fine except for 1) the screen alignment doesn't register taps, but otherwise the touchscreen works and 2) on the htc home screen, I can't tap the house icon unless I tap any other icon first.
Initially I thought there was some pressure or deformation right at that particular spot, but it reacts the exact same way in landscape mode. I can't tap the house icon first; I have to tap something else first, then the icon works fine until I open a program or something and go back to the home screen. Then I simply have to tap weather or something and then home.
I'd reflash the rom or do a hard reset, but the screen alignment didn't work when I tried it so I didn't want to get stuck at the "tap your screen to begin" part.
Any ideas or do I just need to buy another screen or maybe just the digitizer. the amount the screen seems recessed is maybe a millimeter at most. Just enough so that I noticed a difference when touching contacts just above the housing. I tried cleaning by using a business card and running between screen and housing. Ohh... and one more thing... when I open the cube and then close it, I get what I refer to a static frazzle for split second and it goes back to normal. That only happened a couple of times after the business card thing. Do you think I just loosened a connection? damn... I still haven't taken it apart yet. Think I need to. Any help appreciated.
If your screen does not work, you can still use your phone. There is an app that you use on your computer that acts as the touch screen. This also works when the screen craps out.
http://www.sparus-software.com/spip.php?page=download&lang=en&ref=at&t=tilt
(EveryWAN Remote Support Personal Edition - Free download)
yeah -- my touchscreen didn't crap out totally, it just got muffed up when I dropped it a bit. Well, i went ahead and installed codefreaks remote screen alignment thing and did a hard reset. Well, the hardreset did the trick w/out the need for anything else. The alignment worked and everything. So, i'm back in business. Everything seems to work properly, except that my screen is still recessed a tad; but, that's not a big deal really.

Touch Screen has stopped working

Basically about 2 months ago I rooted the phone and put in cyangen mod, everything was fine until the touch screen stopped working. Most of the time it was brief but sometimes the touch screen just wouldn't work for a whole day and then start working again. Thinking I had done the root wrong I unrooted the phone back to it's orginal. However the problem still showed up despite that. I recently updated it to the donut update, and that's when the problem got worse. Now the touch screen won't work and when I go to the contacts using the trackball I get an error. And anytime i recieve a phone call I get the same error. Thinking it was a software problem and factory reset the phone and scaled it back to rc29. But still the touch screen doesn't work, and now because of that I am stuck on the setup screen at the beginning which ask you to touch the android to continue (which I can't). I have wiped and factory reset the g1 many times, and usually that has made the touch screen work again, but now it seems to not work at all. I deducted over the last couple of days that it must be the power adapter causing all of this. Since I got the touch screen working yesterday and had no problems the entire day. Then a hour after I put it on the charger the touch screen stopped working again and hasn't worked since. Is there anything that can be done at this point to fix it? I read somewhere about a script that makes the g1 touch screen work again but haven't been able to find it.
Same problem
I'm having a near identical problem. Most all of the symptoms are the same - except my touchscreen has only worked for a few seconds on one occasion after the initial failure. I've tried wiping, and about 3 different mods (JaCx, Cyan, Enomther). None have helped, and currently I'm stuck at the same point where it's asking me to touch the Android to begin, and I can't. The only difference is that I didn't unroot. So I'm going to try a few more roms, but I doubt I'll have any luck. My phone was also put on a charger that wasn't made for the g1. I began to notice the problem thereafter. Not sure why, but that certainly seems like the only reasonable variable which could be causing this.
Anyone out there have any ideas? It'd be much appreciated.
Have you guys dropped your phone recently? I'd like to share my story as well. Two weeks ago, I dropped the phone on hard tile while it was still in its leather/suade case. I picked it up and instantly found the touch capabilities were gone (with screen open or closed). After many soft resets and not knowing how else to fix it, I also decided to revert back to rc29 from cyanogenmod. Still no go, after being stuck at the setup screen. I disassembled the phone, using the G1 service manual, to make sure none of the ribbons were knocked loose and examined the lcd and digitizer for any cracks. No problems that I could see. Disassembled, and reassembled the phone a few more times and still with no avail.
If you were one of the first to receive a g1, such as myself, oct 22nd is the last day of your 1 yr warranty. So give t-mobile a call, and submit a claim before then if you want to take advantage of it. Make sure you reflash to stock image, and that there are no signs of visible damage on the phone or else the warranty will be void. Good luck.
Edit: If your phone's touch screen is working at random times, I'm suspecting its a hardware problem, most likely a damaged or worn out flex cable from opening and closing the screen. Try slowly opening the screen and touching the screen at the same time to see if anything happens.
When I was waiting for my G1 I came on this forum (Had a Diamond before so knew about it anyway) and found a topic discussing problems like this... If you have an Early G1 then I'm guessing this is the problem...
There is some sort of design flaw with the ribbon cable connecting the Touch Screen to the Mainboard catching onto the sliding mechanism. This eventually destroys the cable and causes the touchscreen to stop working. On Later models they've fixed it by taping the ribbon cable down instead of letting it hang loose.
In short... you need to unroot your phone and take it back to T-Mobile.
Interesting thoughts, thanks for the input. My G1 has never been dropped, and is actually relatively new, only a couple months old. But it's not on T-Mobile. I flashed MLIGN 2.5.7 (Hero). I did this b/c I know it bypasses the typical "touch here" activation BS. So I can boot, and get into the OS just fine. Which is where I'm at now.
Here's what I've done. I completely wiped my Fat32, Ext2, and Linux_Swamp partitions using Gparted. I completely wiped the phone using Cyan 1.4 Recovery. Yet no matter which Mod I use my touch screen doesn't cooperate, AND (no matter which mod I'm using) when I try to launch basic apps (dialer/phone, some settings menus, etc) I am notified that, "android.process.acore" has stopped. Without fail. It ALWAYS does this when attempting to access the dialer/phone. I would be more than happy to take some time troubleshooting the touch screen IF my damn dailer/phone would work. But it does not.
I read on some other forums about there being 2 compcache files for someone who had a similar issue. That's slightly above my head, though, and I'm not quite sure how to go about checking that and/or deleting one. Really, I just want to be able to access my dialer/phone app for the time being. Then I can take some time to trouble shoot the touch screen.
Anyone have any ideas about the process failing, or the compcache affect?
Also, I'm using 1.33.2005 SPL.
Thanks
gat0rjay said:
Interesting thoughts, thanks for the input. My G1 has never been dropped, and is actually relatively new, only a couple months old. But it's not on T-Mobile. I flashed MLIGN 2.5.7 (Hero). I did this b/c I know it bypasses the typical "touch here" activation BS. So I can boot, and get into the OS just fine. Which is where I'm at now.
Here's what I've done. I completely wiped my Fat32, Ext2, and Linux_Swamp partitions using Gparted. I completely wiped the phone using Cyan 1.4 Recovery. Yet no matter which Mod I use my touch screen doesn't cooperate, AND (no matter which mod I'm using) when I try to launch basic apps (dialer/phone, some settings menus, etc) I am notified that, "android.process.acore" has stopped. Without fail. It ALWAYS does this when attempting to access the dialer/phone. I would be more than happy to take some time troubleshooting the touch screen IF my damn dailer/phone would work. But it does not.
I read on some other forums about there being 2 compcache files for someone who had a similar issue. That's slightly above my head, though, and I'm not quite sure how to go about checking that and/or deleting one. Really, I just want to be able to access my dialer/phone app for the time being. Then I can take some time to trouble shoot the touch screen.
Anyone have any ideas about the process failing, or the compcache affect?
Also, I'm using 1.33.2005 SPL.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I realize this is an old thread but did you ever get the issue figured out? My phone did this just last night
Alright as suggested earlier in the thread it was a hardware issue. I found that my touchscreen had become unplugged and was causing the errors.
Sorry to bring this guy back from the dead but I figured I would educate a few people one a common touch-screen problem.
Yeah, 90% of the time it's the adapter you're using. Being a G1 owner with lots of mini-USB chargers i found the same problem. Also being a tech rep at t-mobile, i've had lots of calls revolving around this and fixing it.
The G1 uses a 1000mA charger (1A). For me, the touch-screen going haywire/unresponsive seemed to get more severe as the the chargers specs went lower. An old Motorola charger at 500mA was ridiculous. Talking to customers with the exact symptoms and hardware, eventually lost all functionality of the touch screen.
On a side note, it's not just the G1 that has problems with the wrong charger. A linksys router I have has a standard power port connection type in the back but requires a bigger amp adapter. hooking the wrong one up will cause complete failure. In many situations, not enough energy is just as detrimental as too much energy. One last example: Take a big 10" sub driver, hook it up to a crappy 300W amp, you get an overheated coil and eventually a busted driver.
So, lesson is, just because it fits doesn't mean it's safe to use. I never mix and match adapters with any device ever because of the risk of damage.

[Q] Touch screen dead spots

This may be a problem beyond the scope of android, but seeing as I'm running it, I thought I'd try here first.
I've noticed that the lower left hand side of my screen has a "dead spot" where touch is simply not registered. To illustrate, I went to screen calibration's test screen and drew a straight line along the edge of the screen. (See Attachment)
I've tried recalibrating the screen (manually and resetting to default calibration) as well as wiping data and reinstalling the system. Reinstalling the system worked once, but then the problem came back and subsequent reinstalls did not fix the issue.
I'm running Incubus26jc super froyo [RLS 12] on the 15-07-10 340X480 Froyo Kernel.
Anyone else seen anything like this? As far as I can tell, the problem is not getting any worse. Currently, it's only a hindrance when trying to use keys in that region, but I can work around it by switching to and from landscape. It's a bit of a hassle, so I'm hoping someone may be able to shed some light on the situation.
I was sure it was hardware until the system reinstall fixed it, but am now baffled as I can no longer replicate the fix.
I have not tried reinstalling the kernel but will at some point in the next day or so. I'd like to avoid switching back to WM to check if the problem persists, but may have to... we'll see. Doing everything I can to make this phone last until the Incredible month of February when I'm up for an upgrade.
dont know the issue resolution... but i have the same with my touch vogue.. and in the same 'area' apparently as well.
hard for me to hit the 'a' key on my keyboard. hehe
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one... anyone else?
Bottom right corner for me... I was able to calibrate around it but it took a few tries.
Sent from my Full Android on Vogue using XDA App
The sensitivity across my screen was inconsistent some time ago. I found that years of my abuse had taken a tole on the exterior of my phone. It eventually got worse and I bought a new housing (with a new digitizer) on ebay for a reasonable price. If it is hardware then it really isn't that hard to fix if you like taking things apart.
If you're sure that win mo accepts input from that part of the screen then nevermind my post. I would play with a painting app though and investigate the hardware further.
I may be talking a little out my a$$ with this part but.. is it possible that in calibrating your screen the os may change it's settings on how hard you have to press and such also. that may be how you got it working.
In any case, my investment in a hew housing was well worth it considering how modern my old phone has become thanks to the developers here.
gooph said:
I may be talking a little out my a$$ with this part but.. is it possible that in calibrating your screen the os may change it's settings on how hard you have to press and such also. that may be how you got it working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my case, no - when drawing a straight line down or across the screen, the line starts 'moving' away from the stylus (like the picture in the OP).
Gah... now it's shutting itself off randomly and the dead spot has grown. Not good at all.
Yeah, mine was better for a while then 'slid' again. I ended up swapping the digitizer with my other Vogue and things are back to normal.
Sent from my Full Android on Vogue using XDA App
I have another vogue, but am weary of doing anything like that. How hard was it to get done?
All you need to do is switch the front half of the housing rather than the digitizer itself- it's not hard. There's a teardown guide somewhere in the forum, Google Vogue teardown and it should be at the top.
Sent from my Full Android on Vogue using XDA App
The only thing that worries me is that my spare vogue exists because it was dropped in a muddy puddle. I'm hoping the water damage isn't too bad. Guess we'll just have to see.
it is really annoying
I have the exact same problem and I too thought it was a hardware issue till I saw this Thread. I was ignoring it till two days ago when it started really bugging me. Now, I don't even need to press any button and it automatically gets pressed around the curve and I have a google search box there, so it keeps on searching for eee or sss randomly and started draining my battery. Is there a proper fix for this?
I thought I'd chime in too... I could never seem to calibrate the touchscreen properly in either Android or Debian. Changing the screen resolution (i.e. msmfb scaling) seems to have no effect, whether it's 240x320 or 640x480. Any area within 5mm or so of the edges of the LCD will register as the edge, making "A" and several other keys on the virtual keyboard impossible to hit. Passing calibration values to the kernel didn't seem to fix anything, but it's possible I was using them the wrong way...
i have the same kind of problem on my Kaiser... i think its realted to hardware... either the housing or the digitizer...
I am experiencing the same problem on X10 mini pro. the same screen spot exactly, i have to try very hard to get z or x or shift to work. Sometimes when I try locking the screen and unlocking it back, it works.
update
so after a very long time with this problem i decided to change the digitizer and problem is gonne. visualy the broken digitizer had nothing wrong with it. The fix was fairly easy though, there is no glued parts involved into getting a new digitizer on the u20i.
Touch Screen
I just bought a brand new Cubot One and it looks more than perfect! It has just a little problem with the touch screen ( I think its the software, need ROM change). There is a dead line on the right side of the screen that touch doesn't work at all. Any solutions? Anyone faced that before? Can I fix it myself or do I have to send it back for replacement? Is there any video or guide that shows its done?
I uploaded a video on YouTube to show the problem but i cant post it yet.. (new member)
You can write "Cubot One touch screen problem" and it's the 1st one.
Thank You!

[Hardware] G1 screen issue

Greetings,
When I would try and wake my G1, the screen would not always turn on. I would have to go through the process of hitting end, flipping the screen open while hitting menu repeatedly. Sometimes it would work, mostly not. If I waked the phone, with or without the screen turning on, I could use the touchscreen. Wasn't entirely sure what I was doing of course.
Another issue was the screen "dying" while awake. Example: using navigation and the color and light would drain off the screen.
So all of this leads me to believe that there is something wrong with the cable that connects the screen to the phone body. Has anyone opened up the phone and looked around inside? Would be interested in a fix so I can use it as a remote for the house haha
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
What rom are you using in your phone?
Anyway this is a software problem, no hardware.
My phone had this "problem" too with some roms.
In general I had this problem with heavy roms (for example hero roms) where swap is enable.
It did it on CM6, cm5, super d, super e, and straight up stock. Between each i would completely wipe data and cache, wipe and repair ext, wipe data again and flash.
If you believe that it is still a software problem, I have no problem trying again
EDIT: another thing is that when booting, the Tmobile G1 screen won't always show. Need to manipulate the screen to it to show.
Sent from my s=off HTC Glacier using XDA App.
If it goes on and off as you move it around on the boot/recovery screen then it is probably a hardware problem.
It's a fairly involved process to change it. You basically have do completely disassemble the phone. A little google searching can find you the factory disassembly guide (i'd post it if I knew it was ok or not).
No worries about posting a link
I'll give it a go! Thanks for the tip good sir. Will post results once I get around to it
Cheers
Sent from my s=off HTC Glacier using XDA App.
Just want to mention that I'm having a very similar problem with a second-hand G1. Just as the OP did, I tried several different ROMs to see if it was a software issue (stock, CyanogenMod 5, Froyo for Trout, now on TheOfficial DS). An additional symptom that mine is suffering is that the screen tends to go blank if the keyboard is flipped open quickly, which contributes to the "hardware problem" theory.
At some point in the near future I'm going to have a go at it using the service manual. Sorry can't post URLs... it's http colon slash slash mikechannon dot net/PDF Manuals/HTC%20Dream%20SM%20%28A04%29.pdf
I don't have big hands so the G1 is the perfect size phone for me...hoping to get this working reliably and then to hand off my Motorola Milestone to the husband, that thing is humongous to me. (Ironically spouse is an engineer with a Master's degree and a lot of experience with electronics but I do all the phone maintenance.)
After some minor surgery, seems OK now
I went up to "disconnect the display FPC" step on page 32 of the service manual. Then I reassembled the phone while trying to make sure that all the cables were plugged in as tightly as possible. It's rather fiddly so please make sure you have good fine manual control. (This was my first time disassembling a phone.) The "screen blanking" problem seems to be cured now although I am trying to be gentle when opening/closing the keyboard. At least it doesn't randomly go blank by itself any more.
My father had given me a set of electronic screwdriver bits for Chinese New Year, perfect timing, thanks Pa You will need the Torx 5 and 6 and a Philips 0 bit. I also used the flathead bits as levers as I didn't have the plastic lever in the official HTC manual, so the edges of the housing are a bit ugly now
Well done! I will give that a go! Congrats on getting yours working. If I remember to actually try, I'll post my results.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

[Q] Droid 4 possessed / erratic touchscreen behaviour

Since the last few days I've been getting some strange issues with my touchscreen. Sometimes parts of the screen (or the full screen) do not respond, and even the softbuttons are affected. When I take the phone out of my pocket, it either responds normally (I use pattern lock) or tries to use the emergency dialer or emergency contacts, and sometimes even tries to call a number from the emergency dialer (number 2 and luckily not 112..)
When in the launcher, it sometimes opens an app (like my calendar) and slowly scrolls either sideways or vertically. Turning the screen off and on again once or twice usually solves it for a (short) while.
I've already read some threads about it and ruled out the following causes:
The phone is not connected to any charger when this happens.
It still happens after cleaning the screen (just with a cloth, no liquids)
It still happens after disabling CPU Tuner. I didn't overlock the system, but used some custom power settings and different governors which apparently can also affect this behaviour.
The battery is still original since nowadays I prefer to use external chargers instead of buying a big battery for every new phone
The only things that changed recently are:
I installed the OwnCloud app, but that doesn't seem related.
We moved to another office building, in which the carpet generates more static electricity.
I gained some weight which may put a bit more pressure in my pant pockets than before
It started happening a few days ago, after using the .215 ICS leak for a few weeks without issue. I seem to get the problem less at home than I do at work, which makes me think it's either the static electricity or CPU governor (since battery percentage is lower by the time I get home again, so it might use a different governor). However, I've been using CPU Tuner for quite some time before this issue started, and the issue persists after disabling it.
So I am guessing it's any of the following causes:
Static electricity
Keeping the phone in my pant pockets which may put some pressure on the screen
A problem with the battery or screen somehow (moisture?)
Some other hardware issue
Some software issue
Does anybody have any tips or other ideas about this? Thanks in advance.
Edit: I enabled some development options to show touch pointer location (white dot) and trails. Screenshot added. Phantom touches seem to be focused in the bottom center part of the phone, which is probably around where I grap it when I take it out of my pocket. Trails usually disappear the next time you touch the screen, but in this case the trails kept growing / adding. I made some real swipes (upper half of the screen) and they 'stuck' without the phone responding to them (the application did not scroll) due to the parallel phantom touches in the bottom. In this case the phantom touches blocked my real input, in other cases they cause some behaviour (scrolling etc.). However, sometimes when the screen is not responding, there are no phantom touches visible in this display mode.
Edit 2:The no-touch input problem seems to be 'triggered' most of the time I open the keyboard. Sometimes this is followed by the phantom touches, but usually they start occuring in the portrait mode lock screen.
Sjaakbanaan said:
Since the last few days I've been getting some strange issues with my touchscreen. Sometimes parts of the screen (or the full screen) do not respond, and even the softbuttons are affected. When I take the phone out of my pocket, it either responds normally (I use pattern lock) or tries to use the emergency dialer or emergency contacts, and sometimes even tries to call a number from the emergency dialer (number 2 and luckily not 112..)
When in the launcher, it sometimes opens an app (like my calendar) and slowly scrolls either sideways or vertically. Turning the screen off and on again once or twice usually solves it for a (short) while.
I've already read some threads about it and ruled out the following causes:
The phone is not connected to any charger when this happens.
It still happens after cleaning the screen (just with a cloth, no liquids)
It still happens after disabling CPU Tuner. I didn't overlock the system, but used some custom power settings and different governors which apparently can also affect this behaviour.
The battery is still original since nowadays I prefer to use external chargers instead of buying a big battery for every new phone
The only things that changed recently are:
I installed the OwnCloud app, but that doesn't seem related.
We moved to another office building, in which the carpet generates more static electricity.
I gained some weight which may put a bit more pressure in my pant pockets than before
It started happening a few days ago, after using the .215 ICS leak for a few weeks without issue. I seem to get the problem less at home than I do at work, which makes me think it's either the static electricity or CPU governor (since battery percentage is lower by the time I get home again, so it might use a different governor). However, I've been using CPU Tuner for quite some time before this issue started, and the issue persists after disabling it.
So I am guessing it's any of the following causes:
Static electricity
Keeping the phone in my pant pockets which may put some pressure on the screen
A problem with the battery or screen somehow (moisture?)
Some other hardware issue
Some software issue
Does anybody have any tips or other ideas about this? Thanks in advance.
Edit: I enabled some development options to show touch pointer location (white dot) and trails. Screenshot added. Phantom touches seem to be focused in the bottom center part of the phone, which is probably around where I grap it when I take it out of my pocket. Trails usually disappear the next time you touch the screen, but in this case the trails kept growing / adding. I made some real swipes (upper half of the screen) and they 'stuck' without the phone responding to them (the application did not scroll) due to the parallel phantom touches in the bottom. In this case the phantom touches blocked my real input, in other cases they cause some behaviour (scrolling etc.). However, sometimes when the screen is not responding, there are no phantom touches visible in this display mode.
Edit 2:The no-touch input problem seems to be 'triggered' most of the time I open the keyboard. Sometimes this is followed by the phantom touches, but usually they start occuring in the portrait mode lock screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
clean you phone with an air duster than a alcohol swab make sure you dry it quickly and use 72% not 90%. make sure you get the corners... get a screen protector and apply that as well. then sbf to 217... and wipe data,,,, that should work.
if not it could be the ribbon cable,,, it may be frayed...
how to fix
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1584260
where to get the part
http://cellphone-repair-shop.com/motorola-droid-4-lcd-screen/
myfishbear said:
clean you phone with an air duster than a alcohol swab make sure you dry it quickly and use 72% not 90%. make sure you get the corners... get a screen protector and apply that as well. then sbf to 217... and wipe data,,,, that should work.
if not it could be the ribbon cable,,, it may be frayed...
how to fix
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1584260
where to get the part
http://cellphone-repair-shop.com/motorola-droid-4-lcd-screen/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, let me try that. Couldn't find the right alcohol pct. so I'd have to use some generic screen cleaning liquid, would that be okay as well?
My screen was having issues too. So I turned the dot thing on from the dev part as well. The dot seems to freeze as I'm opening my keyboard. And the dot stays frozen in place until I close the scree again. Any ideas on how to fix it? Also if the screen is open and I touch a spot nothing happens, but then when I close the screen it will sense correctly where I touched while it was open.
Sounds like the same problem, so I'm getting the feeling it might be due to the connectors rather than the screen digitizer itself. After cleaning it, I didn't have any issues for a while, but they started occurring again now.
The replacement part is not available right now, a bit expensive, and excludes the price for the required tools which I don't have yet. Warranty may be tricky as I didn't get my phone from Verizon directly. So if it turns out to be a connector issue I will say goodbye to the Droid family and just get another non-QWERTY phone.. at least until Motorola starts selling them (as 'Milestone' since 'Droid' is a Verizon brand) in Europe again. The Droid 4 is the best phone I ever had, this is potentially making it unusable for me though. Glad I didn't order a Lapdock yet!
Motorola will repair your phone for 168... out of warranty and all... I found this cheaper and easier then fixing it myself and guaranteed done right in 5-7 days..
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
Mine is still within the one year warranty. So I want to send it in. But I'm afraid they will check for the root stuff and they will consider voiding my warranty because I was rooted. I unrooted and did a factory reset to see if it would fix the issue. So this is my only chance left. I heard clearing the data wouldn't remove the qe process they use to know that I'm rooted. So I'm not sure if its worth the chance.
Flash SBF restores everything to my knowledge. No way to see what happened before the SBF flash.
I read in the original post for the DROID 4 ICS root tool that a sbf will not remove the part that says you were rooted at one point. I checked that first. An sbf flash is really easy. I was really hoping that it would work.
they dont take the time to check that stuff... if you sbf they wont know a thing...
bty found what u need on the cheap
Motorola DROID 4 XT894 Flex Cable Ribbon 27$
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorola-DROID-4-XT894-Flex-Cable-Ribbon-/150849219594
If they don't check it then why should I even bother? Does an sbf change something a factory reset doesn't? I've already reset it. I'll look into the fix though. It will depend on if I have the tools to do it or not.
SBF/fastboot will revert rom changes.
About that ribbon cable how would that work as the lcd is fused to the cable?
The Old One said:
SBF/fastboot will revert rom changes.
About that ribbon cable how would that work as the lcd is fused to the cable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cant be... it is glued in place and has connectors... how else could he sell you the cable by itself... http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Motorola-Droid-4-Teardown/7759/1
Just to weigh in on the whole root checking thing, SBFing or fastbooting back to stock DOES NOT remove evidence of root. qe still picks it up somehow in stock recovery.
That being said, they cannot void your hardware warranty for software modifications, it's the law (in the U.S.)
Of course, if you somehow softbrick your phone, they have no obligation to help you.
Edit: Just to clarify, I tried this myself just this morning. Full SBF back to stock + a factory reset, and qe shows 0/1, which indicates currently unrooted but previously rooted. No idea how their security works, but it does.
podspi said:
Just to weigh in on the whole root checking thing, SBFing or fastbooting back to stock DOES NOT remove evidence of root. qe still picks it up somehow in stock recovery.
That being said, they cannot void your hardware warranty for software modifications, it's the law (in the U.S.)
Of course, if you somehow softbrick your phone, they have no obligation to help you.
Edit: Just to clarify, I tried this myself just this morning. Full SBF back to stock + a factory reset, and qe shows 0/1, which indicates currently unrooted but previously rooted. No idea how their security works, but it does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your right but most ppl dont inspect the phone that hardcore... it takes time, and time is money
Yes
Sent from my DROID4 using xda premium
myfishbear said:
your right but most ppl dont inspect the phone that hardcore... it takes time, and time is money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree it's probably not anything most people need to worry about... I still plan on sending my D4 in before the warranty is up, I've been having terrible wifi + 4G drops, even on stock (that's why I fastbooted in the first place)
I am a bit nervous though, because I've heard horror stories about Moto replacements. That being said, if Ops phone is under warranty, I'd send it in rather than trying to repair it. If it isn't under warranty, then I'd go for the flex cable, the Moto phones are built well and reasonably easy to work on.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I probably have some kind of warranty with the seller, not with Moto directly as I have no way of obtaining a QWERTY phone from them (they don't sell those in Europe for some reason). But I really can't miss my phone for an extended period of time, so I'd either need to switch to an old one while I'm waiting, or get a new one.
Since I don't have the tools available to open the phone properly and I don't want to spend any more money on this thing, I'll probably sit it out until it breaks. For now, switching the screen on and off one or two times seems to 'solve' it.
Sjaakbanaan said:
I probably have some kind of warranty with the seller, not with Moto directly as I have no way of obtaining a QWERTY phone from them (they don't sell those in Europe for some reason). But I really can't miss my phone for an extended period of time, so I'd either need to switch to an old one while I'm waiting, or get a new one.
Since I don't have the tools available to open the phone properly and I don't want to spend any more money on this thing, I'll probably sit it out until it breaks. For now, switching the screen on and off one or two times seems to 'solve' it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all u need is a $0.60 guitar pic and a t5 screwdriver(can find at home improvement store). none of those silly tools they try to sell you help that much
myfishbear said:
all u need is a $0.60 guitar pic and a t5 screwdriver(can find at home improvement store). none of those silly tools they try to sell you help that much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still have tons of guitar picks so I just ordered a Torx set for this and future problems.. hope that pushing the connector around a bit can solve it already.

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