If you suspect that your HP Palmtop is not working properly, first install fresh batteries. If the problem continues, try resetting the HP Palmtop.
First close all the built-in applications, save any changes you've made and backup your files to a PC or floppy disk!
Warning: The self test causes a system reset, and you will lose any changes in open files. Also, if you press (CTRL)-(<Shift>)(ON) on the 95LX with less than 512K of System RAM, you may corrupt some files.
Next press (CTRL)-(ALT)-(DEL) to restart the system. If that doesn't help press (CTRL)-(<Shift>) (ON) and answer No when asked if you want to reinitialize your RAM disk. If you're still having problems, run the Self Test on the Palmtops.
SELF TEST
Press (OFF), then hold down (ESC) and press (ON) to display the self-test screen. Highlight Test all and press (ENTER). You'll hear some musical tones and the screen will go blank. You then have to press the space bar to step through a number of screens to complete the display test.
On the 95LX the remaining tests, except the keyboard test, will run automatically. The "Wire serial test" requires a "loop back" connector that most people will not have. The test runs with the result, "no loop," and stops the tests. To finish all the tests you have to select the Keyboard test and press (ENTER), then press each key on the keyboard, in sequence from left to right starting with (ESC), (\), (F1), through (ON) in the first row and ending the last row with (+).
On the 100/200LX when you select Test all the Display, Keyboard and Wire serial port tests run the same as on the 95LX and stops if there is no "loop back" connector on the serial port. The remaining tests have to be selected and run individually.
After completing all the self tests the results will appear to the left, "ok," "no loop," etc. on the 100/200LX display screen:
Test all
ok Display
ok Keyboard
no loop Wire serial port
ok Batteries
ok RAM
ok ROM
ok IR serial port
ok Timers
no card Plug-in RAM card
(The 95LX display is similar, except it has no "Batteries" option in the self test and the order of the tests is different.)
If the term Bad appears next to any of the tests, repeat the test to see if the message is duplicated. If Bad is duplicated, your unit probably requires service. See page A-8 in either HP Palmtop User's Guide for more on the Self Test.
Rich Hall
Editor, The HP Palmtop Paper