Bionic Issues

[Parson]

I'll just bullet point the list:

• Screen randomly turns on after turning it off. Button is not hit again as I hold it on the sides and slip it into an inside jacket pocket vertically. I also have a case surrounding it.
• Background randomly changes to original Droid background then after a bit to total blackness.
• Battery issue after OTA update (see post in that thread).
• Keyboard continuously fails and is incredibly frustrating. (This is the factory installed keyboard.)
• Going back in the browser is nye impossible as it throws you back to the main home screen.
• Text messaging program sometimes gives an error saying it must have a valid contact even though I'm replying to a message I got no more than a few seconds prior and working within the conversation window.
• When plugged into a USB port to charge, everything slows down and lags (especially the keyboard and the swipe away screen), even with the USB connection set to "Charge only."
• Apps are randomly deleted from memory, completely, without permission. (Wish that'd happen to the bloat...)
• Apps randomly start up in the background without permission. Some have never been used. This takes power and memory where it could be allocated elsewhere for useful apps or, shock and horror, conserve battery life.
• Randomly restarts completely without prompt or permission. Battery will be in the green or totally full, never has happened on a low battery.

If anyone has any fixes to these, I'd be delighted to hear. Though I just practically blasted the poor phone, I do actually enjoy it and don't want to get rid of it. (Though a friend is pestering me to get the Samsung Galaxy S2 and change carriers.)

[Wildman]

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Parson wrote:

I'll just bullet point the list:

• Screen randomly turns on after turning it off. Button is not hit again as I hold it on the sides and slip it into an inside jacket pocket vertically. I also have a case surrounding it.
• If you are using Widget Locker or any other Loskscreen replacement try to be sure that any options in those app related to wake to any button is disabled..

• Background randomly changes to original Droid background then after a bit to total blackness.
• Can happen if a SD Card dismounts or cant be accessed..

• Battery issue after OTA update (see post in that thread).
• • Power off
  • Power On Holding Home Key
  • When Exlamation Point with Droid Icon Shows up Press BOTH Volume keys
  • Use Volume Keys to navigate to "wipe cache partition" and tap power button to select
  • Wait for it to finish and select reboot system

• Keyboard continuously fails and is incredibly frustrating. (This is the factory installed keyboard.)
• The above instructions should work for this issue as well.

• Going back in the browser is nye impossible as it throws you back to the main home screen.
• The above instructions should work for this issue as well.

• Text messaging program sometimes gives an error saying it must have a valid contact even though I'm replying to a message I got no more than a few seconds prior and working within the conversation window.
• This happens from some contacts that are retrieving its contact info from the Social Networks like Facebook or MySpace.

• When plugged into a USB port to charge, everything slows down and lags (especially the keyboard and the swipe away screen), even with the USB connection set to "Charge only."
• Sounds like a possible SD Card access issue...  Try removing card and see if the issue stops, if so I would try backing up card data and format card and place required data back on the card, any info related to apps not installed does not need to placed back on the card.

• Apps are randomly deleted from memory, completely, without permission. (Wish that'd happen to the bloat...)
• Are these apps stored on the SD Card because if so and the card is having issues the apps would vanish when the card isn't accessible..

• Apps randomly start up in the background without permission. Some have never been used. This takes power and memory where it could be allocated elsewhere for useful apps or, shock and horror, conserve battery life.
• Welcome to Android, this is how the OS is designed...  The apps are not running but they are simply in a standby state so when they are required they will be accessed quickly.  There isn't anything to do without voiding warranty...  You could try Advance Task Killer but sometimes apps like this causes more issues than helps for some users.

• Randomly restarts completely without prompt or permission. Battery will be in the green or totally full, never has happened on a low battery.
• That sounds like a stray application that is having issues and causing the system to crash.

If anyone has any fixes to these, I'd be delighted to hear. Though I just practically blasted the poor phone, I do actually enjoy it and don't want to get rid of it. (Though a friend is pestering me to get the Samsung Galaxy S2 and change carriers. 

Carrier isn't the issue with the device and the Galaxy S is a good device but not worth going to a worse network...  (That's my View)

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I don't know if you realized this but mostly all the errors you are reporting could be connected to a SD Card issue...

[Parson]

Wow, thanks for the amazingly detailed response. That was a pleasant surprise to be honest -- normally don't have all that much hope for forums but it's individuals like you that make it worth while to visit. Thanks.

I'll try your suggestions as soon as I can (currently busy working on a project) and update.

Now that you point it out, it could be connected to a SD card issue. I'll try removing it, remounting, etc as suggested as it came pre-installed with the phone. This is my first phone like this so I'm admittedly still in the learning curve. Besides these issues I really enjoy it (more than I thought I would). Hopefully your suggestions will fix the problems.

Thanks again and I'll update as soon as I get things done.

[cinderbloke]

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Wildman wrote:

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Parson wrote:

I'll just bullet point the list:

 ... <snip> ...

• Battery issue after OTA update (see post in that thread).
• • Power off
  • Power On Holding Home Key
  • When Exlamation Point with Droid Icon Shows up Press BOTH Volume keys
  • Use Volume Keys to navigate to "wipe cache partition" and tap power button to select
  • Wait for it to finish and select reboot system

  ... <snip> ...

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Getting to system recovery to perform a wipe of the system cache is a little different on the Bionic:

1. Turn your Bionic Off.

2. Hold down both the volume up and volume down buttons, and then press and hold the power button.

    Release all three buttons as soon as you see the boot menu (should only take a few seconds).

3. Using the volume down key, scroll down until "Recovery" is highlighted.

4. Press the volume up key to select it.

    Your Bionic will briefly display the "Dual Core" emblem followed a few seconds later with an ! inside a triangle.

5. Momentarily press both the volume up and down keys simultaneously and the "Android system recovery" menu will be displayed (in blue characters).

6. Use the volume down key to highlight "Wipe cache partition" (should be at the bottom of the list).
    Tap the power button to select it. You should then see the status of the cache wipe in yellow characters.

7. When the cache wipe is completed, the blue menu should reappear at the top and should have "reboot system now" highlighted.

     Tap the power button and, after a slight delay, your Bionic should reboot normally.

EDIT: Another procedure you could try is to boot your Bionic into "Safe Mode" - a mode where only the "essential" apps that came with your device will be available. VZW has instructions on doing that here.

Try using your Bionic in this mode for a while. If the problems you have been experiencing do not occur when operating in this mode, then it is highly likely your phone is OK and one (or more) of your user-installed apps is misbehaving.

If you start a session in Safe Mode with a fully charged battery and run it for a while as you usually do (other than with your apps), you might also be able to determine if one (or more) of your user-installed apps is accelerating the battery discharge rate.

To get out of Safe Mode, just turn your Bionic off and reboot it normally. You may need to sign-in to some apps (like Twitter) again after using Safe Mode.