9780 trackpad fixed by OS update?
 

A user has returned a 9780 with a faulty trackpad. This phone was a warranty replacement just three weeks ago, so unless it's refurbished, it's quite new.

They said it was a bit erratic when I gave it to them three weeks ago, then it stopped working completely.

I've tested it, and the trackpad won't move the cursor in any direction, and the trackpad button does nothing. Normally I'd say this could be the result of water damage, but the user says no, and normally other keys would be affected, and the trackpad would retain at least some functionality, so I tend to believe them.

I pulled the battery several times, and it didn't fix it. Then I upgraded the OS to 6.0.0.706, and now it's working fine. I *think* the OS it came with was probably 6.0.0.534. Does anyone know if that OS version has issues with the trackpad?

If it's really faulty then I'd like to return it ASAP, but I'm going to have a difficult job convincing them there's anything wrong with it now.

Re: 9780 trackpad fixed by OS update?
 

I see that I've got 8 other users with 9780s running 6.0.0.534, so I doubt it's an OS version problem, unless that's not the version it was running. I didn't look before I upgraded it.

So maybe just reloading the OS would have fixed it, but I've never had that fix a non working key before.

Re: 9780 trackpad fixed by OS update?
 

Doubt if an OS update will fix it. Sounds to me like the user got it wet or dropped it.

Re: 9780 trackpad fixed by OS update?
 

That was my first thought. But it was definitely not working, even after numerous battery pulls, and it worked immediatley and flawlessly after the OS upgrade, so the OS upgrade somehow got it going again (for how long, I don't now).

Is it possible that some kind of mechanical/electrical fault can cause some kind of locking of the trackpad that can only be unlocked with drastic action like an OS upgrade?

It would have been interesting to see if reactivation fixed it.

Re: 9780 trackpad fixed by OS update?
 

Just an update: we started the phone up yesterday and found the trackpad not working again. OK after a battery pull. I think this must be some sort of intermittent electrical problem, and working after the OS update was a coincidence.

Re: 9780 trackpad fixed by OS update?
 

I've managed to reproduce the problem by putting into a ziplock bag, breathing into the bag to make the air moist, sealing the bag, and putting it in the fridge (not the freezer) for 10 minutes.

When I took it out, the trackpad wouldn't work at all for about 10 minutes, then it came good. I think this phone has some corrosion that causes the trackpad circuit to short out when there's even slight condensation on it.

I tried the same test on another phone, and it was fine, although I wonder if you could wreck a phone by doing this for too long.

The faulty phone is a "new" warranty replacement, so I suspect it's a refurbished phone with a problem they didn't detect.