HTC Touch Pro: GPS problem tweaking

Since the day that I get my HTC Touch Pro, I’ve been making countless attempts to get the GPS working. But all of my attempts failed. Just to make sure that it’s not GPS satellite problem, I bring along my previous Nokia N95 for testing. It just works fine. N95 is getting satellite fix normally.

Consulting HTC Touch Pro manual is no use as well. Suprisingly, this is the only page in the manual that talks about GPS feature on HTC Touch Pro.

So lets do what is suggested in the manual. I open up QuickGPS application,

and download the latest satellite data.

Still. No sign at all that my GPS is working. So many scary thoughts coming to my mind of whether I’m got a defect product.

Frustrated with that, I tried to consult a friend of mine who is using HTC TyTN II, and he said that he’s got no problem with GPS. Upon searching numerous forum on the net, it seems I’m not alone. There are so many forums talking about GPS lag problem on HTC Touch Pro. So, what is GPS lag anyway? The following photo should explains everything.

My case is even worse. I cannot get the satellite to fix the connection on my at all. So how do I know that I’m getting no fix? I have this MapKing 2007 software installed. Once I’m in, I just click the GPS icon on top right hand corner.

Now I’m in the GPS navigation screen. Nothing happened here since no GPS fixed on my device. So I tap anywhere on the screen to bring the option screen.

Once I’m in the option screen, I tap the GPS Status icon to look at what really happening.

So I’m on the status screen. I bet the red dots are the satellites that scattered around the earth orbit. See the status that says No Fix. Well, this is the screen that I see all times whenever I test the GPS function. It annoys greatly to see those red bars picking up high signal, but still no satellites fix.

Keep digging the forum, I finally come across this thread, which suggest the following tweaks to enhance GPS performance on HTC Touch Pro:

A. With Advanced config 3.2

1. disable A-GPS
2. disable GPS logging
3. logfile name must be empty
4. old logfile name must be empty
5. maximum size of logfile must be 0
6. delete the files :
   \windows\GPSLogFile.txt and \windows\GPSLogFileBack.txt

With those changes car usage will be quite perfect

B. Then edit registry with TotalCommander
Under: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\

• Drivers\GpsOneDevice\PollInterval -> 100 (default is 1000)
• Drivers\InputBufferSize -> 512 (default is 4096)
• Drivers\OutputBufferSize -> 512 (default is 4096)
• Drivers\SleepOnNoData -> 100 (default is 1000)
• Multiplexer\MaxBufferSize -> 512 (by default not present, you have to create it)

With those tweaks pedestrian usage will be much better but not perfect.

Plain texts never work for me. So here is the very graphics tweak that I did on my HTC Touch Pro, based on the above steps. But first, lets download the following free tools that will be used first

Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 3.5 (Advanced Configuration Tool needs this)
Advanced Configuration Tool 3.3
Total Commander 7.04a

First, I open the Advanced Configuration Tool application.

Once in, I just navigate to the GPS tree. This is what I see initially. Assisted GPS (A-GPS) is disabled by default.

Go to Log File option. By double clicking, I set the option to No Logging.

Then, I delete the entry for Old Log File. Max. log file size is set to 0 by default. And this is how the screen showing the final setting for this. I’m done here. When I close this utility, it will warn me to soft reset the device for the effect to take place. I don’t do this first as I will do it after the next section.

So next, I open up the Total Commander application.

I actually need to edit the registry here. First, just double click the \\Plugins folder,

then I will see the registry folder.

Then I need to navigate myself this this location HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\. I do this by doing by starting with HLKM first,

and all the way to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers\GpsOneDevice\, as they key that I need to edit is located there – which is PollInterval. Just double click the key to edit the value.

So I repeat the same thing for all other keys, and here is the summary of what to be editted again

• Drivers\GpsOneDevice\PollInterval -> 100 (default is 1000)
• Drivers\InputBufferSize -> 512 (default is 4096)
• Drivers\OutputBufferSize -> 512 (default is 4096)
• Drivers\SleepOnNoData -> 100 (default is 1000)

For the last key, which is Multiplexer\MaxBufferSize, the key doesn’t exist yet, so I have to create it. So what I need to do is to tap on the +Add Value+ option,

and specify the name of the key that I want. In this case, it should be MaxBufferSize. Make sure DWORD is selected for the Type. I tap OK button to confirm.

Then it will ask me to enter the value for that newly created key. So I enter 512 here.

Here is the new key that I just created.

Finally, I exit Total Command, and soft reset my HTC Touch Pro. One I’m in, I get into MapKing 2007 again, and to the same GPS status screen in MapKing 2007 again. It’s the moment of truth of whether my trouble of tweaking the settings worth or not…. drum rolls…..

Yippe! It works! I’m very happy. Finally, the satellite is able to fix my device. Oh dear, what a relief to see this.

So, let test this in Google Map. Yeap. That is my location at this instant. It’s very accurate I have to say.

I guess my worries are over. I’m quite happy with this tweak for the time being, until HTC release the updated ROM for HTC Touch Pro that will fix this issue. Patience is what I need most now. I have been testing this on the road as well, and it’s pretty good. I don’t face GPS lag at all.

Read my other entries relating to HTC Touch Pro

• Buying HTC Touch Pro
• GPS problem: Tweak It!