Hardware defects

The Pandora is known to have a number of hardware defects that affect some units. This page attempts to list all the known ones as well as give fixes where possible. For non-hardware-related problems, see the article troubleshooting common problems.

• The nubs had some problems on early units.

• Purple on the LCD screen: The first 3000 units are susceptible to the Purple Tint of Death, caused by faulty LCD cables. Send your Pandora back to the distributor to get it fixed.

• Non-working ABXY button(s): There is a possibility that there is an extra piece of plastic found inside of the nonworking button. You can fix this by opening the Pandora and plucking it out.

• Shoulder buttons don't click: Here's how to fix it.

• Stylus can't be removed from case: A problem with some newly-arrived Pandoras. Try using a coin to get it out, or insert some dental floss in between the stylus and the case to wear down the paint a little. If nothing works, very carefully remove all five screws holding the Pandora's back cover in place (take the battery out first), take out the stylus, and put everything back in carefully. Do not overtighten the screws when putting them back in, stop at the first sign of resistance, otherwise they can go through the plastic. After a few reinsertions the slot will become loose. Inserting it 2/3 a couple of times can help loosen it.

• Sharp stylus: The molding process (or paint) leaves the tip of the stylus rough or with a sharp edge. Rub the tip on a piece of paper until all of the excess is gone and the stylus is polished smooth.

• Battery loses connection: If your battery doesn't stay connected, put a piece of paper between it and the back cover.

• Battery cover doesn't close fully: If your battery cover doesn't click to a close all the way in, you can use a nail file to squish in or file off a little bit of extra plastic that may be preventing it from closing.

• Gap in plastic just below screen: There may be an almost unnoticeable gap in the plastic on the bottom-middle of your screen on some Pandoras. If you really need to fix it, try this, but it's risky.

• Hinge doesn't close fully: There is a 1-2mm space left on the left-hand side when the hinge is closed. This is common to all units (?) and cannot be fixed.

• Crack in the case: This may happen if your unit is subjected to external stress. Send your Pandora back to the distributor to get it fixed, or fix it yourself using sugru as described in this tutorial.

If your defect isn't covered here, try searching through the posts of Michael Weston to see if he covered it: OP GP32X