Help with a CF-52GUN upgrades

I'm the new guy.

I tried to find a "general" catergory for my introduction post but didn't see one.

Anyway, I purchased a Panasonic Toughbook CF-52 (GUNBE2M) which I think is a Mk. II.

I don't even have it in my hands yet.

I wanted to learn about it, and get the most from it once I start using it.

It is running Windows 7, has 4gb ram and a 500gb HD. I will be using it (almost exclusively) for BMW ICOM Next, which is the dealer interface so I can get really deep and dirty with my cars...

Anyway, just wanted to say hello, and I hope I can give back at least a little, as I expect I'll be learning a lot!

PS I'm not the best "computer guy" so I may be a bit slow on the up-take sometimes...

 

Welcome. Your post would be more appropriate for the Toughbook sub-forum. I've asked a moderator to move it, so check there in a little while. It's one of the largest repositories of Toughbook information you'll find, so until your post is moved, have a look through it.

 

Thank you!

I have been lurking as a visitor for a while and I think I've been spending that time there.

I actually thought about posting in the Panasonic forum initially...

 

And welcome to the Toughbook forum.

1. Use the search box here....upper right corner.

2. The "GUN" uses CF-30 LCD and Touchscreen. Not the CF-30MK3....it works but throws rainbow colors.

3. Screenshot from the "old" configurator.

4. I only have four left....one with 160 hours. I like 'em.

Jeff

 

Oh man, I am sorry to hear that. I will include one in the box headed west.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome Jim

 

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I guess the HD was upgraded because it's a 500g in there now. Also 4gb of ram. For the programs / files I want to run, I needed at least 4gb ram and 320gb HD space. This fit the bill (and wallet!) nicely. Since it is automotive software, I wanted a Toughbook for it...

So here I am!

One question springs to mind: Can I have any more RAM or is 4gb the upper limit?

 

See what Crucial has to say. http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Panasonic/toughbook-52
W7 32 bit only sees 4 Gb anyway.
To speed it up a ssd is a better choice and the prices have come down. 11 second boot to password in LMDE Linux.
Be aware the 52 seems to take a long time to go to bios....just a "thing". Nothing broken.

 

That's a useful piece of information... Thank you!

I don't quite understand the Crutial site.. I guess if I access it from the (not yet received) '52 I can scan it and see what works?

Anyway, it appears the RAM is limited as you said. It has "enough" but like my amplifiers, I like to have "headroom".

The other (high dollar) upgrade i"d be interested in would be a solid state drive. But, I may reserve that for a '30 (I think that's the "real" toughbook right?) that I will load up with a Garmin GPS program and use for expeditions. That's WAY down the road however...

EDIT_ I think I figured it out. I don't see my exact model, and when I go generic "Toughbook 52" I can see what's what. I guess a big hard drive is no problem but more RAM is.

2nd edit- it's win 7 pro 64 bit

 

while a '30 is still a viable machine and they have really dropped in price on sneezebay ... there is a caveat ; they use florescent backlighting .
over time (a few thousand hours) the spectra of the lamps changes and they start getting dimmer and dimmer .
unless you can find one that has very low hours (i have one with about 2K on it) , or are ok with tearing open the lcd to swap out the lamps ...
then pass on a '30 and get a '31 ... it uses a led backlight .

 

Sounds like me after turning 56

 

480gb SSD is $117 and will boot that GUN in the butt, it will run so much better. Hey Jeff, I have a 52GUN if you want it,not a big seller on my end. 8gb of DDR2 is about $150 so I don't feel it is worth the cost.

 

dimmer and dimmer ...
yeah , but there is a difference ... not near as many parts start falling off the comps .

 

how would I go about exchanging the drive - (installing hardware I can do easily enough)- I just don't understand how I can save the entire OS and other files and transfer them to the new drive. On my (OLD) mac it has multiple drives but even there I just added the new (big) one for file storage and the old one holds the OS and stuff.

And since it is the 64 bit OS, does that mean it will support more ram? Or is it a hardware/bios limitiation to ram size in this thing... Actually that Mac drive I added shows smaller than it actually is because drives that big didn't exist and the (i gues it's a bios thing) bios doesn't recognize any larger than a certain size.

 

Acronis, clone the drive or make an image and then recover it. Doing that right now. Buy a dock for $40 and there you go. 8gb should work in a Mk2 but at $140 for 8gb no thanks.

SSD is so fast that if you try to run a usb stick for readyboost, windows will tell you you're wasting your time and shut readyboost off.

Dim = me past 60. Crap.

 

Welcome!

Get an ext drive enclosure (like the link below) and Acronis True Image. Its easy and you don't have to reinstall anything, just swap the drives once you clone it.

If you are going to spill any coffee, oil, or fuel on it, I'd try to upgrade to a 30/31 soon; a 19 might work also... Basically anything that is fully rugged as it will take a drop to the garage floor much better!

32bit has a max of 4Gb, 64bit has different limitations, but it should be around 8Gb...


https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...xternal_hard_drive-_-9SIA67038G2364-_-Product

 

I have an external drive now actually. I'm going to look into that software link now. I think a backup is a good idea regardless. Then I'll get a sold state drive. And maybe some ram!

Once I have this thing is there a way to tell if it will support more ram before I buy it?

Edit- server not found for arcronis. I'll try again later

 

Find out what Intel chipset it uses. Then search for the data sheet on the max ram supported by that chipset. Odds are pretty good that 4gb is max for a mk2.

 

So does that mean it's a Mk II? How is that determined? I wasn't sure.

Processor: 2.26ghz-Core-2-Duo

 

It was determined by me having owned around a dozen different CF52's.

The letter after the CF52 determined the mk. In this case a G.

Intel® GM45 Express Chipset

The GM45 supports 8gb.

http://ark.intel.com/products/35134/Intel-82GM45-Graphics-and-Memory-Controller-Hub

 

Ohhhh! 8gb would be spectacular!

With a SSD this thing would be downright modern!

I'm really starting to see why they are so popular. It goes beyond the durability. It is a far less "disposable" purchase than most lap tops.

I'm pretty excited about getting this thing!

 

Did there say if the touch screen was working?

 

I'm betting the TS works.

What'll we bet?

 

2 Intel 5100 wifi cards.

 

I believe it does work. Power supply included too!

I got it today. It boots and seems to run fine. Aftermarket power supply; maybe the battery too. I haven't started taking it apart.

I did give it an alcohol bath as it came from an EMS unit in Texas.

Touchscreen works! I used my fingernail but it responds. I see where the stylus is supposed to park to the left of the screen but if ain't there! Anyone have one?

Before I do anything, I'm going to image the drive and get a solid state drive for it. I want to confirm (not sure how) I can run 8gb of ram in there and get that at the same time.

1Tb SSD and 8gb ram I should be set for a long time!

Then I load it down with BMW ICOM software, Land-Rover RAVE software and a ****-ton (metric ****-ton actually) of other files such as wiring diagrams and error codes. This is my new diagnostic computer!

 

2 Intel 5100 cards in the west bound package...

 

heh ... when i see "ICOM" , i think of the radio outfit .

you can image (aka : copy) the hdd right to a ssd ...
the software i use allows one to use a smaller ssd than a hdd (usually it has to be the same size or larger) .
it will *resize* and move the data of the larger drive on-the-fly .
as long as the total amount of data is equal to or less than the size of the ssd , bob's yer mom's brother .
i imaged a hdd a while back ... it was a 360 gig unit ... copied it to a 128 gig ssd .
as you have not loaded up the hdd yet , it should actually contain a minimum of *stuff* ... check in the "properties" of the "C" drive .

 

Hey OP....what is your address? (OP = original poster) Left coast/right coast....in the middle?
I found a stylus yesterday. ( more like 6)

 

FYI.... CF29,CF30, CF31, CF52G all use the same stylus.


So ..Jeff is styling now.......

styl·ing
ˈstīliNG/
adjective
North Americaninformal
adjective: stylin'; adjective: stylin

1. fashionable or stylish.
   "my new stylin' black pants"

 

OP....also if Shawn said 8GB will work it will "technically" work....

Now I suppose I need to put 8G in one of my GUN's. No can do, no 4G sticks.

Stylin' wit stylii still in my BLACK sweat pants.

Seriously 32 bit W7 only sees 4G ram. 64 bit can be troublesome. (in my limited experience)

Aftermarket charger? What voltage and wattage?

15.6 V as it says above the power input on the 52. Between 5 and 8 A.

5A is the CF-AA1653.
7.05 is CF-AA5713A (These are commonly seen on eBay)
8A CF-AA5803A (aka Big Brick....I use it at my work area for everything)

Voltage is critical amps not so much. Possibly the faster charging rate could be a heat issue. (I said possibly folks)

PM your address and I will send you a power supply and stylus in exchange for a fair quantity of legal tender$.

 

what he said ...
do not (as in do not) use a charger that has a higher voltage than 15.6 - 15.8 volts .
most of the "unisquirell" types are around 19 volts and will (as in will) damage the comp charging circuits .
if memory serves me correctly (no comment from the peanut gallery) , there was a guy here that used one of the 19 volt units and kinda cooked his machine (as in toasterriffic) .
and it didn't take very long .

 

Hmmm. Multi-quote didn't work!

Um, I'm right coast. Connecticut.

I'm interested in a stylus...

My power supply is 16v computer says15.-something. 19- yeah, I'd be leery.

All that said, if the right charger is available, I'm interested. Best in mind I've dropped some money between the laptop,ICOM hardware and another DME and wiring harness that FedEx lost for me...

Please feel free to PM me and we can carry on there.

Oh, I was told that ICOM doesn't play nice with a SSD. My "mentor" on that side of things just got a spinny 1Tb drive for his new (used) lap top that will be a dedicated machine as mine sort of will be. Anyone hear any issues with certain programs not liking the SSD?

If I missed anyone, it's because the multi-quote didn't work!

 

about the only things i have heard about in reference to certain programs not playing nice with a SSD , is not so much an individual program , but rather a couple of caveats :
do not defrag ... turn off any auto-defrag stuff
make sure the comp is in the AHCI mode/option
the reason for AHCI is explained here (among many other places) :
http://forums.crucial.com/t5/Crucia...D-Drive-Guide-Here-Crucial-AHCI-vs/td-p/57078

most comps will default to the AHCI mode ... however ...
as one chap pointed out in a question to a forum , he discovered that after a W10 install , his comp was running in the IDE mode .
it only takes a small amount of time and effort to double check .

more on compatibility of/with a ssd ...
a google search might provide some answers for specific instances/programs .

ps ... in addition to a straight 110/220 VAC charger there is another type that also allows you to run/charge it from a 12VDC source .
absolutely a *must have* if you travel at all or use your TB in a mobile application .
i have unplugged mine from the car , packed it into the motel room and plugged it into an outlet .
makes life easier .

 

Thank you that is good information.

I'll check that other thread and also let my mentor know to check the auto defrag function to be sure it's off.

I'd like a SSD but this is the main program I will be running so that needs to work.

 

weeeelll ...
as the famous man said : "you pays yer nickle and takes yer chances" .
i consider anything that is not documented and traceable to a reliable source as reason to raise the skeptical/critical eyebrow .
a ssd is pretty cheap these days ... i pick them up on ebray for about $35 bucks for a 128 gig .
you might give it a shot ... if it does not work , you can always use the ssd on/in another machine .

 

I actually discussed this today and the problem was with the Mercedes software, not the BMW software.

So I'm good!

But I'm going to stick with what I have for the moment. Get it up and running, load all the files and see how much space I have. I should have 200gb or so free once I load it up so I can wait out a good deal.

 

I have always preferred Mercedes over BMW.
I never owned a BMW, but I changed a motor in one. NEVER again.
I used to own a Mercedes 1971 220 (gas not diesel)Very, VERY nice riding car. Although my friends 51 Mercury rode better.

If I remember, I will try 8gb in the 52GUN. Provided I have 2-4gb sticks the proper size..
BBBZZZaaappp and the lights all go dim.

You can put a second hard drive where the DVD drive is. But there is a trick to it.
I might still have the nedded setup.

 

If I get s big ssd I won't needs second hard drive. And I like the DVD drive anyway.

But, testing the 8gb of ram would be super cool! Then I'd know it would work before I bought it.

I don't have a lot of computers or parts lying around to experiment. So I appreciate the help!

 

"I don't have a lot of computers or parts lying around to experiment ..."

heh ... if you hang around here , that'll change soon enough .

 

Oh boy...

Currently having a brain transfusion- BMW software upload torrent. 13hr 33min session with a hard connection.

That's a lot of data.

I think it'll be ready in the morning.

 

... if it doesn't crash .

man , that is a long time ... i have noticed similar things with a couple of my machines ...
between the AV/AM scanning the files and usb1/sata1 transfer speeds ... slower than molasses in january .

i recently copied/transferred about 250 gigs of files ...
it took several hours .

 

No crash! I heard a beep early this morning and it was done downloading.

Now it's opening files... not sure how long that'll take.

I deliberately used a hard connection... I've learned that lesson before!

I see that I need a battery cover.

I also need the LAN/phone jack cover.

I've had this plugged in with the supplied power supply (no choice) and all seems well. I do want the correct one however.

 

some of those aftermarket supplies are not designed very well .
the voltage may be in the ballpark but stability and line isolation are lacking .
how about a pix or three of the supply ?

 

Here's what I have:

 

I should have the needed covers.
I might have a much better power supply also.

PM me

 

So my wife saw the '52 today...

"It looks old"

And I got to thinking this thing is it's own theft deterrent device. If it was all slick and shiny it would be a theft magnet...

I like it even more now.

One pet peeve: any way to set up the touch pad so it works like a Mac?im used to some of those functions, like dragging two fingers to move around the page. Have to slide over to the scroll bar and click and drag... not the end of the world but if it can be done I suspect someone here has done it!

 

Go to the Synaptics web site and download the latest driver package.
Not everything a Mac can do, but it is much better.


http://www.synaptics.com/resources

 

FYI... Newegg has Acronis 2017 on sale for $4.99 after discount and Mail in rebate...

 

That's the imaging software, right?

If so, I need to take a look...

 

Yes Acronis is drive imaging--Good stuff..Make sure you make the boot rescue disk

 

I just went and saw this: https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832200128&cm_re=acronis-_-32-200-128-_-Product

But I don't see how the discount works (or maybe it has to be in my cart first?)

EDIT> or maybe I missed it... But I found a 525gb Crucial SSD for $185 with this promo code: CEMCRFRB49... That seems like a good deal. Good until Midnight today Pacific time.