Quick GPS fix without XTRA enabled

[Guest brokenman]

If you turn off XTRA, you'll notice that it may require even more than 15-30 minutes to get a fix. Turning on XTRA will shorten this to almost instant fixes...

Many people prefer to disable Enhanced GPS Settings, XTRA data download. This is because 3G/GPRS data connections can cost a lot, especially if you are abroad and roaming.

It seems like Samsung has left some settings turned on in the registy, for debugging purposes, and this makes really slow to get a fix without XTRA data. According to Microsoft's documentation (see GPS Intermediate Driver General Registry Settings) some features like logging can be enabled for debugging, in GPS Intermediate Driver's registry settings, which stays between the hardware and your navigation software.

My experience shows that the following steps seem to improve the time to get a GPS fix, without need to download XTRA data:

1. Go to Settings > System > Enhanced GPS and set both settings to "Disable"

2. Go to your device's registry, and see the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver

3. Change the following string values to nothing (don't delete them, just edit them and clear the value):

CurrentLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.txt)

OldLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.bak)

4. Soft-reset your device

5. With File Explorer, go to My Device, and delete the two GPSID_log files you see, and the file named xtra. If you don't soft-reset, you will not be able to delete some of them.

6. Check again the registry setting. Sometimes in rare cases it may revert the settings back - but that's a general WM problem.

After this, if you start your navigation software under clear sky, you can get a fix in a coulpe of minutes, without the use of XTRA, or any other data source, than pure native GPS satellites.

To digg in the registry there are many free and shareware tools available, I can recommend Total Commander CE, which has a registry plugin.

Also noticed (but this may be really subjective) that flipping the device with the back upwards, while waiting for GPS fix, improves reception a bit - it seems like the internal receiver antenna is oriented to the back of the device... but if anyohe has dissassembled the Omnia can confirm or infirm this.

it seems that it works! can i still turn XTRA on? will that change the values back to "GPSID_log"?

[Guest samHDS]

Will this be faster than if i download the XTRA data through active sync? It will be free anyway.

[Guest ben_zio]

If you turn off XTRA, you'll notice that it may require even more than 15-30 minutes to get a fix. Turning on XTRA will shorten this to almost instant fixes...

Many people prefer to disable Enhanced GPS Settings, XTRA data download. This is because 3G/GPRS data connections can cost a lot, especially if you are abroad and roaming.

It seems like Samsung has left some settings turned on in the registy, for debugging purposes, and this makes really slow to get a fix without XTRA data. According to Microsoft's documentation (see GPS Intermediate Driver General Registry Settings) some features like logging can be enabled for debugging, in GPS Intermediate Driver's registry settings, which stays between the hardware and your navigation software.

My experience shows that the following steps seem to improve the time to get a GPS fix, without need to download XTRA data:

1. Go to Settings > System > Enhanced GPS and set both settings to "Disable"

2. Go to your device's registry, and see the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver

3. Change the following string values to nothing (don't delete them, just edit them and clear the value):

CurrentLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.txt)

OldLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.bak)

4. Soft-reset your device

5. With File Explorer, go to My Device, and delete the two GPSID_log files you see, and the file named xtra. If you don't soft-reset, you will not be able to delete some of them.

6. Check again the registry setting. Sometimes in rare cases it may revert the settings back - but that's a general WM problem.

After this, if you start your navigation software under clear sky, you can get a fix in a coulpe of minutes, without the use of XTRA, or any other data source, than pure native GPS satellites.

To digg in the registry there are many free and shareware tools available, I can recommend Total Commander CE, which has a registry plugin.

Also noticed (but this may be really subjective) that flipping the device with the back upwards, while waiting for GPS fix, improves reception a bit - it seems like the internal receiver antenna is oriented to the back of the device... but if anyohe has dissassembled the Omnia can confirm or infirm this.

[Guest scoiattolo]

Will this be faster than if i download the XTRA data through active sync? It will be free anyway.

As Paul pointed out in the 2nd post, this can be done regardless if you use or not Xtra.

Also please note that this post is somewhat supersided if you use the latest ROM (see the ROM section) where the logging is already disabled (so you don't need to do anything).

Edited March 5, 2009 by scoiattolo

[Guest samHDS]

for example. if i download xtra through activesync. and i disable xtra it. will the xtra data be used when i use my GPS? Because after i download the data and do the reg tweak.(but with the xtra file). i get fix much faster compared to without the xtra file. Since downloading through activesync is free. why dont we download the file and use them wif reg tweak?

P.S I am using IA5 for your info. so does this mean that the registry tweak would make no difference?

Another question is that with extra enabled, and i checked auto download when connected to PC. will this incur any GPRS charges? because the data will only be updated when i connect it to my computer. other than that. when i have it enabled. no data is downloaded, therefore no charges.

Am i right on this? please enlighten me.

Edited March 6, 2009 by samHDS

[Guest jr23]

hey guys! how r u all doing?

sorry, to bother u, but i kinda need a little help...i install Garmin mobile on my omnia...followed all the instructions...read all the post...but im still a little confused on how to use this...i cant seem to get my GPS to work...

it always says:

" unable to locate GPS device; please verify that device is powered on, and within range. continue searching...? yes or no"

i dunno what else to do, i went into registry alrdy...but i just cant seem to get this thing to work...

can any1 provide me with a list of apps. and settings on your phones that have this GPS working..? please...?

also, when i try to connect to GPS, it asks 3 things:

use bluetooth GPS, use GPS intermediate driver, use serial GPS...never saw a post with these details in them...can any1 tell me about this...?

PS.

dunno if this matters, my omnia is, DXHJ1

and im in the Phils.

[Guest scoiattolo]

it always says:

" unable to locate GPS device; please verify that device is powered on, and within range. continue searching...? yes or no"

i dunno what else to do, i went into registry alrdy...but i just cant seem to get this thing to work...

can any1 provide me with a list of apps. and settings on your phones that have this GPS working..? please...?

also, when i try to connect to GPS, it asks 3 things:

use bluetooth GPS, use GPS intermediate driver, use serial GPS...never saw a post with these details in them...can any1 tell me about this...?

To use the internal Omnia GPS you need to select "Serial GPS" and COM port is usually 3

Also remember that for the GPS to properly work you need to ACTIVATE your Garmin, using the registration code.

OF course also any detailed map (not the base one included) needs to be activated

[Guest kidz]

i have done all the steps required....i deleted the 2 gpsid files but i cant seems to find the xtra files from my device in omnia....and after i deleted the 2 files...my garmin xt cant even detect a single bar of signal (previously i still manage to get 2 bars when i on my garmin)

Any help with that?

[Guest dwethiswar]

if there's no xtra.bin, you simply haven't downloaded it. If performance is worse now, undo the 'fix': it's not because this works for some folks that it works for your case, and no matter how tempting it is to apply all kind of tweaks, if they make your gps worse then just don't bother with them

[Guest lee3272]

This is a old thread now as said before update your rom to latest very easy to do and you wont have to do this hack im on latest and use garmin xt and always works within 10-15 secs no xtra needed

[Guest kidz]

if there's no xtra.bin, you simply haven't downloaded it. If performance is worse now, undo the 'fix': it's not because this works for some folks that it works for your case, and no matter how tempting it is to apply all kind of tweaks, if they make your gps worse then just don't bother with them

can anyone give me the 2 gpsid files...i need to undo the fix....or anyway to retrieve back the file?

[Guest js3339]

can anyone give me the 2 gpsid files...i need to undo the fix....or anyway to retrieve back the file?

You don't need any files, just edit the registry back as it was before the fix. Those files will be created automatically.

[Guest LiveDuo]

i have done all the steps required....i deleted the 2 gpsid files but i cant seems to find the xtra files from my device in omnia....and after i deleted the 2 files...my garmin xt cant even detect a single bar of signal (previously i still manage to get 2 bars when i on my garmin)

Any help with that?

if there's no xtra.bin, you simply haven't downloaded it. If performance is worse now, undo the 'fix': it's not because this works for some folks that it works for your case, and no matter how tempting it is to apply all kind of tweaks, if they make your gps worse then just don't bother with them

hi there is my 1si post in the foroum...i have a problem trying to fix GPS not xtra file to delete...as dwethiswar said i dont need to delete it if i dont download it...but why i cant get GPS to work? i have already tried GPS Refresh Rate Meter v1 and it didnt lock and GPSed didnt get anyone satellites...what to do? :excl:

[Guest jamesluo]

thank you very much

[Guest lipobay]

REGISTRY CHANGE WORKS FOR ME 1ST GO - PICKED UP 10 SATS AND FOUND MY HOUSE OUT IN THE STICKS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE - USING GOOGLE MAPS.

My ROM is Skokka's WinMob 6.1 - SHK16M

Cheers for the advice!! :excl:

[Guest xNihilistx]

If you turn off XTRA, you'll notice that it may require even more than 15-30 minutes to get a fix. Turning on XTRA will shorten this to almost instant fixes...

Many people prefer to disable Enhanced GPS Settings, XTRA data download. This is because 3G/GPRS data connections can cost a lot, especially if you are abroad and roaming.

It seems like Samsung has left some settings turned on in the registy, for debugging purposes, and this makes really slow to get a fix without XTRA data. According to Microsoft's documentation (see GPS Intermediate Driver General Registry Settings) some features like logging can be enabled for debugging, in GPS Intermediate Driver's registry settings, which stays between the hardware and your navigation software.

My experience shows that the following steps seem to improve the time to get a GPS fix, without need to download XTRA data:

1. Go to Settings > System > Enhanced GPS and set both settings to "Disable"

2. Go to your device's registry, and see the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver

3. Change the following string values to nothing (don't delete them, just edit them and clear the value):

CurrentLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.txt)

OldLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.bak)

4. Soft-reset your device

5. With File Explorer, go to My Device, and delete the two GPSID_log files you see, and the file named xtra. If you don't soft-reset, you will not be able to delete some of them.

6. Check again the registry setting. Sometimes in rare cases it may revert the settings back - but that's a general WM problem.

After this, if you start your navigation software under clear sky, you can get a fix in a coulpe of minutes, without the use of XTRA, or any other data source, than pure native GPS satellites.

To digg in the registry there are many free and shareware tools available, I can recommend Total Commander CE, which has a registry plugin.

Also noticed (but this may be really subjective) that flipping the device with the back upwards, while waiting for GPS fix, improves reception a bit - it seems like the internal receiver antenna is oriented to the back of the device... but if anyohe has dissassembled the Omnia can confirm or infirm this.

I've done all of the above requirements, however when i go to delete the GPSID_log files they won't let me delete them. I then go in and change from them from hidden and turn read only off and it still won't let me delete them. My Omnia is on the verizon network, do you have any idea to manipulate these two files further so i can delete them.

Cheers!!

[Guest dbol]

I've done all of the above requirements, however when i go to delete the GPSID_log files they won't let me delete them. I then go in and change from them from hidden and turn read only off and it still won't let me delete them. My Omnia is on the verizon network, do you have any idea to manipulate these two files further so i can delete them.

Cheers!!

You have to soft-reset your device. Also, can't confirm this fix works for i910...

[Guest swomack]

Sorry for bumping an old post, but I just recently got the I910 and it does not have "Enhanced GPS" listed under system. It did not have External GPS either, but I was able to get that to display with changing the registry key. Does anyone know where they may be hiding the "Enhanced GPS" key in the registry?

[Guest Master_Axe]

Using iGO8 i get a fix within 2 or 3 minutes...

is this a confirmed fix? i900... thanks

[Guest Revhead]

Stuff a duck.

Had to do a hard reset and reinstall Igo8. Now it's taking like 30 minutes to get a fix, even after performing the log fix.

Guess it's luck of the draw?

[Guest dizzy_7]

This works great. Thank you. Has any1had any ramifications from this?????

[Guest brbruno]

GPS improved a lot after this hack...

PS: Had to do 2 soft resets do delete the log files.

No log file xt existed so i just ignored, probably because i never had extra enabled anyway.

Thanks a lot!

[Guest Revhead]

Well, my Omnia with Igo8.0.xx has just started doing something new.

I was using it on a long trip and twice it lost its GPS fix, not because it couldn't find any satellites - but because it decided for some reason to unload the GPS driver after about an hour of use.

The only way I have found to get it back is restart the phone.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Edited October 5, 2009 by Revhead

[Guest Morgan007]

Hi

I'am a Toshiba G810 (ROM WM6.1) user and I've read this fantastic tutorial for Omnia.....

If you turn off XTRA, you'll notice that it may require even more than 15-30 minutes to get a fix. Turning on XTRA will shorten this to almost instant fixes...

Many...navigation software.

My experience shows that the following steps seem to improve the time to get a GPS fix, without need to download XTRA data:

1. Go to Settings > System > Enhanced GPS and set both settings to "Disable"

2. Go to your device's registry, and see the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver

3. Change the following string values to nothing (don't delete them, just edit them and clear the value):

CurrentLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.txt)

OldLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.bak)

4. Soft-reset your device

5. With File Explorer, go to My Device, and delete the two GPSID_log files you see, and the file named xtra. If you don't soft-reset, you will not be able to delete some of them.

6. Check again the registry setting. Sometimes in rare cases it may revert the settings back - but that's a general WM problem.

After this, if you start your navigation software under clear sky, you can get a fix in a coulpe of minutes, without the use of XTRA, or any other data source, than pure native GPS satellites.

....

Does it will work in my Toshiba G810 following the Tutorial?

Thanks

Edited December 15, 2009 by Morgan007

[Guest ivanars1]

If you turn off XTRA, you'll notice that it may require even more than 15-30 minutes to get a fix. Turning on XTRA will shorten this to almost instant fixes...

Many people prefer to disable Enhanced GPS Settings, XTRA data download. This is because 3G/GPRS data connections can cost a lot, especially if you are abroad and roaming.

It seems like Samsung has left some settings turned on in the registy, for debugging purposes, and this makes really slow to get a fix without XTRA data. According to Microsoft's documentation (see GPS Intermediate Driver General Registry Settings) some features like logging can be enabled for debugging, in GPS Intermediate Driver's registry settings, which stays between the hardware and your navigation software.

My experience shows that the following steps seem to improve the time to get a GPS fix, without need to download XTRA data:

1. Go to Settings > System > Enhanced GPS and set both settings to "Disable"

2. Go to your device's registry, and see the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver

3. Change the following string values to nothing (don't delete them, just edit them and clear the value):

CurrentLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.txt)

OldLogFile (originally \GPSID_log.bak)

4. Soft-reset your device

5. With File Explorer, go to My Device, and delete the two GPSID_log files you see, and the file named xtra. If you don't soft-reset, you will not be able to delete some of them.

6. Check again the registry setting. Sometimes in rare cases it may revert the settings back - but that's a general WM problem.

After this, if you start your navigation software under clear sky, you can get a fix in a coulpe of minutes, without the use of XTRA, or any other data source, than pure native GPS satellites.

To digg in the registry there are many free and shareware tools available, I can recommend Total Commander CE, which has a registry plugin.

Also noticed (but this may be really subjective) that flipping the device with the back upwards, while waiting for GPS fix, improves reception a bit - it seems like the internal receiver antenna is oriented to the back of the device... but if anyohe has dissassembled the Omnia can confirm or infirm this.

This works grate for me! Thanx! :(

I use iGO 8.3, and it took only about 30 seconds for my Omnia to find satellites! Thank you again! :(