Newbie needs help!

[Suzi]

Hello,
Thank you for being here! I will try not to ask questions that have been asked and answered. If I do, pls point me in the direction of the answers so that I don't waste space or anyone's time.

I've had my G1 for about 6 weeks. I like it but...I am having some problems and the solutions I've been given don't work.

First- I was told that if I switched my email from comcast to gmail, I could delete it on my G1. Well, that isn't true and from what I've read, everyone has this problem. I'm NOT happy about that. My current space on my phone is 25.80 MB. I like apps, what can I say? But even though I have a 4 GB SD card, I have 3.18 or something like that, left on my SD card because pretty much NOTHING loads there. How useful is that? You can get decent sized SD cards but pretty much everything that takes up space, ie. apps, and such, stays in your phone memory, not on the SD card.
Second- Everytime I try to download a video, Flash player, or pretty much anything that others tell me I can do, my phone refuses to do it. I have been wanting to watch movies on my G1 and researched and researched and spoke to 'experts' etc. Everyone says they don't know why I can't do it. I have downloaded several 'top' video players from the Market and yet when I try to play even just a video, 4pg or 3pg, I get a message saying it cannot be played or the file was corrupted. I've tried numerous different videos, movies, etc, to no avail. The ONLY video that I can play on my G1 is the video I took of a friend in the hospital after she had her baby. I was FINALLY able to download a video/movie to my SD card, but then the 'excellent' video player app, that was recommended to use, STILL couldn't play the video! I tried all 3 video players that were highly recommended and not one of them will play a video/movie from my SD card!
Third- I tried today to attach a pic to an outgoing email and the phone made me put the email in draft to go pic the picture. I did that and attached it, but it didn't do anything. So I went to drafts to see if I could retrieve the email and try again. It wasn't there! I checked all the folders to see if it got put in the wrong email folder. Nope! Not there either. So, how was I supposed to attach a pic? Did I do it wrong or is it just another thing that the G1 is SUPPOSED to do and doesn't?
Right now I'm wondering why I spent so much money to buy a phone that supposedly has so many wonderful things it can do, yet I cannot find ONE person who can tell me HOW to do it successfully, or WHY I cannot do any of these things I want to do and SO many others say they CAN do with this phone.
I'm sorry if I sound angry or agitated. It's because I am. I have been trying to do this stuff for over a month and I can't find anyone to help me!
I read of all the cool things this phone does or can do in the hands of someone knowledgeable, and I don't see why I can't do them. Do you have to be a computer genious? I have a high IQ, but I am not able to figure out what the problem is and there is SO much information out there, and SO many different opinions, that I am completely confused.
Which brings me to your community......Can someone PLEASE help me?

Thank you all so much for being here. I know that there are many knowledgeable people here. I just need ONE who is willing to help me figure out these problems.

Suzi

[cmbarry1]

1. What do you mean you cant delete them? Memory- Its called "Rooting (gaining superuser/root access to your phone)" it will allow all of you apps and data cache to go straight to your SD card to save much space as-well-as allow all sorts of other goodies (i.e more home screens, landscape orientation without opening phone etc.)
2.It should play in 3gp, do you have a videos folder on your SD to put them into or are they just in the root of the SD? That should deff work if not dunno what to say
3.For the email I hit compose enter and email address, enter subject, attach and type body..works fine for me

hope this helps
before you ask about "Root" search it..tons of info on it, tutorials, info, anything!

[simms22]

Hello,
Thank you for being here! I will try not to ask questions that have been asked and answered. If I do, pls point me in the direction of the answers so that I don't waste space or anyone's time.

I've had my G1 for about 6 weeks. I like it but...I am having some problems and the solutions I've been given don't work.

First- I was told that if I switched my email from comcast to gmail, I could delete it on my G1. Well, that isn't true and from what I've read, everyone has this problem. I'm NOT happy about that. My current space on my phone is 25.80 MB. I like apps, what can I say? But even though I have a 4 GB SD card, I have 3.18 or something like that, left on my SD card because pretty much NOTHING loads there. How useful is that? You can get decent sized SD cards but pretty much everything that takes up space, ie. apps, and such, stays in your phone memory, not on the SD card.
Second- Everytime I try to download a video, Flash player, or pretty much anything that others tell me I can do, my phone refuses to do it. I have been wanting to watch movies on my G1 and researched and researched and spoke to 'experts' etc. Everyone says they don't know why I can't do it. I have downloaded several 'top' video players from the Market and yet when I try to play even just a video, 4pg or 3pg, I get a message saying it cannot be played or the file was corrupted. I've tried numerous different videos, movies, etc, to no avail. The ONLY video that I can play on my G1 is the video I took of a friend in the hospital after she had her baby. I was FINALLY able to download a video/movie to my SD card, but then the 'excellent' video player app, that was recommended to use, STILL couldn't play the video! I tried all 3 video players that were highly recommended and not one of them will play a video/movie from my SD card!
Third- I tried today to attach a pic to an outgoing email and the phone made me put the email in draft to go pic the picture. I did that and attached it, but it didn't do anything. So I went to drafts to see if I could retrieve the email and try again. It wasn't there! I checked all the folders to see if it got put in the wrong email folder. Nope! Not there either. So, how was I supposed to attach a pic? Did I do it wrong or is it just another thing that the G1 is SUPPOSED to do and doesn't?
Right now I'm wondering why I spent so much money to buy a phone that supposedly has so many wonderful things it can do, yet I cannot find ONE person who can tell me HOW to do it successfully, or WHY I cannot do any of these things I want to do and SO many others say they CAN do with this phone.
I'm sorry if I sound angry or agitated. It's because I am. I have been trying to do this stuff for over a month and I can't find anyone to help me!
I read of all the cool things this phone does or can do in the hands of someone knowledgeable, and I don't see why I can't do them. Do you have to be a computer genious? I have a high IQ, but I am not able to figure out what the problem is and there is SO much information out there, and SO many different opinions, that I am completely confused.
Which brings me to your community......Can someone PLEASE help me?

Thank you all so much for being here. I know that there are many knowledgeable people here. I just need ONE who is willing to help me figure out these problems.

Suzi

1 . i have no problem deleting stuff from my gmail app . just press delete .
2.download "download crutch" from tyhe market . it will let you download most everything from online . there is no flash on the g1 yet , so no flash player . also make sure vids are in the proper size and format (usually the same as for the ipod and iphone)
3.i attach pics , music , vids , apps , other files no problem .


if you want more space on the phone then root it and do apps2sd . there is a good link in my signature to root your phone :)

[zootalore]

Hi,
I'm no techie, but I do read tech updates. Here's one that might answer some of your questions. Not the best answers yet, but at least there's news on some of the issues/shortcomings.

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/11/09/motorola-droid-and-htc-droid-eris-ota-updates-rumored-to-hit-december-11/

[extorian]

The email delete problem ONLY applies to the standard Mail app, NOT the GMail app. If you use GMail for all your mail (you can get it to pull and optionally delete all the emails from any POP3 account) then it'll be just fine.

[Suzi]

Thank you to those who posted. I will try what was suggested. However, I would first like to address something I find a bit disturbing in the reply posts:

I know I am a newbie, however, to imply that I do not know how to delete my email, as several of you did, is insulting. I am not THAT much of a newbie and even if I was, I would surely know how to delete email!
The fact remains that I DO have a problem with my gmail NOT deleting. It does NOT delete from my trash folder, plain and simple. You see, I go to the the Trash folder and go to a message and hit 'delete' and then I go back to the Trash folder and it is still there! Just because your's is working does not mean that I am an idiot. And yes, I've tried shutting the phone down and restarting it too and the message I tried to delete is still there.

If you truely want to help, then try to. If you don't know how to help, say so, but don't insult the person asking for help. It is unproductive and just plain mean.

As for trying to download 'download crutch' as suggested: I can open Market, but it won't let me go to any page now. It says there is an error. My internet access on this phone has been running VERY slow and I have been getting a ton of error messages. Do you think this is my internet service or my phone? I get a 'network error has occurred' message. To me, this seems like my internet service provider, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Is it possible my phone is a 'dud'? I have already spoken with T-mobile and gone through a number of processes and nothing has helped me with these problems. I haven't yet tried a system reset. Do you think I should do that?

As for rooting, I would like to try that, but I don't know how advisable it is right now because of the issues I am having with my phone not working properly.

And again, if none of you can/will help me, where do I get help? T-mobile says to ask the developers of the apps, everytime I call them. But since the problem occurs with any app I use regarding the movie/video thing and apparently the email thing, it doesn't appear its an application error, but a phone error.

Thank you,
Suzi

[BadBoy]

No one was trying to insult you. They tried to answer your question, you took it the wrong way.

Anyway, when you delete an email, gmail automatically sends it to your trash folder. It stays there for 30 days before ot gets deleted from your account.

As for movies, try .mp4 files.

Before counting your phone out as a dud you may want to try a master reset.

[extorian]

Thank you to those who posted. I will try what was suggested. However, I would first like to address something I find a bit disturbing in the reply posts:

You're welcome - we only try to help.


I know I am a newbie, however, to imply that I do not know how to delete my email, as several of you did, is insulting.

I don't think any of us did imply that. I'm sorry if I personally did.

You have to understand that there is an email deletion problem that is an extremely well known problem on Android - that being that the standard email app doesn't delete emails off the server. A whole load of people who come here after getting their phone complain about this, and we respond to such a question frequently.

It was that knowledge that is what the people who responded tried to pass on to you, as it seemed to match the problem in the way you described it.

If you didn't know this fact, then I can see why some of the responses might have come across as condescending, but I'm sure this was not anybody's intention.


The fact remains that I DO have a problem with my gmail NOT deleting. It does NOT delete from my trash folder, plain and simple. You see, I go to the the Trash folder and go to a message and hit 'delete' and then I go back to the Trash folder and it is still there! Just because your's is working does not mean that I am an idiot.

But that's a different problem. "Deleting" an email, just like deleting a file in Windows, does not delete it. This has been the de facto standard for email for decades, and nearly as long for files.

Deleting an email sends it to the trash or bin folder. Exactly the same happens on the GMail application. So, deleting an email from the Trash using the GMail app simply makes it invisible on the phone (actually this depends on some things) but as far as the GMail server is concerned you just moved it back to the Trash folder, and that's why it's still there.

Deleting an email from the trash folder using the GMail app is not the same as going to the Google Mail website (which is much more advanced) and clicking the "Delete forever" link.


If you truely want to help, then try to. If you don't know how to help, say so, but don't insult the person asking for help. It is unproductive and just plain mean.

I've just re-read all of the replies. I originally took every comment to be helpful, and I still do. While I can see that some comments might be construed as patronising, the fact is they're not - you're just taking them out of context. For example "just press delete" might seem like they're taking the piss, but it was meant as "what I do is just press delete", because that's what they do. However, because you haven't described the deletion problem very well we've all answered the wrong question.

So, to prevent this happening when we take the time to try and help you next time, can you please clarify what the problem is...

Is it that you can't delete mails on your GMail app on your phone (i.e. deleting them from you Inbox) does nothing?

Is it that you can't empty your trash (i.e. deleting emails permanently from your trash folder so you never see them ever again anywhere, using your phone)?

Is it that you've set up GMail on the website to pull your emails from you Comcast email, but when you check your Comcast email (on their webmail or Outlook Express or however you used to do it), the emails are still there?



Do you think this is my internet service or my phone? I get a 'network error has occurred' message. To me, this seems like my internet service provider, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

It sounds like you have a poor internet connection. Are you using the mobile network's data connection (e.g. GPRS, 3G, HSDPA, Edge) or are you connecting to your own internet connection through WiFi?


Is it possible my phone is a 'dud'? I have already spoken with T-mobile and gone through a number of processes and nothing has helped me with these problems. I haven't yet tried a system reset. Do you think I should do that?

These errors sometimes happen. The fact that it has worked before implies it's not a dud, and just a network connection issue.


As for rooting, I would like to try that, but I don't know how advisable it is right now because of the issues I am having with my phone not working properly.

There is absolutely no need for you to root right now, and if you're a novice with the phone I'd highly advise waiting. It's important to note that rooting does technically void your warranty, and there's a risk (small) that if it messes up it will render your phone completely unresponsive and useless.

The main advantage to rooting is that you can install your applications on your SD card, thus you can have more than 100 or so applications installed on your phone which normally isn't possible. The other reason is that you can increase the volume more than is normally possible - some people find the ringtones a little quiet.

Absolutely every other reason I've ever seen for rooting is either only needed if you really want to do some crazy stuff on your phone (the vast majority of people don't), or if you immediately want some of the bleeding edge stuff that Google have added to unreleased future versions of Android - which are of course unfinished and untested. I can find apps that achieve the vast majority of what rooting achieves (multiple desktops, tethering, etc).


And again, if none of you can/will help me, where do I get help?

Make a list of what problems you're still having and we'll try to help. I'm kinda lost as to what we've fixed/not fixed for you.

[simms22]

extorian , youre always such the gentleman :)

[extorian]

Oh nooos, I'm getting a reputation. :D

[Suzi]

Thank you once again to all who answered my post.
Badboy: I did not know that the emails stayed in the gmail trash folder for 30 days. Thank you. Also, I have tried mp4 files. They don't play either. Thank you for your help.
Extorian: Thank you! You took the time to try to answer my questions in a way that was helpful. RE: email deletion issues: I know of the email deletion problems and stated that in my original post. In it I said that I had moved from Comcast to Gmail because I was told that Gmail would not have the deletion issues that Comcast has with the G1. That is why I was insulted by the responses. I had already given the information to the board that was necessary to answer the question I was posing by implying in my above statement that I knew of the common email deletion issue and had addressed it by changing to Gmail, which is not supposed to have such an issue.
I am used to using Outlook Express with Comcast on my computer. With that email program, when you delete something it goes to your Trash folder and when you empty your Trash folder its gone. But that was on my computer. On my phone it didn't do that. That is why I went to Gmail on my phone.I was told it would delete email and they would be gone. However, now with the Gmail program, are you saying that even if I delete it on my phone, it willl stay there until I delete it on the server? Or will it stay in the trash folder for 30 days as BatBoy has stated and then be gone?
You asked me to be clearer in posting my problem. So, to reiterate: I am asking how to delete permanently from my Trash Folder. I have tried to simply delete, as I mentioned in my 2nd message, but it does nothing. The email remains in my Trash Folder. Is this because of what Batboy said? And is there a way to have the Trash Folder emptied sooner if this is the case?

RE: internet connection: I have my phone set up to use 3G network but I also have it set to use wifi because the 3G doesn't work most of the time in our area even though we are smack in the middle of a 'strong' 3G network area. I have already been down this road with Tmobile to no avail. So to keep from going crazy, I just enable my wifi and it usually does the trick. My phone then will choose either wifi or 3G on its own.

Thank you for your advice on rooting my phone. I am still considering it but not sure I will do it. First I need to solve the problems I am having.

I mentioned in my first post that I cannot view videos/movies. I can only view the one video I took with my phone and utube videos. But I have tried to download video players like Act I and Cinema, and one other I can't remember the name of and NONE of them will play ANY videos/movies except the ones I already mentioned. I have made sure they are in the proper format and proper size requirements, but I cannot get my phone to play any of them.

The last problem I am having is attaching pics to emails. I am not sure I am doing it right. I composed an email, went to attach a pic, it put my email in drafts and when I tried to retrieve the email, I couldn't find it. I have looked everywhere and its not there, nor did it send it. So, can you tell me what I did wrong?

Thank you again Extorian. I am glad that you took the time to explain things and to ask for clarification of the problems I am having. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

Suzi

[extorian]

I'm trying to figure out how you have your email set up...

Are these emails being sent to your Comcast email address, then being grabbed by Google into your GMail account? Or have you just dumped your Comcast email account completely?

The reason I ask is that it's a different problem if Google is not deleting your emails from your Comcast account when it grabs them, as opposed to emails (from anywhere) being deleted from your GMail account when you delete them on your phone.

Anyway, if the emails are still on your Comcast account (as checked with Outlook Express) then you will need to tell it to remove the messages when it checks for them. To do that, log onto your GMail account using the website, go to Settings, then Accounts, then next to your Comcast account click the "edit info" link, and finally in the window that pops up with the settings make sure "Leave a copy of the retrieved message on the server." is not checked.

If you mean that an email that is on your GMail account is not being deleted from the Trash folder when you delete the email on your phone, then I'm sorry to say that the only way to empty your Trash in under 30 days is by logging onto the website, going to your Trash (or Bin) folder, and clicking on the Empty Trash Now (or Empty Bin Now) link.

I personally used to hate this fact too, and always used to empty my deleted items folder in Outlook frequently, so it bugged me there were loads of emails in my Trash folder on GMail. However, it has helped me on occasion when I've prematurely deleted an email, or wanted to refer back to one later when I couldn't have predicted needing to when I deleted it, so it's something I've come to live with.

I don't know of any way to make it empty it sooner other than telling it to manually by clicking the link on the website.

In terms of WiFi versus mobile data... If you're within range of your wireless access point, then the phone should automatically connect to that and use it. It only falls back to using 3G if WiFi is not available. It'll fall back to Edge, and then to GPRS is 3G isn't available. Either way, you should have a connection ranging from fast to soul-soul-destroyingly slow, depending on what's available.

Connection issues can occur if the network type changes in the middle of you using the market (e.g. it loses it's best data connection and has to fall back to one of the slower ones, or vice versa), it can occur if the network itself is being bad... such as a slow internet connection (is someone else using your broadband?), or just if the Market is busy with all these new people using their new phones :D

It shouldn't happen to often though. If you have a good WiFi signal and a reasonable internet connection and you make sure your phone is connected to your WiFi (can you see the WiFi icon at the top of the screen?) it should be ok.