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Handhelds Hardware

Synching Palms Using Windows XP? 28

Posted by Cliff from the but-they-say-it's-supported dept.
Bill Kendrick asks: "I've been reading a few PDA-related Usenet groups lately, and I've been noticing quite a number of problems people have been having when trying to sync their Palms (and other PDAs) under WindowsXP." According to Palm, the new Palm Desktop (version 4.0.1) should be compatible, yet it seems that a lot of people are experiencing problems. If you've managed to get a Palm to sync successfuly with a Windows XP system, what did you have to do to get things working?
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Synching Palms Using Windows XP? More

Synching Palms Using Windows XP?

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  • What you likely have to do in order to sync a Palm to WindowsXP is install WindowsCE on the Palm (if at all possible). Otherwise, you're SOL.

    That's the way that MS would like it.

  • I've synced my Palm IIIc with Desktop 4.01 using both my machine at work as well as the one at home, with various builds of Windows XP. I was on the WinXP beta also - never a glitch in sync.

    Both machines have different processors, different motherboards and different graphics cards. I'm using serial sync and it works like a charm. In fact, I'm syncing while writing this post.

    I guess I miss the point of the post completely, as it does nothing to describe the nature of these problems and I've never encountered any.

    Duh? Should I try and re-install everything to see if I can create a problem? :-)
    • I also synced my IIIc under XP without any problems. Are IIIc owners just lucky and not affected?

      I even re-installed a couple times and it worked each time, not to try to create a problem, but because XP really needs SP1.
  • I had this problem too. My solution format C: install win2k again :-) xp isn't quite ready for mainstream yet my burner refused to work under xp also.
    • I have a friend that had both of his burners die in XP as soon as he installed non-MS burning software. He spent well over 6 hours trying to get it to work, but eventually just settled on using the MS included burner (he's pretty proficient at that sort of thing, too)
  • I've had no end of trouble trying to get my Handspring Visor with a USB cradle to sync under Windows 2000. It simply won't do it.

    I've read their web site, e-mailed tech support (only to be given an un-helpful boilerplate document), and tried everything I can think of.

    If anyone has gotten this to work, I'd love to know how.

    --Bruce
    (Handspring did replace my Visor when I dropped it and the screen broke--at their cost, via 2-day FedEx. I was quite happy about that.)
    • My Visor Deluxe works perfectly under Win2K Pro. I installed Palm Desktop, plugged in the cradle, and was good to go. What problem are you having? What version of Palm Desktop?
    • I had trouble when I loaded the program from the CD that was supplied. I believe it didn't have USB support built in. Ever since I downloaded the newest palm desktop, I've never had trouble with the syncing of my Visor.
    • My Visor wouldn't sync until I unplugged the cradle from one USB port and plugged it into the other. That somehow convinced XP to do its "Add New Hardware" dance the next time I hit the HotSync button, and then everything was fine.
    • I actually just bought a Handspring Visor (Neo), and haven't had any real problems in Windows 2000. The software installed ok, and it synced. The only real difficulty I had was syncing mail. For some reason I couldn't (and still cannot) get it to play nicely with my imap server, regardless of which mail program I tell it to use.

      Of course, this isn't really relevant for me, as it seems to work flawlessly in Linux. Once properly configured, pilot-mailsync does my email without a single complaint, and even malsync allows me to play with AvantGo. Command-line utilities like these might not be the nicest for novices, but they allow me to selectively sync only one thing, saving time and batteries in the process.

      Unfortunately, the fact that the USB cradle identifies itself to the kernel only when the HotSync button is pressed means that I have to time the button press and running a sync utility, but that's no huge difficulty. Perhaps this is also the reason windows sometimes has problems if the drivers aren't installed right?
    • Original poster here.

      I haven't checked Handspring's web site for a few months. However, on recommendation of people here, I went there and download a new version of Palm Desktop. It installed easily, and my trouble are gone. The new software worked perfectly.

      --Bruce
  • I called Microsoft up and asked them about the very same problem...

    They said if I bought their special expansion pack for Palm called "Windows-C-E" that I could sync made PDA to XP with no problems. Cool!
  • I have 2 palms, one each under separate profiles (m100 and PalmV for my wife and I). Running palm desktop 4.01. I did a scratch install of XP, and then installed palm desktop 4.01 from palm's website. I may have had to do it logged on as each different user... I don't quite remember. Then I installed Chapura's pocket mirror software from my PalmV CD under each user, and then I upgraded it to the 3.0 PocketMirror Professional. Works just fine.
    • Same, I never even knew there was an issue with Palms and XP. Worked right from the start just as it had in 98. I have a Palm IIIxe by the way and sync it about everyday (I read the NY Times, C|Net and Wired News when traveling).
  • I had de prob 2. I did a format and instald linux. but any other OS is also good (but NOT XP).
  • For some fun, if you've got a USB cradle hooked up, try this on Windows XP:

    - Log in as any user
    - Fast user switch to another user
    - Perform a Hotsync

    You should be presented with a lovely BSOD.
  • You might not be having issues with Win XP at all... Seems that the majority of m500 series models internal USB components are shorting our or corrupted, even after months of normal use.

    See this: http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=25 57&MODE=FLAT

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