|
For other problems, read on...
This page provides help with the following problems:
Windows Vista issues
Palm has yet to, and may never, release software providing full compatibility with Windows Vista for all Palm models. The latest information from the Palm website on Vista can be found here. A new version of Palm desktop software, still in Beta, is only compatible (according to Palm) with the very latest Palm models (Centro, Treo 755p, 680, 700p; Palm z22, TX; and Tungsten E2), and even then has incomplete functionality. More information about it here.
Earlier versions of Palm desktop software will still work with Vista; more information can be found in this pdf file. However, installing software under Vista (except using the latest Palm models and beta desktop software described in the preceding paragraph) requires workarounds, which are described in this pdf file. You cannot use the Install program that is part of the downloads we provide.
We have not yet tested conduits for the products we make which require conduits; at this time we are still in the process of assessing their compatibility.
Installing Palm software
However you obtained or downloaded the software, you must have a file named XXX.prc
to install in your Palm ("XXX" may be "UnDupe" for UnDupe, "PPrint"
for PalmPrint, "TAD" for The Athlete's Diary, "Order" for Take
An Order!, "OnHand" for On Hand, "SCSPrint" for SCS Print Server",
"Timer" for PocketTimer, "RaceBase" for RaceBase, "RaceAnnouncer"
for Race Announcer, "AthCalc" for The Athlete's Calculator, "Splits"
for SplitTimer, "ZipCoder" for ZipCoder, "Random" for Handy Randy,
"AreaCode" for AreaCoder, or "SwimCoach" for SwimCoach.) If
you do not have the ".prc" file, you cannot proceed. If you do
have the ".prc" file, you can proceed.
The instructions below are our best attempt to explain the installation of software
in a Palm. HOWEVER...Palm has changed their desktop user interface, and the exact
mechanism for installing software into a Palm unit, several times. We suggest reading
the instructions below, but if they don't seem to apply to your system, please consult
the documentation that came with your Palm (or equivalent, e.g., Visor, Workpad, Symbol
SPT) handheld unit. If you are using some other desktop or HotSync software (e.g.,
Franklin-Covey, Microsoft, Puma), you will also need to consult the documentation
that came with that product as to the method for installing third-party software in
your Palm. There is nothing special about Stevens Creek Software products as far as
installation in your Palm - they are absolutely "normal" program. So the
standard instructions apply.
Here are our capsule summaries of the installation process:
From a Macintosh:
Using MacPac Version 1: Run the program InstallApp. Click on the Select
button, set the List Files of Type to All Files, locate and select the
file UnDupe.prc, and click Open. Now click on the Install button.
The next time you HotSync your Palm, the program will be downloaded.
Using MacPac Version 2: Select the HotSync Manager from the "Instant
Palm" menu on the upper right of your menu bar. In the HotSync menu, select
Install. Click on the Add To List button. Locate and select the file
UnDupe.prc, and click Add File. The next time you HotSync your Palm,
the program will be downloaded.
From Windows:
Click here for a complete pictorial
guide to installing programs from a Windows computer.
FAQ:
- I can't find the program to install. The Palm documentation implies that
programs to be installed should be, or must be, in the "Add-Ons" folder,
and when you run the Palm Installer, it opens up to that folder. But your ".prc"
program is not necessarily in that folder. You must "navigate" using the
"File Open" box which appears and locate the folder (directory) in which
the ".prc" file is located in order to select it for intallation. And
to do this, you'll want to know where the ".prc" file is before you start
the installation process. See the discussion above about "finding files"
if you aren't sure about this.
- The program didn't install! There are some reasons why a program won't
install, and at least one reason why you might THINK it didn't install when it actually
did. See if any of these things seems to apply to you. Also, reading the HotSync
Log can be a clue to what went wrong.
- When you go to the Applications screen on your Palm (on newer Palms, you get
here by clicking the "Home" button in the upper-left of the bottom
portion of the screen), you don't necessarily see all the programs installed
on your Palm. On current Palm units, there are "categories" of
applications, and if you are displaying the wrong category, you won't see the
program you just installed. Make sure you are in the "All" mode. And
on older or newer units, you may need to scroll down to see applications towards
the end of the alphabet (e.g., "UnDupe").
- You didn't do a HotSync. When you go through the installation process,
it tells you at the end that the program will be installed the next time you
HotSync. Don't forget to do that!
- You set to install the software in the wrong Palm. Palm desktop software
supports multiple handheld units. Even if you only have one unit, sometimes
people change the name, and end up with two or more names on the desktop. When
you install software, one of the drop-down menus requires that you select the
name of the unit on which to install the software. If you had the wrong user
name selected, then the software won't be installed on the unit you want.
- The HotSync process didn't complete. Problems can arise during HotSync
which prevent installation. If you think this might be happening, configure
the HotSync process (read your Palm or other (e.g., Puma) documentation to learn
how to do this) to TURN OFF ALL "conduits" EXCEPT the "Install"
conduit. That is, set the Address Book, Date Book, etc. to "Do Nothing".
Then go through the installation process and try a HotSync again.
- You tried to install from a missing disk or CD. It is possible to have
the ".prc" file on a floppy disk or CD, and to go through the installation
process and set it to install the software from the floppy or CD. But if you
then REMOVE the floppy or CD before you do the HotSync, of course HotSync won't
be able to find the file and install it.
Never got a serial number
If you think you ordered software from us but never received a serial number, there
are several possibilities.
- You never received your order. Even if you received an automated order acknowledgement,
"things" do happen on the Internet. There might have been a server crash
at just the wrong moment, or someone might have hit a "delete" button
accidentally, etc. It's not common, but it certainly can happen.
- You filled out an incorrect email address on your order, so we emailed your serial
number to an incorrect address.
- You did everything correctly, and so did we, but our response email containing
the serial number was lost in the ether on the way to you.
No matter which of these may have happened, you'll want to email http://www.stevenscreek.com/contact.html
with a brief note about your problem and we'll try to figure out what's going on.
If we did receive your order, we'll simply email you your serial number again; if
we didn't, we'll let you know you need to place the order again.
Entering your serial number
When your order for software has been processed, you will receive an email containing
your serial number. This serial number is not needed to download the software from
our web site, and it is not needed to install the software from your desktop into
the Palm. The serial number is to be entered into the software on the handheld unit
itself once you have installed the software there (see previous section).
You'll find instructions for entering the serial number in the manual(s) which you
downloaded (or online). For our two most popular programs, UnDupe and PalmPrint, you
start the program (tap on the icon from the Applications window of the Palm) and you'll
see the word "*Unlicensed*" in the top right corner of the screen. Tap on
"*Unlicensed*", and a window will appear telling you to enter the Serial
Number. Enter the number (using Graffiti), then tap on OK. If you enter the number
correctly, your software will be licensed and you won't need to enter it again. For
many of our other applications, you'll start the program, tap on the "Menu"
button (in the lower left corner of the screen), and select the "About"
menu. On the information screen which appears you'll see a "License" button.
Tap on it, and enter the serial number in the window which appears.
If these instructions do not seem to apply (and there are one or two programs which
work differently), the instructions for entering the serial number are found in the
manual.
Do not lose your serial number; you may need it in the future. If you store
the code in a memo on your Palm, then after you do a HotSync the code will also be
in the same memo in your Palm desktop software. Now it doesn't matter what happens
to your handheld unit or your PC; you'll always have the information safely stored
in two places. If you do lose your serial number, and need it again at some time in
the future, email a request to http://www.stevenscreek.com/contact.html.
We do NOT handle these requests by phone. There may also be times when you need to
change your user name, either because of problems you had with the unit or because
you have upgraded to a new Palm. If so, you must email a request for a serial number
replacement to us, and state clearly that this is a replacement (if you purchase an
ADDITIONAL Palm, and will be using the software on two units, you need to purchase
an additional software license).
Serial number incorrect
If you enter your serial number, and the software says "Incorrect serial number",
there are several possibilities. If you need to send us a new user name, or other
information, email it to http://www.stevenscreek.com/contact.html.
We do NOT handle these requests by phone.
- Wrong user name. Serial numbers are based on the "Palm user name",
also known as the "HotSync name", of the handheld unit on which the software
is installed. Sometimes users mistakenly provide their own name, or their email
address, or their palm.net user name, or something else. Nothing else will do.To
get the User Name, tap on the Applications button, then tap on the HotSync application.
If you have a Palm III later, the name appears in the extreme upper right of the
same HotSync screen. If you have a PalmPilot (Personal or Professional), the top
line of the screen will read, "Welcome, XXX." (where "XXX" is
your user name). Please be sure you supply the name to us EXACTLY as it appears,
including upper or lower case letters, punctuation, and spaces as appropriate, any
difference will make the serial number invalid.
- Accented characters. If you purchase our software through PalmGear, your
serial number is mailed out to you by an automated system which doesn't handle accented
characters properly. Just send us the correct user name (by email) and we'll handle
the situation manually.
- Wrong version. Although we don't do this often, SOMETIMES when we upgrade
our software we change the serial number code. If you think the user name is correct,
and the software still says you have an incorrect number, you may have an old version
of the software. Check on http://www.stevenscreek.com/palm/download.html
where the current version of each of our software products is listed. If you
don't have the latest version, download it and install it and try your serial number
again.
| All of our software requires a serial number which is based on
the Palm UserName (HotSync name). If you are having problems getting the right
serial number, sometimes it's because the name was wrong - perhaps an extra
space somewhere you didn't know about. MyName is a program that you can
install in your Palm that shows you EXACTLY what your name is, letter by letter.
It's free. |
- Download MyName Software (prc file only, no manual)
Conduit installation
Several of our products have "conduits" which transfer information from
Palm to desktop and vice-versa. A conduit has to be "installed." We put
"installed" in quotes because it really isn't a real software installation,
really all that is happening is that the software is informing the Palm HotSync Manager
that there is a new conduit that should be activated during each HotSync. Several
things can go wrong with the installation process:
- Wrong file name. If you download a ZIP file from our web site, and unpack
it with an old (DOS) unzipping program, the names of some of the files can be truncated;
if so, the installation process will fail. Read the manual (which you downloaded),
check the names of the files referred to in the manual, and, if the files you unzipped
have shorter ("8.3") file names, just rename them and try installing the
conduit again.
- Old HotSync Manager. Our software is only compatible with Palm HotSync
Manager 3.0 or higher. If you are running an older version of HotSync, you can (and
should) download (for free) the latest version from the Palm
Computing web site.
- Non-standard file structure. Some of the installer programs expect a file
named CondMgr.dll to be found in the standard Palm folder (e.g., C:\Palm).
If you have reorganized the files, make a copy of CondMgr.dll and put it
in the default Palm folder.
- Conduit file not present. The installer programs expect the conduit they
are installing (the ".dll" file) to be in the same folder as themselves.
If it is not, they will fail.
Conduit usage
Several of our products have "conduits" which transfer information from
Palm to desktop and vice-versa. Several things can go wrong with conduit operation.
You MUST read the documentation about the HotSync process that is contained in the
relevant manual in order to understand how to configure and use HotSync in conjunction
with our software - it is NOT self-explanatory nor fully automatic as with standard
Palm applications like the Address Book, etc.
The most common problem involves looking in the wrong place for the uploaded information
(data coming from the Palm to the desktop), or placing information to be downloaded
(from the desktop to the Palm) in the wrong place. You MUST understand where your
"HotSync folder" is in order to proceed. On a Windows computer, this
file is typically in a folder like C:\Palm\Fred, where "Fred"
is the HotSync name of your Palm. However, this is tricky, because if your Palm HotSync
name is longer than six letters, the name is truncated. For example, if your HotSync
name is "Fred Smith", the file might be named "FredSm". If you
have a middle initial it gets more complicated. You can know for sure whether the
folder you are looking at is the correct one by looking at the file HotSync.Log,
which is the file into which information is written during every HotSync. Once you
find the correct folder, it MUST have a file HotSync.Log in it (if it doesn't,
you're looking at the wrong folder). Now open that file (use NotePad or WordPad),
and check the date and time of the last HotSync. You'll quickly know if this is the
right file (and hence the right folder), or whether perhaps it is a folder for some
previous Palm HotSync name or some previous installation of software. On a Macintosh
computer, the HotSync folder will typically be something like Macintosh HD:Palm:Users:Fred,
where "Fred" is the HotSync name of your Palm. Of course you can
install the Palm folder anywhere on your hard drive, so the "Macintosh
HD:Palm" portion of that name will depend on where you installed the software.
Unlike Windows, however, the Mac name of the HotSync folder will always match exactly
your Palm HotSync name. Verfiy that this IS the right folder by opening the file HotSync
Log and checking the date and time of the last HotSync.
Once you have identified the "HotSync folder", inside that folder you'll
find a sub-folder whose name is the name of our software (On Hand, CatScan,
Take An Order, Athlete's Diary, or PocketTimer). Now in
THAT folder will be the file or files which are used to download information into
your Palm and upload information from your Palm.
Once you have identified the correct HotSync Log, if you ever have any problems
with the HotSync process using our software, the first thing you should do is to read
that file. Our conduits write considerable diagnostic information into that file
which may guide you to understand what is happening.
Other common problems:
- User expectations. All of our conduits download information to the Palm
from standalone text files on the desktop, and upload information from the Palm
back to the desktop as standalone text files. They do not automatically sync this
information with any existing desktop software (such as our Athlete's Diary software)
in "true Palm HotSync" fashion; you are required to perform that step
yourself at the desktop level. Again, PLEASE read the manaul to understand what
to expect.
- Files not found. Information to be downloaded to the Palm must be in a
file of an EXACTLY SPECIFIED name (see the manual for the product in question for
details) in an EXACTLY SPECIFIED folder (see above). There is no alternative provided.
If you don't place the right file in the right folder, no information will be transferred
to the Palm.
- Incorrect file name. This can be the most subtle problem. With On Hand
or Take An Order software, for example, the catalog file to be downloaded to the
handheld must be called Catalog.txt. But Windows allows you to configure
it so that file extensions (like the ".txt") are not displayed.
More than one user has inadvertently created a file named Catalog.txt.txt,
looked on screen and seen Catalog.txt and assumed the file was named correctly
when it was not. Make SURE you are looking at the FULL name (read your Windows documentation
or call Microsoft technical support if you are unsure how to do this).
- Conduit file not found. When you install the conduit, the HotSync manager
is told to look for the conduit file (the ".dll" file) in a particular
place. If you subsequently move the conduit file, HotSync manager won't find it.
If you need to move the conduit, first UNinstall the conduit (read the manual that
accompanies our software for instructions), then move it and reinstall it. You also
need to exit and restart the HotSync manager for this change to properly take effect.
- Conduit file has become deactivated. When you go to the screen which lets
you configure the conduits (see Palm documentation on how to do this), the conduit
for our software (e.g., On Hand, Athlete's Diary) must appear. We have seen cases
(possibly related to the previous paragraph but unknown) where the conduit simply
disappears from the list. If so, you'll need to reinstall it.
UnDupe
FAQ:
- All my duplicates weren't removed. UnDupe finds all records in the four
standard Palm databases (Address Book, DateBook, MemoPad, and ToDo list on older Palms; Contacts, Calendar, Memos, and Tasks on newer Palms) which are
100% identical and deletes them. If it does not find a duplicate, this means that
they are not 100% identical. There are some causes of duplication which can cause
minor changes (parentheses vs. square brackets, different categories) which perhaps
could be your problem, because UnDupe doesn't consider those identical. Two date
book entries with different alarms, two ToDo list entries with different priorities,
etc., all these are NOT duplicates and are not eliminated by UnDupe.
- None of my duplicates were removed. Assuming you had "Find and Remove"
checked, and assuming that UnDupe informed you that X duplicates were removed, then
X duplicates WERE removed, we guarantee it. We do NOT guarantee, however, that everything
you consider is a duplicate were removed (see previous item), NOR do we guarantee
that the duplicates won't immediately return the next time you HotSync. In most
cases, duplication on the Palm is the result of a PROBLEM (caused by Palm, Microsoft,
Puma, etc.). UnDupe treats the SYMPTOM, but does not cure the underlying problem,
so there is no guarantee duplicates won't return again and again. One thing you
can try, after removing duplicates on the Palm, is to set the conduits to "Handheld
overwrites desktop" rather than "Synchronize" (although IN PRINCIPLE
the latter should be just fine).
- My Treo 650 or Tungsten|T5 freezes when I run UnDupe. You are using an older version of UnDupe; versions 2.0 and higher no longer have this problem, which was caused by a bug in the Palm operating system.
PalmPrint
General:
- Printing doesn't work: Users have reported that the following hacks cause
problems with PalmPrint: ClockHack, BatteryMonitor Hack v1.6, ScreenWrite. We have
not verified any of these problems, so feel free to ignore this warning, but if
you do have problems with PalmPrint functioning and you are using any of these hacks,
you'll need to disable the hack (and feel free to bug the writer of the hack - a
hack should be totally transparent to any application).
- My Treo 650 crashes when I run PalmPrint. You are using an older version of PalmPrint; versions 4.4.1 and higher no longer have this problem.
Infrared Printing:
- IR Printing fails on a Sony Clie: There is a strange initialization bug
on the Clie units. Simply do a "soft reset" (pushing a pin in the reset
hole on the back) ONCE and the IR will work correctly from that point on.
- "Test IR Communications" won't find the printer: Make sure you
are pointing the IR port of the Palm or Visor at the IR port of the printer, and
that you are not too close (less than 4 inches or so can cause problems) and not
too far (with most Palms, 18 inches is about the limit; with some new Palms like
the IIIc, you can be up to 6 feet away). If communication fails, some printers will
take 30 seconds or so to "reset" themselves internally, so don't try too
frequently or your efforts will be self-defeating.
- Printing fails partway through: When printing from SOME external applications
(e.g., ThinkDB, JFile) on SOME Palm models (e.g., IIIc, Vx), IR printing can start
but then fail partway through if you are using version 2.5 or earlier. This problem
is fixed in version 2.6, which can be downloaded from our download
page.
- Older Palm with added (upgraded) IR: In principle PalmPrint works with
older Pilots which have been upgraded with the standard Palm upgrade (which includes
IR, more memory, and PalmOS 3.0). However of the handful of people who seem to have
problems printing via IR with our software, they ALL seem to have upgraded units
rather than newer units. If you have an upgraded unit, we STRONGLY recommend that
you download the trial version of PalmPrint and verify that it works on your Pilot
and your printer before purchasing the software.
- "Can't open the IR library" message appears: The IR and serial
ports of a Palm share some internal circuitry, and both can't be used at once. Some
devices (e.g., Omnisky modem, external keyboard like PiloKey) may have the serial
port in use and therefore prevent the IR port from being used (which results in
this somewhat misleading message). You need to disable the serial device (or, less
likely, another piece of software which is using IR) before using the IR port to
print.
Cabled Printing - Serial:
- Nothing comes out on my printer: You may need a "null modem"
(an inexpensive adapter) which swaps two of the lines in the cable going to the
printer. Alternatively, your printer may actually require parallel rather than serial
input; unfortunately the same connector (25-pin) is sometimes used for both. Donsult
your printer manual or printer manufacturer to be sure.
- Nothing comes out on my printer (Monarch 6015): Make sure the Palm is FIRMLY
seated all the way down in the 6015; it must be making firm contact with the connector
on the bottom or it won't work.
- Software "hangs" or takes a long time: Make sure the "Use
CTS Transmit Flow Control" box on the "More" Configuration screen
of the software is UNchecked.
- Characters are skipped on long printouts: Make sure the "Use CTS Transmit
Flow Control" box on the "More" Configuration screen of the software
is CHECKED.
- Printer prints lines of "@@@@@" or similar gibberish: The baud
rate is incorrect. The baud rate in PalmPrint must be set to match your printer,
which may be fixed or may be itself configurable (consult your printer manual or
printer manufacturer).
- Handspring Visor: PalmPrint version 2.5.x and earlier support only IR printing
from the Handspring Visor. A new version, 2.6, is to be released which supports
serial printing in SOME circumstances. Check for version 2.6 on our download page;
when it's there, the problem will be fixed.
Cabled Printing - Parallel:
- Printer prints nothing: Your baud rate may be incorrect. If your serial-to-parallel
cable is a Greenwich GA945PP, the baud rate set in PalmPrint MUST be 57,600; if
it is a Greenwich GA945CE9M, it MUST be 9,600. A second possibility is that your
printer parallel port is incompatible with a serial-to-parallel cable; this is the
case with printers which have "bidirectional" parallel ports, which is
the way all "multipurpose" (fax/printer) units are configured.
The Athlete's Diary for Windows and
Macintosh...
has a separate support page.
If this page doesn't help...
|
