Restoring Vx data

[HomeOffice]

When my laptop died, I was able to salvage my data files from the hard drive. I have installed the Palm Desktop software on my new computer. Along the way, my PalmVx ran out of juice and lost its data.

I have the recovered data in a separate directory that I created on the new hard drive when I pulled it back out of the old hard drive. When I installed the Palm Desktop software, it created its directory structure under ProgramFiles/Palm etc.

I have been unable to get the Palm Desktop software to access the old data. I'm trying to get to the old data so that I can sync it to the PalmVx.

I've tried changing Tools/Options/General to point to the location of the recovered data files but it says that the files are being used by another user.

I hope that someone can help me get my data back!!

This is my first time posting to a forum so I hope that I've provided enough information and thank everyone for their interest.

[Ambassador]

On the Vx device, has the Hotsync name changed or zero-ed out? You may want to zero out the old name and rename it to the same hotsync name as before. This may or may not help.

[HomeOffice]

The Vx handheld had run out of power so it has no data at all - no owner, it has not been synched since it was recharged. So current status is no data on handheld and no data in the file that the software can access. The data is in an old file that I have on my hard drive. I'm trying to get the desktop software to be able to access that data and use that file. Once I can get that data back into the findable/accessbile file, I hope that re-synching it to get the data back onto the handheld will be more straigtforward. Thanks.

[Ambassador]

Well, you have to have a "Hotsync" ID on the handheld to reestablish the connection with the desktop. Hence the error "the files are being used by another user". So, give your Vx the same "Hotsync" ID as before it died and try hotsyncing again. Hope this helps.

[Ambassador]

Also, you must have the same "Hotsync" ID configured in the Palm Destop Software.

[Cyker]

How I would do it:

Install all the software on the new system, create a new user, with the old Sync name if you want, and HotSync the PDA to get all the crap sorted out.

Now, close down Palm Desktop and HotSync Manager and copy all the stuff under your OLD HotSync dir in your old Sync name into the equivalent places in your new compy.

On loading Palm Desktop, you should see all your appointments, addresses etc.
If not, something's gone wrong and you'll need to report back here.

If you're successful, make sure HotSync is loaded back up, right click->setup (I think) and make everything Desktop Overwrites Handheld.

Do a HotSync and your Vx should be largely restored to it's old state, minus a load of stuff that didn't have their Backup Bits set :)

[HomeOffice]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I followed your instructions and everything is back!! I really appreciate the help. The sinking feeling that you may have lost data is just horrible but it is certainly overcome by the relief that comes when you retrieve it!!!