T3PO

After installing Palm Desktop 4.2.1 on Panther 10.3.4 and running it with absolutely no problems for a week; suddenly, when I went to open the Palm Desktop application ... I got the introductory Palm 'splash screen', and then an 'eternal' spinning beach ball. In other words, the application does not respond and I have to force quit.

(I had recently updated my system with the current Apple security updates through Software Update.)

Note: I can still Hotsync fine. Hotsync Manager opens.

After calling Palm Support, the technician suggested that I try clicking on my "User Data" file in the Users folder ... no luck. Next, we tried opening "User Data Archive" file. It worked. Palm Desktop opened (but I still could not access my user file; ie, my hotsync name). When I click on my user name in Palm Desktop, I get the 'eternal' spinning beach ball yet again.

FYI: I created a new user file (hotsync name) then tried to delete my regular user file and got the message: One or more files associated with this user/profile are currently busy or in use. They can't be deleted now. [1012]

I uninstalled Palm Desktop; then reinstalled it. I hard reset my Palm (contents backed up to expansion card) then restored from backup card. I hotsynced to my Mac. Then started up Palm Desktop. No luck ... same problem.

FYI: Also, I noticed some icon images were corrupted (Palm Users; Set_Backup; sync.ini) sometime during the uninstall and the reinstall of Palm Desktop. (Some had a distorted icon of Apple Preview instead of their original icon. Strange.)

Luckily, I have Chronos Personal Organizer 4.5. It syncs fine (using it's own conduit, which replaces the Date Book, Contact, Memo, and Task conduit of the Palm Desktop app) to work in the interim until I find a solution.

Any ideas what the problem might be?

bh77a

You mentioned that you restored the Palm from your backup card, then did a Hot Sync and then tried to open Palm Desktop... Did you try to open Palm Desktop before doing the Hot Sync? If so, did you have any luck? Can you try it without any third party conduits installed (drag them out of their folder to the desktop temporarily)? I had a terrible time that was caused by a "generic" conduit...

Hope you get up and running soon...

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Thanks,
bh

CLIE TJ27, Tungsten E(1), TX, CLIE TH55/U

T3PO

Thanks for your reply.

I was able to open the re-installed Palm Desktop before attempting the Hot Sync restore from my T3 (opened to a new user file, of course--no data).

And it also opened fine, before the re-install, if I clicked on "User Data Archive" (opened to HotSync ID "None").

But Palm Desktop would not open after HotSync restoring my handheld info to the desktop. Palm splash screen, then spinning beach ball.

Joel

Have you tried repairing permissions in your Mac (/Applications/Utilities/Desk Utility)? Do a restart afterwards and then try opeing Palm Desktop again.

T3PO

I repaired disk permissions as you suggested.

It did correct the icon anomolies; however, Palm Desktop is still having problems.

Palm Desktop now opens on (User: None) with ("My Hotsync Name" Archive) shown at the heading of the Date Book. When I select (User: "My Hotsync Name"), it attempts to open it; then ... 'eternal' spinning beachball.

Could it be the handheld?

Perhaps I should try hard resetting again and putting the apps back on the handheld one by one , testing Palm Desktop after each app is added.

Joel

Hmm... let's try this.

Go to Documents/Palm/Users. Delete everything there then try to initiate a Hotsync. It should ask for a new user name and continue with the syncing. After this, try opening Palm Desktop again.

bh77a

Sounds to me like there is something corrupting the desktop user info when you hot-sync... could be a corrupt agenda item, etc... You could try to use the DateBook repair software that comes with DateBook5... I think that individual piece of software is freeware... Or you could try hard resetting and reinstalling from a cold start... one piece of software at a time to see if you could isolate the offending software or datebook item...

__________________
_________________________
Thanks,
bh

CLIE TJ27, Tungsten E(1), TX, CLIE TH55/U

T3PO

I seemed to have corrected the problem.

Here's what I did:

Uninstalled Palm Desktop v4.2.1. Set the laptop gently on a flat, stable surface. And stomped it repeatedly until it became a fine dust.

No, really ... I did uninstall PD 4.2.1, then also moved the Palm folder out of my Documents folder (which, of course, contains the User folder). I moved it to my desktop and renamed it to be safe. Then I reinstalled PD 4.2.1, created a new user (same name as my previous one), and Hotsynced my T3 (with Backup Buddy VFS installed, everything was transferred over).

Works fine now!

Now I noticed that in my previous efforts to tweak my PowerBook, I had buried the folder containing the Palm Desktop, etc. a few folders deep in my Applications folder (you know, keeping things 'organized'), when, in fact, it originally default installs directly into the Applications folder. My guess is that it's nice and comfy there and possibly that it gets testy when monkeyed with. I also, again in my diligent pursuit to spend more time tweaking than actually being productive, noticed that I had buried the Palm folder, which contains the User folder, a couple of folders deep, and had even thrown in a few other items (previous User folders, etc.) just to make things extra dicey.

Seriously though, the moral to the story, I think, is ... let the Palm installer put the folders where IT wants to and DON'T TOUCH.

PS. On another subject, I also installed PD 4.2.1 on my wife's iBook and noticed that the "access denied" message went away as soon as I upgraded her OS from Panther 10.3 to 10.3.4. I will heretofore resist the urge to tweak her iBook ... today.