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-- NT4 / Serial Sync Problems (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=2387)

My Visor syncing was working great until a few days ago when I removed it from my NT workstation (Serial Connection). Now it will attempt to sync with the following results:
- sometimes the Visor will say it can't get a connection
- other times a dialog box will pop up on the NT machine, connect, but then it can't identify a user ("User: <blank>")

I've been through soft resets, hard resets, uninstalls/installs of Handspring software, uninstalls/unstalls of COM ports.

After the hard reset, the Visor no longer has a "name" for a user. Is there any way to set a name for the Visor before I attempt to sync?

What's left to try? I love this thing...and I want it back!

I am having similar problems with NT SP4 and my serial cradle. (I've already had Handspring replace the cradle once and yes I was on hold for 83 minutes before they picked up and took my call. Thank God for speaker phones so I could still be productive.)

On my home PC with Windows 98 and a USB cradle I can do the registry edit trick and a warm reset to get HotSync working again. Is there anything similar that would work for a serial cradle on NT?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JSnow:
n my home PC with Windows 98 and a USB cradle I can do the registry edit trick and a warm reset to get HotSync working again.

What is the registry edit trick??

I found the registry edit tip on this discussion group so thank you to whomever discovered it. (Of course no one should be asked to tolerate this bug but I don't have many choices right now.)

The registry edit trick for Windows 98 with USB cradles works like this.

1. Soft reset your Visor.
2. Open REGEDIT in Windows 98. (Be careful if you are new to Windows registries. Be sure to make backups)
3. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\USB\
4. Delete the entry: VID_082D&PID_0100.
5. Close REGEDIT.
6. Make sure Local USB is checked in your HotSync Manager.
7. Perform HotSync.

After editing the registry be prepared for your PC to crash when you reboot your machine.

Now the plot has thickened...I just took it home to my Win95 machine, and the sync worked. This is just strange.

If anyone knows how to edit the NT registry, I'll buy you a beer or something.

Interestingly enough I have had the same problem and it just started a few days ago, same setup, NT and serial cradle. I found that by going in to HotSync Manager and changing the com port speed from "Fastes Available" to 9600, it works fine (but VERY slow), at 19,200 it works half way, and at any speed faster, it now craps out at User: on both screens. Until a few days ago it was fine. I have emailed Handspring and am waiting for a response. Syncing at 9600 is WAY TOO slow to be acceptable, especially if you are an Avantgo user like me.

Try it and see if you can duplicate my results.

Rick

I was having the same problem, tried your fix of changing the baud rate to 9600 and it works, Thanx.

I tried faster connections and everything hung trying to indentify the user like before.

I look forward to seeing what tech support has to say.

Well my problem appears to be the serial cradle. I borrowed a friend's cradle and my Visor can sync just fine. This is the second cradle in 2 weeks!

Has anyone found a way to sync via infrared using a laptop with NT SP4?

Well, I'm glad that setting it to 9600 helped you, and I'm sure it will probably be a reasonable solution for most of us for a while. I haven't heard back from tech support yet, but pointed them to this forum in a later message. Hopefully they will respond.

I do have to say that I HATE syncrhonizing at 9600. It takes forever. Between that, and not being able to sync at home because I run Win2k and am waiting for USB drivers, I'm getting a little frustrated.

Thanks for your help, all. I'm going to go give this 9600 thing a shot.

Well after a few emails back and forth with Handspring tech support, they had me call them for an RMA and they are replacing the serial cradle. We'll see if that's the solution.

While I had the guy on the phone I accused him of having Windows 2000 drivers but not sharing them yet. He laughed and said they'd be on the website by the 17th. Yeah right....

I've had my visor since the first week in January and have only been able to make the serial hot sync to NT work once. After I called support I waited 2 weeks for a new cradle and it still won't work. I called again and the individual on the phone couldn't help me or speak english so I've been waiting 2 days for someone to call me back.
I'm really disapointed, I really like this thingy but it's useless if I can't get it to sync up with my computer!

Well, the bad news is that my fix of slowing the port speed to 9600 was only a temporary one. My visor will not hotsync at all. I'm waiting for the repalcement cradle. I even tried the cradle/visor on a different machine with a clean install of the software, but nothing. Hopefully the replacement will help. All would be well if they'd just put out Windows 2000 drivers for the freakin' USB cradle.

Yup...same thing here...I'm going to call tomorrow for a replacement cradle. Do they charge anything for this?

Nothing is working...which is weird...because I had ZERO problems for the first 1 1/2 months.

Oh well. Thanks to everyone for their help!

I run NT4/serial at work and ran into problems a few weeks ago. I played around a lot, trying various things, without results. What I did get it working again, and have not had a problem since. In NT, I went into the Control Panel, Ports, and removed the serial ports that were listed. I then rebooted, and went back in to re-add them. They had been readded automatically, but I did have to change the baud rate settings. No problems since.


------------------
Mark N.

Kerns: No charge to get the serial cradle replaced. They even send an airbill for you to return the dead one in the box that the new one comes in. That's what they said anyway. Update in 7-10 days.

mtn: Interesting that that worked for you. I know my serial cradle is dead because its performance degraded as you can see above, and then I formatted my harddrive, installed Windows 2000, plugged the serial cradle in, installed all the Visor software, and it still wouldn't work at all. So new OS, clean install of all the software, hard reset on the visor still didn't fix it. A new serial cradle better. Or some damn Win2k USB drivers. I got a brand new USB cradle sitting on my shelf waiting for Win2k drivers.

Thanks, Micro. I'll give them a call today.

I'm waiting on those Win2K USB drivers as well. Supposed to be up on the 17th? Well, either way, would hurt to have a functioning serial cradle as a backup.

Oh Yeeeesss. You guys with NT4. Welcome to the club. I have two serial cradles, two PC's, one at home, one at office, both with NT. The cradle at the office didn't work. Tried the one at home, same thing. Called my NT guru, and we went to Control Panel / Ports and changed the settings on the Serial Port. I'll give you my settings, but your configuration may be different.

I am running Port 1, I/O Port Address 3f8, IRQ 4, running at 9600 Baud. Still didn't work. Plugged in my second serial cradle. Worked flawlessly.

Called Tech support. After the required 30 - 45 minutes, they said they would send me a new cradle. 2 weeks later, didn't arrive. Called back, and they couldn't find a record of my call. New guy said he would send me a new one FedExp. It arrived in 4 days, FedExp. They even sent a prepaid Bill so that I could send it back at their expense.

Took the new one to my office, plugged it in ..... Nothing. Called the NT Guru again. Changed the settings on the Port, like I did at home. Worked flawlessly.

I have now been Hotsynching three times a day. At the office first thing in the morning, at the end of the day, and then in the evening at home. No problems at all.

I think that it is all resolved. If you can't connect, set up the port specifically. NT doesn't do it automatically like it might in Win98. See if that solves your problems.

I love my Visor. Startup is frustrating, but it is worth it if you are patient. Remember, this is a new company, they are working to resolve their issues.

good luck.

larry

The "Username: blank" is a known problem with Palms as well. At work I have people who use multiple cradles and they get the same error, different computers, two seperate Palms same error. What we usually do is try to change the speed, if that does not work we just replace the Palm and the cradle. Even when you get the cradle you might still have this problem..so expect to give Handspring another call for a replacement Visor.

I have had the same problem w/ NT. Got my Visor in Mid-December. Worked fine for 3 weeks then stopped synching. Tried everything without luck. HS said they would send me a replacement serial cradle. I have been waiting 6 WEEKS !!! Customer Service keeps telling me they're backordered and my order will be elevated. I am about ready to give up. I love my Visor but this is ridiculous, if I cant sync w/ the computer its useless. I have to fuble around with it on the phone to check dates to schedule meetings. If they don't get their act together I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a Palm Vx.