Registered: Dec 2001
Location: SoCal
Posts: 8

Win2K has Alzheimer's! (HotSync and Win2K USB)

This is not my week for PDA. I'm at my wits end on this one and I'm hoping someone can help.

My computer seems to have completely forgotten how to hotsync with the Prism. Yesterday, I pressed hotsync and the PDA timed out, and the little USB icon showed up in the tray. It seems like the OS didn't know what sort of device was on the USB. The HotSync Manager never popped up.

I exited HotSync and ran the VisorUSBClean program thinking something had just gotten screwed up in the registry, and then reinstalled the PalmDesktop (I believe that has a driver install in it or something as well). That didn't work. The same thing happened. I've tried various permutations on VisorUSBClean, Desktop Install, power up/down, etc. Since then, just once I've managed a hot sync, but just one, and then the OS forgot about it again.

Has anyone seen anything like this? I'm running out of things I can try. I've now completely blown away all of the Palm Desktop stuff I had, and reinstalled and it still didn't work. I've powered down, powered up. Uninstalled, reinstalled. Nothing has worked so far.

Regards,
Remillard

Last edited by Remillard on 04-18-2002 at 05:50 AM

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 441

Try taking the visor out of the cradle and do a soft reset. Before replacing it right click on hotsync manager and close it. Then re-run hotsync manager and put the visor back in the cradle. This has worked for me evrytime this has happened to me.

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Registered: Dec 2001
Location: SoCal
Posts: 8

I thank you for the suggestion, but I've tried a couple of variations on this and I haven't had any luck. I tried a soft reset and a hard reset (the up button one) and still get the same result (Hotsync doesn't activate, but the USB icon comes on in the tray, and then disappears while Win2k tries to figure out what the heck is going on.)

I'm pretty much at the point where I'm ready to try a complete system reset on the Prism and maybe that'll clear whatever is horking up the system and messing up the USB.

Thanks.

Remillard

Last edited by Remillard on 04-18-2002 at 05:48 AM

Registered: Dec 2001
Location: SoCal
Posts: 8

quote:

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Originally posted by Remillard
I'm pretty much at the point where I'm ready to try a complete system reset on the Prism and maybe that'll clear whatever is horking up the system and messing up the USB.

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Registered: Jun 2001
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 108

I am having similar problems at home. It will usually sync after a reboot of the PC. It will sometimes sync if I unplug (and replug) the USB port, and it will sometimes sync if I remove the Visor from the cradle and re-insert it. Very frustrating.
Other days, it syncs all of the time without a problem. You may want to try updating your USB drivers on your mainboard. I have the VIA chipset USB on my home system (Where the problems occur) and an Intel chipset at work (Where i have not had any problems). Maybe the USB chipset makes a difference.
You may also want to try a different cradle in case yours is flaky.

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Registered: Dec 2001
Location: SoCal
Posts: 8

quote:

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Originally posted by TDS_Computer
I am having similar problems at home. It will usually sync after a reboot of the PC. It will sometimes sync if I unplug (and replug) the USB port, and it will sometimes sync if I remove the Visor from the cradle and re-insert it. Very frustrating.
Other days, it syncs all of the time without a problem. You may want to try updating your USB drivers on your mainboard. I have the VIA chipset USB on my home system (Where the problems occur) and an Intel chipset at work (Where i have not had any problems). Maybe the USB chipset makes a difference.
You may also want to try a different cradle in case yours is flaky.

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You know the really nutty thing is that I think that the Visor itself is the USB device. I'm not certain there is any real electronics in the cradle except a switch and a chip to handle the USB protocol. A year ago when I was working with a different visor and linux, it was difficult to get linux to recognize the visor because it ONLY showed up as a usb device during hotsync. Every other time it wasn't there. So it wasn't like removing the connector and reconnecting it did anything to linux. Maybe Win2K is sensitive to that, I don't know .

Registered: Jan 2002
Location:
Posts: 11

Solution

That can happen is Windows 2000. Consider following solution.
(before performing following make sure that you have palm desktop 4.0.1 from Handspring)
Click on Start >> Setting >> control panel
Add/remove hardware.
Click next if you have welcome page
Select uninstall/ unplug a device and click on next
Select uninstall device and click on next.
Next page will display you list for device look for a check box says show hidden devices
Check that box.
In device list look for handspring visor or handspring USB or a USB device
If you have more then one remove all by performing above steps.
Restart your computer.
Hotsync. If computer is asking for drivers borrows to c:\program files\handspring\drivers

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