Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 9

It took me a couple of hours to figure out this simple solution, so maybe passing it along will help someone else.

I had a Palm (serial cradle, synching to MS Outlook). I bought a Visor Prism. Of course none of the instructions, readme's or anything else told me what to do.

I figured out I'd need to install the software from the CD onto my desktoop computer, if for no other reason than that I was using a USB cradle for the first time. I've been using Pocket Mirror to synch to Outlook, by the way.

My first synchs with the USB and new Prism wouldn't work. Message: Server busy, action cannot be completed. This happened during the synch with Outlook.

Had no idea what this meant or where to find the answer in the middle of the night after all the help lines closed. Ask Palm? Outlook (for $20 or 30 consult fee!)? Handspring? Backup Buddy? As mentioned, it was late in the night.

The night got later. Nothing was synching. I thought all the huge programs (Merck manual) I had on the Palm were clogging up the new synch. So I got them out of the picture. No luck.

Then it occurred to me to search the Chapura/Pocket Mirror data base on the web. Typed in "server busy." Got the answer right away.

When I re-installed the Palm Desktop, I needed to reinstall PocketMirror over that. And preferably, a newer version of PM than I was previously using. I found version 2.7 on the Handspring CD, and installed that, since version 3.0, available free from PM, is a "point-0" version so I wanted to wait to see that it was okay.

By the way, another problem without a quick solution was that even after installing the Handspring CD's Palm Desktop, when I tried to synch, Windows 98 couldn't find the USB driver.

Handspring's tech support (this was earlier in the evening) told me that it was on their CD, in the Drivers folder.

Hope this helps someone else. With Handspring had a FAQ with detailed tips for people switching from Palm to Visor, including the switch from serial to USB cradles.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

quote:

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Originally posted by Scotts
Wish Handspring had a FAQ with detailed tips for people switching from Palm to Visor, including the switch from serial to USB cradles.

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God bless America, my home sweet home...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Modesto, CA USA
Posts: 599

Microsoft Partially To Blame

Scotts:

I'm surprised at how much problems you had. I upgraded from a Palm Vx to a Prism and I will say this, I had absolutely no problems in doing so. Considering my Palm was running Omnisky and had other programs that I knew wouldn't work on the Prism, here a few tips for anyone that wants them.

1. If upgrading - synch your handheld prior to installing the new desktop software.
2. Install the new desktop software making certain to turn off all other open programs. This is accomplished in Windows by doing the following: Ctrl+Alt+Del keys and then choosing each open program and telling the pop up window to end task for all open programs except Explorer and Systray. Failure to do the preceding could result in a conflict during installation and this will prevent certain conduits from being installed. Most noteably: Norton AntiVirus software will not properly allow Pocket Mirror to install correctly due to file conflict.
3. Shut your computer down.
4. Connect the USB cable.
5. Turn the computer back on and the software drivers and the USB connection should be recognized upon start up without any necessary intervention on the part of the user.
6. Once your back up and running, verify that Hot Sync is set for sync and not Handheld overwrite Desktop and you should be able to initiate a sync.

I know alot of the above may sound very anal but I've been using Palm devices ever since the first Pilot and using the above procedures - except of course the USB step - I have never lost any data with a production unit. I have lost data when doing beta testing but Palm was very good about providing steps to "insure" your data during beta testing.

Hope some of this helps others that are preparing to upgrade.

[Edited by RSGMOOSE on 10-22-2000 at 11:49 AM]

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