Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 2

I recently got my Visor Deluxe and have successfully set up hotsync with Outlook 2000 via USB to Win98. However, every other time I hotsync the Visor fails with a Fatal Error. Has anybody got any ideas what may be causing this?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Posts: 247

Hey Paul,

At last! I've finally met someone with the same problem! Yes, I too get a atal error message someimes when I Hotsnyc. However, so far, there have been no problems with the information being hotsynched - everthing is there.

Maybe we could compare notes to try to pinpoint the particular problem.

My Visor is a replacement for a Palm IIIe I had for review (I'm a Tech journalist) and so my information was transferred from my existing Palm Desktop to the Visor. I also synchronise with a Psion Series 5mx and Windows CE (review units) and at first I thougth this was the problem. Here's what I have on my system:
1 Windows 98SE
2. Outlook 2000 (an the whole Office 2000 suite)
3. Norton Antivirus 2000
4. BackupBuddyNG

Tell me if you have any of these applications running on your system and maybe together we can pinpoint the problem.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 2

I'm new to the PDA game, but decided on the Visor after my son recommended it. My setup is a
1. Dell Latitude CPi laptop
2. Windows 98.8 (4.10.1998)
3. Office 2000 suite
4. Norton Antivirus 5.00.00
5. Adobe apps (Acrobat 4.0, Illustrator, PageMaker)

I've gotten the error with the visor attached to the USB port on my docking station. I need to do some more experimenting with it undocked and with the serial cradle. I'll let you know what else I discover.

What is BackupBuddyNG?

Regards,
Paul

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Posts: 247

Hmmmmm...strangely, it could be a conflict with a few things:

1. Norton Antivirus (but unlikely)
2. Office 2000 (maybe)
3. Something in Windows 98 (oh it could be so many, many things in Win98!)

To answer your question, BackupBuddyNG is a backup utility for your PC that will backup ALL the data on the Palm/Visor. What happens is that sometimes, the normal hotsync operation, although very good for backing up your Contact lists, To-dos, Memos, and other data on the Visor, it doesn't ALWAYS backup every application that you had on it. Therefore, after a hard reset, you would have to sometimes re-install those apps again. BackupBuddyNG will backup ALL the data on the Visor and restore it ALL as it was before your hard reset.

[This message has been edited by Tan Kit Hoong (edited 02-09-2000).]

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 20

I was also getting fatal errors immediatly after pressing the hotsync button. I just had to do a warm reset on the visor to get it to sync. But I could only sync ONCE, if I tried again w/ out reseting it would FE.

My solution? I was running EVPlugbase, I uninstalled that and replaced it with hackmaster. Havn't had the problem since. I should note that I am using the Linux 2.3.42 kernel with USB support, I never tried to reproduce the error in win98.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Midland, Texas
Posts: 231

Mr. Lambert (AKA Paul),

Sorry to hear you are still having trouble. I have some students at school who had the same issue, and they determined the problem to be third-party software they had installed on their Visor's. Unfortunately, I don't know what programs exactly. I will try to find out for you.

I do know, however, that EVPlug Base is not necessarily a problem app. I have used this app, with about 13 hacks, since the day I received my Visor in early October, and I sync about twice a day. Perhaps EVPlug Base's handling of a specific hack could be the issue, but it is not simply EVPlugBase. (Though I'm certainly glad that changing to Hackmaster has cleared up Voltaire's porblems.)

On a speculative note, I would be surprised if the issue is with the PC end of the sync process. I have had one or two fatal errors upon sync, and the error occured the instant I pressed the hotsync button. The Visor was still in the power-up-and-run-Hotsync-software mode when it crashed. No respose from my PC had yet occured. This theory would concur with the "fix" of my students, because it would seems to be a compatibility error on the Visor with the Hotsync software. Also, if my hazey memory serves correctly, my issue was with an app that I had to delete. Again, unfortunately, I don't recall which one.

I'll get back to you on the apps my students needed to delete.

Hope this helps.

tyler

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

I, too, am getting Fatal Errors trying to HotSync since installing EVPlugBase... I think, however, that the problem is caused by an individual hack. I was using DALauncher with the FlipDA's and FlipHack. I've disabled DAL and so far so good. I'll repost if I come up with anything else...

------------------
MarkEagle - Ice is nice!

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 2

I too was getting fatal errors every other time I hotsynced, a soft reset before every sync worked pretty well, but disabling the DA Launcher hack cured the problem completely. Thanks for the info guys, this seems to fix it.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Posts: 247

I don't think my problem is with DALauncher or EVPlugBase - I use neither! However, I do use Launcher III - could that be the problem? I also use MiddleCapsHack, Afterburner, InvertHack and TrekSounds Hack. that's all.

Funny thing is that my problem is intermittent.

[This message has been edited by Tan Kit Hoong (edited 02-09-2000).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: New York, New York
Posts: 560

Tan,

I use laincher III and never had the error you are getting.

Would happen to have AIL running in the background?

Felipe

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Posts: 247

AIL? What's that? However, I have to say that I haven't had the Fatal Error message for some time now (fingers crossed)

[This message has been edited by Tan Kit Hoong (edited 02-11-2000).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 43

I started having the fatal error problem immediately after installing EVPlugbase. I had not had the problem prior to that installation. The only hack I have installed is the the Middle Caps hack.
I have uninstalled EVPlugbase, re-installed Hackmaster, and the problem appears to have disappeared.
Don't understand why some Visors have problems with EVPlugbase and others don't, but based on my experience, I'm convinced that it caused my fatal error problem.