The Palm newbie's worst nightmares

However, when things don't work the way they're supposed to, even experienced users can be stumped, let alone a new user. Here, we provide the answers to ten questions commonly asked by a new Palm user. But even if you're a Palm veteran, these tips can be helpful when your handheld doesn't work the way it should. HotSync problems

1. Why doesn't my Palm start sync-ing when I press the HotSync button on the cradle?

Check that your HotSync Manager is running. You can check by looking at your Window's Task Bar. If your HotSync icon is not there, it means that your HotSync Manager is not running. You can start it by running the software from your Window's Start Menu.

If your HotSync Manager is already running, check that your cradle is connected to your COM port. Also check that you have selected the correct COM port.

If you use a laptop, it is possible that your COM port is going into a power-down state. Hence, you may need to tweak the power down options on your laptop's power management tools such that it doesn't power down.

This "times out" happens if you have a slow computer or when you are trying to sync a large amount of data. You should try to HotSync again and if this still happens, you can try this work around by using the "Developer's Backdoor". This will make your PDA wait indefinitely for a response from your computer.

To activate it, do this:

1. At the Launcher screen, select your HotSync application.
   
2. Hold down both the up and down scroll buttons (the rectangular buttons in the middle of the handheld) while tapping in the upper right corner of the screen. Several taps may be necessary.
   
3. A window should pop up with these words "DEVELOPER'S BACKDOOR. DLServer Wait Forever is ON." Select OK.
   
4. Make sure that the cradle is attached to the PC correctly and insert the handheld into it. Push the HotSync button on the cradle or the Local Sync icon on the screen.
   
5. Unless the HotSync process has completed, is cancelled, or the PDA shuts off automatically, the handheld will remain in "wait-forever" mode.

If you use a m500 series handheld, you may want to download the Updater for HotSync v4.0 for Windows from Palm's Web site. This will fix the problem of HotSync operation that times out over a USB connection.Installing software

3. I can't seem to sync my Palm with Microsoft Outlook, what should I do?

Right out of the box, you can only sync your contacts and other data with the Palm Desktop. If you want to sync your data with Microsoft Outlook, you need to install Chapura PocketMirror. You can find this software in the CD-ROM that comes with your Palm.

4. How do I install third-party software on my Palm?

If the third-party software you're installing comes with an executable file, all you have to do is double-click on the icon and follow the instructions on the screen.

If you download software from a download Web site such as CNETAsia's Handheld Downloads site, some of them are available as ZIP files. To install these files, you need to unzip the files using Winzip. Normally, developers would have included a Readme file with the instructions on how you can install the files. However, if the instructions are not available you can do the installation yourself.

First, run the Install Tool app on your PC. Next, you can then use the "Add..." button to select the files you want to install on your Palm. Alternatively, you can double-click on the Palm PRC or PDB files, and they'll be added to the Palm Install Tool. To complete the installation, just place your Palm in the cradle and do a HotSync.

Normally, developers would have included a Readme file with the instructions on how you can install the files.

Reset your Palm

5. I already have the Palm Desktop installed on my PC. Can I install a new version of the Palm Desktop software and still keep my data?

As long as you've not deleted any files, you don't have to worry that you'll lose your data on your PC when you install a newer version of the Palm Desktop.

When you install, the Palm Desktop Setup software will detect your current Palm folders. If you install the new version in the current folders, all your data will be preserved.

Although it happens rarely, you may occassionally find that your Palm freezes up and no matter what buttons you press, you can't get it to work. If that happens, it's time to reset your Palm.

To reset your Palm, you can use the reset tip that you can find when you unscrew the top of your stylus. Otherwise, you'll need to use a paperclip.

There are three ways to reset your handheld:

• A soft reset
  Look for the hole on the back of the Palm. This is where the reset button is located. Use the reset tip to press the reset button and that should solve most of the problems you encounter.
• A warm reset
  A warm reset will tell your Palm to bypass any extensions you've installed, such as HackMaster Hacks, and boot it up in "safe" mode. This should resolve problems caused by errant apps that prevents your handheld from booting up properly. After doing a warm reset, you should identify and remove the software that's giving you problems. To perform a warm reset, press the reset button while holding the Up button.
• A hard reset
  This will restore you Palm to its factory default state and erase all the data you have stored on you Palm. You should only do this if you want to delete everything on your Palm or if you really can't get your Palm to work even with a warm reset. To do a hard reset, press the reset button while holding the power button until you see the boot up screen, then let go. You will be prompted if you are sure you want to erase all data on your Palm. Press the Up button to complete the process.

  After doing a hard reset, you can HotSync again to get the built-in application's data back. However, you'll need to reinstall all your other software. You can also use a program called BackupBuddy. This app backups your entire Palm when you HotSync and can restore all your apps and data after you perform a hard reset.

7. How come Graffiti doesn't recognize some of my characters?

Like all things, practice makes perfect. The Graffiti strokes may be easy to learn, but practising will help to make enter text easier. Here're some tips to help you solve your Graffiti woes:

• If you forget your Graffiti strokes and don't have a Graffiti chart handy, you can draw a stroke from your Graffiti area to the screen to call up a Graffiti guide that shows you the strokes for various characters.
• Use large strokes when writing. Your Palm device tends to recognize large strokes rather than smaller ones.
• Write upright in the Graffiti area. Scribbling at an angle makes your characters less likely to be recognized.
• Make sure you're writing on the correct side of your Graffiti area. The left side of the marker on the writing area is for alphabets and the right is for numbers.
• Play the Giraffe Graffiti game. It's fun and it helps you improve your Graffiti.

8. I've aligned my Palm with the Digitizer. How come it still falls out of alignment and I can't tap on my Palm properly?

There seems to be this problem on some Palm models where you tap on one location of the screen but the tap is registered on another. Even after you go to the Prefs panel and realign your Palm with the Digitizer, the alignment still goes off after a while.

To fix this problem, you can use the freeware called DigiFix. This program will automatically load and recalibrate your digitizer whenever you do a soft reset, turns the device on, and when you HotSync. Screen contrast

9. What to do when my Palm PDA screen is too dark/light or if it won't turn on?

If you're using a monochrome Palm, try adjusting the contrast on the device. For Palm III models, adjust it using the dial on the left side of the box. For Palm V/Vx, use the contrast button on the top of the handheld. For the m100 series, tap on the contrast icon.

If your screen won't turn on when you try to switch on your Palm, or when your screen remains blank after you run an application, try resetting the Palm to see if you can get it working.

If you're a m505 user, you can't adjust the brightness of your handheld as there's only one brightness setting.

10. The software I use requires me to tap on the "menu". Where can I find the "menu" on the Palm?

Like applications on your PC, Palm apps uses a drop down menu at the top of the screen that lets you perform various functions. However, most new users don't know about the menu.

To access the menu, tap on the bottom left icon on the Graffiti area. For those who're using Palm OS version 3.3 and above, you can also access the menu by tapping the top of the screen. Those using older OS versions who wants this function will have to install the MenuHack extension, which requires HackMaster to work.