Welcome to the (alt.)comp.sys.palmtops.pilot FAQ
16.0.0
UPDATED
Due to my real life becoming too busy, this FAQ will no longer be updated. If you have a specific correction, please email it to , but otherwise I will not be adding any new content.
INDEX:
– Misc. Issues
– Hardware Issues
– Os/Hacks/General Non-Hardware Issues
– Add-On Software/Download Issues
– Connectivity/Email/Web/Etc. Issues
– Unanswered Questions
Sources:
Any question or answer which uses information from an outside source will be credited to that source by including their name in brackets. For more information from these sources, check this list.
Palm Inc. – Palm Support Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.palm.com/support/faq/).
Ron Nicholson – Ron's Palm Computing(tm) Information Page (http://www.nicholson.com/rhn/palm.html).
Calvin Parker – Calvin’s PGHQ FAQ (http://www.palmgear.com/faq/).
Peter Strobel – Peter’s Pilot Pages (http://www.pstec.de/ppp/).
Davy Fields – m505 Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.geocities.com/davy_fields/m505faq.html).
Steve Turczyn – Palmtop User (http://www.palmtop.co.uk/)
MISC.
Q: What is this FAQ all about?
A: This FAQ is designed to help the users of PalmOS based PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) everywhere, especially those who use the newsgroups alt.comp.sys.palmtops.pilot and comp.sys.palmtops.pilot (which I collectively refer to as (a.)c.s.p.p). It is now, and will always be, under construction, as new questions will always pop up. I have a busy life outside of the web, so I am serving mostly as an editor. In order for this FAQ to work, I need your submissions. The easiest way to submit is to include [4faq] (with the brackets) somewhere in any message in this newsgroup that asks or answers a question you feel should be in the FAQ (if any one message in a thread has the tag, I will review the whole thread for submission). Alternately, if you have a Q&A, just a question, just an answer, or a correction, please email it to PalmFAQ@earthlink.net, fill out the form at http://home.earthlink.net/~palmfaq, or put it in a message here with [4faq] somewhere in it. However, please don’t use me as a tech support service; if you are having a problem, post it to the newsgroups, as I cannot personally answer all your questions (though check the next update for your question if you submit it). No question is too basic, simple, obvious, complex, etc. In other words, THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS! Also, if you already have a Palm related FAQ, I'd love to use some of it (well credited, of course) or link to it, so please send me a message with a URL and how you'd like me to use it. I post the FAQ to the newsgroups every Tuesday, unless real life interferes, but I will be constantly updating the web version, so check http://home.earthlink.net/~palmfaq first if this version doesn’t answer your questions.
Q: What does the FAQ version number mean?
A: The first number is the number of times that the FAQ has been posted to the newsgroups, the second is the number of days since the FAQ was last posted, and the third number is the number of times that the FAQ has previously been updated that day. Therefore, the FAQ posted to the newsgroup will always be x.0.0 unless the FAQ is posted late.
Q: What are all these acronyms I keep seeing on the newsgroups?
A: I have tried to list as many as I can think of here:
AFAIK – As Far As I Know
BTW – By The Way
CF – Compact Flash
CPU – Central Processing Unit
FA – For Auction
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
FS – For
LOL – Laughing Out Loud
ROTFL – Rolling On The Floor Laughing
IIRC – If I Remember Correctly
IMHO – In My Humble/Honest Opinion
MMC – Multi Media Card
MS – Memory Stick
M$ – Microsoft
OTOH – On The Other Hand
PDA – Personal Digital Assistant
PDB – Palm Data Base
PUG – Palm Users Group
RAM – Random Access Memory
ROM – Read Only Memory
RTFM – Read The Freakin’ Manual
SD – Secure Digital (a type of memory card)
TIA – Thanks In Advance
USB – Universal Serial Bus
YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary
Q: Where can I get more questions answered about the m500 and m505?
A: The official sites for these new models are http://www.palm.com/products/palmm500/ for the m500 and http://www.palm.com/products/palmm505/ for the m505. A m505 FAQ can be found at http://www.geocities.com/davy_fields/m505faq.html. You might also want to visit the m505 user group at Yahoo groups, which is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/m505.
HARDWARE
Q: Is there a Minstrel wireless modem for the IIIc? There is the Minstrel III, but it doesn't say it supports IIIc, just IIIx. Will it work?
A: No, it won't work because the Minstrel clips on to the back of the unit. The IIIc is about 1/2 an inch longer than the IIIx, thus the Minstrel simply won't fit. The Minstrel IIIc was discontinued because not enough IIIc units were sold.
Q: My Palm IIIx, IIIe, IIIxe, or V has ghost lines appearing on the screen in some applications. What can I do?
A: Palm Computing now has a OS Patch that addresses this, which you can get at http://www.palm.com/custsupp/downloads/upd311.html. There is also a shareware hack (StreakHack – http://www.interlog.com/~nbridges/) that was available before the OS patch, which was nice to have before Palm stepped up. Both of these solutions don't eliminate the problem, but do lessen it considerably. [Calvin Parker]
Q: My palm’s rechargeable batteries have stopped charging. What can I do?
A: The first thing to
try is thoroughly cleaning all the contacts on the palm and on the cradle (a
pencil eraser works well for this), leaving the palm in the cradle or charger
for 8 hours, doing a soft reset without ever removing the palm, and leaving it
another 8 hours. If this doesn’t fix the problem, you will need to get a new
battery, which is covered under Palm’s warranty. If you aren’t under warranty,
they will charge you $100 to replace it. If
you have a m500 or m505, see the next question for
another possible answer.
Q: My m50x has trouble holding a charge. When I try to charge it and I turn on the cradle it says that it is fully charged. However, when I take it out of the cradle, after about 30 seconds the indicator starts to go down. Over the next couple minutes, the indicator will drop all the way down to about 75% charged and then hold there.
A: This is beginning to emerge as a common problem, and, although Palm Support claims that they aren’t yet sure what is causing the problem, the general theory is that it has something to do with the voltage sensing algorithm in OS4, not necessarily a hardware fault (like a bad battery). Expect to see a patch for this on Palm's support site before long. [Ben Steeves @ (a.)c.s.p.p.]
Q: The screen on my palm cracked! What do I do now?
A: Palm will repair broken Palm handhelds for about $100
(USD), or possibly under warranty, depending on the problem, with just a few
days turnaround. Try contacting Palm at 1-800-881-7256, 847-676-1441 or go to http://www.palm.com/custsupp/contact/contact.html.
There is also a Palm extended warranty available
(
Q: Is there any way to increase the brightness or contrast of the m505’s screen?
A: No. The hardware in the screen and the sidelight/backlight are permanently set to a specific contrast and brightness level. Software cannot alter these settings any better than in could alter the color of the case or the size of the device. If you only want to decrease the contrast, you can use a program called Backdrop (http://www.twilightedge.com/backdrop.html).
One solution to the low contrast of the screen indoors is to get the Palm™ m500 Series Backlight Utility from http://www.palm.com/support/m505/backlight_utility.html, which will remember if the backlight was on or off when you turn on the device so that you can keep the backlight always on, like the IIIc or the Visor Prism does.
Another solution, for those not squeamish about taking their palms apart, comes from Peter Strobel (http://www.pstec.de/ppp/):
Although there is no contrast setting, there is a kind of black-level setting, a little potentiometer on the backside of the display (lower/right corner on the US made Sony screens, more towards the middle on the Hungarian LG display, see http://www.pstec.de/ppp/pppm505/pppm505.html for a picture). I found out, that I could improve the display on my 'Hungarian' Palm a bit, the display came preset too dark. But be warned, it's a tricky process. The biggest problem is, that you can hardly reach the pot if the Palm is assembled enough to work. And only then you can control the result. Then you have to find a fitting screwdriver. DON'T use a wrong one and try to compensate fit with fiddling or pressure on the potentiometer! Once you're ready to go, try to find the point, where the white background on the active area is just as white as the few pixels of inactive area around the screen (the screen seems to have 164x164 pixels, but the 2 pixel border is never active). If the active area is 'grayer', you loose contrast. If you turn it too far into the white, you loose 'blackness' on the black pixels. [Peter Strobel]
Q: Ever since I took my SD card out from my palm m50x for the first time, in order to change a MMC card, I can't put either one of them back into my palm, they just bounce back out. [Timothy Law Yuh Guang @ a.c.s.p.p]
A: The SD card should be removed by pushing it in to release it and then it pops up. If you forced it out by simply pulling it out the first time, you may have broken the retaining mechanism. Try pushing it in all the way to make sure that the card "latches" in. If it continues to pop out, you've probably broken the retainer. [Obo78 @ a.c.s.p.p] However, some people have had this problem who have not forced any cards out. In either case, if your palm is still under warranty, you can either return it to them or the store you bought it at (depending on their return policy).
OS/HACKS/GENERAL NON-HARDWARE ISSUES
Q: How can I uninstall or delete a program?
A: RTFM! It you are too lazy, tap the picture of the house to go to the launcher. Then tap the menu button and select Delete. You will see a list of programs that you can delete. Select one, press delete, and it will delete. Press Done where you are done.
Q: How can I delete all the data on my palm?
A: Perform a hard reset (see below).
Q: My palm is frozen or has locked up, what do I do?
A: First, try performing a soft reset (see next Q&A). If
your Palm is still locked up, and you suspect an application or OS update that
you recently installed is causing the problem, then try an extensions-off reset.
Press the scroll UP button while doing a soft reset and keep the UP key held
down for several seconds. Go into the Memory app and delete the offending
application; then soft reset once again to reboot with extension and updates
installed. If all else fails and you don't mind losing ALL data on your Palm,
then do a hard reset (see next Q&A). [Ron Nicholson]
Q: What is a hard reset, what is a soft reset? How do I do
them?
A: All handhelds can be reset in several different ways:
--Soft Reset--
A soft reset tells your handheld to stop what it's doing and start over again. It is equivalent to rebooting a computer. All records and entries stored in your handheld are retained with a soft reset. After a soft reset, the Welcome screen appears, followed by the General Preferences screen. Use the reset tip tool (see below), or the tip of an unfolded paper clip (or similar object without a sharp tip), to gently press the reset button inside the hole on the back panel of your handheld.
Reset Tip Tool: On most PalmOS handhelds, the stylus that comes with your handheld has a reset tip inside. To use it, unscrew the barrel from the stylus quill.
--Double-Soft Reset--
If your device doesn't seem to want to power up after a soft reset, and you've checked the other obvious solutions (fresh batteries, power button, contrast wheel, contrast button) you may want to try the 'Double-Soft Reset'. Simply perform a soft reset as directed above, but press the reset button twice in quick succession.
--Warm Reset--
A warm reset bypasses any system extensions (such as HackMaster hacks, OS patches, Alarm settings, etc) that are loaded on your handheld. Sometimes a damaged third-party application will try to respond to a reset but will fail and cause the handheld to 'hang'. It is equivalent to starting a Windows computer in Safe Mode. Using a warm reset, you can start the handheld, then delete the damaged application before it has a chance to try to run again. After deleting the application, follow with a soft reset to start up the handheld normally. If you're not sure which application is damaged, you can use a tool like ResetEmu in conjunction with a warm reset to help pinpoint the offending application
To perform a warm reset:
- Press and hold
the upper half of the scroll button on your handheld.
- Using the
reset tip tool (or a similar object without a sharp tip), gently press the reset button inside the hole on the back
panel of your handheld.
- When the Palm Computing Platform logo appears on the screen, release the scroll button.
--Hard Reset--
With a hard reset, all records and entries stored in your handheld are erased, except for the default or specimen databases predefined by the manufacturer (but see Extended Hard Reset below). Formats, Preferences, and other settings are restored to their factory default settings. You can restore any data previously synchronized with your computer during the next HotSync operation. If you're running OS 3.1 or earlier, and you're not using a third-party backup utility like BackupBuddy, you may need to reinstall your third-party applications.
Never perform a hard reset unless a soft or warm reset does not solve your problem.
To perform a hard reset:
- Hold down the
power button on the front panel of the handheld.
- While holding
down the power button, use the reset tip tool (or similar object without a sharp
tip), to gently press the reset button inside the hole on the back panel of your
handheld.
- Release the
reset button.
- When the logo
screen appears on the screen, release the power button.
- When the message appears on the handheld screen warning that you are about to erase all the data stored on your handheld, press the upper half of the scroll button on the front panel of the handheld to complete the hard reset and display the Digitizer screen.
Pressing any other button instead of the upper half of the scroll button will perform a soft reset.
--Extended Hard Reset--
An Extended Hard Reset will completely erase your handheld, and will also bypass the creation of some default databases.
This differs from a normal hard reset, which will
automatically create the databases for the built-in applications, and will
insert some specimen records into those databases: numbers for Accessories and
Technical Support will be created in your Address database, a registration
reminder will be created in your ToDo database, and
several helpful memos will be created in your Memo database. In addition, a
normal hard reset will also create a Network database with some default Network
profiles for your Network panel in Prefs, and a file
of several default
An Extended Hard Reset will ensure that all of these startup files are not created. If you decide to perform an Extended Hard Reset and install one or more third-party applications that expect to see the built-in databases present, you may encounter an error. For this reason, it's suggested that after an Extended Hard Reset, you run each of the built-in applications (Datebook, Address, ToDo, Memo, and if installed, NotePad and Mail) at least once to ensure empty built-in databases are created. After an Extended Hard Reset, you will not be able to select alternate alarm sounds for Datebook alarms, but the default alarm sound will still be heard for appointments with alarms set.
To perform an Extended Hard Reset:
- Hold down the
power button on the front panel of the handheld.
- While holding
down the power button, use the reset tip tool (or similar object without a sharp
tip), to gently press the reset button inside the hole on the back panel of your
handheld.
- Release the
reset button.
- When the logo
screen appears on the screen, release the power button.
- When the
message appears on the handheld screen warning that you are about to erase all
the data stored on your handheld, press and hold the upper half of the scroll
button on the front panel of the handheld.
- While still
holding down the scroll button, press, in any order, the Datebook button, the Address button, the ToDo button, and the Note/Memo button.
- Release the scroll button, to to complete the hard reset and display the Digitizer screen.
Pressing some but not all the buttons while holding the scroll key will result in a normal soft reset. Pressing no buttons while holding the scroll key will result in a normal hard reset.
--FlashPro Reset--
On machines that have FlashPro (a third-party enhancement that provides user-access to free Flash memory) it is possible that moving a corrupted application into Flash will prevent the unit from responding to any of the three normal resets. The makers of FlashPro have provided for an additional reset procedure that will reformat your Flash memory. Applications and databases you stored in Flash will be removed, and you will need to reinstall them.
Never perform a FlashPro reset unless a hard reset does not solve your problem.
To do a FlashPro reset:
- Hold down the
memo/note button on the front panel of the handheld.
- While holding
down the memo/note button, use the reset tip tool (or similar object without a
sharp tip), to gently press the reset button inside the hole on the back panel
of your handheld.
- Release the
reset button.
- When the logo
screen appears on the screen, release the memo/note button.
- When the 'FlashPro' message 'Hit the ToDo button to reformat flash' appears on the handheld, press the ToDo button on the front panel of the handheld to perform the reformat.
--JackFlash Reset --
On machines that have JackFlash (a third-party enhancement that provides user-access to free Flash memory) it is possible that moving a corrupted application into Flash will prevent the unit from responding to any of the three normal resets. The makers of JackFlash have provided for an additional reset procedure that will temporarily hide applications you have moved into your Flash memory. This procedure does not remove any data from Flash; it hides the contents of Flash from the handheld. You can still use JackFlash to access any valuable data.
To do a JackFlash reset:
- Use the reset
tip tool (or similar object without a sharp tip), to gently press the reset
button inside the hole on the back panel of your handheld.
- Release the
reset button.
- Immediately
AFTER step 2, press and hold down the Memo button. If you do this correctly, the
Alarm will sound.
- Once the alarm
sounds, release the Memo button. This should allow the Palm handheld to reset
correctly, but the contents of Flash will not be visible until you run JackFlash or perform a hard reset.
- Run JackFlash and then move the items that were placed into Flash back into RAM.
--Debug Reset--
Sometimes while upgrading the Palm OS, there will be a connection interruption or other problem that will render your Palm completely unusable, due to an incomplete operating system. The debug reset will open up your serial port to allow an OS install utility to write a replacement OS directly to Flash. A debug reset should be done when OS upgrade instructions call for it.
To do a debug reset:
- Press and hold
the lower half of the scroll button on your handheld.
- Using the
reset tip tool (or a similar object without a sharp tip), gently press the reset button inside the hole on the back
panel of your handheld.
- When the Palm
Computing Platform logo appears on the screen, release the scroll button.
On some models (but not all) the debug mode will be indicated by a flashing square in a corner of the screen.
[Steve Turczyn]
Q: What is a hack? What is Hackmaster? How do I use hacks? Is there a
danger?
A: Hacks are programs that are fitted into the operating
system to modify the way it works and to provide new services that PalmOS doesn't provide. In Dos they're called TSRs and in early computer days they were called wedges. I
never heard them called hacks until I got a Palm. But it's a good name for them.
Some examples are the hack that increases the size of the PalmOS's copy/paste buffer and clearhack that removes the lines from memopad. There are others that make a click when you enter a
letter.
There's always a chance that these can conflict with one
another so there's a programs such as Hackmaster that
helps avoid conflicts. Most hacks are meant to be used with hack managers. Hackmaster is no longer being updated by the developer, but
there are several alternatives which you can download at PalmGear, such as X-Master, TealMaster, and EVPlugBase. The
general consensus is that X-Master is the most stable, but there are many
opinions on this. When you install a hack on your Palm, you won’t see it in your
list of programs. Instead, run your hack manager, and you will see a list of all
installed hacks. Simply check or uncheck the boxes next to the hacks to activate
or deactivate them. [Paragraphs 1 & 2: Barry at a.c.s.p.p.]
The problem with hacks is with the power that they have, they operate at quite a low level in the operating system, intercepting standard actions and can come into force while another application is running. Consequently, if they are badly written, they can lock the machine and corrupt data. However, the vast majority of hacks are well written and stable, perhaps because they tend to be relatively small and written for a single purpose. A good rule of thumb is that any hack on that misbehaves in any way whatsoever should be deleted immediately. [Gordon Walker at a.c.s.p.p]
Q: I'm left-handed, and the scroll bar is on the right. Are
there any hacks to put the scroll bar on the LEFT side, so my hand
isn't
always in the way?
A: Yes, try LeftHack (http://www.quartus.net/products/lefthack)
Q: My digitizer constantly needs to be recalibrated, what can I do?
A: This is a common problem (especially with the Palm V) known as “Mad Digitizer Syndrome.” There are many theories as to why this occurs, but the most common is that the layer of oil that holds the two sides of the digitizer apart (so that gravity doesn’t activate it) breaks down and gets lumpy. One cure is to use a combination of AutoDigi and OnDigi, available at http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?prodID=9435. Alternately, you can get you digitizer replaced, which will cost about $100.
Q: My digitizer is so out of calibration that I can’t even get to the digitizer prefs. What do I do?
A: If you can, go into the launcher and run the Welcome app, which will run the digitizer calibration program. If that doesn’t work, try downloading Z-Digitizer (http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?prodID=9161). If you can’t run that either, you will need to back up your data and do a hard reset. Once you recalibrate, use AutoDigi and ReDigi (see above Q&A).
Q: What are .# commands or dot shortcuts? How do I use them?
A: These are shortcuts put in by the creators of PalmOS to allow them to access certain functions. These undocumented shortcuts should be used with caution, as they can cause several "bad" things to happen, and can sometimes mess up your palm beyond repair. To use them, issue the shortcut command (in graffiti, it looks like a lower case "L") and then a "." (tap twice in the graffiti area) followed by a number or letter. 1-7 on this list is from http://www.palmlife.com/egg.html#8, 8-t is from Calvin Parker.
.1 - some sort of "debug" mode, opens the serial port. SERIOUS drain of the batteries if left open (soft reset to close)
.2 - opens the serial port (another debug mode). Soft reset to close.
.3 - Turn auto-off off
.4 - flashes user name and number - Unknown purpose
.5 - removes user configuration and hotsync log CAUTION: If you re-sync after doing this shortcut, you will create duplicate entries! Better to hard-reset and PC to Pilot Sync instead.
.6 - displays the ROM date
.7 - toggle between NiCad and Alkaline battery mode. Meant for those using NiCad batteries, to show proper "fuel" gauge on the app screen. On models with built in batteries (such as the Vx), the only option is Lithium Ion.
.8 - toggles the "inverse" backlighting on the new Palm V or Palm IIIx. NOTE: If you upgrade from older Palm device, this will not work unless you delete the Graffiti_ShortCuts.PRC from your backup directory BEFORE you do your first HotSync. If you've already done a HotSync, you'll have to back everything up (I highly recommend Backup Buddy to do this), delete the file mentioned above, hard reset your device, and then HotSync. As this doesn't work for all people, I really do recommend instead using a "Hack" that does this automatically and doesn't have to be re-issued after a soft reset (like a dot shortcut does). GreenLightHack is the one I personally use in my Palm Vx.
.i - enables Beam receive for a
short time. No longer do you need to have Beam Receive turned on in Prefs/General!
.s - toggles
between serial and IR modes. In serial mode, info sent via the IR port is
instead sent over the serial port.
.t - toggles
loopback mode for the IR Exchange Manager.
Q: How can I upgrade my Palm to OS 3.5.x or OS 4.0?
A: If you have a Visor with OS 3.0 or 3.3, there is no way to upgrade the OS because they don’t have flash memory. If you have a Visor with OS 3.5, you can upgrade to OS 3.5.2 by downloading the update at http://support.handspring.com/esupport/forms/hsFileList.jsp?Type=Updates. There is no way to update any Visor to OS 4.0.
To upgrade a Palm III, IIIx, V, Vx, VII, VIIx, or a Pilot personal, professional, 1000, or 5000 with the 2MB upgrade to OS 3.5, go to http://www.palm.com/support/35upgrade/. Unless you have a Palm Vx, you will have to pay $19.95 US for the upgrade.
To upgrade a any Palm device that is already running OS 3.5.x to 3.5.3, go to http://www.palm.com/support/downloads/update353.html.
If you own a Sony, go to http://www.ita.sel.sony.com/support/clie/softupdates/index.html. For Handera or TRG, go to http://www.handera.com/products/downld.asp.
OS 4.0 is currently only supported on the Palm m500 and m505 and the Sony Clié 320 and 610. If you choose to upgrade before an official version is released, it will void your warranty. If still really want to do the upgrade, sign up for the Palm developer program at http://www.palmos.com/alliance/join/PAN> mode for the IR Exchange Manager.
Q: How can I upgrade my Palm to OS 3.5.x or OS 4.0?
A: If you have a Visor with OS 3.0 or 3.3, there is no way to upgrade the OS because they don’t have flash memory. If you have a Visor with OS 3.5, you can upgrade to OS 3.5.2 by downloading the update at http://support.handspring.com/esupport/forms/hsFileList.jsp?Type=Updates. There is no way to update any Visor to OS 4.0.
To upgrade a Palm III, IIIx, V, Vx, VII, VIIx, or a Pilot personal, professional, 1000, or 5000 with the 2MB upgrade to OS 3.5, go to http://www.palm.com/support/35upgrade/. Unless you have a Palm Vx, you will have to pay $19.95 US for the upgrade.
To upgrade a any Palm device that is already running OS 3.5.x to 3.5.3, go to http://www.palm.com/support/downloads/update353.html.
If you own a Sony, go to http://www.ita.sel.sony.com/support/clie/softupdates/index.html. For Handera or TRG, go to http://www.handera.com/products/downld.asp.
OS 4.0 is currently only supported on the Palm m500 and m505
and the Sony Clié 320 and 610. If you choose to
upgrade before an official version is released, it will void your warranty. If
still really want to do the upgrade, sign up for the Palm developer program at
http://www.palmos.com/alliance/join/.
If you are in the
Q: When someone tries to beam me a large file, it beams okay, but when I hit “accept file into applications,” I get a “Not Enough Memory” error and lose the file. I have more that enough free space on my palm to fit the file. Why is this happening?
A: The reason you get this error is because the Palm requires twice as much free space as the size of the file you are receiving because the palm first receives the file and then copies it into programs. [Karl B. at a.c.s.p.p]
Q: I am having trouble getting the Palm to recognize certain graffiti characters. Any tips?
A: For some alternate graffiti strokes, try Edgar’s Graffiti tips page (http://www.antioch.com.sg/edgar/graffiti.html), Lars G. Lindberg’s Palm Graffiti page (http://palm.vanbrayne.com/graffiti.html), and my (for now) exclusive list of alternate strokes found no where else (http://home.earthlink.net/~palmfaq/graffiti.gif).
Q: I've just lost all the data on my computer or handheld. Now what?
A: Make sure that before you initiate a HotSync to restore your data that you start up the Desktop Software and under the HotSync menu select Custom. Set the sync for either "Handheld overwrites Desktop" (if you lost data on your PC) or "Desktop overwrites Handheld" (if you lost data on your handheld, normally due to a hard reset). Failure to do this will sometimes result in duplicate records showing up. The only solution to eliminate the duplicate records is to manually delete the duplicates (and make sure you change the custom hotsync next time this happens), or for exact duplicates you can remove them using the excellent utility UnDupe (http://www.stevenscreek.com/palm/undupe.shtml). [Calvin Parker]
Q: I just saw a yellow taxi or a red convertible drive across my screen. Am I going crazy?
A: Well, maybe, but the taxi or convertible is a normal easter egg. Here is an explanation of how it works from Dale Gass, which is a bit technical. Scroll down a bit for a summary:
- - - -
There are two ways to invoke the easter egg, which is known as a "Taxi". In fact, three flags relating to the Taxi are actually documented in the SDK's header file system/SystemPrv.h.. It is not related to the auto poweroff at all (although it is related to the current time and the amount of time since last digitizer input). However, it does use the same auto-off timer to measure how long since the last input occurred; thus, an app calling EvtWakeup() will prevent the Egg from running. Also, it is not a memopad-specific egg. Any application which uses nilEvent can exhibit it (nilEvent is an event which an application get have sent to itself at intervals). And, contrary to common belief, it is not related to using the Pilot late at night.
Basically, the egg relies of the fact that the Palm stores
the date and time with a function called TimGetSeconds(). This
function will return the number of seconds since
Part of the reason it is seen so seldom is that you have to be idle for at least 10 seconds, and it only happens only 17 minutes. It's not surprising that people thought it was triggered by late night usage; that's most often when you're staring blankly at an editing screen, with lots of ten second delays between entries. Also, if you used something like FPSutil to set the poweroff to "never", and sat there for up to a maximum of 17 minutes in memopad edit mode, you would see the car.
- - - -
Basically, if you are in a program that is waiting for input
AND you haven’t used the buttons or the digitizer in the past 10 seconds, AND it
is a certain special time which occurs every 17 minutes, and yellow taxi will
appear. On a visor prism, a red convertible replaces the taxi.
If you
want to force the taxi to appear, follow these steps:
1. Go to Preferences, General Tab
2. Draw a
small circle, counter-clockwise, on the screen right above the calculator
silk-screen button. If done properly, you should see a picture of an Easter
Egg appear.
3. Now, hold down the page down
button in any application (you might need to exit the Prefs app - some have reported this) and draw a line from
the middle of the Graffiti input area to the left edge of the screen right
between the applications and menu silkscreen buttons.
Note that to
manually activate the taxi, the egg does need to be there, but it will show up
spontaneously even if the egg is missing.
For more Palm Easter eggs, go
to http://zansstuff.com/palmegg.html
Q: Is there a Palm OS emulator for PC?
A: Yes, you can download it at http://www.palmos.com/dev/tech/tools/emulator/. Note that you will need a ROM image to run it (see below).
Q: Where can I get ROM images? How can I download a ROM image via USB?
A: The easiest way to obtain a ROM image is to download it
from your handheld using the ROM Transfers utility included in the Palm OS
emulator (http://www.palmos.com/dev/tech/tools/emulator/).
If you own a Visor, m50x, Sony, or other handheld that uses USB, see http://www.zansstuff.com/palmdebug.html
for info on download a ROM image via USB. If you want a ROM image for a version
other than what is currently on your palm, sign up for the Palm developer
program at http://www.palmos.com/alliance/join/.
If you are in the
Q: Ever since I installed the Outlook 2000 security update, I get a dialogue box confirming that I want Palm Desktop to access my address book every time I HotSync. Is there any way to get rid of this?
A: Yes, but you need to remove the security patch. This is from http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/olcdo.htm#remove:
To remove the patch on Outlook 2000:
1. Run Setup.exe from your original Office or Outlook 2000 CD.
2. Click Add or Remove Features.
3. Under Outlook 2000, set the Collaboration Data Objects component to Not Available.
4. Click Finish.
5. Run Setup.exe again from your original Office or Outlook 2000 CD.
6. Click Add or Remove Features.
7. Under Outlook 2000, set the Collaboration Data Objects component to Run from My Computer.
8. Click Finish.
Q: Palm Desktop and Outlook can both support multiple users or profiles. Can the palm handhelds?
A: No. One user identity per palm. However, multiple Palms can sync with one desktop, which is why the desktop programs have multiple identities (one for each palm device).
ADD-ON SOFTWARE/DOWNLOADS
Q: Where can I get a program to do ____? Where can I get good palm programs? Where can I download palm stuff?
A: There are many sources for palm downloads. The best source
for software is probably PalmGear.com,
which has almost every palm program available. Other good sites are http://www.freewarepalm.com/ or
Q: How can I install programs on my palm without doing a full HotSync?
A: Try Pilot Install from http://pi.envicon.com/, which in addition to being able to install without doing a hotsync can also install pictures as self-contained programs (no viewer needed), upload text files as Palm DOC files, upload midi files as new alarms, and sync your PDA’s clock with your computer clock.
Q: Where can I get warez or hackz, patches, cracks, etc. to run unregistered software on my palm? Where can I get free registration codes or serial numbers for Palm software?
A: These things are all illegal and are stealing from the developers who work hard to write palm programs. I cannot tell you any sources for these, but if you are desperate you might want to try searching for “warez” in (a.)c.s.p.p at http://groups.google.com/ or looking in alt.binaries.warez.palmpilot. Please don’t ask for these in (a.)c.s.p.p., you will either get a hostile reply or be directed to alt.binaries.warez.palmpilot, but you won’t get the crack or serial. Note that systems hacks, which modify the OS, ARE legal. I am referring to hacks for using programs that normally require you to pay to use them.
Q: Where can I download free e-books for the palm?
A: Three good sites for public domain books are http://www.memoware.com/, Project Gutenberg at http://www.promo.net/pg/, or the University of Virginia’s page at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/ebooklist.html. For more modern books, try the Baen Free Library (http://www.baen.com/library), which has over 20 Baen books to download for free.
CONNECTIVITY/EMAIL/WEB/ETC.
Q: How can I use my Palm to wirelessly connect to the
internet to browse the web or get email?
A: If you have a Palm VII/VIIx, some of the capability is already there, however you will need to sign up for Palm.net. You can
also use any Palm with a cell phone or a wireless modem to connect. For more
info, see MyWirelessPalm.com (http://www.mywirelesspalm.com/) or the
unofficial PalmOS Wireless FAQ (http://palmwireless.cjb.net/).
Q: Can I use a Palm VII/VIIx to browse the web using Palm.net without connecting it to a cell phone?
A: Yes, although this will severely deplete your Palm.net account and could be quite expensive if you don’t have the Unlimited Volume plan. This is from http://www.palmlife.com/egg.html:
1. Open up the preferences page (General Category)
2. In the Bottom right hand corner of the screen (above the calculator) draw a tiny clockwise circle. If done properly, an Easter Egg will pop up on the screen
3. Go into ANY clipper application. Tap four times in rapid succession right over the calc silkscreen.
4. Then tap the menu silkscreen button.
5. If you do it right, you'll see a new menu called Page.
6. Select "Open URL" menu selection.
7. You may now enter any URL to view using your PalmVII.
Q: Can I use my palm to dial a touch-tone phone? Is there any software to produce DTMF tones?
A: The palm’s sound system is extremely simple and, due to palm leaving out a $.20 capacitor, is unable to play two tones at once at a reasonable volume, which is required for touch tone dialing. However, TRG/Handera devices such as the TRGPro and the Handera 330 have a better sound system and can produce these tones using a program called DTMF Keypad (http://mikew.org/palmsoft/). More info for the technically minded is available at http://www.pstec.de/ppp/pppdtmf/pppdtmf.html.
Q: My Palm a huge number of emails in my inbox. Can I
remove all these emails without deleting them one at a time, or doing a
hard reset?
A: Yes, just follow these steps:
1. On your desktop mail program, mark all mail you don't want on your palm as read.
2. On your Palm, go to the Mail app, tap the menu button, go to Options, and select HotSync Options.
3. Click the box that says “Unread”.
4. Hotsync again. All unwanted (read) mail should have disappeared. [Vance Walker]
Q: Can I read newsgroups offline on my palm?
A: Yes, there are several programs which will do this, including Yanoff (http://yanoff.sourceforge.net/yanoff/yanoff.html), PalmReader (http://www.mindspring.com/~lior/PalmReader.html), and MsgAgent (http://hokamoto.tripod.com/MsgAgent.html).
Q: When my palm is in the cradle, can I use my computer’s internet connection to browse the web?
A: If your palm has a serial cradle, you can use MochaPPP (http://www.mochasoft.dk/palm.html#palmppp). At this time, there is no software that can do this with a USB cradle.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Q: I need organize my e-mail with my palm, and I want use my Mac to send and receive and read the e-mail on palm. What program I can use? [Venture]
A: Unfortunately, the built in e-mail application only works with Windows 3.1, 95, and NT desktop software. Macintosh users are encouraged to investigate third-party solutions which allow retrieval of e-mail directly from their mail server to their Palm handheld. [Palm Inc.]
I personally don’t know of any programs that can do this, but if anyone does know, please email me.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN
OFFICIAL FAQ AND IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH OR ENDORSED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER BY
3COM, PALM INC, SONY, HANDSPRING, ANY OTHER COMPANY MENTIONED HERE, THEIR
SUBSIDIARIES AND / OR AFFILIATES. ALL PRODUCT NAMES ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF
THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. ANY USE OF THE WORD PALM IS FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES AND
IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF PALM INC. THE OFFICIAL PALM FAQ IS LOCATED
AT http://www.palm.com/support/faq/.
