Pilot HotSync FAQ

This collection is provided as a service to the Pilot community. It makes statements that are probably too risky for USR to make. However, USR is the ultimate authority; any statement made by USR supercedes anything said here. For USR information on HotSync, see:
General Tips: http://www.usr.com/palm/custsupp/hotsync.html
Using 2 PCs: http://www.usr.com/palm/custsup/duplicat.html
Where is My Data: http://www.usr.com/palm/custsupp/lostdata.html
HotSync 1.1 Info: http://www.usr.com/palm/custsupp/hs11rdme.html
Network HotSync: http://www.usr.com/palm/custsupp/csnetsyncfaq.html
Mac HotSync: http://www.usr.com/palm/custsupp/macfaqs.html

PC

What is HotSync 1.1?

Why change from HotSync 1.0 to HotSync 1.1?

• HotSync 1.0 had a problem with backing up the data from 3rd party apps (like DinkyPad). If you only use the basic 4 apps (addresses, datebook, notepad and todo) then you needn't be in any rush to upgrade.
• See the notes above, at www.usr.com.

What is HotSync 2.0?

Compatibility

What are .prc files? What are .pdb files?

The .pdb files contain data that can be sent to the Pilot. These files only contain data. You can send them to the Pilot using the same techniques as you would use for .prc files.

If you look around on your PC under the c:\pilot directory, you will see several files.

• In the Install directory, you may find .prc and .pdb files, ready and waiting to be sent to the Pilot. These files will stay here until they are finally installed onto the Pilot.
• In the Update directory, you may find a .prc file, which makes minor changes to the way the Pilot runs. It's just another .prc.
• In the username/Backup directory, you should find several .pdb files. The Graffiti_Shortcuts.pdb will almost certainly be there, but there may be others. This is where the HotSync program puts data that it finds on the Pilot that it doesn't know how to backup. They all share a similar format.
• In the directories Address, DateBook, MemoPad and ToDo, you will find the data files that are used for the 4 main Pilot apps. These files are NOT in .pdb format. They are in a special format, controlled by the Pilot.exe program (in cooperation with its conduits). Do not attempt to install these files as you would other .pdb files. As a reminder, they all end in ".dat". [You can, however, copy them to another place on your hard drive, just in case these versions get messed up. Personally, I make copies of these 4 .dat files every month.]

How do I deal with installing things onto the Pilot?

• To install a program (a .prc file), you can use
• the InstApp program that comes with the Pilot; read the Pilot docs
• run Mark Pierce's installer
• use Eric Eilebrecht's silent installer
• use Harry O's Ripcord; this installs multiple files and keeps a history; preferred
• To install data, you can
• use any of the above to install new data, such as DOC books
• set the PilotDesktop to "PC overwrites Pilot" on AddressBook, MemoPad, DateBook, ToDo list and System. The latter will move any data in the Backup directory back to the Pilot. Be careful if you are using an older (pre 1/3/97) HotSync 1.1; the data in the Backup directory may be stale.
• use the Generic Conduit System to selectively move app data back and forth through a conduit

What about backing up the entire Pilot memory?

Problems:

HotSync won't start. Never did.

Read the manual.

HotSync won't start. It used to, but now it won't.

Check the COM port. Make sure nothing else is connected. In the HotSync Options menu, check that you have selected the correct COM port.

Some people have reported that, if they use the COM port for something else (other than a HotSync), they must close the HotSync.exe and restart it. This is normal.

If you use a laptop, it is possible that your COM port is going into a power-down state. You may need to set the power down options on your laptop with power-managment tools.

My memopad doesn't sync; everything else is fine.
My todo list doesn't sync; everything else is fine.

To work with HotSync 1.0, several third party conduits captured either the memopad or the todo list. If these apps were installed and not uninstalled they may have left behind the "traps", preventing normal HotSync transfers on these databases.

Your choices are:

• go back and uninstall the app
• manual cleanup
Win95: Click on Start, Run and type REGEDIT. On the left hand side, navigate through till you have HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Palm Computing/Pilot Desktop.

Below "Pilot Desktop", check for any "ApplicationX" where X is 0,1,2.... These are where the "traps" are placed. If you delete these "ApplicationX" entries, you will restore your desktop to it's original state. You will thereby disable any of the 3rd party conduits that you have installed; caution.

Win3.1: Open Explorer. Go to the Windows directory. Double click on Pilot.INI. Run through it looking for a group called [ApplicationX], where X is 0,1,2.... These are where the "traps" are placed. If you delete these "ApplicationX" entries, you will restore your desktop to it's original state. You will thereby disable any of the 3rd party conduits that you have installed; caution.

HotSync starts up, but stops before any data is transferred.

HotSync 1.1: Several people have reported this, and fixed it by reducing the baud rate. Most work at 19200 b/s, but some have to go down to 9600 b/s.

HotSync 1.1 runs, and appears to backup installed 3rd part apps, but only backs them up once.

This is the way it works and is apparently a bug. The Generic Conduit 2.0 implements a work-around.

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Mac

Mac users who wish to sync other databases can either:

• start up SoftWindows and use the PC conduit system
• take (and port) the Unix sync system

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Unix

So far, this project has code to:

• pull all or partial data out of the Pilot
• install apps and data onto the Pilot
• dump/expose the contents of .pdb/.prc files

Other FAQ's

• Quick and Dirty http://www.nicholson.com/rhn/pfaq4.txt
• General, text only, http://www.pilotfaq.com
• General, html http://www-etb.info.nih.gov/~weisen/pilot_faq.html