Help! The Palm's battery expired, and I've lost everything!
What now?
- Palm Units are designed to interact with a desktop computer and will back up or restore all the Palm data when doing a "hotsync" with the the desktop. Thus, if a previous hotsync had been executed successfully, say after the last match of the previous season, and the Palm Desktop software is still intact with all the necessary installation and hotsync backup folders, then one need only intitiate a new hotsync. On the Palm Desktop software, highlight the Palm User name that was used previously and execute the hotsync, as usual. All backup data, including Palmcricket, archived matches, saved teams and correct registration status will be restored to the Palm. Date and time may need to be corrected. It is also a good idea to recalibrate the digitizer, using the built in Palm Preference features.
- If no previous hotsync was done, or the Palm Desktop software and/or backups were removed from the desktop computer, then this can be treated as a new installation. Install the Palm Desktop software from the CD supplied with the Palm. Then download the latest version of Palmcricket from the Palmcricket download page and follow the instructions as outlined under After download.
Additional notes:
- If the battery expires, then all programs and data (except built-in Palm software) are lost on the Palm, unless the model is one of the latest models such as the Tungsten E2, where information is retained permanently in "flash-ram" memory.
- When re-entering the registration code into the Palm, ensure that the match status is "Not started" by completing and resetting the current match using the Stop/Start button. The register button under Utils is only visible when the match status is "Not started".
- It's a good idea to get into the habit of archiving score-sheets on the Palm using recognisable match names, and then hotsyncing with a desktop unit directly after completion of every match to create an up-to-date backup. Thereafter, if the battery expires, one can restore everything to the Palm in 5 minutes, merely by doing a hotsync.
- After a hotsync, the Palmcricket Viewer software can be used to print or copy the score-sheet on the desktop computer, directly from the back-up folders, without having to use the Windows Explorer for navigation.
- Where a school or club uses more than one Palm, it's also useful to have everyone do a weekly hotsync with a designated central desktop computer. The Palm Desktop software will recognise the Palms separately, based on the Palm User Names. Score-sheets should be copied from the Palm backup folders to a central location on the desktop or network. Palm back-up folders are not ideal for permanent storage of score-sheets, since the backed-up information may change after every hotsync. A suitable central store of matches can be used to keep a permanent record of all score-sheets, per team. With P-Viewer one can create web pages directly from these score-sheets, for publication on a web-site.
- The Palmcricket registration code will only work if the Palm was set up with the correct Palm User Name. To change the Palm User name on a hand-held, use the Palm Desktop's menu option Tools-Users. Click on the current name and rename it, as per the example below. Make sure to close the Users pop-up window, then do a hotsync with the Palm. This will change the Palm User name on the Palm to the new name.
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This page was last updated on 24 January 2006 at 15:15 South
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