__/ [jss87] on Tuesday 20 September 2005 18:33 \__
Good morning/afetrnoon,
> I bought a Zire 31so I could sync outlook on two PCs...
Better solutions exist for synchronisation of Desktop data. You can either
centralise data on-line (Web server) or have the computer communicate with
one another directly. I hope that you also bought your Zire for the surpose
of work on-the-go.
> ... I have a lot of
> custom categories, so I started with Beyond Contacts. For a bit, everyting
> was good, but now I get 'unexpected errors' on one PC so it cannot be
> sync'd. On the other I'm seeing strange things. For example, sync one
> time, everything is OK. Accidently press HotSync again, and get a message
> that an appointment has changed on one system and not on the other,
> leading to a duplication.
Yes, this is bound to happen if you make conflicting changes. The best you
can do is HotSync frequently enough and avoid editing data on both
computers. It can become rather tricky. Locking can be introduced or the
problems superseded if you opt for other synchronisation methods.
> Does anyone have any tips to avoid these problems or suggestions for
> another 3rd party program or approach?
There are method for keeping Outlook synchronised, but I am not a Microsoft
Office buff.
I would argue that on-line services will provide a good solution in the long
term as upgrades, change of platform and mobility (e.g. checking your
schedule in an Internet Café while on holiday) are no longer an issue. Tell
me if you want some pointers.
> Also, HotSync itself is not too reliable. I've had crashes reported on the
> PC (XP SP2), and often the Palm dissappears from the Device Manager
> part-way
> through the sync.
Do you mean "Device Manager" or "Taskbar". The latter appears to be a common
problem. This may suggest that the handheld begs for a reset, that cabling
is poor, that the operating system doesn't handle the USB port properly or
is susceptible to interruption.
> I'm trying to find my most reliable USB ports, ...
This doesn't seem to be a reasonable thing to try.
> ... trying
> to sync after a restart, and have downloaded a fresh version of the
> desktop software and am still having trouble.
Yes, the problem is at the very core. I imagine that better reliability will
be reached in the future. Consider changing the synchronisation habits.
Hope it helps,
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | "Life is too short to proofread"
http://Schestowitz.com | SuSE Linux | PGP-Key: 74572E8E
5:05am up 26 days 17:19, 3 users, load average: 0.35, 0.33, 0.34
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