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9 out of 10 emails we get requesting support go something like this:
Help, my car has been sitting for about a month and the batteries in my logger died. When I put new batteries in, the PocketLOGGER software was gone. I don't have the original email with the software and registration code. What do I do? Help!
The need to even come to our website could have been totally eliminated by simply taking some extra steps when you first registered, and Hotsyncing regularly.
This document was written to educate the consumer on the importance of Hotsyncing, steps to eliminate memory loss, as well as what to do in case of PDA memory loss.
What is a Hotsync?
Hotsync Regularly!
What isn't saved during a Hotsync?
Eliminating 90% of Memory Loss Problems
PDA Memory Doesn't Remember
Changing Batteries - How to do it right
Batteries that are completely dead
Registration Code Problems
What is a Hotsync?
A Hotsync is the name created by Palm to describe backing up your Palm to your computer (PC or Mac). Once the proper software is installed on your computer and the proper connections have been made (See your Palm Desktop software documentation for details), the Hotsync operation synchronizes the data on your Palm with the data on your computer. But it doesn't stop there. If your Palm looses its memory, simply hotsync again and your computer will put everything back on your Palm! How does one master this harmony of two-way binary data exchange? By pressing a button. Yes, it's true. It's really that simple.
The Hotsync name is the name assigned to your Palm the first time you Hotsync'd. This allows your computer to know what data to hotsync to, especially when there is more than one Palm being Hotsync'd to the same computer. This name is displayed in the upper right corner of the PDA screen after a Hotsync operation as well as on the registration screen within the PocketLOGGER software.
If you have installed the PocketLOGGER program on your Palm at least once, then you know how to Hotsync as you need to Hotsync in order to get the program on your Palm. The key is to:
Hotsync Regularly:
Hotsyncing, every week, at the very least, will virtually eliminate having to track down the PocketLOGGER software 5 minutes before you're leaving for the track. Hotsyncing not only backs up all the programs, it also backs up all the data and the Hotsync username that you registered. This includes all the logs that you had saved.
60% of our registration/software re-requests have a different Hotsync name than what was originally registered. This will cause the request to be denied. When you Hotsync regularly, the Hotsync name is stored on your computer. I cannot stress enough the importance to hotsync regularly.
What isn't saved during a hotsync?
The one thing that is not saved or restored when you Hotsync is the registration status of the PocketLOGGER software. This is important to know since after you do a restore Hotsync, you logger won't work until you enter the reg code again into the PocketLOGGER software.
How to eliminate 90% of all problems:
- When you get the email with your registration code and software PRINT IT OUT! But printing it out is useless unless you PUT IT IN A SAFE SPOT where you are going to remember where it is.
- Save the email attachment on your hard drive, CD, or a floppy...again, store it in a place where you are going to find it.
- Create a new memo on your Palm and put your registration code in there. You could also put the Hotsync username you registered along with where you put stored the software.
- HOTSYNC ONCE A WEEK!!
PDA memory doesn't remember:
The memory in your PDA is not like a hard drive, it's like the RAM in your computer. Once you take the power away, the memory is erased. Even though you turn off your Palm, in reality you are only turning off the screen. The memory and processor still have power. If this power is lost, the memory in your PDA will be erased. This is bad.
If your batteries are low, turn off your Palm. If your batteries are too low, the PDA is smart and will not let you turn it on in an effort to keep the batteries charged enough to preserve the memory. Obviously, once the batteries are dead, the data is lost no matter what.
Changing Batteries:
Take the new batteries out of the package so they are ready to be installed. Remove the old batteries from the Palm and insert your new ones quickly, but taking note of the polarity. If you change the batteries within a minute, you should not loose any data on the Palm. If you did lose data, either you waited too long to put the batteries in, you reversed the polarity on one or both batteries, or the capacitor in your Palm is no good. Personally I've had batteries out of a Palm for over two minutes without any data loss.
Dead Batteries:
If the batteries were completely dead and your Palm reset, no worries, since you have done all of the things listed above. Once the Palm is fully booted and you went through the stylus calibration and set the time and date, simply connect the Palm to your computer and press the Hotsync button. Your computer will come up with a "Select User" box. Unless your computer crashed since the last time you Hotsync'd, at no time should you ever have to click "New User". Typically you should only have one name in the list. Select it and click OK.
If you have more than one name in the list, it is imperative that you select the right one. If you don't know, cancel the Hotsync. On the Palm Desktop, in the upper right corner select the user you think it is and see if the memo with your reg code and hotsync username is there. When you know your Hotsync name, Hotsync again and select the proper name from the list.
A Hotsync that's doing a full restore can take over 10 minutes. Make sure that your Palm's batteries are new or fully charged. Once the Hotsync is complete, your Palm may tell you it needs to reset. This is fine. When the Palm comes back up, find the memo with your registration code and copy it down. Then run the PocketLOGGER software and enter the code into the registration screen. Be sure that the "unregistered" is no longer on the main PocketLOGGER screen and you are good to go.
Registration Code Problems:
It is VERY important that you either print out the registration email or make a note of your username and registration code when you register. If you have not been hotsyncing, and your batteries die, you will need this information in order to get your PocketLOGGER software to work again.
If you didn't keep track of your registration code, and it was lost when your batteries died, you will need to fill out this form and request that we resend you the information.
If you just received your PocketLOGGER and have not registered yet to recieve your registration number, you need to fill out this form and we will email it to you. Once you get the registration number, we strongly recommend that you put it in a safe place where you can access it if you ever lose it.
Additional Information:
Registration
Capacitor information
Changing batteries in an m100
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