ActiveSync Error - converting Pocket Excel files

[acocq]

Hi,
last week I created a Pocket Excel file on my Ipaq for the first time in about 9 months. When I put the PDA in its cradle and syncronize, I now get an error that the conversion has failed because the system can not find the indicated file. (ActiveSync never tells me which file, just points out that a file couldn't be copied and that I should check if there is enough memory available on the PDA). 8O

I have checked the Options/Rules/Conversion settings and see that although the Desktop -> PDA path shows a conversion from XLS to PXL, the PDA->Desktop only shows a XLS to XLS conversion. But for Pocket Word, everything looks ok (and appears to work). :roll:

I have looked into the ActiveSync directory and it looks like all the files for conversion should be there (as far as I can guess : XLS2PXL.DLL / PXL2XLS.DLL).

When I create an XLS file (with OpenOffice), it converts fine to my PDA PXL format ... but once I changed it on the PDA, my woes begin.

I upgraded from 3.7 to 3.8, but to no avail.

Since it has been so long since I created a spreadsheet on my PDA, I can't pinpoint the exact time when this problem actually manifested itself.

Here are some details on my system:

Ipaq 2210 (Pocket PC 2003)
ActiveSynce 3.8
WinXP Home SP2
WinWord 2002
OpenOffice 2.01

Any ideas ? :cry:

Thanks in advance !
Andreas

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Hi Andreas, welcome to PPCT.


...Desktop -> PDA path shows a conversion from XLS to PXL, the PDA->Desktop only shows a XLS to XLS conversion.

Have you tried changing this? You can do this through the edit button.

[acocq]

Hi Andreas, welcome to PPCT.


...Desktop -> PDA path shows a conversion from XLS to PXL, the PDA->Desktop only shows a XLS to XLS conversion.

Have you tried changing this? You can do this through the edit button.

Hi hishamh,
yes, I tried changing it, but while I can change it on the DESKTOP to PDA side (XLS or PXL 1,2 or PXL 3), the PDA to DESKTOP path offers no option that can be changed (only allows for XLS to XLS).

When I had originally found the button to change these conversion options, I thought I was home free ... just imagine my disappointment when there was no option to change anything.

I really have no clue why the PDA to Desktop conversion is hardwired to XLS to XLS.

I've tried looking through the Registry, to see if there was something in there, but have not found anything I'd be willing to change just for the fun of it.

I had hoped that there would be a config file of sorts that specifies the options, but again I have not found anything.

This is driving me bonkers. 8O

Cheers,
Andreas

[acocq]

Update:

I upgraded to ActiveSync 4.1 (just to be up to date), hoping that it would help. But there is no difference. :roll:

When I look at the "conversion options" from PDA to Desktop, it does not offer a PXL format, only XLS (which it converts to ... surprise : XLS).

So, why is it not doing any conversion ? I now get the error and it tells me each and every file it can not convert ... is this progress ? Hardly. But it does confirm that only the XLS files seem to be affected. :(

I'd be very grateful if someone could help me with this issue.

Regards,
Andreas

[a.c]

Hello,

first the Active-Sync has two entries for converting: Pocket Excel-Worksheed and Microsoft Excel Table. The Pocket Excel (*.pxl) must have the convertion to .xls but the other has to be xls to xls - so this is fixed of cause in the PDA->Desktop.

I'v had also a problem with conversation and no filename was given (verry bad from MS) but this was not only with Excel files.
So if you move the files, wich causes the problem (you think), out of the Sync-Dir - is there still the problem?
If yes, then you have the same problem I had.
And for this I did following:
Make a FULL backup of the PDA with Active-Sync (not only nomal Sync).
Make a backup of all files in the Sync-Folder on the PC.
Close all ActiveSync things / disconnect the PDA.
Open a folder on the pc (you may have to change options in Windows to see all files and extensions - because some are normally hidden): The path may look this: C:\Documents and Settings\[your Username]\Application Data\ActiveSync\Profiles\[name of your PDA]

there you find a file named "repl.dat" delete or rename it (f.e. to repl.dat.bak); renaming is better because if there is something going wrong you have the old file.

If you now Sync your PDA again ActiveSync renews this file (I think this is an Index of all files have to be synced and ther sometimes occurs an error) and the error should be gone.

Hope this could help
Greetings from Hamburg
from another Andreas

[acocq]

Hi a.c. (it's pretty weird to write to someone with the same first name, the same initials, living in the same city ...)

I moved the files (the pocket XL versions) out of the sync directory and the problem disappeared almost completely .. . it still showed that one file was not synchronized ... but of course it did not say which one ... :?

I then made the FULL backup and renamed the repl.dat file.

After this it synchronized everything fine (but without the PXL files, which I had moved).

Now I created a new PXL file on my PDA, put it into the cradle and receive an error that it does not know how to synchronize this file.

Somewhere along the line it appears that ActiveSync has "forgotten" that it needs to do the PXL<->XLS conversion. The rules that ActiveSync shows for this clearly show that it has no clue about what to do with a PXL file (or that it even should).

I've just about given up on this because I'm quite upset about MicroSoft's method of handling these "errors" ... add to this the fact that the help files are no help at all and it's enough to make you mad. :frusty:

Any other ideas ?

Cheers,
Andreas