Activesync / USB fun!

[acetuk]

Hi all.

I'm in need to help please. I've today bought myself a Christmas present - a XDA Exec (Universa) pda / phone. Lovely device from my limited usage so far.

However Activesync is having a lot of fun. Although it might not be Activesync that is the problem. I'm trying to connect via USB to Activesync 4.1 on my HP Pavilion ze4801EA laptop. When I plug the USB cable into the laptop I get a 'Device not recognised' Windows error straight away. If I sit and continue to swap in and out the USB lead on my laptop eventually Windows picks up the device, assigns the IP address etc.

What I need to understand is what is stopping this working all of the time and only work every fifth or sixth plugging in of the device. It might be the USB drivers but I can't find anything else to install on the HP website so I'm using the standard WXP version.

Once connection is made everything is fine. My hx4700 never had an issue like this.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks,
Andrew

[Janak Parekh]

Hmm. I'm playing with a Universal and have had no such trouble. I assume you're using the bundled mini-USB cable and not another one, and are plugging directly into the laptop?

As for drivers, AS 4.1 should have all the drivers you need. The fact it works every 5 times or so suggests that it's not a driver issue. One other possibility that occurs to me is that the Universal can charge from the USB cable, but if a laptop has insufficient power, this may cause reliability issues. As a debugging step, do you have another machine you can try plugging the device into?

--janak

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Have you tried disabling your firewall? The way AS 4.x interacts with your device has changed from AS 3.x, it's now more of a full-blown network connection, rather than the pseudo-network solution used before.

[acetuk]

Thanks for the replies and happy Christmas to everyone.

I am back to just the standard XP firewall having uninstalled all of Norton trying to get this to work. I am also using the cable supplied.

I was going to try to get this to work on my main pc but that is not running at the moment. However my initial attempts last night suggested connection was fine but then I had an outlook issue.

Looks like it's the laptop. This was the only device attached to either of the usb ports so I guess I could buy a powered usb hub and see if that helps.

The funny thing is that when I do get connection it all works fine.

Shame about activesync - I am loving the universal the same as I haved every new device I have bought. Activesync has typically worked well for me but it is by far the weakest link in the chain.

Any ideas anyone? Will a powered hub help?

[Janak Parekh]

The funny thing is that when I do get connection it all works fine.
This is why I think it's not a firewall problem - if it was, it shouldn't work. In fact, I'm not sure it's an ActiveSync problem in the first place, because when the device isn't recognized it sounds like a Windows message.

You can try a powered hub as a test. I'm not sure, though. Historically, the recommendation has been to jettison hubs, not to add one. An alternative is to set up Bluetooth sync.

--janak

[acetuk]

I am determined to beat this one as so far everything else is going well. Thanks for the help so far.

I really am already loving the Universal. size is fine (not as big as I expected), battery so far has been good (I'm on a data tarif so phone calls will be very minimal which I guess helps no end) and I've got my six main apps in storage and not on my SD card as I used to do.

All I need now is a gprs program to monitor my usage on the today screen and I'm there - other than activesync woes! :)

Storage is down to 8mb but that should be fine from here on as the sd card will hold my documents etc othere than those I want to sync.

one other thing I would like would be a program that can soft reset the Universal at a set time. I did that using Sprite backup (set to soft reset after at backup every morning at 3am) with memmaid (set to clean at bootup) to clear out unwanted temp files etc every morning to help keep things running smoothly.

But the main stuff is running well - PI, Planmaker, Textmaker, Resco Explorer, Pocket Plus (testing again after switching to PocketBreeze on my iPaq), TCMP media player, Memmaid... not much more I need. A database app at some stage but not now.

How is everyone else finding the Universal? I have mine for another 13 days before losing the chane to return it for a refund. I can't see it going anywhere!

[Nurhisham Hussein]

All I need now is a gprs program to monitor my usage on the today screen and I'm there - other than activesync woes!

SPB GPRS Monitor (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/gprsmonitor/?en)

[Janak Parekh]

How is everyone else finding the Universal? I have mine for another 13 days before losing the chane to return it for a refund. I can't see it going anywhere!
Overall I'm pretty happy with mine. I have Exchange push email set up with it, which is killer as the unit has an extremely functional thumbboard.

I don't have a soft reset app, though -- I'm finding the unit extremely stable without it, but I'm running less background apps, e.g., I'm trying without Pocket Plus, Today plugins, etc., some of which slow down the unit and/or eat up memory.

--janak

[acetuk]

I have to say that I am only using Pocket Plus but even then it might come off. I've installed gprs monitor which is a big help and as that can put the battery ststus on the icon I might try going only that way.

To be honest as I think about it I haven't really pocket plus for shortcuts as the keyboard makes it extremely easy to launch apps quickly and easily - I might uninstall pocket plus and live with just gprs monitor.

My biggest problem at the moment is the misinfirmation supplied by my provider O2. I chose a data only tarif as I do not intend to call out often. but I need people to be able to call me. with that in mind I specifically asked the O2 assistant in the shop if that was possible and he told me yes at standard O2 rate (data only only referred to only data included in the tarif, not call minutes). however that turns out not to do true - text messages are fine but not direct calls.

so I hsve to do something with that now and probably add on a call plan for £19 extra a month which is not so good.

Is there a list of keyboard shortcuts anywhere for basic things? For example is it posible to page down in IE on the universal? Also is it possible in Planmaker to map the short keys for things like open file to spmething not needing ctrl as it isn't on the universals keyboard?

Still loving it two days in! If anyone in the UK wants a cheap hx4705 with extras let me know!

[Janak Parekh]

My biggest problem at the moment is the misinfirmation supplied by my provider O2.
Yeah - be careful, reps will say almost anything when in fact they don't know. It's gotten to the point where I tend to know much, much more than the reps I'm talking to.

Is there a list of keyboard shortcuts anywhere for basic things? For example is it posible to page down in IE on the universal?
Unfortunately, the Universal doesn't have a PGDN key, although Ed posted (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=44667) about a CTRL hack, which might make more shortcuts accessible. I've found that space sometimes works for paging through -- but only if a hyperlink isn't selected.

Also is it possible in Planmaker to map the short keys for things like open file to spmething not needing ctrl as it isn't on the universals keyboard?
No clue. The above hack -- or emailing the SoftMaker folks -- may be your best bets.

--janak

[acetuk]

I've now taken PocketPlus off my Univwrsal and am using just the Pocket GPRS Monitor icon in the menu bar for battery monitoring as well as obviously GPRS monitoring.

I've also had chance to talk to O2 and they have apologised about the confusion with my tarif. They are allowing me to add a voice package on to my data tarif, the cheapest of which is £15 a month. I can afford it but I'm still cheesed off with the shop assistant who got it so wrong in the first place.

O2 suggested that if I still wasn't happy then I should go to the shop and talk to the manager as they have more authority to resolve this better to my satisfaction as I am their direct customer.

I might just do that or jump to T Mobile and take on their 18 month web n walk offer.

Sorry for going to off topic!

[Janak Parekh]

Well, you started the thread, so I guess you have license to go offtopic ;)

Best of luck with your data plan.

--janak

[clbsvi]

For the ability to perform a software reset, I suggest Pocket Toolman by Clarence Chau which may stll be found at "[email protected]" I understand it may cost a nominal amount but I have found it to be a most useful and stable PPC utility application on two IPAQs, the `latest being a new WM5 enabled IPAQ hx2495. IMHO Canadian PPC software developers are among the best. Perhaps its the cold winters up there. I wouldn't know since I live in Northwest Florida.