(Last edited Feb 27, 2008)

In this second part, we will be discussing how to install a Palm program via Hotsync.

Installing a Palm program via Hotsync

Aside from synchronizing data between the Palm and the computer, another important task that the Hotsync application does is the installation of Palm programs which is set up via the Quick Install component of Palm Desktop.

Before I continue on about installing files onto the Palm, let me explain a few things that many newbies may not know.

The various Palm file formats. What can be installed and what can’t

Depending on where you get the Palm program files, they can be in many different formats: prc, pdb, exe, zip, rar, sit.

Only .prc and .pdb files can be installed onto the Palm. Installing other types of files will not work. Of course, special specific database files created by a Palm program (eg. RepliGo’s .rgo files) can also be installed but the respective Palm program file in .prc (ie. Repligo.prc) must be installed first before the database files can be installed. Otherwise, the Hotsync will come out with an error that there’s no such program that can read the files or you won’t be able to use it since there’s no program installed that can open the files. Think of it in a language perspective. Palms can only figure out how to under Palm files like .prc and .pdb formats. If you try to give them any other format, they won’t know how to interpret them or figure out which translators to use (eg. 3rd party applications) to help them.

Palm program executable files are always going to be in the .prc format. In order to run a program on the Palm, you will need to install the prc file.

Palm database files are always going to be in the .pdb format. You will need to install any database files that comes with the program file prc (usually included in a compressed zip file) since the program may need to access the database file in order to work. Examples include launcher programs like ZLauncher, Facer, Silverscreen, etc. These will require various pdb files which contain the graphics skins files as well as other plugin files. Please read the “readme” files or documentation files before installing the program to understand which files to install as many may be device specific.

Files ending in .exe are Windows executable files. Many online download stores (Handmark, Dataviz, etc) and even some download sites may provide a Windows executable file (.exe). What you need to do is first run this Windows installation file in Windows and then, the installation process will put the necessary .prc and .pdb files to be installed the next time you do a Hotsync. To run it in Windows, select the file first with your mouse. Either double click (press the left mouse button twice in quick succession) on the file, or right click (press on the right mouse button) to bring up a pop up menu. Then select Open or Run. The installation will proceed and simply go through all the prompts and instructions in the installation. When the installation is finished, it will advise you and you close the installation window.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to have the program first be installed in Windows, especially if there is a Windows component of the program that can interact and synchronize with the Palm application (ie. RepliGo, etc). Trying to install the .exe files with Quick Install or Hotsync will only come up with a Hotsync error because Hotsync won’t understand what that file is and what to do with it. Think of it as Quick Install only understanding one language. If you give it a file in a different language, it wouldn’t know what to do with it. So, first, it has to be translated (or transformed or installed) in Windows, and then the necessary files (language) can then be understood by Quick Install.

Files ending in .zip are Windows compressed files. You will need to use a zip compression/decompression utility like WinZip, Winrar, StuffIt Expander to decompress the files first before you can install them onto the Palm.

Files ending in .rar are Windows compressed files as well, but in they are different from .zip files as they offer better compression and is a different format. You will need to use WinRar to expand them.

Files ending in .sit are Mac compressed files. Again, you will need to use a zip compression/decompression utility like WinZip, StuffIt Expander to decompress the files first before installing them onto the Palm.

Now that I’ve explained the various files that you may encounter and what are the correct files that you can install onto the Palm, we will continue.

I will now attempt to demonstrate how to do a typical Palm program installation on the Windows computer via a simulation. There are various ways to add a particular Palm program to be installed and here are some simulations demonstrating the ways.

Simulation showing one way to install a Palm program

Alternative Flash links: MyFileStash (disable pop ups first)

This simulation shows how to start up the Palm Desktop and then access the Quick Install component as well as how to add files to install onto the Palm. Once the programs are added, simply start the Hotsync as I’ve previously discussed.

The simulation will play through to the end unless I’ve inserted a pop up note to explain specific points.

To continue playing the simulation, press the button.
To go back to a previous paused segment, click on the button.
To pause the simulation at any time, press the button. To continue after it’s paused, press the button again.
To scroll forwards or backwards in the simulation, click anywhere on the left (to go back earlier in the simulation), or right (to go forward in the simulation) on the progress bar.

Simulation showing another way to install a Palm program

Alternative Flash links: MyFileStash (disable pop ups first)

This simulations shows how to start up the Quick Install directly as well as other ways to add programs to be installed. Again, once they’re added, you can start a Hotsync to have them physically installed on the Palm.

One other way of installing a Palm program is to simply put the file into the expansion flash memory card. If you own a card reader, which is an accessory that allows you to access your flash memory card as if it were a temporary removable drive. Once it’s set up, you can simply drag and drop files from your computer over to the card just like you do with files on your computer.

Once the files are on the card, you can either just launch or run them directly from the card, or copy or move them over to the Palm’s RAM. Now, the program is installed in the RAM, just as if you did a Hotsync.

There are also other third party applications that can install applications or files directly onto the Palm, taking much less time than the typical Hotsync. Pilot Install

Once the programs or files are successfully installed on the Palm device, they can be located in various places. Most programs should show up in the “Unfiled” category (tap on the top right hand corner of the launcher application screen) and the “All” category. In order to organize programs to specific Categories, you will need to do it manually by tapping on the top left corner of the launcher application screen and selecting “Category”. Then, select the category you wish to assign to a specific application and the program will now be sorted in that Category.

Sometimes, certain applications will not show up as an icon in the launcher but rather show up in the Prefs application because they aren’t really a standalone program, but more of an extension of the Prefs application. So, if you don’t find an application in the “All” category, check the Prefs Application and scroll down to the bottom and most likely, it will show up there. Switch5 is one which shows up in the Prefs application.

Also, especially when installing programs via Windows, where you have to do a Windows installation process (ie. setup.exe) from places like Handmark, Dataviz, etc, you may not find the installation files when you run or launch Quick Install. Instead, it only shows up in the install folders, which many people are not aware of and usually can’t find. See below for the directories where they are usually placed.

Sometimes, when there’s a problem with the installation (ie. not enough RAM to install the program, etc), the program or files don’t get installed on the Palm and remain in the install folders, so that it will attempt to re-install at the next hotsync. So, if you are finding that Hotsync is attempting to re-install something that you thought you removed, you can check these install folders for the files and delete them. Otherwise, it will continue to try re-installing at the next Hotsync.

Depending on your Windows OS, the install folder may be located in:

C:\Program Files\Palm\YourHotsyncID\Install

or

C:\Palm\YourHotsyncID\Install

or something similar

insert your own HotsyncID in YourHotsyncID

If you don’t know your HotsyncID, you can tap the Hotsync application in the Palm and you should see it in the top right hand corner.

If installing to the SD card, it may be located in:

C:\Program Files\Palm\YourHotsyncID\CardInst\Slot-SD

or

C:\Palm\YourHotsyncID\CardInst\Slot-SD

or something similar

Check those folders. Usually, they should be empty. If there are any files there, they will be installed in their respective places in the Palm. If there are any, delete them. Deleting them will make sure that they won’t be installed at the next hotsync.

In the next posting, I will continue discussing the Hotsync application, focusing on the screens and menus to provide a better view of the program.

Thanks for visiting and supporting Palm Discovery. If you are not reading this article from Palmdiscovery.com or palmdiscovery.net, the website you are reading it from is guilty of copying and posting my content without consent. Please visit Palm Discovery for the original source of the material.

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