Elements of this piece originally ran in the Letters to the Editor column in the May issue of PalmPower. Due to the recent glut of letters from Palm device users asking for solutions to problems related to performing HotSync operations, we're expanding and re-running the information.

HotSync problems can be extremely frustrating. They're also tough to diagnose and troubleshoot, but if you're having difficulty HotSyncing your Palm device to your desktop, read on and I'll take you through some things you might want to try.

Check your HotSync Manger
First off, let's check something that's easily overlooked. Is "Local" checked in HotSync Manager? If Local isn't checked, and if there are no check marks next to Modem or Network, you'll get the Time-out error. I found this out after installing a lot of new hardware into a PC. Of course, I thought it was the hardware. Boy, did I feel stupid when it was something as simple as this!

The next thing to try is backing the speed down in HotSync Manager. Right click on the HotSync Manager icon in the system tray and select Setup. Click on the Local tab and then pull down the Speed menu. Choose something pretty slow, like 19200 or 9600 baud. It's a drag, but a slow synchronization is usually better than none at all.

Make sure you have the right port number. You might have to make sure that HotSync Manager is pointing to the correct port, since HotSync Manager 3.0.4 officially provides support for USB and IR synchronizations.

Check the brand of motherboard
You might also want to check on the brand of motherboard used in your PC. I corresponded at length with a fellow Palm device user last year who had gotten a new PC and couldn't perform a HotSync. It turns out he had a Tyan motherboard. If I remember correctly, he ended up swapping motherboards before he could synchronize. As long as we're talking about odd hardware problems, Palm, Inc.'s Web site mentions an issue with inability to synchronize on COM4 if the PC has an S3-based video card. See http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/desktop/com4s3.html for details.

Check the cradle
Maybe the cradle you're using is faulty. If your home HotSync cradle is different from your work HotSync cradle, try using that one.

Check the connection
Another way to test the connection is to hook up the cradle and drop your Palm device in it as though you're going to synchronize. Close HotSync Manager and fire up HyperTerminal by selecting Programs->Accessories->HyperTerminal->HyperTrm.exe from the Start menu. You'll need to create a connection using "Direct to COMn," where n is the number of the serial port you're using. In Figure A, you'll see how to create a new connection in HyperTerminal. You can name the connection whatever you'd like and choose any of the icons displayed. Click OK to continue.