HELP! Old incompatible freeware is still running on my Tungsten...and causing problem

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XxMaThIaSxX

New member
I had installed a "frogger" type freeware game software on my Tungsten T2, and found out it was causing "lockup" problems.

So I deleted (I thought) the software and did a "soft" reset....but every time I turn on my Tungsten T2 Palm, I keep hearing audible "beeps and blips" of that Frogger like game .... almost like it is playing invisibly in the background.

It seems to be adversely affecting my ability to select other programs and "toggle" down on my contacts list, etc.

How can I get rid of this?! I thought about doing a "hard" reset, and then re-syncing with my desktop software to get all my contacts back. But I am afraid that my desktop software might even have some of the "bad game code" in it from when I did hotsync's....

What can you suggest to get me back to square one without losing all my data, contacts, and to-do lists?

Step by steps would be great.....I'm not a computer guru.

Thanks for your help.......and why can't I find a tech number for Palm????
 
I'd suggest the following:

Make a backup of the following directory on your PC:
C:\program files\palm\SR (or user name)\backup
This backup copy can be copied to your desktop.

Then delete everything in the original backup directory while preserving the files on the desktop that you just backed-up.

Hard Reset the device.

Then hot sync

At this time all of your contacts, calendar, todo's, and memos should restore. The only thing missing will be any programs that you added.

You can find these in that backup directory on the desktop. You can then simply double click on each one in this directory and it will reinstall upon the next hot sync. Do not double click on the Saved_Preferences.prc file as it may contain those errant references to Frogger. Also don't add back in the UnsavedPreferences.prc or pdb file either for the same reasons.
Also, don't add anything back in that your uncertain of what it's for. You can post back any of those in a listing and we can figure out what they go to.

The process of a hard reset and the method described above will require that you keep handy the registrations for any additional software that you added back, which you should have done anyway.

This process will definitely clear out any errant files and clean up the system to pristine status - just be careful of what you add back in and it's guaranteed.
 
Hey, thanks for the reply....

One really dumb question....I don't have a "Palm" folder listed in my "Program Files".....where else would it have been installed on my computer?
 
It may have been installed to the Root Directory C:\Palm?

If not - within Windows Exploder - hit F3 and do a search for "Palm" and then locate the backup directory that way. You'll also see a directory called Archive once you find it. Archive contains all of the previously deleted files and programs that you've ever installed on the device - don't mistakenly restore any programs from here - unless you definitely want them because Frogger is stored in the archive.
 
Moose Man,

You're not going to believe this....but after searching "Palm", I only come up with a few programs for Palm Desktop....no Palm folder at all......

Is it possible I never installed some software on my PC at all that I should have and am simply running my Tungsten T2 and Palm desktop software???? I don't get it...I have no "palm" directory shown in my search.

I'm on Windows XP Pro.
 
Ok not a big deal and no- the program is there - it's just nested somewhere else for some odd reason. The file structure I gave you is the normal default but if during the install you requested a different name or if you've had a previous device then it could be listed somewhere else.

I've attached a screen capture of my Exploder for reference so you can look.

Do a search for "backup" and see if contains PRC and PDB file extensions - that'll probably be it. See what the rest of the structure is. If you had either a Sony or Handspring device before - it may be nested under those subfolders.

The picture attached should help.
 
Aww crap. First of all, I think I recently removed my old 'Handspring" programs through "Add/Remove Programs' not thinking it was related to Palm.

I did a search for "backup" as you suggested as well as a search for *.prc and came up with nothing related to Palm.....

Am I screwed?
 
Ok,

Reinstall the T2 desktop from the disc that came with the device and allow the program to choose the default path's etc. Be certain to turn off any antivirus software before running the installation.

If when the install starts, it asks you to "Repair" the previous installation - choose yes and proceed.

After the installation, reboot the PC, then hotsync. It should come up and ask you for the user name of the T2 - if it doesn't no big deal.

After the hotsync - do a search for the PRC files again, once you've confirmed that they are no indeed in some sort of backup directory then make a copy of "that" backup directory and proceed as per my original post.

One word of caution and doublecheck: When your searching in Windows Exploder - you are telling it to search the C drive and not just the folders that your in? If you are sure - then research and see if anything is different. Just hitting F3 in Windows Exploder will not default the search to the entire hard drive - it may just be looking in My Documents.

I'll be around for further help.
 
If you previously had a Handspring and then installed the Palm Desktop, it's probable that all the files were placed in the Handspring folder. If you deleted it, that may be your problem. You dind't mention which version Windows you're using. If it's XP, you can use System Restore to roll back your system to a date before you deleted the Handspring folder. That should help get the problem sorted out.
 
This is another option and it can also be done if your using Windows ME. Although I don't recommend this method because of loss of other stuff that occured since the rollback date.
 
Moose,

You know, I thought he mentioned XP but I couldn't for the life of me find it when I read back through the thread. I'm blaming it on bad glasses.:)
 
I'm back....sorry about the delay...

How about this? I have a handspring w/Palm OS. Can I simply beam my two important categories (To Do list and Addresses) over to the Handspring, do a hard reset, and then beam the "To Do" and "Addresses" categories back over to the Palm Tungsten T2?

Will this also get rid of all the unwanted garbage?

I think I'd have to completely delte the Palm software from the PC and reinstall right? What do you think of this method?

Also, I reinstalled the Palm PC software, and it recreated a "Handspring" folder along with a backup folder listed under my name......I hotsynced this to my palm device thinking it would backup my data onto the pc.....
 
Yes that would get rid of it but if you haven't deleted the stuff out of the backup directory then your goofed.

If all you want to keep from the Visor is the 4 core apps, Address, Calendar, Tasks and Memos - then I'd suggest the following:

Uninstall the Visor Palm Desktop via the Windows Uninstall program.

Then delete the remaining directories that are nested underneath the Handspring directory via Windows Exploder.

Reboot -

Install the Palm Desktop that came with the T2.

Hard Reset the T2 - Beam over the stuff from the Visor to the T2.

HotSync - this will add the addresses and stuff from the T2 into the Palm Desktop.

If your syncing to Outlook - don't bother beaming the stuff from the Visor - it will be uploaded via the first sync.
 
Mooseman - sorry for the delay. Here's what I did:

I beemed just my "contacts" and "to do" list over to an old Palm. I then did a "hard" reset on the Tungsten T2, and then deleted my desktop Palm software.

I then reinstalled the desktop software and then beemed my "contact" and "to do" list from the old palm back onto my Tungsten T2....so that I would have my needed info back, yet figuring this would allow me to totally wipe the Tungsten.

I think it worked...but now I am noticing other difficulties. I have outlined them in a new post....can you check it out and let me know what you think???? Thanks.
 
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