Computer reformat & then Activesync problems

Kawboy · 02-02-05, 09:34 PM

Well, I figured something was bound to go wrong when I reformatted my computer and tried to get my Ax working afterwards.

XP Pro SP2 was installed, AV and firewall installed before plugging into the net, all special motherboard drivers installed, Axim setup disk inserted, Outlook installed first, and then oops, I go to install Activesync and notice that I left my cradle plugged in!

The Activesync installation of course reminds me to install it before plugging in my cradle. Well, I unplug my cradle, install Activesync, and hope for the best. I plug my cradle back in, the USB wizard tells me it detects the Axim cradle and everything is apparently fine. I try to sync my Axim and Activesync keeps looking and looking and looking and can't find my device. USB is working and checks out fine.

I can remove my X5 from the cradle, plug it back in, and Activesync realizes that it should start resyncing and starts spinning the icon on the taskbar but just keeps looking and looking and eventually errors out.

Anybody have a similar experience? Any advice? I tried forum search but it seems to be broken at the moment.

ikehiker · 02-02-05, 10:30 PM

First, make sure that AS is allowed through the firewall. If that checks out, I'd delete the mobile device from the hardware list in the device manager on the PC and then either reinstall from the CD or get the USB driver for X5 from Dell downloads (ftp://ftp.dell.com/Handheld/ file R55367.exe). Also, download ActiveSync 3.8 from the M$ website.

After installing the X5 driver, then install AS 3.8, then connect the PPC.

Kawboy · 02-02-05, 11:49 PM

I tried removing 3.7.1 and installed 3.8 just for the heck of it, even though 3.7.1 had been working well for me before. Guess what? That fixed it. Things took quite a while to sync, but everything went smoothly and I didn't lose a thing! Major bonus. Merci for the reply.

I wonder why Dell made the cradle a USB 1.1 device? Slow slow slow...

02-03-05, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by Kawboy

I wonder why Dell made the cradle a USB 1.1 device? Slow slow slow...

Lower cost for Dell = Lower cost for us

Kawboy · 02-03-05, 07:35 AM

Well, it looks like my Activesync problems weren't as simple as I thought. Initially, removing 3.7.1 and installing 3.8 solved my problem, but I turned everything off last night and when I turned on the computer this morning with the Ax in the cradle it refuses to connect again. The Activesync icon turns green and starts swirling, the window says "Connecting...", but it just sits there and eventually tells me "Not connected".

Guess I'll have to go through the whole routine after work to try and get it fixed for good.

Kawboy · 02-05-05, 06:39 PM

Ikehiker, it looks like your suggestion worked. I lived without syncing for a day or so (more or less- I think it synced once and then disconnected itself while still sitting on the cradle) and then removed the USB driver and AS, reinstalled the Dell driver you pointed out, reinstalled AS 3.8, and I've synced a couple of times since then with no problems (knock on silicon).