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Installation Issues

Why am I having trouble loading DateBk6 - HotSync often fails and hangs...?

If you are experiencing this problem, make sure that you have no other programs actively running on your desktop as it is possible that the hotsync process can timeout if other applications are stealing too much time.

If you are synching with USB and have the device plugged into a hub, plug it in DIRECTLY and not through a hub. A hub interferes with the timing and hotsync is very unforgiving and will often timeout as a result.

If you have a newer PalmOne device, a known bug in the PalmOne DM Patch software can cause the Palm conduit (and other conduits) to hang on the calendar. In that case, download DbFixIt and use the option to Remove all Deleted Rec. and tap the EasyCk button. Note that it it is not necessary to register DbFixIt to use it to correct this specific problem.

I just installed DateBk6 but it says the 45-day trial period has already run out - what gives?

The only way this can happen is if one of the three situations below has arisen:

• You previously loaded DateBk6 more than 45 days ago (or someone else did) - the 45-day trial period is a one-time deal. Keep in mind, that if you copied all your data files off another device where you had previously installed DateBk6, this also counts as a prior installation.

• You set the system date forward or backwards, installed DateBk6 and then reset the system date to today.

• You have a corrupt version of DateBk6 (download a fresh copy from the DateBk6 web page: http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/datebk6.htm

The program only complains on the last half of each month, so if you encounter this problem you would be best off waiting to the first of the month at which point you will get a full two weeks to do the evaluation. DateBk6 has a separate trial period from DateBk3/4/5, so you get a full 45-day trial period even if you are currently a registered DateBk3/4/5 user.

If you have registered and paid for DateBk6 and are waiting for receipt of your permanent registration code, but get this message when you enter your TEMPORARY registration code, then the problem is that more than 75 days have elapsed since the program was first installed. The temporary registration code only adds 30 days to the original 45-day trial period. Your permanent registration code typically arrives within 3-5 days after your receipt of the temporary registration code. 

Now that I've loaded DateBk6, can I get rid of the regular Datebook application?

Not unless you are a power user. The built-in datebook application is stored in ROM (Read Only Memory) and cannot therefore be easily removed. The only downside is that when you do a Find, the built-in datebook application will also insist on searching the same database, but no harm is done by that and you can use FindIgnoreHack (freeware from most Palm software archives) to prevent that. Note that if you start the search while DateBk6 is running, DateBk6 will ALWAYS search the Datebook database before the built-in datebook application. Warning: there are now some third party applications that can remove the built-in datebook application from devices with Flash ROM. However, we recommend that you carefully assess your ability to perform the procedure and also make yourself fully aware of the consequences (especially if you run into trouble with the procedure!).

Can DateBk6 run in flash ROM?

Yes - many people run Datekb5 out of Flash Rom. If you have FlashBuilder or FlashPro, you can load DateBk6 into part of the 750k or so that is unused in the Palm's Flash Rom. But do NOT put the DateBk6DB preference database into ROM - it is frequently updated and must therefore remain in RAM.

Why do I get a Null Handle/Disallowed Shortcut? error when I install DateBk6?

This error message indicates that there is some OTHER application installed on your device with the same CreatorID and type as DateBk6. At this point, there are only two things that are known to cause it:

1. A shortcut that is being generated by some new launcher (all existing launchers use small shortcuts that are not a problem).

2. You have a copy of DateBk6 in Flash Rom that you have not removed. You must remove it with a flash utility as DateBk6 can only remove old copies stored in RAM.

I just got a color device, but I can't see any colors or colors act "funny" - why?

Colors can be applied to individual appointments or ToDo's by going into the DETAILS dialog, tapping on the FONT/Color selector and then selecting a color from the color palette. Colors can be assigned to categories in all four databases - appt, addr, Todo and Memo - for Appointments and ToDo's, select the item from the CAT. menu. For Addr/Memo categories, tap on SplitScreen DB Category in the split-screen menu (menu icon at top left). Tap on the [P] (profile) button to the right of the category name, and then tap on the Font/Color selector to set a default color for that category. There are other uses of color as well in DateBk6 so download the 110+ page manual and search for the word color to see all the other places where color is used.

Note that the Palm OS does not technically support color in tables, but DateBk6 employs some clever "tricks" to get color to display properly. However, one side effect is that while EDITING colored text, you will see the text switch to Black and White (and possibly only on one line). Don't be concerned: the screen is redrawn neatly the instant you finish editing.

Note that the Font option in the EDIT menu which sets a default font for ALL appointments and integrated ToDo's does NOT display the color palette as it would make no point really to set a default color for all appointments and ToDo's. 

I have a Handspring Visor and loaded dtbkplusstub.prc but my Visor instantly crashed, why?

You inadvertently corrupted the dtbkplusstub.prc program itself. Most likely you are a NetScape user as it appears that only NetScape users have this problem. I suspect that Netscape is defaulting unknown file types to text and as a result ends up wordwrapping the file which of course instantly corrupts a binary file. Make SURE that this file is treated as a binary file type.

Is there a program to edit the icons displayed in the monthly view - are there icon collections?

There are now dozens of icon collections available for DateBk6, both color and monochrome. You can always search the software archives at software archives like Palm Gear (www.palmgear.com) or Handango (www.handango.com) or you can try these:

Joby Icons by Andres Platonoff C, available from www.jobyland.com
ICON Editor by Shuji Fukumoto, available from www.wakuwaku.ne.jp/shuji/soft/IconEditor
IcoEdit available from: http://www.kagi.com/maple/
DBICED by Intertron software available from: http://www.inertron.com/palm/index.html
Icon Editor for DateBk6 by Toshiaki Yamazaki available from http://www.mapletop.com/  
Excel Macro Icon Editor by Leo Steindl available from: http://www.gorilla-haven.org/pimlico/iconedit.xls

There are also several websites which have icon collections. We ran across these sites recently which had icon collections:

http://www.twokidsinagarage.com
http://www1.sphere.ne.jp/robin/pilot/icon-e.html
http://www.javanet.com/~abdb/db3icons.html
http://members.eunet.at/patz/db3icons.html
http://www.geocities.com/sdgware/
http://sky.zero.ad.jp/~zaj58417/

How do I get the icons and/or Timezones installed?

There is now a simple utility that installs both the monochrome icons and the timezones for DateBk6. It is called dbSetup and there is always a copy in the standard DateBk6 download which you can get from the DateBk6 web page: http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/datebk6.htm.

Save this program in the C:\PALM\ADD-ON directory. Then go to: START | PROGRAMS | PALM DESKTOP | PALM INSTALL TOOL and run the installation program. Click on the ADD button. Select dbSetup.prc from the directory, then click on DONE and click on OK. Then hotsync to transfer the program to your Palm Organizer. Tap on dbSetup in the main application screen and tap on the INSTALL NOW button to install the icons and timezones (if you don't want one of them, just uncheck the checkbox). After you do this, you can then remove the dbSetup program from your organizer as it is no longer needed.

Make sure that you do NOT delete the two memo pad records that dbsetup creates: DateBk3 and WORLD TIMEZONES as these two memos ARE used by DateBk6 for its data file to implement these two functions. Note that for compatibility with DateBk3, the memopad record is STILL called DATEBK3.

For the color icons, just install the file icons-DateBk6.prc or any other color icon collection that is listed as compatible with DateBk6.

I'm using a UNIX desktop to sync my PalmPilot, using pilot-link (or do not hotsync). But I don't seem to have a HotSyncName - how can I get one so I can register your software?

Follow these steps:

1. Set PalmPilot in HotSync cradle
2. invoke install-user program, specifying serial port and HotSyncUser name as argument, like:
   % install-user /dev/pilot HotSyncName
3. Tap HotSync button
4. Remove PalmPilot from the cradle and check registered HotSyncName, with menu: Options|Register Software in DateBk6.

Alternatively, you can download the freeware application: Palmname.prc (available at most Palm Software archives) and install it on your Palm and that will allow you to set a UserName. 

I registered DateBk6 but now for some reason it says it's unregistered and telling me the 45-day trial is over

This will only happen if the DateBk6DB preference database (which is where your registration code is stored) is deleted. To fix this problem, just re-enter your registration code from your original registration. If you no longer have a copy of that, send a request to Pimlico Software customer support and ask for it to be sent to you again.

DateBk6 runs great on my Palm Organizer, but I don't see the icons and combined ToDo views on the desktop

DateBk6 is a program for the Palm Organizer, not your desktop. DateBk6 is 100% compatible with any desktop program that synchronizes with the built-in  Datebook application so you will see all your data normally on the desktop, but you won't see some of DateBk6 special features, such as icons, time-zones and categories (although categories are now supported by PocketMirror and DesktopToGo with MS Outlook and GroupSync also supports categories as well).

Where can I get the manual/documentation on DateBk6?

There is a 125+ page manual on DateBk6 that you can download/print/read from:

http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/DateBk6-v60a-manual.zip

This file is in PDF format (stored in the zip achive)  and can be read with Adobe Acrobat Reader - a free application available from www.adobe.com and in wide use by many software companies for their electronic documentation. Chances are that you already have a copy of Acrobat reader on your desktop.

How do I make the Datebook button bring up DateBk6 instead of the regular Datebook application?

A dialog appears when you first run DateBk6 (or whenever it has to rebuild the preference database) asking you if you want DateBk6 to be the default datebook application and run when you tap the Datebook button. If you responded NO to that question initially, then as noted in the alert, you can simply go into the PREFS application (main screen with all the icons, tap on PREFS), tap on the popup list at top right to select BUTTONS and then select DateBk6 in the popup list next to the datebook button. This is a standard Palm OS function that allows you to have any button run any application (see also note, however, about DateBk6 using these buttons to open up split-screens). 

Can I put DateBk6 on an expansion card instead of main memory?

Yes. You can put DateBk6 on an external card, but not the much smaller DateBk6-resources which must always be in Ram. HOWEVER, there is a significant issue with alarms. The Palm OS does not send alarm notifications to applications stored on memory cards (Note: Handera's version of the Palm OS apparently addresses this issue). This means that if DateBk6 is not running, no alarm will sound. There are two ways to tackle this particular problem:

(1) Uncheck the box: DateBk6 Handles Alarms in the ALARMS tab of DateBk6's Main Preference panel (options | Preferences in any view). Alarms will then sound as they will be handled by the built-in datebook application. However, you will then lose the ability to put alarms on ToDo's, to use custom alarms (i.e. an alarm for a specific event) and DateBk6's snooze handling.

(2) Use a launcher which takes care of this particular problem by forwarding alarm notifications to applications stored on an expansion card. Pi-Direct is an example of a launcher that apparently has this capability.

You should also be aware that with an application stored on a memory card, no notifications will be sent to it. This means that it will not be able to receive beamed events, and will not respond to things like the global find, or time changes etc.

Also, you will not be able to have the Datebook button launch DateBk6 unless you use a third party launcher that has a "shortcut" function (a "shortcut" is a small stub in Ram that can be assigned to a button and then used to launch the actual application off the memory card).

NOTE: DateBk6-resources must always be installed in RAM as the Palm OS cannot find resources that are located in a file on an external memory card.

Compatibility Issues - Software

Will DateBk6 work with the Palm Desktop and other Desktop Software?

Yes. DateBk6 uses the IDENTICAL Databases to the built-in Todo and Datebook applications, so BY DEFINITION it is 100% compatible with any desktop or server application that properly synch's with the standard Datebook and Todo Databases in the Palm Organizer. The only known incompatibilities involve the optional use of categories in the datebook database in conjunction with the application JetPilot or the desktop app DayTimer2000. Categories are a STANDARD feature of ALL Palm OS database, regardless of whether the associated application chooses to make use of them or not. JetPilot does not use the Palm OS API to read the datebook database, but instead reads it in binary mode and then gets confused by the presence of categories which it is not expecting. If the program is revised to use the Palm OS API that problem will be eliminated. Some users of DayTimer2000 have reported a problem where it gets confused and ends up duplicating events. This may just be a common bug as is often seen with early versions of conduits (early versions of PocketMirror had the same problem), but appears to be specific to using categories. Some problems have been reported with CompanionLink although this appears to be due to a flaw in that conduit encountering some unusual, but perfectly legal entries in the Datebook database.

There are no other known issues at this time

There are advanced features in DateBk6, such as categories, timezones, alarms on ToDo's and appointments spanning midnight which are typically NOT supported on the desktop either because the desktop lacks that functionality, or because the conduit does not know how to map the functionality. We were pleased to see that both Chapura and DataViz have released versions of their conduits (Chapura: PocketMirror <V-2.0.2>, Desktop To Go V-2.501 <build 120>) which support DateBk6 categories with MS Outlook and hope to encourage other conduit writers to provide similar functionality. DateBk6 categories are also supported by GroupSync.

Is DateBk6 compatible with the newer PalmOne Devices?

Yes. There are no standard Palm OS devices which have any compatibility issues with DateBk.

The latest release of DateBk6 uses the proprietary calendar, memos and contacts databases in order to largely avoid the PalmOne DataManager patch software which is both very slow and unstable on these NVFS devices.

Note that the LifeDrive, TX, Treo-650, Treo-700 etc.x, like several other newer PalmOne devices has proprietary PIM apps and databases, not the standard PalmSource PIM apps and databases that have appeared on all other Palm OS devices since the inception of the Palm OS some nine years ago. DateBk6 is compatible with these new devices, but there are some very small issues relating to the different ways that PalmOne implements some things. For example, the proprietary tasks application has some functions that now parallel DateBk6, but they are implemented with PalmOne's proprietary databases, and PalmOne's conduits obviously do not provide compatibility with the standard PalmSource ToDo database which does not have those features. So the new features of repeats and alarms on Tasks in PalmOne's database will not "sync" with what DateBk6 uses, even though DateBk6 has always had similar features. So in those few instances, you may have to add that functionality within DateBk6 as well on the desktop. This will be a non-issue for the vast majority of Palm OS users.

Is DateBk6 compatible with language hacks for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hebrew.... etc.?

Yes with a few exceptions. The initial release does have some support for non-Roman languages and in particular you must check the option Display uses non-Roman Chars in the Preferences item of the Options menu in the second weekly view in DateBk6 to ensure that character strings are output as a single unit as there are optimizations for Roman characters that interfere with the special hacks that display non-Roman characters. There are also a few minor usability issues regarding accented and non-Roman characters in searching through the addressbook database. Further support will be forthcoming in subsequent maintenance releases. DateBk6's use of color in the day view is NOT necessarily compatible with right-to-left reading language hacks that force right-alignment on all text in Palm OS fields and tables, although Hebrew is now supported in this area. There is a preference option in the Advanced Settings dialog (bring up the menu while in the DateBk6 preference panel to get to this dialog) to declare that the text reads right-to-left for right-to-left reading languages. This issue may also be addressed in a subsequent maintenance release.

Can DateBk6 read the Franklin Covey Task List instead of the regular ToDo's?

No. The Franklin Covey Task List is stored in a proprietary database, the format of which has not been published (to the best of my knowledge). It is not clear that reverse-engineering of their database format would be permitted and even if it were, it would require a completely separate version of DateBk6 to manage it.

Note that DateBk6 now supports an Urgency field which allows you to implement a Franklin Covey style of matrix of priorities and urgencies. Note that this is not intended to perfectly implement the FC system, because the desktop only displays priorities, so the urgency field is used to handle the A/B/C/D designations, but it will definitely help those users trying to more closely copy that style of managing tasks.

Why don't I see alarms and repeats on tasks from Outlook (or links from Outlook)?

Because these items are NOT synchronized from the Outlook database to the Palm database. DateBk6 merely uses whatever data is present in the Datebook and ToDo database. Since the native database has no method of storing alarm or repeat information on ToDo's (and no linking information in the Appt database), you will not see this information in DateBk6. If you set this information in DateBk6, it will make the round-trip through Outlook without losing anything, however. With newer PalmOne devices, the outlook information does get synched to the proprietary Tasks database, but not the standard Palm OS ToDo database which DateBk6 uses. 

How can I extract journals if I have a MAC?

DateBk user Jan Erik Moström has written a program that will extract the journals on a MAC running either the Palm Desktop or Now Up-To-Date. Information on this is available at: http://www.mostrom.pp.se/info/palm/scripts/scr0001.html. Update: it appears that this link is no longer valid - if anyone know where this information moved to, email Pimlico about it

I don't see any birthdays entered from the contacts database on a newer PalmOne device

First, go into the BIRTHDAY SETTINGS panel of the main preferences (Options | Preferences) and tap the REBUILD DB button to rebuild the birthday database. If you normally hide most contacts categories, but still want to see birthdays on contacts in hidden categories, go into More Adv. Settings and check the box to always display contact's birthdays.

Does DateBk6 works with Luach, LapTopHack, Select Day Hack or other Date Picker hacks?

Yes, but you need to set a preference option to use the standard OS Date Picker rather than the enhanced date picker now built-in DateBk6. Go to the Date/Time tab of the main preferences panel and tap on the popup list underneath the Custom pushbutton which normally reads: DateBk6 all days and change it to read OS Date Dialog and your hacks will now work as designed.

Compatibility Issues - Hardware & Devices

Unless otherwise noted here, there are no compatibility issues to report. In general, all standard Palm OS functionality is always available. Proprietary features on devices are less likely to be supported, although this also depends on the popularity of the device and the efforts required to support them.

Vibrating/flashing alarms supported on OS4/5 devices

DateBk6 handles the Vibrating and Flashing Alarms itself in conjunction with the standard alarm manager, and not with the new Attention Manager of V-4.0 (which is incompatible with all Prior OS releases). Since it is not possible to support both the Alarm Manager and the Attention manager at the same time (there is not enough space in the first 64k segment), at this time, only the Alarm Manager is used and DateBk6 operates the Flashing LED and vibrating alarms at the same time the normal audible alarms would be generated. So don't expect the operation of DateBk6 to be identical to the manner in which the built-in datebook application handles alarms under OS 4.0. In particular, the option to handle vibrating/flashing alarms is in DateBk6's Alarm Preferences  - the system preference setting is ignored (this allows these alarm settings to be included in saved views and easily turned on and off).

Tungsten T5 and Treo650 Devices

If you are upgrading from a prior device, and following the upgrade procedure in PalmOne's documentation, note that it is IMPERATIVE that you rename the Backup Folder before attempting to synchronize with an existing profile (this information was omitted from some versions of PalmOne's directions that I have seen!).

If you had previously installed an older version of DateBk5 prior to V-5.4, p5, you may find that the Phone button gets "hijacked" by DateBk5 with no obvious way to reset it. If this happens, download the latest DateBk6 release (see right-hand sidebar on DateBk6 web page: http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/DateBk6.htm) and run the applet resetphonebutton.prc (in the AdvancedStuff.zip archive that is in the main DateBk6....zip download) to re-assign the phone function to that button.

If you have a problem synching the calendar and other PIM databases on a Verizon Treo-650, the problem is that with Verizon's 'Wireless Sync' app, you have to make sure that under connection settings - advanced - that 'enable other sync apps' is checked.

Tungsten T3, TE and other similar devices: issues with their proprietary PIM databases

PalmOne has released an updated DataManager patch for the Tungsten E and T3 and the Zire-72 and Zire-31 and it is strongly recommended that you download and install this patch to improve the reliability of your device (in particular, it fixes the serious bug of getting stuck in endless Dmwrite Error loops): http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/pim_update.html. THere is a similar fix for the T5: http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/tungstent5/tungstent5update.html

T3 or E crashing on Global Find? This is a known bug in DocumentsToGo - go to DataViz and download a later version with the fix.

ToDo's crossed-off in DateBk6 not crossed off on desktop? The conduits that are shipped on your installation CD are defective. You need to replace them right away by downloading the latest version of the Palm desktop (V-4.1.4) from the PalmOne website. This will correct the problem of crossing off ToDo's failing to get crossed-off on the desktop.

If you use Journaler.exe, you will need to export the calendar file in the Palm desktop into a Datebook Archive type file (*.dba) for Journaler to be able to read it (be sure to export as a Datebook archive and NOT a calendar archive!).

The new V-5.4a release of DateBk6 (see DateBk6 web page) will run much faster and more reliably on the newer PalmOne devices (Tungsten T3, E, T5, Zire-72, 31, Treo650), so you will likely want to install this new release.

High resolution (320x320 & 320x480) screens on new Palm OS devices (including Tungsten T3)

DateBk6 supports small and tiny fonts on 320x320 screens on both Palm OS 5.0 and OS 4.0 devices which support hi-rez screens (Clie, TungstenW). On OS4 Clie devices, small/tiny fonts are not available in the day view because the Clie does not support the use of these fonts in editable fields. 

There is full support for the collapsible graffiti area on the Garmin iQue-3600, ALL Clie devices OS4, OS5 and in addition, landscape mode on UX-50/UX-50, portrait and landscape mode on the T3 and TapWave. Collapsible graffiti on Handera is not currently supported and there are no plans at this time to support it.

Garmin iQue3600 GPS enabled Palm device

There is no support for the GPS location feature, but if you set the Launch APP feature on the NEW button with a creator ID that matches the built-in proprietary calendar application (date), then you can just tap the NEW button and select Launch APP. to pick up the Identical record in the built-in calendar application at which point you can then tap on the GPS location information.

Alphasmart Dana

There is no wide-screen support at this time for the Alphasmart Dana as it uses a proprietary screen model similar to the discontinued Handera 330.

Kyocera 7135 Palm Phone

The only known issues are as follows: if an alarm goes off while a call is in progress, the phone can crash. This appears to be an issue only with early firmware releases of the phone as it does not appear to happen on currently shipping phones. The custom alarm sounds on the 7135 using mp3's are not supported at this time by DateBk6. Dialing is not supported directly from DateBk6, although the latest step release of DateBk6 (http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/DateBk6-v54a-s5.zip) supports the third party application TAKEphONE which provides for dialing from the Address Details screen. Vibration is implemented with undocumented, proprietary routines and not the standard Palm OS API's (which are available in that version of the OS), so vibration is not available through DateBk6 (but can be made available by disabling DateBk6's alarm handling - ALARMS tab of the main DateBk6 Preference panel (Options | Preferences in any view).

Samsung SPH-I300/I330 Palm Phone?

DateBk6 has native support for dialing the Samsung phone from within DateBk6 dialogs. There is no support for the 160x240 screen.

Handspring TREO?

There is an issue with the placement of the Datebook+ button which, unlike most other Palm OS devices, has its default position now on the Second button. In the main preferences panel in DateBk6, tap on the VIEWS tab and change the entry in the popup list to the right of the DATE button to read 2 (for the 2nd button) rather than the normal 1. You can then define which of the other 3 hardware buttons (if any) are to be used for opening up split-screens.

The TREO 600's vibrating alarm feature is NOT Palm OS compatible and but IS nonetheless nicely supported by DateBk6 (including the ability to specify the number of times it vibrates). DateBk6 also supports vibrating and flashing LED alarms on any OS 4.0 and later device where the support is provided by the Palm OS.

DateBk6 fixes the problem with floating events (completed floating events could get moved to today's date if the built-in Datebook app was run), duplicate alarms, and also permits the use of digits in the time selection dialog without setting numeric mode.

You will definitely want to use the very latest release of DateBk6 with a Treo-600 as extensive support has been added for the one-hand navigation feature on that device.

Handera 330?

DateBk6 makes use of the high resolution fonts in the second weekly view (starting with V-4.0e). If you are seeing strange drawing problems, make sure that you have the SYSTEM PREFERENCES set for SCALE TO FIT mode, as if you use the top left/center options, the screen may not draw properly in certain circumstances (viz. alarms). The high resolution font is optionally enabled in the second weekly view with the 'Cond./Alt. Font' option in the PREFERENCES dialog of that view. When checked, DateBk6 will use the high resolution font to display seven lines per day in the weekly view and three lines per day in the two-weekly view. But there are a few cosmetic display issues due to the non-integral scaling (1.5x) on that device. DateBk6's icons and some other bitmaps, plus vector-drawn items are a bit distorted by non-integral scaling. However, this does not affect the performance of the program and is largely a cosmetic issue. At this time, there are no plans to support the resizable graffiti area as that would require extensive code changes.

DateBk6 also has extensive support for the Jog Wheel (much more than in Handera's own modified, standard DateBook application).

There are two known flaws/anomalies in the Handera Palm OS: the last few items on the OPTIONS menu in DateBk6 are not immediately accessible (the menu just closes up without selecting an item). To access those items, tap on a menu item HIGHER up in the options menu and SLIDE the stylus down to select an item. Handera has already fixed this problem and the fix will be present in the next OS release. There is also a problem with the buttons on the bottom row sometimes getting overwritten by items in the Day View table. This is also a bug in the Handera OS and their latest OS release fixes most (but apparently not all) of these issues.

Handspring Visor Edge

Handspring's flashing LED alarm feature is NOT Palm OS compatible and requires proprietary code to support it, so it is not supported at this time by DateBk6. 

Kyocera QCP-6035 Palm Phone

There are a few anomalies that have been reported due to some conditions that only occur on Kyocera's implementation of the Palm OS:  there appears to be some issue with alarms that I'm waiting for more information/confirmation on (alarm does not go off if flap is closed? - apparently there is some custom hook in Kyocera's datebook app to handle this? Finally, the problem of the DateBook button not properly cycling through the views occurs in the regular datebook application as well and is a bug confirmed by Kyocera tech support. Some Kyocera users are reporting problems with erratic digitizers - this would not be a DateBk6 problem.

Jog Dial on the Sony Clie/Navigator on Tungsten with DateBk6

DateBk6 has extensive support for the Jog Dial and Navigator buttons. You can select items in the day and list views and pop up notes, links, details on the item, select days in the month, 4-month and yearly view and popup the list of items on that day, etc.

Why don't I see PCM sounds on OS5 Clie devices?

DateBk6 supported PCM sounds on OS4 Clie devices, but when OS5 was released, Sony removed their PCM sound library and provided developers with no information on how they were now handling PCM sounds. In early May, 2003, (under pressure from developers it would appear!), Sony then released some documentation on how to drive the Yamaha sound chip. However, this is a completely new and rather low level API for handling these sounds which will require a fair amount of work in DateBk6 to support. In general, I do not include large amounts of code to support proprietary features on Palm OS devices when the OS itself has more than adequate support using standard Palm API's that work on multiple Palm devices. I may make an exception in this case due to the popularity of Clie devices, but any support will not appear until after the next release of DateBk6.

Upgrades, Other Versions, Future Releases

Can I be a beta tester for future releases of DateBk6?

Yes. you can  sign up for the DateBk6 Beta mailing list. You will then be notified about the beta test. The only requirement to be a beta tester is that you be a registered user of DateBk6. 

Are there versions of DateBk6 in languages other than English?

Yes. When those languages become available, there will be links to those versions from the DateBk6 web page (go to http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/DateBk6.htm and see the top right). Languages other than English will appear approximately 2-3 months after the English version is first posted, but after that, all languages should appear concurrently on all updates.

DateBk6 has suddenly become unregistered and says the trial period is over, why?

There are two possibilities here:

1. Your registration code is no longer in your DateBk6db preference database - most likely because this database was deleted or not restored after a backup. If DateBk6 finds this database missing, it automatically regenerates it, but without your registration. If this is the case, just re-enter your registration code into the REGISTER SOFTWARE dialog of the OPTIONS menu in any view.
   

2. You have changed your HotSyncUser name. Your registration code is specifically tied to your HotSyncUser name, so if you change it, you will need to get a new registration code.  You can request a new code from Pimlico Software by sending an email to Pimlico Software Customer Support with your old user name and your new user name (include as much information as possible for fastest processing - including your original order # will always speed up the process). Another simple solution is to just reset your HotSyncName back to its original value:

The following procedure will allow you to change your HotSync Name without affecting anything you have installed on your Palm Organizer:

1. Run the Palm Desktop application
2. Select USERS from the TOOLS menu
3. Tap on your HotSyncID in the list to select it
4. Tap the RENAME button.
5. Type in your new/correct HotSyncID now very carefully
6. Tap OK to return to the USERS Dialog
7. Tap OK to exit out of the USERS Dialog
8. Exit out of the Palm Desktop Application
9. Do a regular HotSync - this will copy your corrected name down to your Palm Organizer.

You will now be able to insert your original registration code.

Note:: on a MAC, you will need to make this name change in the HotSync application itself rather than the Palm Desktop Application, but the steps will be similar to the one's above!

Note: Changing the user name does have some consequences if you're a user of Pocket Mirror though - nothing syncs afterwards. As it turns out, there's a Note folder added to Outlook called Pocket Mirror. The note contains the user name as it was originally set up in the Pilot. Deleting the note and then having Outlook overwrite the Pilot fixes things. There's a note about it at the Chapura web site. 

All my preference settings from DateBk3/4/5 seem to be lost when I upgraded, why?

DateBk6 is a completely separate program from DateBk3/4/5 and has its own set of preference settings which are not compatible with DateBk3/4/5. In the same way that DateBk3/4/5 maintains separate preference settings from the built-in datebook application, DateBk6 maintains separate settings from DateBk3/4/5. So you will need to re-enter all your preference settings including information in Category profiles (such as icons, show/hide etc.). 

What do upgrades cost and is the upgrade to DateBk6 free?

DateBk6 is priced at $27.95 with an upgrade price of $12.95 for existing, registered DateBk3/4/5 users and $20 for existing, registered weekview users. DateBk6 may be a free upgrade for registered DateBk4/5 users who registered AFTER 12/31/2004. Not all major upgrades are guaranteed to be free. However, in those cases where there is an upgrade cost, there may be, for a limited time following the release, a free, automated upgrade system which you will be able to use IF you can provide the specific information in the Pimlico registration database (check with the Pimlico Home page to see if such an arrangement is still available). Note that neither Handspring's Datebook+ application (present on all Handspring devices) nor the built-in datebook application (present on ALL Palm devices) qualify for any special upgrade pricing. Special upgrade pricing is specifically for users who had previously purchased Pimlico Software products.

How do I get on the notification list - I haven't been notified of some releases?

If you are a registered user of DateBk6, you will not be notified of releases unless you specifically sign up for the DateBk6 mailing list. You can do that from the DateBk6 Support Page. This is a user-managed list - so you can change your email address, or remove your name whenever you want. I intend to do a one-time mailing to all registered DateBk6 users reminding them of this fact as this is a change from past policy. With the ever-increasing amount of unwanted email, I prefer to have an opt-in mailing list rather than send out hundreds of thousands of notifications, many of which may not be appreciated for whatever reason.

Problems, Bugs, Odd things

My screen has split with Addresses showing (or memos or ToDo's) - how do I close it?

If your calendar now shows your addressbook or memos in split or full screen and you don't know how to get rid of it, tap the down arrow at top left and select Close Split Screen.

My alarms are erratic - sometimes they go off, sometimes they don't or DateBk6 crashes shortly after displaying an alarm, why?

Most likely this is a problem with a hack. The problem can be due to a bug in a hack, a hack that consumes too much stack space, or some other unspecified interaction problem which may not necessarily be a flaw in the hack itself, but rather just an irresolvable, incompatibility problem. To see if this is the problem, do a WARM RESET (hold the up button while poking Reset). This prevents the Reset message from going out to all loaded applications (in particular, Hackmaster will not see the reset and will therefore not reload all the hacks). Run for a while to see if the alarms are now running reliably - they probably will be. Add your hacks back in one by one until you find the culprit. Any alarm that plays around with the timer or the clock is a likely candidate for causing the problem.

There is also a serious bug in all versions of the Palm OS relating to alarms: under low memory conditions, the application underneath the alarm dialog may be told to redraw its screen but without access to all that application's memory and that can easily crash the application below. There is no workaround for this problem and no available solutions at this time.

Try doing a hard reset and only installing DateBk6 and re-testing to be sure alarms are working properly. Then install all the remaining applications. Installing DateBk6 first sometimes seems to "fix" this problem.

I have a Verizon Treo-650 and it won't sync the calendar

The problem lies with Verizon's 'Wireless Sync' app. You have to make sure that under connection settings - advanced - that 'enable other sync apps' is checked. Then it works fine.

USA has changed DST rules for 2007 - what do I need to do if I'm using TimeZones?

All you need to do is edit the WORLD TIMEZONES memopad record that has all the timezone information including the rules for handling Daylight Savings in different parts of the world. The default data in that record uses rule 'A' for the USA and for 2007 it should be defined as:

.A 2103 1111 US Std. - for 2007                  (old value was: .A 1104 L110 US Std.)

2103: The '2' says the "second" day of the week, the '1' indicates Sunday, and 03 indicates the month of March. 1111: The '1' says the 'first' day of the weeks, the '1' indicates a Sunday, and 11 indicates the month of November. So DST runs from the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday in November for 2007.

You can also just download the current release of DateBk5/6 and unzip the dbSetup.prc (dbSetup6 for DateBk6) file and run that to re-install the World Timezones database as that now includes the correct information for 2007.

The conduit software is hanging or crashing when it reaches the Calendar Database (PalmOne devices only)

There is a known bug in all PalmOne devices that feature the proprietary PIM databases rather than the traditional PalmOS PIM databases. PalmOne has a huge patch to the Palm OS (The DataManager Patch) which attempts to provide compatibility with the traditional Palm OS PIM databases, but this patch has stability issues and several known flaws. One of these flaws is that certain types of events in the PIM databases can cause the DM patch software to hang up the conduit. To fix this problem, either set the conduit so the desktop overwrites the handheld, or, if you cannot afford to lose the latest events on the handheld, consider purchasing the very latest version of DbFixIt (http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/dbfixit.htm), as it can fix and repair the database for you. DbFixIt is a very useful utility that can also remove duplicate entries in the PIM databases, etc.

Treo-650/700 is unexpectedly turning itself on

First, if this happens right around the end of the year, it may be the problem with alarms set on birthday contacts - this is not a Datebk issue - it is covered in Palm's FAQ's and is a problem they have yet to resolve in their devices.

A second cause is if the Treo is powered on, and you have ENABLE NETWORK TIME checked, and you are in a marginal service area where the device is trying to connect to the digital network rather than roam. When this happens, the device will broadcast a date/time change to all apps whenever it manages to momentarily connect to the digital network. However, to avoid duplicate alarms from the built-in calendar application, DateBk6 has to turn on to squash alarms set by the built-in application and this is what can cause the device to power back on.

If you run into this problem regularly, your best bet is to go into the More Adv. Settings panel of the main preference panel (options | Preferences in any view) and check the box: AVOID SUPPRESSING DUP. ALARMS as this will prevent DateBk from turning on to squash any alarms set by the built-in calendar application. Checking this box may result in more duplicate alarms, but that may be a less desirable side effect of this Treo flaw than having the device unexpectedly turning on.

I'm getting duplicated Alarms, why?

After a hotsync or reset, the built-in datebook application is run by the palm OS to reset its alarms. Normally this is not a problem as DateBk6 will override the Datebook alarms. However, if the next alarm was entered on the desktop, the datebook application will sound its alarm and DateBk6 will not be aware that this has happened. To avoid duplicate alarms, just make sure that you run DateBk6 immediately after you do a hotsync.

If you have a Handspring Visor, you may be getting duplicated alarms from the Datebook+ application as versions of DateBk6 prior to V-4.0d did not know about that application. If you are have a Visor Deluxe or other Visor running OS 3.1H, you can solve this problem easily by installing the Dtbkplusstub.prc application in the DateBk6.zip archive and that will completely silence the DateBook+ application. Do not install this stub with Visors running OS 3.5 or later (Prism, Platinum, Edge, etc.) as it will have no effect.

If you have a Tungsten E or T3, you may be getting a duplicate alarm from the proprietary Calendar application on that device which earlier versions of DateBk6 are not aware of. In that case you will need to download the very latest version of DateBk6 (consult right-hand sidebar on DateBk6 web page for latest release).

There is also a small applet called dbAlarm which will automatically silence the alarms in the built-in datebook applications. However, it is important not to blindly delete this application with the Palm launcher as in order to work it must have the SAME creatorID as the built-in datebook application which means that the Palm launcher would also remove your built-in datebook with all your calendar data. There is no problem using this applet provided that you read the READ-ME-FIRST... file for the directions on how to uninstall the applet (should you ever need to do that).

On a Clie, I get this message: DateDB.c, Line:2537, An earlier alarm was found in skipped records

This is a known bug in the Intellisync Lite conduit. If you run dbFixIt, you will typically see that there are records out of order because the conduit did not put them in the correct chronological order.

There are two solutions you can use here:

(1) Replace Intellisync Lite with Chapura's PocketMirror - a more robust and mature conduit that does not have these kinds of elementary bugs.

or,if you wish to continue using Intellisync Lite...

(2) Go into the APPTS tab of the main preference Panel in DateBk6 (Options | Preferences in any view) and check the SORT DATABASES option. This option is only in DateBk6 for one reason - to RE-SORT the database after a hotsync in  order to correct bugs in faulty conduits. Most likely if you do that, it will sidestep this problem. But it will also mean that it will take several  seconds longer for DateBk6 to first run after a hotsync.

My Clie is crashing in the Today view with an "unimplemented" or 'Transparency" problem?

OS/4 Clie's and Some OS/5 Clie's did not properly implement the full Palm OS graphics routines. If you see this problem, check the Force 8-bit Color Mode option in Advanced Settings (Options | Preferences in any view), and also use None for the background in the Today view. You can get into the Today View's options from the Options menu in the main preference panel (i.e. from some OTHER view if the Today view is crashing). If you set the Today view as the startup view before realizing this problem (so it crashes constantly on startup), either Delete the DateBk6DB preference database, or set an alarm in the built-in calendar application to go off in a few minutes and do a soft reset. DateBk6's alarm dialog will appear at which point you can tap the EDIT button to end up in the Day View and then go into Options | Preferences to get to the Today VIew's preference settings to fix them.

I get a DmWrite error constantly and cannot use DateBk6 (Newer PalmOne devices only)

All these types of DmWrite errors come from the PalmOne DataManager Patch which always sits underneath any application that accesses the standard PIM databases. They HAVE fixed some of the causes of this bug in the DataManager patch that ships on the new Zire-72 and 31, so they certainly know aboutit! A fixed DataManager patch for the Tungsten/E and T3 has now just been released: http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/pim_update.html. Installing this is highly recommended for all Tungsten E and T3 users!

The precise problem: the PalmOne code crashes if there are any deleted, but not archived, records in the classic PIM databases. A feature has been added to the DbFixIt utility to go through all four PIM databases and remove all deleted records, and then their code does not crash.

You will DEFINITELY want to be using the latest release of DateBk6 (go to http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/DateBk6.htm to see what the latest version is).

This version works around several other serious bugs in this device (DataManager patch causes autoshutoff to fail in some cases, items do not synchronize properly to the desktop, screen redraw issues, etc.). It also supports the portrait and landscape modes of this device.

Download DbFixIt and run it and select the checkbox: Remove Deleted Recs, and tap the EasyCk button and most likely the DmWrite errors will go away. If you STILL have a problem, you may need to delete the DatebookDB or CalendarDB-PDat database (using a third party file utility like FileZ) on your handheld and set the conduit so the desktop overwrites the handheld. You can download FileZ from: http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/filez.prc

There is still an issue that crossing off ToDo's in DateBk6 sometimes does not synchronize to Outlook, but PalmOne has released their new V-4.1.4 desktop where they have FINALLY fixed that bug as well, so you may want to download that right away as it also fixes several other bugs as well.

If you use ANY backup program, be aware that none of them were compatible with the proprietary databases on these devices and specifically cause the DmWrite Errors that you were seeing when attempting to restore the databases. Even if the errors do not occur, the clash between the proprietary and regular databases can result in lost data, etc. So be SURE to update to the very latest version of any such backup program (Backupman, BackupBuddy, etc.).
 

The Status bar is acting sluggishly and erratic on a Tungsten T5/Tx/LifeDrive (etc.)

This is a known bug on these devices relating to mismanagement of NVFS memory in conjunction with having a lot of resources open. Go into Advanced Settings and check the box to Force 8-bit Color Mode. You will lose the fancy gradient backgrounds in the Today view, but at least the device will operate properly. All indications are that Palm is probably not going to fix this bug anytime in the near future.

My ToDo/Addr/Memo buttons no longer run those apps while DateBk6 is running - why?

This is covered in a preference option in the PREFERENCES dialog that you reach through the VIEWS tab of the main preference panel (in the popup list for each button assign a number from 1-4 to designate which physical button you want to use, or a hyphen if you want to ignore it). Note, however, that if you leave DateBk6 in control of those buttons, you can STILL access the original application assigned to that button by simply pressing the button twice, quickly (you can also adjust the time between key presses to do this by a preference option at the bottom of the dialog). But if you uncheck this preference option, you can still open the windows by tapping on the split-screen menu icon and selecting the database you want to open.

The Datebook button does not cycle through the views as documented - why?

There are four possibilities here: (1) you do not have the BUTTON USES preference option (PREFERENCES, Day View) set to cycle through the views (highlight all views you want to cycle between, or (2) you are using AppHack and have not programmed all the secondary key presses to also invoke DateBk6, or (3) you did not enable the use of the Datebook button (VIEWS tab of main preference panel, make sure the right number is in popup list next to date - normally '1' if the Datebook button is the left-most button, but it would be '2' on a Treo, or '3' on a Sony UX-40/50 etc.), or (4) you have a Tungsten or other OS5 device and are not using V-5.1b.

Why does the monthly view not show untimed events?

It does - but you have to set the preference item in the monthly view to display them - just like the regular datebook application. DateBk6 now defaults all these settings to on.

Why does the monthly view not show icons associated with categories or timezones?

It does - but you have to set the preference item in the monthly view to display them. Go to VIEW DISPLAY OPTIONS (in the OPTIONS menu) and check the box: Show category/timezone icons

How do I get standard holdays into my calendar?

There are many hundreds of calendar collections for the Palm OS available throughout the internet that you can download and install (since DateBk6 uses the same database as the built-in calendar application, any such collection that works with a standard Palm OS device will by definition work fine with DateBk6. If you use MS Outlook, that program already has a feature to import standard holidays. A typical freeware collection of US holidays can be downloaded by clicking here.

I keep on getting the same icon on all my appointments (or ToDo's) even though I don't assign one?!

This means that you have assigned a default icon to either your default creation category or timezone. First go into the OPTIONS menu and tap on Appt Categories (Show/Hide Category in earlier versions of DateBk6) and then see if that icon appears to the left of UNFILED (or if you use categories, your default creation category). If there is nothing there, go to the ZONES tab in the main preference panel and tap on Current  Zone and see if you have any icon attached to a timezone. When you find the icon in either case, tap on it to bring up the ICON dialog and then tap the REMOVE button to remove it.

I am having difficulty with hi-rez icons (no display in small/tiny mode, not changing, crashing, etc.)

First, high-density icons are only supported on V-5.1a or later. If you have V-5.0b, you will have to upgrade to use high-density icons.

An icon is *NOT* just a single bitmap. It is a collection of bitmaps which may have one or more bitmaps. Typically when using hi-rez icons, you may also have LOW-REZ versions of the icon in that same bitmap collection (you can access these individually in IconMgr with the popup list on the top line).

In small/Tiny mode, DateBk6 draws a half-size icon by one of two different techniques. If there is a low-rez version of the bitmap for that icon, then that bitmap is used for the display. If there is no low-rez version available, AND if you have an OS5 device, then DateBk6 will automatically rescale the hi-rez icon to half-size for display. On an OS4 device, nothing will display if there is no low-rez bitmap. If you have an OS4 device and see no icons in small/tiny mode, this is because you have no low-rez versions of your icons - those you will have to create.

If the issue is that you have changed your high-density icons but it appears the same in small/tiny mode, the reason the icon did not change is that your change was only made to the hi-rez version and not the low-rez version. If you have an OS5 device, you can choose to simply delete all the low-rez versions and just have DateBk6 automatically construct the low-rez version from the hi-rez version (obviously the automatic construction will not be as good as a hand-tuned low-rez icon). Or, and you will have to do this on an OS4 device, you can edit BOTH the hi-rez and the low-rez versions of the icon.

I have timezones installed but the system clock did not change when Daylight Savings changed?

The timezone feature does not automatically change the system clock when Daylight Savings Time changes. There are hacks that will do that if you need it, or you can just set two yearly alarms to remind you of that change. The new V-4.0 Palm OS now supports timezones and future versions of DateBk6 will take the timezone information from the Palm OS so it will be up to the Palm OS to handle this (which is where it should be handled anyway).

Why are time bars being displayed in the day view even though the option to display them is unchecked?

That is intentional. Time bars are ALWAYS shown if there is an overlap of events on that day, even though the preference option is unchecked.

Why does the week number always display as 0 or display the wrong number?

Either you picked a custom week number and failed to update it for the current year, or you inadvertently switched from Palm Std.# to the Custom week number. Go into the main preference panel (Options | Preferences in any DateBk6 view) and select the Date/Time Tab. Then select Palm Std. or toggle Custom and specify the starting week for the current year and for the next year. Palm Std. matches the built-in datebook application, but may not necessarily match the week number that you wish to use (which is why there is that custom option).

Why does the day in the weekly and monthly views flash rapidly and then slow down (or stop blinking altogether)?

Because it is supposed to! By blinking rapidly, it gains your attention. However, it is visually disturbing to have it continue to blink at that rate, so after one second it slows down to a gentle blink rate. If you don't like that, you can double-tap the graffiti area (as if you were writing a period) and that will toggle the display between blinking the date and just reverse-highlighting it). There is also a preference item in the VIEWS tab of the main preference panel.

Aaargh!! - ALL my appointments have DISAPPEARED (or only appear when I tap the screen)!! What happened?!?

This crops up quite frequently. Chances are that you have selected a single category for display and forgotten about it, so all the "hidden" appointments are just in a category that is not currently set for display. Pick Appt Categories  in the OPTIONS menu and then tap on the ALL button. All your appointments will now "magically" re-appear! Also, if a new year has just started, remember to look in the correct year (!)

If you have just upgraded to DateBk6 from an earlier version of DateBk4/5 it is possible that the preference item that selects the history database has inadvertently got set. This is very obvious as the day view will show the legend OLD on what is normally the NEW button. If this is the case, tap on SELECT DATABASE in the MISC menu and then tap on CURRENT to display the normal database. If you are using saved views, you may need to call up each view, change this preference setting and then re-save it.

Aaargh!! - ALL my ToDo's have DISAPPEARED!! What's happened?!?

This also crops up quite frequently. If the ToDo's are visible in the regular ToDO application, then the only issue here is that you have overlooked a preference option for displaying them.

Go into the TODO tab in the main preference panel and make sure that the three checkboxes on the line that starts out Hide: are UNCHECKED. Then go into ToDo Categories in the Options menu to make sure that every ToDo category has the number '5' next to it - indicating that ALL priorities in the range 1-5 are to be displayed. You should now see all your ToDo's.

If you just upgraded from DateBk5, it's possible the new urgency field filter may be inadvertently set. Go into Options | ToDo Categories and tap on the button to the right of each category name, make sure [ALL] is selected for the urgency filter and then tap the OK button.

Finally, make sure that you are not hiding ALL ToDo's: go into VIEW DISPLAY OPTIONS in the OPTIONS menu of the Day View and look at the popup list at bottom right. If it says "Hide", change that to TOP or BOTTOM. That particular option can also be toggled quickly with Command/W or HIDE/SHOW TODO'S in the MISC menu.

Aaargh!! - Some of my preference settings keep on disappearing or changing!!!

Saved views will be the issue here. Almost EVERYONE who uses Saved Views fails to realize the full ramifications of having ALL the preference settings saved and restored when a view is invoked. This includes preference settings for OTHER views and global preference settings, and even the definitions of category names. Make sure that any time you make a permanent change to some preference settings that you update your saved views to include those changes.

All my past events are disappearing - only today's and future events appear. Why?

Most likely you have a Sony Clie and installed the Intellisync Lite conduit for Outlook. For some peculiar reason, this conduit often seems to install with the preferences set to ONLY sync future events. With this setting, any events prior to today will be purged. Just go into the preference settings in Intellisync Lite and make sure that it is set to sync ALL events in the Datebook database.

If events more than say a week or two weeks old are getting purged, then it may be because you have the Auto-Archive setting wrong in MS Outlook. Go into TOOLS menu| OPTIONS| OTHER tab | AUTOARCHIVE and make sure that it is not unexpectedly archiving all events more than some number of days old...

All my events have shifted by some number of hours in the database - what happened?

This is not a DateBk6 problem. The following Q&A is quoted verbatim from Palm Computing's own FAQ's on the Palm Organizer:

Question: I do some traveling and I usually change my laptop PC's regional time zone settings according to where I am. I have noticed, however, that whenever I change the time zone on my computer and I check my Date Book on Palm Desktop, several strange things might happen. The times and dates of some of my events will have been shifted strangely, some of my repeating events will have simply disappeared, and there are sometimes discrepancies between the events in the Date Book on my 3Com® connected organizer and the Date Book on Palm? Desktop. What is going on?

A: Changing the time zone in the Windows Regional Settings on the PC that you synchronize with is not recommended. Doing so can cause unexpected results with your Date Book and To Do List information on both your Palm Desktop software and the organizer that you synchronize with.

Changing the time zone in your Windows Regional Settings to its original setting (that you would normally use your organizer with) should reverse the adverse effects.

When traveling, it is recommended to change the time and date on your 3Com connected organizer to synchronize with your local time zone, and not the time zone in the Regional Settings for your Windows computer.

Note that DateBk6 has a feature now (Multiple menu in the list view) to change the date and time of all selected events by a fixed amount and you can use this to "fix" up these problems without having to individually modify the date/time of each event.

All my completed, floating events have moved to today's date - what happened?

This issue only occurs on Handspring devices or on Palm devices running a very old version of DateBk3. The problem is that you ran DateBook+ (or old DateBk3) after installing DateBk4/5 and when you do this, DateBook+ gets confused and thinks that completed floating events are in fact incomplete and moves them to today's date (so it is actually DateBk3 that moves them, not DateBk4/5). If you HIDE all your completed, floating events, there will be no problem, and that may well be a satisfactory solution for most people.

Unfortunately, Handspring also made a change to their 3.5 version of the OS that makes it technically impossible to mask or hide their built-in applications, so DtBkPlusStub (whichtook care of this problem nicely on OS 3.1H) will not work on an OS 3.5  Handspring device). The only solution right now is to make sure that DateBook+ is not run: (1) uncheck the Float Advance at Midnight checkbox in the Display Options dialog of the PREFERENCES dialog; (2) If you have a Handspring device OTHER than a TREO Communicator, set the default Datebook to DateBook and not Datebook+ (Options | Default Datebook in either application). Make sure the datebook button is set to run DateBk6 and not Datebook (Prefs | BUTTONS in popup list at top right, set DateBk4/5 from popup list next to Datebook button); (3) move the Datebook+ icon off into a separate category that you don't normally use (say, set up MAIN and move everything into it except Datebook+, and then set the option to remember the last category) - or use a third party launcher that will hide it completely; (4) If you use hacks and have hackmaster or Xmaster, install FindIgnoreHack as you can use this to prevent redundant searches of the built-in datebook and Datebook+ (which you might inadvertently tap on and thereby launch the application). . Also running Datebk4/5 after every hotsync will eliminate duplicate alarms.

There was a buggy version of the Entourage conduits released for the MAC that overwrote some bits in the Datebook database record headers that could cause this same problem (although in that case, it affected ALL events, not just floating events). These conduits were quickly pulled when I pointed out that this flaw would wreak havoc with all Handspring devices, and I assume they were subsequently replaced with corrected versions.

NOTE: This problem of Datebook+ moving floating events no longer occurs in later versions of DateBk5 or DateBk6.

Why do I get "Unnamed" entries the Addressbook database - or why does it not find entries when I use graffiti?

You have a bad preference setting. Go to the split tab of the main preferencepanel and then uncheck the box with the legend: Addr DB is sorted first/last. That option should only be selected when you are using a third-party addressbook replacement program that has the option to sort the database that way (the built-in addressbook does not have the option to do that).

I get an "Address Database does not exist" when trying to open up split-screen

This can occur on a newer PalmOne device such as the Tungsten T3, T5, E, Zire-72/31 or Treo-650 due to a bug in the PalmOne DataManager patch. It's trivial to fix - just do a soft reset and the DM Patch will then properly re-create the Addressbook database and populate it with all the same data present in the contacts database. If that fails to rectify the problem, you will need to do a hard reset as this would indicate the Palm OS is corrupt.

I can't enter upper case characters (newer PalmOne devices only - usually only in landscape mode)

This is a known bug in the Palm OS and is *not* a bug in DateBk. It has also been seen sporadically in DateBk's Location dialog as well. It only occurs on newer PalmOne devices - other devices that support extended screens and landscape mode do not exhibit this flaw.
 
DateBk has no control or knowledge of how characters are entered, ergo it cannot influence it in any way. It cannot tell if characters are entered via the on-screen keyboard, by graffiti, or by an external physical keyboard.

As to WHY it does this, it's hard to say but it appears that it's a bug in Palm's compatibility library that handles the DIA (Data Input Area). The built-in apps use a direct, undocumented access to the DIA, while all third party apps are forced to go through Palm's compatibility layer which attempts to make it conform with the standard Palm OS DIA interface. But there are bugs in their compatibility layer code and this is one of them.
 
If you start your character 2/3rds the way over in the cell, you will find it DOES work, so the Palm OS just gets confused in landscape mode as to where the divider line is. There is no way that DateBk6 can "fix" a bug in the Palm OS, so you'll have to live with this. After a while, you can get used to entering characters this way once you know it works! Unfortunately Palm probably won't fix it as they don't appear to look at the Palm OS as a platform that they have to support and typically only fix bugs that affect their own built-in apps. I and many other developers have been pleading with Palm to document the interface their own apps use so we can sidestep this buggy compatibility layer, but our pleas seem to just fall on deaf ears.
 
It's especially frustrating because Palm Tech Support of course will blame the third party apps for a compatibility issue. Sort of like officers in the field wearing bullet-proof clothing and then blaming the soldiers for dying when they're shot ;)

I can't sync the Datebook database - the desktop crashes on the Datebook conduit or does not sync at all

There is a known bug in the Palm Desktop for Windows that can cause corruption in the end date of repeat appointments. Such corrupted dates instantly crash the HotSync conduit (usually with a fault in the DATSCN.DLL module). If this happens and you have not yet overwritten the good version of your database on your Palm Organizer, you can trivially solve this problem by just setting the datebook conduit to overwrite the desktop and hotsync. If you have inadvertently destroyed the only good copy on your organizer, your best bet may be to try the Datebook Repair Tool offered by another party: http://oetiker.ch/dtbrc.cgi 

If  you are using some other desktop PIM and conduit software, download DbFixIt, install and run this application and see if it finds any errors in your organizer databases (you may have to disable the datebook/calendar conduit temporarily to get DbFixIt installed). After DbFixIt indicates the datebook/calendar database is clean, try having your Palm Organizer overwrite the desktop. If that does not correct the problem, you should contact the vendor of your conduit software and/or desktop PIM for further assistance.

If you have a Verizon Treo-650, the problem is that with Verizon's 'Wireless Sync' app, you have to make sure that under connection settings - advanced - that 'enable other sync apps' is checked.

I'm getting duplicated events on my Palm, why?

Duplication of events is always a conduit issue, as it is your conduit software that duplicating events, not DateBk6. Duplication of events is most common with third party conduits and desktop Software - there are virtually no reports of this ever happening with the standard Palm Windows software. First, contact the vendor of your conduit software and make sure you are using the very latest version as this problem is a common bug in early versions of conduit software. Second, you should be aware that if you set an alarm on an event in MS Outlook and acknowledge it, that will mark the event as having been modified. If that event is then touched in any way on your Palm organizer, it will then duplicate as the conduit will think it has been modified on both platforms since the last hotsync. Remember too that floating events get modified every day on your organizer as DateBk6 changes the start date of the event, so any modification to a floating event on the desktop is guaranteed to cause the conduit to duplicate the event. It is possible that more intelligent conduits in the future will address these particular type of problems. If you have a massive number of duplicated events, look for the program UnDupe, available on most shareware archives, which is designed to remove duplicate records.

Why is there funny stuff (like: ##@@@@@@@) in the Note Field:

This is normal if you look at an event on the desktop or in some other application. Information is encoded in the note field to track information for each event (Category, Icon, timezone, float/done, appt spanning midnight, etc.). It is hidden of course in DateBk6. See the appendices in the DateBk6 User Manual for technical  information on the tag formats. This is the ONLY way that DateBk6 can add functionality beyond that provided for in the Datebook database while still maintaining 100% compatibility with the Datebook database and all third party applications that use it. Links are also stored in the note field and will appear something like: [LINK A 1234,e4F3].

If you want to avoid seeing these tags, you will need to refrain from using those DateBk6 advanced features that cause the tags to be generated. The features that require the use of tags are: Custom fonts · custom alarms · custom colors · advances · timezones · categories · appts spanning midnight · floating events · icons · links.

How can I speed up the start of DateBk6?

On startup, DateBk6 has to scan the entire Todo database. Some people never clean up their todo database and may have hundreds of completed todo's that have never been archived. We suggest that you archive off the older todo's to keep your todo database smaller. If the Todo database has only 50 or todo's, for example, DateBk6 only takes about an extra 1/4er of a second to start up. Note that you can always selectively purge  Todo's that are older than a specified date. Second, run DateBk6 immediately after you do a hotsync, to get the SORTING message out of the way. Third, use the Floating Advance Time feature in OPTIONS | PREFERENCES | MORE button | DATE/TIME to trigger the scan during the early morning hours when you are asleep - that way you will NOT see it when you power on your Palm Handheld first thing in the day. Also, starting in split-screen mode with the addressbook open can take more time if you have an exceptionally large addressbook database.

Why is the Datebook database searched twice and is there anything you can do about it?

When you do a global find, the Palm OS runs every loaded application (including the built-in applications) to search their database. Since DateBk6 and Datebook point at the same database, the database is searched twice. You can prevent this behavior with the useful program FindIgnoreHack available at PalmGear (www.palmgear.com). This can also be used to prevent the ToDo application from searching the database as DateBk6 will search both the Datebook and ToDo databases.

I ran dbSetup to load the icons, but I don't see any, why?

The display of icons in DateBk6 views is typically a preference option. So tap on the menu button, tap on OPTIONS and then tap on VIEW DISPLAY OPTIONS and check the box for the display of icons in each view where you want to display icons.

I can't run DateBk6 because I get: Bad Icon String.  DATEBK3 memo record has syntax error in icon strings at #a

This just means that you inadvertently or intentionally modified the DATEBK3 record in your MemoPad database and have now corrupted the precise syntax required in that file. If you cannot quickly see what is wrong on the specified line, press the MEMO button and just DELETE that memo and you can then at least run DateBk6 (if you have difficulty doing that, just poke the reset button with a pin and then delete it). Then use the dbSetup.prc application that is in the ZIP archive (or download another copy of DateBk6 from http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/datebk6.htm which always has this file and run it to re-create the icon (and timezone if desired) memopad records.

I get: "An unexpected system problem has appeared" when running DateBk6

This indicates that the DateBk6Db preference database has been corrupted somehow (failed hotsync, partial deletion, accidental overwrite, etc.). To recover, just delete the DateBk6DB database from the main app screen with the icons and run DateBk6 to create a new default database. After doing that, you will need to re-enter your preferences into DateBk6 and also your registration (if you are registered user). 

How can I get a special event to show up first in the monthly icon view ahead of others?

Well in theory there is no way to do this, but in practice there is a clever trick: repeat events always appear BEFORE non-repeat events, so if you mark it as a repeat event, it will appear before untimed non-repeat events and floating events. How do you do this? By making it a daily repeat event that ends on the same day it starts. You can save this as a template to make it easier to insert in the future! Note that the current release of DateBk6 now supports the coloring of the day numbers in the month and 4-month views - just set a bold font on the item whose color you want to propagate to the day number.

Why am I having trouble getting to the day view by double-tapping a cell in the monthly view?

I am having trouble storing beamed events from the regular Datebook application- why?

Most likely, you have your insert pointer in an event. If you do that, DateBk6 is not able to close the Datebook Database and since the regular Datebook application will grab the beamed event, it is not able to store the event (and rather curiously does not even bother to put up an error dialog indicating the problem!). Just tap elsewhere on the screen so that no item is currently selected and the beamed events will be received normally.

Can I put the start and end times in different timezones - like for an airplane flight across time zones?

No - you can only associate one time zone with an event. For a flight across timezones (about the only place you would even ever use such a feature), you can either:

(a) put the start/end times in a single event and then change the zone to ALL TIME ZONES, so your airplane times are ALWAYS shown at the correct local time (probably the best solution), or.

(b) separate out the arrival from departure into two separate events and place them in their own respective zones.

Keep in mind the usefulness of the ALL TIME ZONES assignment when you are not interested in knowing the native time of an event. For an airplane, if you think about it a bit, you'll realize that you only ever want to know the local times (i.e. when do I need to get to the airport by, and when should someone arrive at the destination to meet me).

Why am I getting an INSUFFICIENT MEMORY error followed by a NULL HANDLE Error in DateBk6?

Most likely, you have a color icon file with more than 606 icons in it. The very first release of DateBk6 does not check for this condition and as a result of a flaw in the Palm OS, this crash can occur. The solution right now is to call up the icon file into dbIcon and then save it so it only has the first 255 icons. A maintenance release of DateBk6 to be posted shortly will include a check for this condition, and a subsequent maintenance release after that one will likely increase the limit on the number of icons.

How do I schedule an event that repeats on every other day of the second-to-last week of every month that has a new moon in the first two weeks of that month, (but not if there is a lunar eclipse in that month)?

In DateBk6 only, press the UP and Down Buttons simultaneously while stroking the Kanji character for the Moon in the 17th pixel row from the top of the repeat dialog, then press all four silkscreen buttons for 273 seconds and a dialog will open allowing you to enter this event (Be sure to check the box saying 'skip event if new moon coincides with lunar eclipse'). And time it carefully as if you hold the buttons down for more than 275 seconds it causes a hard reset and engages the normally unused stepup transformer that converts the 3v AAA output into 440V at 10 amps which can cause a bit of a surprise to the unsuspecting novice).

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