Problem with new Tungsten E Desktop 4.1.2 - anyone else?

[coffeesavant]

I purchased a Tungsten E this weekend and am pleased so far except for a problem with the new 4.1.2 Desktop software that comes with the unit. If you go into the Contacts edit screen, the fields are all squished together and overlapping, making it impossible to use. The 4.1.2 Desktop is necessary due to the enhancements made to the Contacts fields on the new Palm OS (version 5.2.1 I think?).

I did a clean uninstall of my old Desktop 4.1 (uninstall and delete Palm folder) and reinstalled the 4.1.2 again, but that did not help. I emailed Palm support and they suggested (canned response I am sure) a clean uninstall and reinstall, but also with some steps to edit the registry and search for other desktop files on the hard drive to delete before reinstalling, so I may try that tonight. This is on a PC running Win XP Home.

Anyone else have this problem or know of a fix?

- Rob

[Telyx]

I'm not having any such problem, but I'm running Win98 SE. I just installed the new Palm Desktop over the old one and everything works fine.

[coffeesavant]

Well, I found a workaround by setting my font display settings in Windows XP from large (120 dpi) back to normal (96 dpi). This fixes the display problem for editing contacts in Palm Desktop 4.1.2, but everything is a little small. I have a 17" monitor and run in 1024 x 768 resolution.

I hope to find another answer eventually, but for now I will try to get used to the smaller text. I'm only 31 years old but I'd like to keep from needing glasses as long as possible. :)

[corina]

I had this problem on the 4.1 software for quite a while (using a Vx) and also thought that it had to do with using the large font setting on my computer. But after again downloading and reinstalling 4.1, without changing the font setting, it went away. Hope it doesn't return when I install the software fot eh T|E.

Corina

[coffeesavant]

Thanks for the replies. Corina -- When you did the reinstall that fixed the problem, did you just reinstall over the previous Desktop installation or did you do a clean uninstall first? Did you also edit the registry to remove all the Palm entries before reinstalling? I could live with normal fonts, but I would love to get my large fonts back and have the Desktop 4.1.2 work correctly.

- Rob

[corina]

I'm pretty sure I reinstalled a new download of 4.1 over the existing one, without uninstalling the original (I probably wasn't game enough to try uninstalling first).

If that has failed for you, perhaps try returning your computer to the regular font state, reboot it, then reset it to the large font state, reboot it, and see how the Desktop software looks then.

I also vaguely recall posting a query about this problem on this site or on www.brighthand.com (under the Vx forum). You might want to search for it on both sites and see what answers I received.

Let me know how things work out.

Corina

[corina]

P.S. I'm running Windows 98 on 600X800 resolution and certainly did not do anything to the registry.

Corina

[coffeesavant]

Thanks for the additional info. I am slowly getting used to the smaller fonts, but I still want to get the large fonts working if I can. I did several reboots when originally trying to fix the problem, but I may try reinstalling over the current installation and then switching to large fonts to see if that works. I will play with it some more this weekend and I will post again if I figure out another solution that allows me to keep the large fonts in 1024 x 768 resolution.

- Rob

[Palmopedia]

There was a slight error in the actual coding. Software Engineers forgot to put in code to allow for different dpi settings in just the edit contacts. Only resolution as stated is to reduce dpi setting to 96.

[corina]

Now that I have my TE and have installed the updated desktop software from the installation disc, I have the same problem as coffeesavant - only when I try to edit the Contact entries, although when I first enter a contact on the desktop, it behaves rather wierdly as well. In the edit mode, the fields are so squashed that some of them disappear altogether.

Any update on solving your issue, coffeesavant? My own solutions, which worked on 4.1 desktop for my Vx, have failed me this time with the desktop update for OS5.

Corina

[coffeesavant]

Corina - No further updates or solutions, unfortunately. I have actually gotten used to using the normal (96 dpi) fonts in Windows at 1024x768, but I hope Palm does fix this bug.

[corina]

Too bad. But thanks for replying.

Corina

[corina]

Rob,

I've found on the Palm web site the fact that they acknowledge this problem in 4.1.2 desktop. It's in the Support Knowledge Library under Solution ID: 18858.

Unfortunately, their solution is hopeless. They put the onus on us for using Large Fonts, rather than suggesting that they will fix their software. They also suggest that switching to Small Fonts and then returning to Large Fonts will solve the problem - which it doesn't.

I e-mailed Palm about this and got a reply suggesting that I call Palm Support. Since this entails an international call for me, and I have no hope of getting a better answer than they post on their site, I have decided to forgo the expense. But if you're in a country with local support (US or Europe), you might try giving them a call. And if you get a decent answer, I'd appreciate your sharing it with me.

Corina