Hi al god PDA people!

I have read many forums on this problem...but none of them worked...
does anybody know how i synchronize my Sony Clie PEG-S300 with winxp??

PLZZZ help....

Baro,

First, you MUST have the Palm Desktop update off of the CLIE website. Follow the directions - SPECIFICALLY about the *custom* usb switcher install for the S300. After that is installed - it's about a 50/50 chance that XP will select the WRONG usb driver and blow it. If that happens, and you are geting a "Serial port is in use by another device" error - then you have to do this:

Open your Device Manager.
Attempt to sync the device with Device manager open - when the device appears on the list (sony PEG {com6 or 7 usually}) right click and select "update Driver"
When the update driver wizard appears - you MUST select "Install from specific location(advanced)"
Point it at your Program Files|Sony Handheld|USB_Driver folder and select the Sop1kUSB.inf file - select open.
It will pop up the XP driver verification "driver has not passed... " error - hit install anyway.
Sync again and you should be all set!

Email me if you have any problems!
Good luck - it took me almost 2 weeks of calls to SONY to get this fix. They know about it - but you have to get lucky and get someboday at tier 2 tech support who really knows what they're doing.

Dan, this worked perfectly. You should really work for Sony, because you obviously have more of a handle on their crap software then they do.

NEVER TRUST A STEREO COMPANY WITH A COMPUTER:

Not to go on a rant here, but Sony has made sh*tty and sub standard software for the CLIE line since day one, they are always the last to update anything, and because they chose the weird kludge known as the "usb switcher" over writing a decent driver like Visor, their good hardware has always been flaky and unreliable in the field. After a lot of frustration with the XP upgrade, I was considering selling my S300...I probably should anyway. Sony makes awesome hardware, but if you can't hook an amp to it, just walk away. You will be happier.

Dan,

I tried to install everything like you said but I couldn't find the Sop1kUSB.inf file on my computer. I've downloaded the USB swithcer update and have installed that as well as the Sony Desktop update. Is the Sop1kUSB.inf file something you download or what? If you could email me a response I would appreciate it...thanks!

Dan
I would like to take this time out to thank you for your information above, I did everything you stated and it worked perfectly. Having spent the best part of a week trying on my own it was a welcome relief to find the help I needed and the Clie needed to prevent it from being thrown through the window. It is amazing to go to all this trouble to get a Sony Clie to link with a Sony Vaio. Thanks again. Paul.

Last month I downloaded ALL the newest software and couldn't get it to work. Today, I randomly decided to try it out. Here's what I did:

Since I took all of it out of starting up at boot, I manually opened the USB Switcher, Palm Desktop, and Hotsync Manager. In Hotsync Manager nothing was checked. I put the CLIE into the cradle, hit the button, and it started doing stuff.

Now, last month it would make that new hardware found thing, then say my serial port was already in use (the most common error). On the first try it said the same thing today, but it also randomly asked if I wanted to install new hardware, which of course I knew it had to do in the first place, and I extatically clicked "proceed" because I knew, or thought, this was the missing link. And it was, the CLIE now syncs with just about any setup in Hotsync manager, so it goes to show that it's all about what Dan said, making sure that the CLIE has hardware installed for it.

Now I want to find out the best configuration for speed, since it doesn't seem to be giving me USB speeds, which was the whole point of making this crazy USB switcher system and matching it with Palm OS 3.5.5 :(

Well I hope it keeps working. Post or email your stories, I'd like to hear them.

-David

Yes! It works! Finally! Thank you so much Dan :)
The Clie really is a great device.. it's just too bad that Sony keeps messing up with the software (although I think it's better with the newer OS4 models).

Dan, you're genius. Thank you so much.

And this is for others who couldn't succeed after following Dan's instruction. Please try what Dan says after you install the new CLIE Palm Desktop 4.0.1 update, and you will see it's working. Don't just only update usb switcher 1.1, it won't work unless you install the new 4.0.1 version palm desktop. Good luck.

Thanks much - this saved me the hassle of calling sony and going thru to tier 2 support.

Jatin

Dan:

Thannnnnnnks! I attamped to sync my s300 with XP for a month and it just didn't work out! I give it up for half year. It is another world with a un-sync-able palm. You just got to be very careful to lose your data!

you advice does gave me a relief!

By the way I found SONY put a PalmUSBD driver on the same folder, that confused the device manager, preventing it from detecting the right driver!

I don't understand why SONY do it???

Thnaks anyway

Kenny

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP

have Peg S300-----just got XP

nothing works

any way you could walk me thru upgrades or list steps that need to be taken?

I am not a puter geek

WOW! Thank you a lot Dan. This posting was AWESOME helpful!!!

Greetz from Switzerland
Martin (Sir Thank-A-Lot)

Great finally I can use my s300 again!
Thanx!!!
For everyone who would like to install some new software on his or her PDA: http://mrtaxi.karnt.com/download.htm
might be usefull.

Wow!!! It's been a month or two since I've been around here, but it seems like most of you ppl have been able to get your S300 back in Sync with XP.

Glad to hear it. I love that little device, and I find more uses for it every day!!!

My only real beef with Sony at this point is they seem to be in a *damn the torpedoes - let's upgrade everything and not give any support to the folks who have already spent hundreds of $$ on our products already* mode, a la MicroSoft...

Well, for what it's worth, I fought for 3 weeks with Sony's tech support and realized that they really don't have much interest in supporting what they consider *obsolete* models (keeping in mind I bought my S300 NEW less than 2 years ago, only a little over year at the time I called about this).

But, as long as it does what I need it to do, then I for one do not consider the S300 obsolete - and I will continue to find new ways to get returns on my investment (over $450 when I bought it) before I give in to the *disposable technology* attitude that has become so prevalent these days... it would be one thing if it was a $50 device, but selling a product for around $4-500, then discontinuing support and software upgrades for it in less than a year, is pretty miserable, IMHO. I feel especialy bad for all the N7xx series owners, who now can no longer get the (supported by Sony - for less than 6 mos) Palm OS4 upgrade for their device. Shame on Sony!!! They ought to know that the folks who buy their products intend to own them and use them longer than 6 - 12 months. That why I buy Sony - because their hardware has always been more reliable than about anything else out there. Between by Clie, VAIO laptop, and DSC Cybershot camera, I have had virtually no problems (with the hardware) in years. I just wish their software and support would step up and follow suit.

Peace all... and please email me if I can help you troubleshoot your S300.

Dan

Dan,

Don't want to repeat prior posts, except to say THANKS a million!! Your manual fix with XP Pro worked first time, after a month of not syncing! Agree with all your sentiments about Sony... thanks for being generous enough to share your hard work!

Jeremy