Palm M515 doesn't sync using HotSync Manager and iSync

Hi, again! Much better…

If I understand what you are saying, you used the Enable Palm OS Syncing… option once, but then 'removed it' because you discovered that Palm indicated that you had to synchronize first with the Palm Desktop. In classic Palm fashion, that advice is - well, wrong. There is no need to synchronize with the Palm Desktop prior to using iSync. There's nothing wrong with doing that, but it is not necessary.

What 'enabling' iSync did, among other things, was move your standard Palm conduits out of the active Conduits folder they had been stored in, and into either the Disabled Conduits folder or a newly created iSync Disabled Conduits folder. From that point on, you cannot synchronize with the Palm Desktop unless you deactivate the iSync Palm Conduit, and reactivate the standard Palm conduits.

To save time and effort an optimize your configuration, I would do this:

• reinstall the Palm Desktop using the downloadable 4.2.1 revision D package found here
• navigate to Macintosh HD:Library:Application Support:Palm HotSync

1. open the active Conduits folder to insure that your standard Palm conduits are present
2. open the Disabled Conduits folder to insure that the Apple conduit is there
3. if the Apple conduit is in the active Conduits folder, move it to the Disabled Conduits folder
4. if there is an iSync Disabled Conduits folder—or another with a nearly identical name—move it to the trash
5. don't modify the Documents, Notifiers or Transports folders

• if you first want to synchronize with the Palm Desktop to move a copy of your handheld data to it to store or archive this data, then use the HotSync menu of the Palm Desktop or the HotSync Manager itself to make sure that your Palm conduits are properly configured: set to either Synchronize or Handheld overwrites Macintosh, for example
• initiate a HotSync event by pressing the HotSync button on your cable or cradle

Once you've done that, you can initiate the process of installing and configuring iSync. Do that by launching iSync and using the Enable Palm OS Syncing… option under the Devices menu. That will deactivate your standard Palm conduits by moving them out of the Conduits folder, and install and activate the iSync Palm Conduit: the one named simply Apple in the Finder.

When your device appears in the main window of iSync, press the icon to drop down a configuration pane and set the specific synchronization parameters for your device. Contact data will be exchanged with the Address Book, and calendaring and task data with iCal. Be sure to merge your data rather than to overwrite the data on your handheld during this first iSync event. That will add any Address Book and iCal data to your handheld, and copy records from it into both the Address Book and iCal.

Did you make sure that the iSync Palm Conduit, names simply Apple in the Finder, is actually in the active Conduits folder? Did you double-check to see that if you examine it with the HotSync option in the Palm Desktop or the HotSync Manager itself, where it appears in the window as iSync Conduit, has the option Enable iSync for this Palm device checked or enabled? And, have you clicked on the icon in iSync to drop down the configuration pane where you check or enable Contacts and Calendars, and select the parameters for each?

Also, did you check the HotSync log? You should now be getting a different result than you originally did. Have you looked at the iSync log?