iSync won't sync with my Palm Z22 Handheld

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This, or a slight variant of the message you report, is the most common issue encountered with synchronizing a Palm device under OS X. It usually occurs as a result of a user electing to install Mac OS X using the archive and install option.

Here are two methods you can use to correct the problem:

Take a look at the permissions of the folders listed below by selecting each folder, one at a time, and—either using the I key sequence or the Get Info option in the File menu of the Finder—opening the information box for the folder. Your permissions for the folders listed below should appear as described below the pathname to that folder:

For the Macintosh HD:Applications:Palm folder:

Ownership & Permissions

You can: Read & Write

Details

Owner: <shortusername>
Access: Read & Write

Group: admin
Access: Read & Write

Others: Read only

For the Macintosh HD:Library:Application Support:Palm Desktop folder:

Ownership & Permissions

You can: Read & Write

Details

Owner: <shortusername>
Access: Read & Write

Group: admin
Access: Read & Write

Others: Read only

For the Macintosh HD:Library:Application Support:Palm HotSync folder:

Ownership & Permissions

You can: Read & Write

Details

Owner: <shortusername>
Access: Read & Write

Group: admin
Access: Read & Write

Others: Read only

You can either reset those values manually, [then restart and recheck them to be sure that they are set correctly] or use the Terminal application by typing these strings listed below this example—substituting your short user name—as shown below:

sample: "sudo chown -R <shortusername>:admin /Applications/Palm"

actual: "sudo chown -R michaellafferty:admin /Applications/Palm"

…where michaellafferty is the <shortusername> in my case. Be sure to pay attention to the spaces in each string, and the direction of the / or \ [forward and back slash] characters.

Here are the appropriate Terminal entries. Each is is shown bulleted below, but actually begins with the term sudo:

• sudo chown -R <shortusername>:admin /Applications/Palm

[NOTE: at this point, you'll be asked to enter your login password]

• sudo chmod -R 775 /Applications/Palm
• sudo chown -R < shortusername>:admin /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ HotSync/
• sudo chmod -R 775 /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ HotSync/
• sudo chown -R < shortusername>:admin /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ Desktop/
• sudo chmod -R 775 /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ Desktop/

Again, pay particular attention to the spaces and to the \ characters, as both are critical to the syntax of these commands. Remember to place your actual shortusername in the string where the < shortusername> placeholder is shown, as in the sample above. [Do not include the < and > characters around your actual shortusername.]

As a Palm user, don't elect to archive and install Mac OS X unless there is no other method to do so which insures that your applications and data are preserved.

It likely does. You should enable administrative privileges temporarily for that account if the Palm Desktop is installed into the non-administrative user account.

If it is installed as it normally should be so that all users could use work with it, then just log into the existing administrative account instead and execute the original instructions.

I remember having the exact same problem. I think I fixed it by changing the account I use to be an admin account, installing the Palm/iSync software and making sure it was working fine, then changing the account back to a user account.

PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8) iPods, Mighty Mouses