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Palm owners: how to solve the "failed to backup" error for PmTraceDatabase on hotsync

Posted At : September 7, 2009 5:16 PM | Posted By : Charlie Arehart
Related Categories: general
If you're a Palm device owner who has been annoyed that attempts to hotsync your device fail with "Hotsync session completed with errors", because it "Failed to backup 1 file", the PmTraceDatabase, I have a solution for you, from Palm.

The problem is annoying, because if you have no other sync failures (such as Outlook calendar sync errors), you can't know for sure without digging into the hotsync log.

The good news is that Palm has come out with a solution to make this finally go away:

http://kb.palm.com/wps/portal/kb/common/article/44937_en.html

As it discusses, you install that app onto your phone, and then run the FixPMTrace app on your device. It's important to note that it's NOT ENOUGH just to install the app onto your device. You do have to run that app from the Palm launcher (the list of apps, accessed by the "home" key, as usual) in order to have it do its magic. All it does is turn off the archive bit on a file so it stops trying to back it up.

Hope that helps someone else.

PS And before some of you jump on me for still using a Palm, :-) just know that yes I am seriously considering moving to an iPhone after several years of relative happiness with my Palm devices. I've been using a iPod Touch for a couple of years and really like that. Carrying both devices is of course a pain, so reducing it to one just makes sense.

And yes, I know about the Palm Pre. It's just that Sprint coverage in my home is really poor, and since I generally work from home, I just can't take it anymore. The Pre won't solve that (I called: they said it wouldn't likely be any better.) Since my wife has ATT and she's been happy, the forced move to ATT with the iPhone isn't a problem.

Still, I leave this Palm tip for those who may benefit.

Comments (3)
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Hey, thanks a bunch for this posting. I was finally irritated enough about this error to look it up. Anyway, problem solved. I've been a palm os user since my first Palm IIIe. Have upgraded over the years and have had my current Palm T|X for a few years. Still works like new. Contemplating changing to a droid of sorts, Nexus One looking good.
# Posted By mroy | 2/1/10 9:15 PM
Great to hear it helped someone. So it sounds like no iphone for you. :-) I did finally make the switch a few months ago and have been generally happy. Of course, it was about 2 weeks before the Android launch and attendant hysteria. Oh well. Locked into that AT&T contract now for a while. :-)
# Posted By Charlie Arehart | 2/2/10 8:16 AM
I discovered how technologically impaired I am when my teenage daughter's boyfriend said to her, "Does your dad have a Palm? I have one of those sitting in my sock drawer"
# Posted By arcster | 2/19/10 4:20 PM
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