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General discussion

COM port unavailable

Sep 21, 2007 4:21AM PDT

I have a Dell laptop running Vista and equipped with Bluetooth and a Palm TX (which also has Bluetooth). I have set up Palm Desktop to use COM port 6 to hotsynch my Palm, but every time I turn on the Bluetooth adapter on my laptop Palm Desktop notifies me that COM port 6 is in use by another program and can't be used right now. I get the same message on my Palm when it tries to connect to the computer. I set COM port 6 up as an incoming Bluetooth port, just as Palm told me to. The only way to make it work is to delete the port and recreate it every time I want to Hotsync. Is there some way I can restrict access to this port so that Windows only allows Palm Desktop to use that port? Or is Windows already doing this to Palm Desktop?

Thanks.
Jonathan

Discussion is locked

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There are open issues with Palm and Vista.
Sep 21, 2007 4:26AM PDT

I can't guess if you have PalmOne's latest desktop and hotsync. The ones on CD are not a good idea for Vista. Share some exact versions of hotsync and more since I own a Tx and other bluetooth PalmOne units. I'd check my setup when you share versions.

Also tell me about your bluetooth dongle.

Bob

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Palm Desktop out of date
Sep 21, 2007 8:38AM PDT

I am running Palm Desktop 4.1.4 and Hotsync manager 6.0.1. I don't have a bluetooth dongle. I have a Dell Wireless 355 Module that is manufactured by D-Link and built into my computer. Windows Update recently updated a driver for the card as of a week or so ago, but that didn't help. I just checked again and the Bluetooth drivers are up to date.
I just checked the version of Palm Desktop and there is a new one out for Vista. I am downloading that now and will let you know if it fixes the problem.
Thanks for bringing the fact that it could be the version of Palm Desktop to my attention.

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No luck
Sep 21, 2007 8:55AM PDT

I installed the latest version of Palm Desktop (v6.2.1 with HotSync 7.0.1) and still get the same message on both the TX and the laptop. It seems to me like there should be a way to isolate COM6 (the port assigned to Hotsyncing) from other programs so that they can't use it.

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I've subscribed to this thread.
Sep 21, 2007 11:23AM PDT

It's a bit late here so if you subscribe or click track this thread you'll get a note when I post again. Tomorrow I'll unpack my other Vista laptop and see how it working out for me. I have it all setup and maybe I didn't notice any issue so I'll recheck my work.

I'm using a WIDCOMM USB BLUETOOTH adapter since Vista supports that natively. At least I think it's a WIDCOMM unit. I'll check it all out and report back results.

My bet is there is some timing issues from the time the BT comes alive to the time the HOTSYNC complains about it. Or you have the wrong com port.

Bob

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I don't think so
Sep 24, 2007 1:04PM PDT

I don't think it could be the wrong port because it works right after I assign the port in Vista, but then when I go to try to hotsync the next day it doesn't work. This also leads me to believe it isn't the bluetooth waking up, but then again, I don't know. What do you think?

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Here's how I tested my setup.
Sep 24, 2007 11:48PM PDT

I plugged in my widcomm USB bluetooth (sorry I don't own the internal version) and sure enough I got the com not available from hotsync when I logged in. But it was right. I changed to the Com 7 the incoming was now and performed a hotsync. I'm using my T2 (I have a TX and Treo 650 as well but the actual PalmOne isn't the issue here). Now to test. My test is simple. I'll call it a pass if the machine boots up and without that error message and I can hotsync.

1. Now I'm restarting the laptop. Yup, that works. No error message.

2. Now I'm shutting down the laptop. No error message and hotsync works.

3. Next is to pull the hotsync plug but this SHOULD result in an error since there will be no Com 7 port. That was fine and as expected hotsync fails to connect.

4. Now I put in the USB Bluetooth and I expect to see the error about the comport. Yes, there it is. That's sadly a limitation of bluetooth as it is implemented on Windows. I know about this in more detail than I'll write about that here. I'll dismiss the missing com port message and try Hotsync. No that fails. Since Hotsync needs to find the comport I then pull the USB bluetooth out, plug it back in and I then can Hotsync again.

So there you go. It can be duplicated here but I fear you may run into some trouble convincing PalmOne it's their bug.

I will agree with you that it's not fine behaviour and it would be nice that it just worked but with Microsoft not controlling the bluetooth API and behaviour you are in that bizarre area where the blame doesn't fall on any particular company. It falls on the entire Bluetooth group that failed to implement an open solution that we can get inside and see how to work around such issues.

At least we know how to make it work.

Bob

PS. Remember I wrote I knew a bit more than I can share here? I have a few applications that use bluetooth. Frankly it's been a small but profitable nightmare. I feel that bluetooth could have been better but the way it was developed and how you can't look under the hood made it the way it is today.

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Ok
Sep 25, 2007 6:38AM PDT

Ok, so you are telling me it is just how Bluetooth works? I appreciate your help. I agree that it shouldn't do that. Thanks for your help.

By the way, it is not PalmOne anymore, they are back to Palm.

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What I'm sharing is...
Sep 25, 2007 7:40AM PDT

How Hotsync reacts to the bluetooth com port being removed. I tried to be as thorough as possible to share my results. In today's world I think such behavior is not acceptable but the Palm heralds from a time when http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147694/ and wrote their own drivers.

Bob

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What?
Sep 25, 2007 2:16PM PDT

What behavior is unacceptable? Writing your own drivers?

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May have found a new solution
Sep 25, 2007 6:42AM PDT

I set up a second COM port (COM7) and will try alternating which port is used. I finally got it to sync with the new Palm software, but we will see if this is a lasting solution.

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Half a day later...
Sep 25, 2007 2:15PM PDT

and the connection is still working on COM7. So far so good.

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Why I had to test it here.
Sep 25, 2007 10:56PM PDT

For me I always set it up to work. I had to think over how to break it and shared my results. I'm unsure why adding a new com port seems to fix it but it's best if it does work so to save everyone time.

Bob