Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

permissions for Palm

0 helpful
21 replies

by sue t

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
What permissions/rights do I need to give a power user so they can use the Palm Desktop program? We are using Windows XP Pro sp2 with all updates installed. Before I installed it I changed that user from power user to administrator and rebooted. I logged onto the computer as them and installed Palm Desktop. While still logged on as them I started the program and ran hot sync, closed the program and reopened it and enter some data and ran hot sync again. Everything worked great so I rebooted and signed on with another administrator account and changed them back to Power User. Now they can't open Palm Desktop, it just hangs at the splash screen. I have given them full rights in program files and in the registry, HKLM\software\ microsoft\windows\current version\app paths\ palm.exe and also full rights to HKLM\software\ microsoft\windows NT\current version. What am I missing? When I installed this on a computer running Windows XP Pro without sp2 this worked just by making them an administrator, installing and starting the program and then changing them back to Power User so what has changed with sp2 to stop this from working? Thank you for any help you can provide.

21 replies

by sgt_shultz

my knee jerk is: i don't think it's sp2. but you leaving out too much. any error message? event log? network sync? same hardware tested both places? but i bet you are barking up right tree with permissions. plus so many things can go wrong with hotsynch and you didn't memtion which palm desktop software and version either....have you checked out the pretty good support online at kb.palmone.com
Synchronizing under Windows XP when there are multiple Windows XP users

Windows XP supports multiple users being logged onto the computer at the same time. Each user must be configured separately before a HotSync? operation can occur. If multiple users are logged onto a Windows XP machine and one or more are not configured, the HotSync operation may fail.

Occasionally when synchronization is attempted, some handhelds display the "HotSync operation complete" message when no information is actually synchronized between the handheld and the desktop.

The solution to this problem is to log off any other users from Windows XP and configure each individual user.

How to Log Out of Windows XP:

Go to the Windows Start menu.
Click Log Out.
When presented with the choice between ?Switch User? and ?Log Out?, choose Log Out.

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Thank you for responding. We are using version 4.1.4 of Palm Desktop. I did check Palm Ones knowledge base and didn't find an answer. Palm Desktop works great as long as the person has administrative privileges but as soon as you make them a power user it hangs at the splash screen when they try to use it so I know it is a permissions problem but haven't been able to figure out what I need to give them rights to. They have full control in Program Files but that apparently isn't enough. Hot Sync is working without a problem when signed on with administrator privileges, I tested it and it does sync properly. Do you have any other suggestions?

by wlng

I am running Windows 2000 with Palm Desktop 4.1x, also have the
same administrator problem. Anyone help is greatly appreciated!!!!

Pedro

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Please see my comment for the answer to this problem.

by tgueth9

From my experience, the easiest is to do just what you have done, set the user to be a local admin. This works every time.

Other option that has worked sometimes, if I get all the settings correct, is to go the Pam directories (both data and programs) and specifically provide access rights to the user. I have had occassional problems with this, but more due to my lack of patience (and my customers) with getting it operational.

Lucky for me, only small number of users that I support use Palms.

Palm site is of no value. It's as if they don't know (or care) that Palms attach to an O/S that has file access privileges. The structure of the Palm sofware is stuck back in the Win 95/98 model. Sad statement in my opinion.

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Please see my comment for the answer to my problem. I tried your suggestions but to no avail. Hopefully Palm with update their software in the near future.

by paul_almon

I have ran into inssues with some XP Pro systems whereby certain applications would not run, even though the client had Power User rights. The problem appeared to be authority related on specific folders pertaining to that application and only on NTFS formatted sytems. Although not an eloquent solution, I got around the problem by adding All Users to C: with full control and trickling down the authority to the entire drive.

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Please see my comment for the answer I am going to use. I thought about doing what you suggested but it is too easy to miss something and that is what the boss is worried about.

by sakuhara

Users dont need to be admin. Try setacl. Apply it to the palm dir. Unfortunately there is a growing number of apps that think they need to be run as admin....Also try runas. Hope that helps.

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Please see my comment for the solution I am planning to use. I had never heard of setacl before but will keep it in mind and learn more about it. Thank you.

by pcdr eurl

I'm running Windows 2000 SP4 with Update Rollup 1. I installed Palm Desktop 4.1.4 yesterday for a Power User by granting the user Admin rights, installing the software, running the software a single time and then removing the Admin rights. (No reboots were required.) Palm Desktop is running correctly. This is the same procedure I'd followed over a year ago for Palm Desktop 4.1 and it ran flawlessly.

I have not yet tried this procedure in Windows XP SP2, but I plan to try it out later in a virtual install. I'll post my results.

The Palm web site does mention this problem, but you need to hunt for it in the Knowledge Base. The article can be found by going to Palm Desktop for Windows Support ( http://www.palm.com/us/support/windt.html ) and typing in "3380" (without the quotes) in the "Ask A Question:" field.

by pcdr eurl

< I have not yet tried this procedure in Windows XP SP2, but I plan to try it out later in a virtual install. I'll post my results. >

I tried it and it appears to work.

Here's what I did: In a virtual install of Windows XP SP2 (fully patched), I created an account and promoted that user to Admin status. I logged onto that account, installed Palm Desktop 4.1.4, tested HotSync (via connection to a COM port), logged off, and demoted the account to Limited User status. When I logged back onto the account, Palm Desktop and HotSync continued to work correctly. I was able to update the Palm by making changes to the Desktop and vice versa.

Note that I'd configured HotSync to work only when the Desktop was running and it took HotSync about a minute to appear in the system tray after the Desktop program banner was displayed.

I thus have no problem getting Palm Desktop 4.1.4 to work correctly when configured as a Limited User under Windows XP SP2 or as a Power User under Windows 2000.

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Please see my comment for the solution I am planning to use. I had tried to do exactly as you did since that worked for me last year before sp2 was installed but I could not get it to work this year after all updates, patches and sp2 were installed. I believe I must have changed something in gpedit and that I have not found the right one to undo.

by oufan

Over all setting user to admin should not be the answer because you don't want that user installing rouge programs (security issues, and productivity issues). I have had the same issue at the call center here with a trainer that bought a new Palm. My solution was to make the person an "admin" on the local machine and educate them about the responsiblities of what they could do and not do and to ask and I would always help them. Which I have. My back up is that I use Asset Navigator and can see all aps installed on the machine and run reports against activity by machine, group, person, or anyting else I need to. I spent at least 4 days of researching on the PALM install and not working after made power user that I just felt education and less restrictions on this one person was the only solution. We have a strict Electronic Policy here and acceptable use policy that governs employee's. Plus we have a good relationship with the Call Center that we know if they need something we are right on it or will get it for them. I felt confident after the rights change and so far after 4 months no issues or unauthorized activity. I have had to install some new aps for her a couple of times that she wanted even thought she is technically inclined she felt it would be best handled by me or staff person. Good luck.

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Please see my comment for the solution I plan to use. I would like to do as you did but unfortunately that is not an option with this person and my boss would never approve of it especially for this person.

by shalfman

Instead of making them just a power user of the local system add the power user group to security rights of the whole program folder this gives them the right to run the programs that are installed on the system. We also have created profile on our network called XP users and then give them added security to the program folders and the desktop (which we created their shortcuts too). We also give them full rights to each individual printer installed on the system so they can print without issues.

by sue t

Poster rated this answer. Please see my comment for the solution I found and plan to use. I had tried giving the user and the power user group full rights to the programs folder but that didn't work.

by sue t

I have found a VB script that makes the program run with admin creditials that works great except that I have to find a way so that the user can not open the script and see the password. I found the script at this site http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/xprunas.htm I apologize for the delay but we were in crunch time before school opened. I am awarding the points to several people who had good answers that probably should have worked except I believe I changed something in gpedit and haven't found the correct edit to undo to make this work so I am going with the vb script as soon as I figure out how to keep the user from opening the script in edit mode, etc. Thank you all for responding. I will be posting a question on suggestions for keeping the user from seeing the password.

This discussion is closed to new replies.