Copyright: Psi-Sync (c)1997 Brian Cadge
Citation: Psi-Sync (c)1997 Brian Cadge


Welcome to Psi-Sync for Microsoft Outlook
Welcome to Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™

This software enables you to transfer your Microsoft Outlook Calendar, Tasks, Contacts and Notes to your Psion Agenda and Database. Once you’ve transferred your appointments, tasks and contacts you can synchronise Outlook and the Psion automatically. You can also merge your Psion Notes (or Jotter items on the 3c) with your Outlook Notes. Please read the Synchronising Information section before attempting to run these options.

You can also install the optional EMessage alias to create simple e-mail messages (EMessages) on your Psion for sending via Outlook.

The new HotSync feature enables automatic synchronisation to be carried out whenever you connect your Psion to the PC.

There are some differences between the Agenda and Data applications on the different Psion models. Sections of this help file that are specific to a model will be marked with one of the following symbols:

for sections specific to the Series 3a,

for sections specific to the Series 3c, and

for sections specific to the Siena.

For the latest information and downloads, visit the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk.


Conditions of Use

Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ is SHAREWARE you may distribute it, intact, to other friends and colleagues for personal use and evaluation.

You may install and evaluate the software for a maximum of 30 days after which you must either register it or remove it. Some of the options are not available in the unregistered version.

You may not upload this software to any newsgroup, forum, web-site or ftp server or otherwise distribute it (including, but not limited to magazine cover disks or CDs) without the prior written consent of the author. Each registered copy of the software requires an individual registration key.

The software is provided AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION REMAINS WITH RECIPIENT.


Copyright and Trademark Information

Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ is ©1997 Brian Cadge.

Microsoft® and Outlook™ are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Psion, Series 3a, Series 3c and Siena are trademarks of Psion PLC.


Uploading a Psion Agenda to Outlook

If you are starting with an existing Psion Agenda file and little or no data in your Outlook Calendar and Tasks folders, the Upload a Psion Agenda to Outlook 97 option enables you to convert and upload any agenda file on the Psion to your default Outlook Calendar and Tasks folders.

Once you have uploaded your events and to-do’s to Outlook, use the Download Outlook 97 Calendar & Tasks to Psion option to create the “Outlook” Agenda file on the Psion and a synchronisation database on the PC.

For more information please read the Downloading Outlook Calendar & Tasks section of this help file.

Any tasks or events in italic text will be marked as private in the Outlook Calendar or Tasks folder.

 or 	Any tasks or events with Entry Codes will be marked with the relevant sensitivity level in the Outlook Calendar or Tasks folder (private, confidential or open).

Note:	The Upload a Psion Agenda to Outlook 97 option is only available once the program has been registered.


System Requirements and Setup

Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ is written in Visual Basic 5.0 and runs only on Windows 95 and NT 4.0 with Microsoft Outlook. All of the necessary communications software is included, PsiWin is not required but you will, of course, need a serial link cable.

The remote communications module requires the VB4 16-bit runtime files VB40016.DLL and OC25.DLL which are not included with this software as they are automatically installed as part of a full Office 97 installation. If the files are not present in your Windows System directory, Psi-Sync will prompt you for a path from which the files can be copied. Insert your Office 97 CD and enter the correct path to the files. If you don’t have your CD you can download copies of the files separately from the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk.

Psi-Sync is compatible with all current versions of Microsoft Outlook.  There are a number of bugs in the version of Outlook released with Office 97 (version 8.0) which can affect the use of Psi-Sync. Office 97 Service Release 1 is now available free-of-charge from the Microsoft web-site at http://www.microsoft.com/ and includes an upgrade to Outlook 97 (version 8.0.2) which addresses many of these potential problems.


Getting Started with Psi-Sync for Microsoft Outlook
Getting Started with Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™

Once you have installed the software and successfully connected to your Psion, you should specify which model (3a, 3c or Siena) you are using (on the Options screen). This enables the software to make full use of the features specific to the Psion model you are using.

Before you can start synchronising your Outlook folders with your Psion you must Download your Outlook Calendar & Tasks folders to a Psion Agenda file (called Outlook) and your Outlook Contacts folder to a Psion Data file (called Contacts). In addition to copying the files to the Psion, this creates a synchronisation database on the PC that is subsequently used by the sync options to detect changes made in either the Psion file(s) or the Outlook folders.

If you currently have your diary and contacts information stored on the Psion, you can use the Upload Agenda option to initially populate your Outlook Calendar & Tasks folders and then Download as described above to create the synchronisation database.  Registered Users can use the Contacts Upload Utility (available from the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk) to transfer any existing Data files to the Outlook Contacts folder.

Please read the Uploading and Downloading Outlook Folders and the Synchronising Outlook Folders sections of this help file for more information.

Tip: File Transfers will be quicker if you switch to the Time application before using Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™. This prevents the Psion switching back to the System screen when closing Agenda or Data (the System screen can slow down file transfers if you have Update Lists set to Auto).

Tip: Although the software will automatically start Outlook if necessary, the synchronisation will run more quickly if Outlook is started before Psi-Sync.


Outlook 97 Weekly Recurrence Pattern Bug

There is a bug in Microsoft Outlook 97 v8.0 (the Office 97 retail release version) which prevents recurring weekly events which occur on multiple days which include a Sunday from being added to a calendar via OLE Automation (the method Psi-Sync uses to control Outlook).  Consequently, if you create or amend an event which repeats weekly and falls on multiple days, one of which is a Sunday, then when you synchronise with Outlook the Sunday will be removed from the repeat pattern.

For example, if you create an event in Agenda with the following Repeat Entry:-

  Type:           Weekly

  Interval:       1

  From:           07/05/1997

  Repeat Forever: Yes

  Days in week:   --WT--S

When you synchronise with Outlook it will be replaced by an event which repeats weekly only on the Wednesday and Thursday.  The problem only occurs with weekly events that have multiple days and where one of the days is a Sunday (an event that repeats weekly on a Sunday alone will not cause a problem).

This problem does not occur in later versions of Microsoft Outlook 97. Psi-Sync will look at the version of Outlook that you are running and will only remove Sundays from the weekly repeats with multiple days if you are running v8.0.

There is a free update to Microsoft Outlook as part of the Office 97 Service Release 1 pack available from the Microsoft web-site at http://www.microsoft.com/ – this fixes a number of bugs in Outlook that can cause problems with Psi-Sync.


Registering Psi-Sync for Microsoft Outlook
Registering Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™

For the latest information about registering Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™, visit the Registration Page at the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ Web Site.

Why Register?

Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ is shareware. If you continue to use it beyond the 30-day evaluation period you should register it. The more users that register the software, the more likely it is that I will continue to develop and improve it.

What's in it for me?

Once you've registered the program, you'll be able to use the Upload option and also synchronise your Outlook Calendar & Tasks with the Psion Agenda. You'll also be able to select which additional Contacts fields you want to transfer to the Psion Database and the order of them. In addition, you'll be entitled free updates and future releases of Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™.

Registered Users can also download the Contacts Upload Utility to transfer any existing Psion Data files to an Outlook Contacts folder.

What does it cost?

£14 Sterling (UK cheques or Sterling Euro-cheques) if sent directly by post, or

the equivalent of £18 Sterling at the current exchange rate for cheques in any other currency, or

$26 US dollars if registering by CompuServe or by Credit Card via the Internet (see below).

Discounts are available for 5 or more licenses, please send me an e-mail for more details.

How do I register?

To register by post, please send a cheque or Euro-cheque for £14, or a cheque to the equivalent of £18 in any other currency, made out to Brian Cadge to the following address:

Brian Cadge

9 Stewart Close

Branston

Burton upon Trent

DE14 3GY

United Kingdom

Please make sure you include the following details:-

•	Your Name

•	Your e-mail address (The registration key will be e-mailed to you)

•	Your Postal address (for use if there are problems contacting you via e-mail, or if you don't have an e-mail address).

Please allow up to 7 working days to receive your registration key via e-mail.

Credit Card Registration

Alternatively, you can register using any major Credit Card, securely via the Internet. Registration by Credit Card costs $26 US Dollars. Again, please allow up to 7 working days to receive your registration key via e-mail. To register on-line using a Credit Card, go to http://www.swregnet.com/1190p.htm.

CompuServe Registration

If you have a CompuServe Account, you can register online using SWREG - the registration fee of $26 will be charged to your account. To register, GO SWREG and then select the Register Shareware option. Psi-Sync's SWREG ID is 15952.


Psion Remote Communications Setup

This screen will appear the first time you run Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ if either you do not already have PsiWin installed, or if the VB4 16-bit runtime files VB40016.DLL and OC25.DLL are not installed in your Windows System directory.

Select the PC COM port and baud rate to be used to communicate with your Psion. The baud rate selected must match that on the Psion and you must also enable the remote link option.

The VB4 16-bit runtime files are required by the remote communications code in Psi-Sync. These files are normally installed automatically with a full installation of Office 97 or Outlook. They are not included in the download to save space (over 1.4Mb). If you did not do a full install of Office 97 or Outlook, the files may not have been installed in which case they can be copied from your Office 97 or Outlook CD by Psi-Sync. Insert your CD and type the path where the files can be found – it’s normally in the directory path shown - D:\OS\SYSTEM where D: is the letter of the CD drive.

If you do not have your Office 97 or Outlook CD you can download copies of the files separately from the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk.


Psion Remote Communications Setup

This screen will appear the first time you run Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ (if you do not already have PsiWin installed) to enable you to setup the PC communications port and baud rate to be used with your Psion.

Click on the Psion model you will be using with Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ to set the baud rate to the default for that model and then select the PC COMx port that your serial link cable is plugged into. The baud rate selected must match that on the Psion and you must also enable the Remote Link option on the Psion.


Downloading Outlook Calendar & Tasks Folders

Most Calendar information is transferred from Outlook to the Psion. Recurring events are translated to Repeats automatically. The body text of the appointment or event is translated to an attached memo in Agenda.

Reminders may, optionally, be translated into Agenda Alarms and you can set the default sound to be used on the Psion (see the Options screen). You may choose whether to translate all reminders into Agenda Alarms or just those for Anniversaries.

Basic Task information is transferred as Agenda To-Do lists by category. Tasks that do not have a category assigned are transferred to a To-Do list called Outlook Tasks. Tasks with categories are transferred to a To-Do list with the same name as the first listed category for the particular task. The body text of the task is translated to an attached memo in Agenda.

There are a few limitations to bear in mind; there is a maximum of 99 To-Do lists (tasks that would require the creation of the 100th To-Do list are placed in the Outlook Tasks list). Only the first 16 characters of the category name are used when creating a To-Do list. Recurring tasks are not supported in this release.

You can specify Year View symbols to be used for the different types of Outlook entries (meetings, tasks, recurring meetings, anniversaries etc) from the Options screen. Any events or tasks marked as private in the Outlook folders will be created in italic text in the agenda file.

 or 	You can specify an Entry Code and Description to be used for Private Outlook entries from the Options screen.


Downloading Outlook Contacts Folders

Before downloading your Outlook Contacts folder, you need to specify which Contacts fields you want transferred to the Psion and in what order. The Contacts Fields tab of the Options screen enables you to achieve this (Note, the unregistered evaluation version of the software has a pre-set list of common Contacts fields which cannot be changed until the program is registered).

You may select the language used for the Contacts database labels on the Psion from the Synchronisation tab of the Options screen. The languages available are English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish and Danish. Additional languages will be available for download from the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk

You can download and subsequently synchronise any other Outlook Contacts folder to your Psion, including shared, delegated and public folder. Select the Download or Sync other Contacts folder to Psion option and select the folder you want to download from the folders list that is displayed. Once you have downloaded a folder you can synchronise changes made by selecting the same option and folder again and answering “Yes” to the synchronise prompt.

You must have at least read-item permission to download a shared Contacts folder and full permission to synchronise a shared Contacts folder.

Tip:	When entering multi-line information (such as addresses) into your Psion Contacts Database use Shift-Enter to start a new line within the same field.


Uploading a Psion Data file to Outlook Contacts

Registered Users may download the Contacts Upload Utility from the Registered Users Page at the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk

This enables any existing Psion Data file to be uploaded to the Outlook Contacts folder.


Options Screen
The Options Screen

The Options screen enables to you configure Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ to your own preferences. Click on a tab below to display the options for the relevant area. Any changes you make are not saved until you click on the OK button, click on the Cancel button to abandon any changes.

To access the What’s This help for more information about a particular setting, click on the ? button in the title bar of the window and then click on the option you’re interested in.


Synchronising Outlook Calendar & Tasks with the Psion Agenda

After you have downloaded your Outlook Calendar and Tasks information to the Psion for the first time, a synchronisation database will be created on the PC. This is subsequently used to synchronise changes made on the Psion and in Outlook with each other.

The synchronisation process relies on the way Agenda changes records internally (by marking records as deleted) so it is very important that you never manually compress your Outlook Agenda file. If you do, you will not be able to synchronise your Psion with Outlook until you have run the “Download…” option again. The synchronisation process will automatically compress your files for you so you do not need to worry about wasted space on the Psion.

The software tries quite hard to recognise events and tasks that have had their times, memos or text entries changed and then makes the same changes in Outlook (so preserving the additional information that Outlook holds about meetings or tasks). Occasionally, an event may have been changed beyond recognition in Agenda and the corresponding original event in Outlook will be deleted and a new event created (changed repeating events are always recreated).

From the Options screen, you can select how many events or tasks the program is allowed to automatically delete before asking you to confirm each deletion. Experiment with this figure, start with maybe 10 or 20 and increase it as your confidence in the software grows.

You can also select a date range filter to be used when transferring the synchronised calendar data back to the Psion – this saves both time and Psion disk (memory) space.  The filter only applies to non-repeating events – all repeats are always transferred.

If you create or modify a repeat pattern in Agenda which is not supported in Outlook (such as multi-days in monthly repeats) then only the first day in the repeat sequence will be maintained and an entry will appear in the synchronisation log. Note that currently the software does not support exceptions to repeat patterns so if you use these in Agenda or Outlook they will be deleted by the synchronisation process. (This is due to a programming limitation of Outlook).

Repeating (recurring) To-Dos are not supported in this release.  If you create or modify repeating to-do’s on the Psion they will not be transferred to Outlook 97.

You may create new To-Do lists in Agenda, these will be translated to categories in Outlook. You may also move tasks between To-Do lists. Note that renaming a To-Do list is not supported in this release.

When synchronising, Crossed Out Appointments are removed from both Outlook and Agenda. Crossed Out To-Dos are marked as completed in Outlook Tasks and visa versa.

A maximum of 800 changes to the Agenda file between synchronisations is supported in this release (no matter how many times you change, create or delete a particular event it only counts as one change at synchronisation).

Any additional preferences you set in Agenda, such as modifying the diamond list or zoom settings, are preserved by the synchronisation process. However, as Agenda only saves some of these settings when you manually close the file (Psion-X) you may appear to loose some preference changes when you synchronise if you have not manually closed the file since making the change.

Agenda Anniversaries will be translated to yearly repeating events in the Outlook calendar. Two additional custom user fields are created to hold the additional information that anniversaries contain, these may be used in custom Outlook views by selecting Anniversary Start Year and Anniversary Style from the User Defined Fields in Folder list in the Field Chooser dialog.

Anniversaries are created as private entries in the Outlook 97 calendar. The Options screen enables you to select Year View symbols for the various types of Outlook entry. Any events or to-do’s with italic text in the agenda file will be marked as private events in the Outlook Calendar or Tasks folder and vice versa.

 or 	Entry Codes and Descriptions are preserved by the synchronisation process. Events or tasks with a Private entry code in Agenda are translated to Private Outlook events or tasks.  Similarly, events or tasks with a Restricted entry code in Agenda are translated to Confidential Outlook events or tasks.

You can specify an Entry Code and Description to be used for Private Outlook entries from the Options screen.  This is used when adding a private event to the Agenda file that was originally created in Outlook (and so does not have an Entry Code).

Anniversaries may optionally be forced to private events in the Outlook Calendar (see the Synchronisation tab of the Options screen).

Note:	The Sync Outlook Calendar and Tasks with Psion Outlook Agenda option is only available once the program has been registered.

Each PC and Psion may only have a single “partner” for synchronisation. You cannot use Psi-Sync to synchronise from two different PCs or to synchronise multiple Psion’s from a single PC.


Synchronising Outlook Contacts with a Psion Data file

After you have downloaded your Outlook Contacts information to the Psion for the first time a synchronisation database will be created on the PC. This is subsequently used to synchronise changes made on the Psion and in Outlook with each other.

The synchronisation process relies on the way Data changes records internally (by marking records as deleted) so it is very important that you never manually compress your Contacts Data files. If you do, you will not be able to synchronise your Psion with Outlook until you have run the “Download…” option again. The synchronisation process will automatically compress your files for you so you do not need to worry about wasted space on the Psion.

The Contacts Fields tab of the Options screen enables you to select and order the Contacts fields you want to synchronise. You can also select whether to use the Full Name or File As field as the key field for synchronisation. It is recommended that you always use the File As field as this enables Contact records without names to be synchronised (e.g. where the information is for a company, not an individual).

From the Options screen, you can select how many contacts the program is allowed to automatically delete before asking you to confirm each deletion. Experiment with this figure, start with maybe 10 or 20 and increase it as your confidence in the software grows. You may also select the language used for the Contacts database labels on the Psion from the Synchronisation tab. The languages available are English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish and Danish.  Additional languages will be available for download from the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk

A maximum of 800 changes to the Data file between synchronisation is supported in this release (no matter how many times you change, create or delete a particular record it only counts as one change at synchronisation).

Any additional preferences you set in Data, such as modifying the diamond list or sort settings, are preserved by the synchronisation process. However, as Data only saves some of these settings when you manually close the file (Psion-X) you may appear to loose some preference changes when you synchronise if you have not manually closed the file since making the change.

Do not edit the Labels in the Contacts Data files – if you do so you will not be able to synchronise any changes back to Outlook until you have run the “Download…” option again.

Tip:	When entering multi-line information (such as addresses) into your Psion Contacts Database use Shift-Enter to start a new line within the same field.


Merging Outlook Notes with a Psion Data or Jotter file

The Outlook Notes folder may be downloaded to a Psion Data or Jotter file called OLKNOTES. If the OLKNOTES file already exists on the Psion the contents are merged with the Outlook Notes folder (on both the Psion and in Outlook). The contents are merged, rather than synchronised, as there are no “key” fields on which to base any synchronisation (Notes are simple, free format text items).

The Outlook Notes file may, optionally, be created as a Jotter file if you are using a Series 3c. This may be selected from the Remote tab of the Options screen. If you use the Jotter application to enter new notes into the OLKNOTES file, you should always press the Diamond key after entering the text to ensure that the note is saved.


Using the HotSync function

Enabling the HotSync option starts Psi-Sync automatically every time you start Windows. The software sits in the system tray area waiting for a Psion to be connected to the serial port. The serial port cannot be used by any other applications while Psi-Sync is waiting for a Psion. If you need to temporarily free the serial port for another application, click on the HotSync icon and select the Disable HotSync option.

The HotSync tab of the Options screen (shown below) enables you to select which tasks you want automatically carried out whenever a Psion is detected. You can also specify that these tasks are only run once a day if desired.

Clicking on the HotSync icon in the system tray displays the menu shown here. Select the Disable HotSync option to free the serial port.  The Open Psi-Sync option will display the main Psi-Sync application window even if a Psion is not connected.  The Exit Psi-Sync option will close down the entire application.


Installing and Using EMessages

EMessages are simple e-mails that can be composed on your Psion while out-and-about and then later retrieved and sent via Outlook. To install the EMessage alias onto your Psion, click on the Install EMessage Alias on Psion button on the EMessages tab of the Options screen. This will copy the necessary files to your Psion, but to complete the installation, you must install the alias application as follows:

Return to the System Screen and press Psion-I to display the Install dialog (below).

Select the Emessage.als for the File: Name and press Enter.

The EMessage application should now appear on the system screen as follows:

EMessage is actually just a Word alias which stores its documents in the M:\OLKMSGS directory with an extension of .msg. When you create a new EMessage a template will be used which contains the To:, CC: and Subject: tags in the correct place. An example of an EMessage is shown below:

It is important that you do not alter the To:, CC: or Subject: tags as Psi-Sync uses these to extract the recipients and subjects from the document. Multiple recipients should be separated by commas and the recipient address can be any valid address that Outlook will be able to resolve (such as an actual Internet address or a name that is in your Personal Address Book, Contacts Folder or other Outlook Address Book).

To send the EMessages, select the Retrieve and Send Psion EMessages via Outlook option. The program will retrieve the files from your Psion and create Outlook e-mails in your Inbox for each one. You can choose whether or not the e-mails are automatically sent by setting the Automatically send resolved EMessages option on the EMessages tab of the Options screen. You may also select to add a “signature” to the end of all EMessages on the same screen. Any e-mails which have recipient addresses that cannot be resolved by Outlook will be left in your Inbox for you to check.

Note that unlike the other Psi-Sync options, if a file is currently open on the Psion it will not be transferred (I did not want to force all Word files to be closed). Ensure that you close any EMessage files on the Psion before running the Retrieve and Send Psion EMessages via Outlook option


Frequently Asked Questions - Error Messages
Frequently Asked Questions – Error Messages

The latest list of Frequently Asked Questions and Known Bugs can always be found on the application’s web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk/faq.htm

When searching for an error message in the text below, please look for the text of the message rather than any error codes such as 80004005 etc.

When I try to transfer my Outlook data to the Psion I get one of the following error messages:

“OLE Automation server can't create object or return reference to this object”

“Class doesn't support OLE Automation”

“ActiveX component cannot create object”

“Run-time Error 428, 429 or 430”

All of these messages are usually caused by corrupt or missing registry entries for Outlook 97 (sometimes caused by running an out-of-date version of Microsoft’s RegClean utility). See the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at http://www.microsoft.com/kb/articles/q165/8/61.htm for a fix.

When I start the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ program I get the following error message:

"A DDE Link with the Psion Remote Comms server failed with error code: 282"

Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ (which is a 32-bit program) talks to the Psion Remote Comms library (which is a 16-bit DLL) via a VB4 16-bit program called the Psion Remote Comms Server (PRC16.EXE ) using DDE. If PRC16.EXE cannot be started, or the DDE link cannot be established the above error message will be displayed. This problem is usually caused by corrupted copies of VB40016.DLL and/or OC25.DLL in your Windows SYSTEM directory (or SYSTEM32 for NT). Try deleting these and copying them manually from your Office 97 CD, or alternatively, download them from the Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk.

When I try to transfer my Outlook data to the Psion I get one of the following error messages:

"An unexpected error occurred in GetAllOutlookAppointments() [438] at 0"

"Object doesn't support this property or method (Error 438)"

"This item is a recurring item. To change the time, use the Recurrence..."

This can occur if there is corruption in your Outlook 97 Calendar folder. Try exporting your calendar to a .pst file (use the Export command on the File menu), then delete all of your calendar entries and finally import the entries back from the .pst file (use the Import command on the File menu). The quickest way to delete all of your calendar entries is to create a new custom list view (with no filters) that lists everything in your calendar, then press Ctrl-A (Edit, Select All), followed by the Delete key.

When I try to transfer my Outlook Calendar to the Psion I get the following error message(s):

"An unexpected error occurred in GetAllOutlookAppointments() [6] at 0"

"Overflow (Error 6)"

This can sometimes occur if you have merged an existing Agenda file into your Outlook Agenda (for example, in order to add some Anniversaries) and your system "Short Date" format is only set for 2-digit years. To correct the problem, open Control Panel and run the "Regional Settings" applet. Select the "Date" tab and change the year in the "Short Date Style" to be 4-digits. For example, if the "Short Date Style" is currently set to dd/MM/yy change it to dd/MM/yyyy.

I get the following error message when starting a download:

"Failed to start the expression service. The Expression service may not be installed......"

This problem is caused by a corrupted Office 97 file - VBAJET32.DLL. Delete the file and then copy it again from your Office 97 CD. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at http://www.microsoft.com/kb/articles/q168/1/46.htm for full details.

I use JBData rather than the standard Data app to view dbf files on my Psion. When I try to synchronise my Contacts I get the following error message, but I haven’t compressed the Contacts data file.

“Sorry, either you have compressed your Contacts Database or this file was not created by Psi-Sync. The file cannot be synchronised with Outlook once it has been compressed.”

JBData is not compatible with Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ as it automatically compresses dbf files when they are closed.


Frequently Asked Questions - Why ?
Frequently Asked Questions – Why….. ?

The latest list of Frequently Asked Questions and Known Bugs can always be found on the application’s web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk/faq.htm

If I create a weekly repeating event in Agenda that repeats on at least two days, one of which is a Sunday, the Sunday is removed when I synchronise with Outlook - Why?

This behaviour is by design in order to avoid a bug in Microsoft Outlook 97 version 8.0. Click here for a full explanation.

If I create an event that spans more than one day in my Outlook Calendar it ends at midnight on the first day in Agenda - Why?

Agenda does not support events that span more than more day. Consider using a daily repeat instead as this will work correctly in both Outlook and Agenda.

If I create or amend a Contact's e-mail address on the Psion, when I synchronise the change appears in the Contact's record in Outlook, but the e-mail address is not automatically checked (or "resolved") and so doesn't appear in the Outlook Address Book?

This is an Outlook bug. Contact e-mail addresses are not resolved when added programmatically. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at http://www.microsoft.com/kb/articles/q169/7/50.htm for details.

If I change an occurrence of a recurring event in Outlook 97 (i.e. create an exception to the recurrence pattern), the change does not show in Agenda - it just continues to show the original recurrence details?

Outlook 97 does not appear to expose this exception information through it's OLE Automation Interface so the program cannot tell that you've created an exception to the pattern. If I find a workaround for this I’ll add it to a future release.

When I synchronise my Agenda, Contacts or Notes folders, any changes I've made to preferences such as the diamond list or zoom factor are lost - why don't you retain my preferences during a synchronisation?

The software does retain any changes you've made to most of the Agenda and Database preferences (such as the diamond list or zoom factor). However, the Psion does not save these changes until you manually close the file (i.e. use Psion-X) - so if you've changed a setting but have not closed the Agenda or Database the change has not actually been saved.

If an alarmed appointment is removed from Agenda by the synchronisation process why does the alarm sometimes still go off even though the event no longer exists?

This is caused by the way the Agenda and Time applications interact. If Agenda had already set the alarm in the Time application it doesn't get removed again when the Agenda is re-opened if the event has since been removed (even though it should). Clearly, the programmers that designed Agenda assumed that no other programs would manipulate the events in the Agenda file!

Why does it take so long to read information from Outlook 97?

I don’t know, that’s the speed at which Outlook 97’s OLE automation interface works!


Frequently Asked Questions - How Do I ?
Frequently Asked Questions – How Do I….. ?

The latest list of Frequently Asked Questions and Known Bugs can always be found on the application’s web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk/faq.htm

How do I delete a note from my Outlook Notes folder. When I run the merge option it keeps reappearing?

You must delete the note from both the Psion Olknotes database (or Jotter file) and the Outlook Notes folder. Unlike Calendars, Tasks and Contacts, Notes are not synchronised but merged.

How can I select which Calendar/Tasks/Notes folder is synchronised with the Psion?

The current release of Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ does not allow you to select other Outlook folders. The default folders (those created by Outlook in your mail store) are always used. You may use the Download or Sync other Contacts folder to Psion option to download and/or synchronise any other Contacts folder.

How does the synchronisation process work - is Outlook 97 or Agenda the master?

The synchronisation routine detects exactly what changes you have made in Agenda and Data since the last synchronisation (additions, modifications and deletions). The changes are reflected in the Outlook Calendar & Tasks / Contacts Folders. Finally, a new copy of the Outlook Agenda file or Contacts database is created from the up-to-date Outlook data.

How can I access the Anniversary Start Year in a custom calendar view in Outlook?

A custom user field called Anniversary Start Year is available. In the Field Chooser dialog, select User Defined Fields in Folder and then drag the Anniversary Start Year field into your custom view.

I don't use the Year View in Agenda, so I don't want the year view symbols to appear in my daily and weekly views. I've set the year view characters to blank in the Options screen, but how do I stop the little black square appearing after each appointment in the Outlook Agenda file?

If you don't want the year view symbols to appear, clear the Show Items in Year View tick box on the Synchronisation tab of the Options screen. You do not need to delete the individual year view symbols.


Updates and Contact Information

The latest news and updates about Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ can be found at the application web-site at http://www.kerswell.demon.co.uk


Remote Options

The Remote Options screen is displayed below. Click on an option for more information.


Synchronisation Options

The Synchronisation Options screen varies slightly depending on whether a Series 3a or 3c/Siena is attached. Click on an option on the relevant screen for more information.

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EMessages Options

The EMessages Options screen is displayed below. Click on an option for more information.


Register Options

The Register Options screen is displayed below. Click on an option for more information.


HotSync Options

The HotSync Options screen is displayed below. Click on an option for more information.


Contacts Fields Options

The Contacts Fields Options screen is displayed below. Click on an option for more information.

Note: You will not be able to change the Contacts Fields until the program has been registered.


If set, this option allows you to specify a date range for the appointments and events to be sent to the Psion. This filter applies to non-repeating events only.


Enter your registration code here exactly as supplied to you and then click on the Register button.


Once the program has been registered, you can turn off the splash screen, which is displayed at start-up, if desired.


This listbox displays all of the available Contacts fields from which you can select (except Full Name / File As which is always selected). Select a field and click on the Add button to include it in the Contacts synchronisation.


This listbox displays the Contacts fields that will be transferred to the Psion, in the order they will be in the Data file. Select a field and click on the Remove button to discard it, or the Move Up button to move the field higher up the list or the Move Down button to move the field lower down the list.


Select this option to use Outlook’s File As field as the key field for synchronisation (rather than the Full Name field). It is recommended that this option is selected as it enables records without names to be synchronised correctly.


Select the Psion model you will be using with Psi-Sync. The software will optimise the Agenda and Data files it creates for the specific model of Psion in use.


Select this option if you want Psi-Sync to load in HotSync mode every time Windows is started.


Select this option if you want your Calendar & Tasks folders synchronised whenever HotSync is activated.


Select this option if you want your Contacts folder synchronised whenever HotSync is activated.


Select this option if you want EMessages to be retrieved and processed whenever HotSync is activated.


Select this option to limit HotSync synchronisation to once per day. If this option is not selected, the HotSync tasks will be processed every time a Psion is connected to the serial port.


Type the number of months or weeks back from today that you want appointments and events sent to the Psion from your Outlook calendar.


Type the number of months or weeks forward from today that you want appointments and events sent to the Psion from your Outlook calendar.


If set, this option allows you to specify the date range in terms of weeks rather than months.


If set, this option enables EMessages in which Outlook 97 is able to resolve all the recipients addresses to be sent to your Outbox automatically. If cleared, all the e-mails created from EMessages will be left in your Inbox for you to manually check and send.


This button will copy the necessary files to the Psion to enable EMessages to be used. See the Help File for more information about EMessages.


Select this option to automatically add a signature to the end of all EMessages when sending from Outlook.


Enter the signature text to be added to the end of all EMessages here.


If set, all Tasks (To-Dos) will be shown in the other Agenda Views.


Enter the character that you want to use in Agenda’s Year View for timed events.


Enter the character that you want to use in Agenda’s Year View for untimed events.


Enter the character that you want to use in Agenda’s Year View for timed repeating events.


Enter the character that you want to use in Agenda’s Year View for untimed repeating events.


Enter the character that you want to use in Agenda’s Year View for anniversaries.


Select the language you want to use for the Psion Contacts database labels.


You can limit the number of appointments and tasks that the program will delete from Outlook 97 automatically.  Items are deleted when they have been deleted from the Psion Agenda or, in certain situations, when they have been edited in Agenda beyond recognition as the same event.  In this situation, a new appointment or task is then created in Outlook 97.  You will be asked to manually confirm each deletion beyond the number you enter here.


Select this option to automatically transfer Outlook 97 reminders as Agenda alarms.


Select the Entry Code symbol to be used when creating private events in Agenda. This is used for private events that were originally created in Outlook and so do not have an Entry Code.


Enter the description for the Entry Code symbol used for private events from Outlook.


Normally, when transferring anniversaries to the Outlook calendar, the sensitivity level (Private, Confidential or None) will be taken from the Entry Code associated with the anniversary (if any). Select this option if you want to force all anniversaries to be marked as private in the Outlook calendar.


Select this option if you only want alarms to be set in Agenda for Anniversary events.


Select this option to enable appointments and events in Agenda’s Year View (Series 3a and 3c only).


Select the sound you want to be used for Agenda Alarms.  This option has no effect unless the Transfer Reminders as Alarms option is set.  Additional “Office” sounds are available if the Enable Additional Office Sounds option is set.


Set this option to enable three additional sounds to be selected for Agenda Alarms. You must transfer these sounds to the Psion the first time this option is selected so that the relevant .wve files are present.


Select the default size for the font used in Agenda’s Memos. This option is used when you first transfer your Outlook 97 Calendar and Tasks to the Psion.  User Preferences are preserved during the synchronisation process.


Select the default size for the font used in Agenda’s Day View. This option is used when you first transfer your Outlook 97 Calendar and Tasks to the Psion.  User Preferences are preserved during the synchronisation process.


Enter the path to the VB40016.DLL file. If you have your Office 97 CD, insert it and change the drive letter if necessary. If you have downloaded VB40016.DLL, type the path to the directory where you unzipped the file.


Select the Psion model you are going to use with Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ to set the default baud rate for that model.


Select the PC serial port that you are going to use to connect to your Psion. This option will show your current PsiWin selection if installed.


Select the Baud Rate for communicating with your Psion. This value must match that set on the Psion. Baud Rates above 19200 are only supported with the Series 3c. This option will show your current PsiWin selection if installed.


Select the PC serial port that you are using to connect to your Psion. Changes to this value will not take effect until the next time Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ is started.


Select the Baud Rate for communicating with your Psion. This value must match that set on the Psion. Baud Rates above 19200 are only supported with the Series 3c. Changes to this value will not take effect until the next time Psi-Sync for Microsoft® Outlook™ is started.


Enter the drive and directory where you want the OUTLOOK.AGN file to be stored on your Psion. You should not normally need to change this value.


Enter the drive and directory where you want the CONTACTS.DBF file to be stored on your Psion. You should not normally need to change this value.


Enter the drive and directory where you want the OLKNOTES file to be stored on your Psion. You should not normally need to change this value. Select the option below if you want the file to be created in Jotter format for the Series 3c


This option is only available if the Psion Model is set to Series 3c. Select this option if you want the OLKNOTES file created for the Jotter application rather than the Data application.


Enter the drive and directory where your EMessages files are created. You should not change this entry unless you have created your own alternative alias for EMessages.