Syncing Crashes DejaCal - iPad

[rjbinney]

Longtime DJO for Android user.

Just bought iPad 4. Trying to sync my Palm Desktop 4.2 using local WiFi.

I have individually (via Advanced Settings) synced my DejaContacts, my DejaTasks, and my DejaMemos with my Palm Desktop.

When I set it to sync DejaCal only - using "PD overwrites Apple" - and pressed "Sync". The laptop went through the "Reading Palm Desktop" data process (got about 51 appointments in), but my iPad returned to its homescreen. I reopened DJO, and the calendar was empty. Then, when I try to sync, I get a "Sync Complete" message, albeit still with no calendar data.

I selected "Reread Palm Desktop on Next Sync", and it went back to "Reading Palm Desktop"/iPad returns to homescreen nonsense.

Obviously the connection is working, the pipeline between PD, DJO, and CL seems to be working (evidenced by successful Task, Memo, and Contact syncs.)

(The iPad is set to "not sleep", as well.)

[rjbinney]

I discovered today that my datebook.dat became corrupt sometime in the last two days. (Hmmm.....)

So I deleted it, copied in an older version, synced with my Android - everything was fonzie. I tried to sync with my iPad, and... Nuthin'.

Please help.

[DJOCTO]

iOS Sync returns to home screen means the data is crashing the iPad internals. Something isn't right.

Can I have you email the datebook.dat file to support@dejaoffice.com with a short note ("forum post") and we'll take a look at the data.

Thanks.

[rjbinney]

So as much as I'd like to send you my data and let you read my diary out loud to everyone over at the Hair of the Dog, I have some new data to introduce.

I mentioned in last night's post that my calendar file became corrupt. In the words of the Twin Peaks Space Giant, "It is happening, again."

I synced my Android no problem and then tried my iPad. The iPad crashed, I posted here, and went to bed.

This morning, I tried opening my Palm Desktop and got the following:




So twice in a row, the first time I open Palm Desktop after attempting the sync, my calendar is corrupt.

Just for giggles, I tried syncing the empty database, and had similar results. That is, the iPad returned to its homescreen. However, the attempt to sync did NOT corrupt the new (empty, save for birthdays pulled from Contacts) database.

So I can't decide, now, whether my problem statement remains "Syncing Crashes iPad DejaCal", if it should become "iPad Sync Corrupts Calendar Database", or if I actually have two different problems!

I think because it always crashes DJO, but only corrupts "old" data, I will stick with the first for now, but will defer to your collective expertise.

Here's how it specs out, though.

Syncing Crashes iPad

• It is my iPad 4; my Android ICS device could be crashing, but is not.
• By "crashing", I mean it returns to its homescreen (ie "crashing internals"), not freezing the iPad in DJO or shutting down.
• This happens when I try syncing at both the office any my apartment (it could be happening on only one Wi-Fi network, but it's happening on both).
• This first crashed Tuesday evening; it was the first time I attempted to sync the iPad.
• It has continued to crash every time I try to sync since.
• It is happening when I'm running CL Build 5050 on a Win 7 (64-bit) laptop, using PD 4.2. I have not tried moving my database to a different laptop to replicate. I have used this laptop for successful syncing for six months; my four Palm databases were created in April of 1998.

One thing that's different/unique about the iPad sync vs. the Android sync is, I am using the WiFi sync for iPad and USB direct for Android. (My Android can't connect to office WiFi, so I can't "smoke test" an Android WiFi sync now. Don't worry, I'm trying to troubleshoot THAT issue on AndroidForums.com!)

[rjbinney]

Actually, new wrinkle - I just rebooted the laptop and opened the Palm Desktop - all my old calendar files were back!

Hmmm...

So I tried another iPad sync, same results - crash, corrupt database.

Hmmm...

I rebooted again, same steps, same results.

Hmmm....

So I opened PD - corrupt database message and opened blank calendar. Closed PD and opened again - got the corrupt database message again, and this time it created "address.002.dat". So I closed and opened again: corrupt message, "address.003.dat". And I notice that the modified dates of all of these files, and the size, are all the same - from the last time I made a change to the Calendar file.

What the what?

I flipped over to CL. Earlier, it had put up the "Connection to Apple is Lost" or some such, so I had gone back to my life. But looking at it now, it still had the dialog box open for syncing the Calendar. Interesting. So I went into Task Manager and force-closed CL. I reopened my Palm Desktop, and voila, it opened all of my data.

Alright, so let's run some quick diagnostics on my data...

"Check for Duplicates - Exact" - nothing.
"Check for Duplicates - NOT Exact" - a couple where I've modified airline reservations and kept both sets, OK... A couple of meetings... And a WHOLE BUNCH of appointments on January 1, 1970. That's suspicious. They should be corrected.

So...

Go in my PD calendar to "January 1, 1970" - PD crashes.

Relaunch, try again. Same results.

Go in my PD calendar to "February 1, 1970". Click back one day. Fine. Click back another. Fine. All the way back to January 7, and... crash.

Hmmm....

[rjbinney]

Editing the actual data, I can't find anything from 1970.

I do see lots of near-duplicates. Interestingly, the iPad kept crashing when syncing Record 51. Line 51 of the data is a near-duplicate. On most of these, the only difference is whether or not the alarm is set.

I can't spend any more time now working on this, but will attack later tonight.

I edited the data file and pulled out most of the dupes and tried to re-import. Trouble is, it won't re-import anything that had an overnight component ("End date is before Start date" - I guess the data table only captures Start Date, Start Time, and End Time, and Palm calculates the difference for End Date...!) and, thanks to all the time changes over the years, I have lots of records that go overnight.

Will have to work on reconciling.

nb - I'm using Dimex to export/import the Palm calendar database. If there's a different way, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks

[DJOCTO]

rjbinney, keep me posted. It looks like you are a bit ahead of us here.

On your iPad, are you synchonizing to native Apple Calendar? I would suggest turning that off. Synchronizing into Apple forces the data to be normalized to Apple standards, which is yet another set of great ideas that are different. For DejaOffice we use Palm style internals for our data structures, since Palm was one of our first sync targets.

[rjbinney]

I don't think I'm trying to sync with Apple's native calendar... (Or, if I were German, "I don't sync so" ha ha ha).

I haven't had a chance since cleaning up the database to try another sync. Since Friday, my wi-fi signal has been:
Lack of Signal.png

and I didn't want to risk trying to update with such a weak signal.


So once I get that done, I'll post results.

Thanks,

rjb


ETA: I dropped you a PM on Friday, DJOCTO, about an Android issue...

[Ben]

rjbinney - We've identified an issue that can cause a crash with DejaOffice for iOS when syncing with Palm Desktop. This is fixed in our latest public beta release of CompanionLink. You can download it here: http://www.companionlink.com/inhouse/

[The Techbutler]

It is the iPad crashing it as I am syncing between an iphone 5 and ipad mini and when I go to tasks the ipad mini it goes back the the home screen. What is the difference between the iphone 5 and ipad?