Psion Frequently Asked Questions

In June 2005, Psion Digital ceased all repair activities for its legacy range of PDAs (Series 3, Series 5, Series 7, Revo & Siena).

This means that if you want your machine repaired, you'll have to look elsewhere - fortunately, POS Ltd in Streatham, South London, offers mail order or call-in repairs for most of the Psion range. Call 020-8677 9246 or visit www.posltd.com.

From Feb 2004, another firm started offering help with screen cable problems for the 5 and 5mx, and replacement batteries for the Revo. You can return your machine, or ask them to send you the parts so you can repair-it-yourself. See www.psionflexi.co.uk for details

If the cost of repair is too prohibitive, it may be worth looking around for a new machine (check out Pricerunner or Kelkoo). Consider a reconditioned machine from POS (as above), or look on eBay.co.uk , eBay.com or Preloved Classifieds for a bargain.

Psion Alternative? Looking for a more modern Psion alternative? Consider the ASUS Eee PC range ofd netbooks and handhelds

With Psion now out of the PDA business, finding new Psion machines can be tricky, but there are still new machines around.

If you're looking to buy a Psion machine or accessories, including an Organiser II, Series 3 / 3mx, or a newer machine, such as a Series 5mx or Revo, try one of the following links:

• Amazon - Psion machines, accessories and software. Their Marketplace often contains second-hand bargain machines, and a couple of vendors such as PsionEx
• eBay.co.uk - Bid for new or used Psion machines and accessories, and sell your unwanted Psion stuff
• POS - Psion repairs and reconditioned machines.
  

Psion Alternative? Looking for a more modern Psion alternative? Consider the ASUS Eee PC

If you're looking for Psion accessories, such as leads, modems and cases, try the following:

• eBay.co.uk - Bid for accessories... probably the cheapest way to obtain spares like serial leads, cases and styli
• Amazon- Surprisingly, this is still a good option for accessories, especially via their Expansys shop.
• Partmaster Direct - For a good range of Psion spares and accessories, we recommend you try Partmaster - Spare styli, cases, the Travel Modem, Memory cards, serial leads and docking stations can all be found on the Partmaster site for to-the-door delivery.
• Try the specialist stockists Clove

• If you're looking for a standard connector, such as a PsiWin lead, printer lead or a 3link cable, try Amazon's Psion accessories. For harder-to-find leads and accessories, try eBay.co.uk
• If it's for connecting to a mobile phone, try Carphone Warehouse online
• Sadly, two companies Serialleads and Psionleads were very useful for Psion leads, but they're no longer operating. If the above links don't help, you could also try Maplin, Dabs.com or Amazon.

What do you do if you no longer have access to a Psion, but need to access some data from an old Psion backup on your PC? Native Psion files can't be read on a PC, but fortunately, there are some solutions:

• Use the PsiWin PC connectivity suite to convert the Psion-format files to a format that can be read on the PC.
• Download and install the Psion ER5 emulator - this gives you a Psion machine on your PC, and will allow you to access your old data on a PC - See our emulator setup page. From the emulator, you may be able to print or export your data to a text file, or use a third -party Psion converter
• Consider borrowing or buying an old Psion machine, loading the files onto the Psion, then printing the documents or data as a text file
• Find another friendly Psion user that may be able to convert the file into a format that can be read by a PC for you. If you don't know of another user, try asking for help in our Psion forum

Data conversion for the Psion can be quite complicated, due to the file formats used by Psion / Symbian. You should find that the PsiWin program supplied on CD with your Psion machine can help you with most of your conversion needs. If your PC is connected to your Psion, dragging files from "My Psion" to the PC should prompt you to convert to a PC format, otherwise you can convert files that are stored on the PC, using the Psion File Converter. This program is installed with PsiWin and is located in c:\program files\Psion\PsiWin - the application filename is Cpycnv.exe

For more help on file conversion, see our dedicated conversion page.

Agenda and Contacts databases: Note that these can't be converted using the Psion File Converter - PsiWin supports synchronisation of these files, but not direct conversion. See our suggestions in our Backup FAQ. The most common solution is to load up the files in the Psion Emulator, and either use Print to save the data as a plain text file, or use a Psion-based converter, as detailed on our Data conversion page

Got your stylus stuck in your Series 5 / 5mx? This is a fairly common fault, with a really easy fix. Open the serial port on the back of the machine, and with your thumbnail, pull down gently on the curved plastic directly under the RS232 port (as per the picture below). You'll hear a 'click' and all should be well.

If you suddenly find that your Psion screen's packed up, there are a few things to check before sending the machine off for repair:

• Horizontal/vertical lines on the screen? This is a sign that the ribbon flexi cable that connects the base to the screen is damaged. This will need to go for repair
• If the screen is blank, It's important to work out if it's the screen that's packed up, or the machine itself is dead - check the dead machine guidance
• Double-check that the contrast isn't down so low that you can't see the screen
• Try a soft reset, then a hard reset just in case some rogue software is causing a problem
• If you've tried everything else, and you have a live machine with a dead screen, one of the more common causes is a break in the screen flexi - the cable that runs from the main PCB to the screen. This can be damaged by the continual opening and closing of clamshell machines like the Psion. Unless you're a dab hand with electronics repairs, you'll probably need to send the machine off for repair. See our notes on backing-up with a dead screen

If your Series 5 or 5mx is not responding to screen taps, before returning it for repair, there are a few software tricks to try:

• Try recalibrating the screen. Here's how to do that without being able to use the screen... Perform a software soft-reset (see below) to get to the System screen. Then press 'Menu | Tools | Control panel'. Scroll to "Screen", and select 'Calibrate' using the Ctrl-C hotkey.
• If this doesn't work, the next option is to try a soft-reset.
• If you still have problems, a hardware hard-reset should be tried.

If you still have a problem, you may have a fault with the screen that can't be fixed through software. The machine will need to be sent away for repair.

It's also worth looking at Eric Lindsay's list of keyboard shortcuts for ways to access things without a touchscreen on an ER5 machine

If your Psion won't start up, it's most likely to be the batteries. If it's a Revo, try a full charge, if it's a 3 or 5, try new batteries. You can also try powering the machine via a mains adapter, in case there's a problem with the battery. If there's still no joy, check that it's not just a dead screen, or that the contrast isn't down so you can't tell the machine's on. A tip here is to hold the machine up to an AM radio and see if it interferes with the signal - a way of telling if the machine has power, but the screen's dead. If it is a dead screen, see our solution here: Dead Psion Screen.

If the machine still shows no sign of life, you can try a reset - first a soft reset, then a hard reset. With a hard reset, you'll lose all data, and will have to restore from a recent backup.

If that doesn't work, you've probably got a dead machine, and it will need to go for repair.

Note that if your machine's batteries go completely flat (including Series 3 / 5 backup batteries), your data is completely lost, as the internal memory is battery powered.

Note that if your machine's batteries go completely flat, you'll lose all of the data held in the internal memory of your machine. The Psion machines use a volatile memory that requires power to hold the data (lots of 0s and 1s) in the correct place - take away the power, and the memory blanks, losing your data forever. Psion machines have a backup battery (the Series 3 / 5 have separate backup batteries, the Revo sections off part of the main battery as a reservoir).

If you have valuable data on your machine, you must ensure that this is backed up - either onto a PC, or onto non-volatile memory such as an SSD card (Series 3 family), or CF card (Series 5/7 family), as without this, there's a risk you could lose the lot at any time.

Annoying and frustrating as it is to lose all your data, we've all been there, and all learnt a valuable lesson - Back it up, before it's too late

Before sending your machine off for repair, you need to back your machine up... something that you can't do if the screen is out-of-order or blank. Here's how to switch the link on without seeing the screen:

• You must be in 'System' for the Ctrl-L keypress to work
• If you've set a password, you need to enter that first
• You may have got the machine in a mode where the Ctrl-L keypress doesn't work. Try a soft-reset, which will at least get the software to it's default state. After entering the password, you'll be at the System screen, and Ctrl-L. After a soft-reset, the link is 'Off', so Ctrl-L + one right keypress, then Enter gets the cable connection running at 115200 baud.

There are three types of reset that can be performed on an ER5 machine. Here are the methods for a Psion Series 5 / 5mx, and a Revo:

• Software soft-reset. This will terminate all running programs, restart the machine, and start up into System. To do this, with the machine switched on, close any open files (to protect against data loss), and then hold down Shift-Ctrl-Fn and K keys together.
• Hardware soft-reset. This is slightly more aggressive, as it forces a shutdown of the operating system, killing all running applications. Again, it's important to shut down files, as unsaved data will be lost. On a Series 5/5mx, open the backup battery compartment, and with an opened paperclip, press it into the reset hole - then switch on as normal. On a Revo, use an opened paperclip and gently press it into the (1) reset hole briefly - the machine will beep twice when you next switch on.
• Hard-reset. Note that this will format the entire drive, removing all data and all the software you've installed. It resets back to the state that the machine was in when it left the factory (i.e. with the operating system and the built-in apps). It's VITAL to make sure you've backed up all files on your machine before doing a hard-reset. To do a hard-reset on a Series 5, press the paperclip into the reset hole, as per a soft-reset, then hold down both 'Shift' keys and press Esc to switch it on. On a Revo, you'll need to insert a paperclip into (1) and (2) reset holes at the same time, then press the 'On' key twice. When you switch on, you should hear a single beep.

One site visitor asked us if we could help to solve a problem with an Agenda file that was reporting "Unexpected end of file" when it was opened. We tried our best, and could do anything with it. The user was also having a similar problem with a contacts.cdb file and a Jotter file.
We've also had users contact us to report problems with other files, showing the error message "Information: Corrupt. <application> will close.

Handling file corruption is always a tricky thing, as sometimes, messing with files can do more harm than good. Here are a few suggestions that you can try at your own risk:

• If the file is open, or can be opened, try a "File > Save as" or an "Export", which is a non-destructive way of taking a copy.
• Try closing the file, then copying to a different drive
• Try using PsiWin to back up the file to a PC
• If the file is on a Compact Flash, try exiting the application, then reading the file with a PC Card Reader. If it can be read, you may be able to convert it using PsiWin.
• If you can plug your CF card into a PC, you could try a Scandisk or a file recovery tool like "Undelete Plus" to see if anything can be recovered, but this may make things worse.
• If you're running out of options - try a soft-reset of the machine
• Do you have any backup copies anywhere?

Handling an Agenda file: If you've used PsiWin, some users have reported that the original file may be saved on your PC (see the thread here). We tried repairing the user's file, but had no luck trying the following tricks (you may have more luck):

• Opening with an ER5 emulator
• Merging into an existing Agenda file
• Using PsiWin's file converter

Last resort: You may have to resort to opening the file in a text editor (such as Windows Notepad), and seeing if the data is in there in a raw text format. In this case, although it's a pain, it's at least possible to recover the text and paste it into another application. Not ideal, but we couldn't do anything else!

If anyone out there has any magic tips, or if you're looking for more help, try posting in our Psion Support forum.

PsiWin (mentioned above) allows for conversion of BMP and WAV PC formats to EPOC (Psion) file formats. Additionally, two small DOS applications have been released, but these are not on the current PsiWin CDs:

• wav2wve2.zip / wve2wav.zip - convert from the Series 3 wve sound format to PC WAV (available from here)
• bmconv.exe - converts from EPOC's MBM (Multi bitmap format) to PC BMP format (available from here or here)

Here's how to install software from a Psion SSD memory card onto your Psion Series 3a / 3c:

1. Insert the card into one of the drive slots
2. Go to the System screen and scroll to the far right
3. From the menu, go to Apps > Install application
4. Scroll to the 'Disk' line, and change to the appropriate driver (A or B)
5. Go to the File line and use left/right to find the name of the app you want to install
6. Press Enter
7. This should install the program's icon

Hotmail and AOL use proprietary systems that you can't access with an out-of-the-box Psion machine's Email application. You can, however, access your account using the Opera web browser, which supports SSL and Javascript.

Want a Psion replacement? Consider the Asus Eee range. Pictured here is the Eee PC 701 - It's a little bigger than a Psion 5mx, and half the size of an average laptop. It has wi-fi, 3 USB ports, and is pretty powerful. There are ASUS models that run Windows 7, Windows XP, Linux and Google Android. More on our Asus Eee PC Page

• Contacts and Agenda synchronisation with MS Outlook, Schedule+ and Lotus Organiser
• Document conversion with MS Office, Word, Excel, Works, Foxpro, 1-2-3, ccMail, WordPerfect, Quattro, dBase, plus CSV, DOS and RTF
• Backup and restore of data.

PsiWin is available for download from www.mypsionsupport.com/mypsion/downloads.asp free of charge.

Download size is around 24Meg, and the current version is 2.3.3. This version runs on Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows XP.

If your PC or laptop has no serial port, it may be a struggle to get PsiWin to connect. Here are a few suggestions that may help:

• If your PC/laptop has a USB port, it may be possible to connect to PsiWin with a USB-to-Serial adapter (sometimes known as a "Serial Port Replicator"), as long as the adapter can create a com port between com1 and com4. Reports are that the Northstar and Belkin adapters work with PsiWin over USB, we've also had it confirmed to us that the Keyspan USB High Speed Serial Adapter. USB-to-Serial adapters are available from Dabs.com and Maplin Electronics.
• If your PC is a desktop, not a laptop, consider adding a serial port - you can get these cheaply from Maplin Electronics (Cat XT21X)
• If your PC/laptop has an infrared (IR) port, then this can be used to transfer data. If your computer doesn't have infrared, consider a 'USB-IRDA Adaptor' from Maplin Electronics (Cat no: RV88V), but note that we've not been able to check whether this works with a Psion. Psion users may want to check out PsiLoc's pIBeam, which is an application that allows data exchange over IR.

Failing that, if you have a Psion Series 5 or 5mx, another option is to use CF cards to exchange data with your PC. You'll need a CF card reader for the PC.

If you're having problems connecting between your Psion and PC using PsiWin, the following suggestions may be of use:

1. Check the obvious - are you plugged into the com (serial) port? Is the Psion plugged in correctly? Have you configured PsiWin to connect to the same com port as you're plugged in to?
2. Make sure the Psion link is turned on and set to 'Cable'. Baud rates must be the same on the PC and Psion ends.
3. Perhaps try dropping the baud rate down from 115kbps to something lower (at both ends) - this can make for a more reliable connection.
4. Make sure no other software is running that may be accessing the com port (such as a mobile phone/Palm/Pocket PC connectivity app)
5. Check the port settings on the PC (Control Panel, System, Device Manager). Try setting flow control to "Hardware", check the bits per second is high enough and check there are no resource conflicts
6. May be worth performing a soft reset on the Psion - it's possible the serial port software has locked.
7. Got the latest version of PsiWin? As far as we know, the last version released was 2.3.3 (Build 149). An up-to-date version can be downloaded from Psion's website
8. Using an older Psion machine (such as a Series 3mx) with a new version of PsiWin? You may need to make a registry change (see below)

If you're trying to use PsiWin on an older SIBO machine, such as a Psion 3, 3a, 3c, 3mx or Siena, note that later versions of PsiWin had a restriction to stop it being used with older hardware. This can be overcome,however, with a simply edit to the Windows Registry, as follows:

1. Open the Windows Registry with RegEdit (Windows Start button > Run > REGEDIT > OK)
2. Go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ PSION \ TASKSCHEDULER entry
3. Change the value of the EC_EXTRA key from "0" to "36dd".
4. Close the registry.

If you're having problems using PsiWin's Synchronizer, troubleshooting can be tricky. A few things to try:

1. Double-check your sync settings to make sure all events are being copied (are they marked as private, or outside the date range?
2. When a sync completes, you get the option to view a log file - Take a look at the log, to see if that gives you any clues
3. Do you have more than one Outlook PST file, or multiple Contact folders in Outlook?
4. Have you got any filters on Outlook, or are you looking at the wrong view (Calendar ? View > Current view)
5. Have you got the latest version of PsiWin, and tried the general PsiWin advice above?
6. Try a full uninstall-reinstall of PsiWin

If you're still having problems, it may be worth backing up your machine (as a precaution), then starting the sync from scratch, after a full reinstall.

"PsiWin Problem Report. There was a problem creating the main backup folder for the Psion drive because the file has been opened on the Psion. Please try again."

You may get this message whilst performing a backup. Thanks to Gary Brocks for reporting the solution, as follows: The folder selected in PsiWin Backup options on the PC as the backup folder must have a name that does not exceed 8 characters. If it does, the problem may occur, depending on which version of Windows is being used. To make things easy, always use a folder named with the default name "EPOC"as the current backup folder. If you decide to take that folder out of use, change the name, and create a new folder named "EPOC" and designate that as the current back up folder in PsiWin Backup options so that the current backup folder is always named EPOC (or whatever name that you decide to use that is 8 characters or less).

Here's a quick summary of how to copy a file from a PC to a Psion using PsiWin 2.3.3. Copying a file to a PC follows the same procedure:

1. Enable cable connection from the Psion (Ctrl-L)
2. Start PsiWin using the "My Psion". Psiwin should connect, and you should get a wiggly line appearing in the PC system tray (bottom-right)
3. With "My Psion" open, double-click on the "Internal (C)" icon, and then double-click on the "Documents" folder.
4. Go to your Windows desktop, and using "My computer", find the folder containing the file you want to copy
5. Now select the file by single-clicking on it.
6. Hold down the left mouse key, and drag the file to the Documents folder "My Psion"
7. Let go of the mouse key, and the file should copy

If you're still having problems, check the other advice offered in this section to make sure you can make a connection. Other things to try, include: A re-install of PsiWin, a soft-reset of your machine, or using another PC to make the connection. If you have a Series 5, you could try copying from your PC onto a CF card using a PC CF card reader. As a last resort, you could always try cutting the PC out of the loop, and emailing the file to your Psion (see our Psion Online page)

It should be possible to connect a Psion (the later models, e.g. the 5mx and Revo - and not the series 3 range) to a PC with PsiWin over infrared. Setting this up is slightly fiddly. For help with this, see the Pscience 5 IR page. This includes help with Windows 95, 98, Windows ME, Windows XP and Windows 2000. It's a little fiddly to set up, requiring IRCOMM drivers to be installed, and then setting up a virtual comm port that PsiWin can recognise. Awkward - but possible

Deleting users on PsiWin

When installing PsiWin on a Windows XP machine, you may see an error: "16 bit windows subsystem: 'C:\windows\system32\Autexec.NT. The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose 'close' to terminate the application".

This appears to be seen if you've upgraded to XP Service Pack 2, and the upgrade has trashed some key files. There's a Microsoft Knowledgebase article on how to resolve this at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=324767

• PsionLink

Unless you're a whizz with c++ on a PC, then the quickest, easiest and cheapest way is to use OPL (Organiser Programming Language). It's built-in to most Psion machines and is a basic-like interpreted language. For some OPL basics and tutorials, see the 3lib programming section at 3lib.ukonline.co.uk/progindex.htm

For programming on a Psion Revo, you need the OPL Editor, which is available for free at www.psion.com in the downloads area.

If you're keen to do more serious programming (in Java or c++), invest in the Professional Symbian Programming, or join the Symbian Developers Network (where you can get a Software Development Kit). Membership's free

Owners of the Series 3c / 3mx: PDF versions of the programming manual are available here

The Revo and Revo Plus come with the OPL 'runtime' built-in. This allows existing EPOC OPL programs to run.

Unlike the Series 5 family, the OPL editor application is not included in the ROM. It is however available as a free download from the Psion site. Download the 38k OPL Editor for the Revo from the Psion downloads page, and you'll be able to write, translate and run OPL programs and applications from your Revo. If the file is not available from the Psion site, you can download a copy here: Program.sis

• To convert EPOC's MBM (Multi bitmap format) to PC BMP format, use the DOS application bmconv.exe - (available from here or here)
• Winpic allows viewing of Psion MBM files on a Windows PC. Supports grayscale MBM files only. You can find this free application on Tucows
  
• Note that a "Not supported" error message appears if an MBM file containing colour icons is run on an ER3 machine, such as a Series 5