Installing Palm Edition Fertility and Ovulation Calculator

Installing the Hormonal Forecaster Palm Edition

After installing the Hormonal Forecaster Palm edition by running the downloaded file and walking through the installation wizard, some additional steps are necessary to get the Palm Edition working with the desktop version of the Hormonal Forecaster. While it is highly recommended to use both tools, it is not strictly necessary, although you will miss out on the best possible interpretation and analysis as a result.

Please do the following to configure the desktop and palm editions of the Hormonal Forecaster to work together:

Configure the Palm Utility

Right click your mouse on the blue and red HotSync Manager icon in the system tray (the lower right corner by the clock). Select “Custom” from the menu that will appear.
A new window will appear. Select the user name you installed the Hormonal Forecaster under if not already selected at the top.
Find “Hormonal Forecaster” on the list and select it by clicking on it.
Press the “Change” button to the right of the list.
If you want to use the desktop version of the Hormonal Forecaster to improve the performance of the palm edition, set the Hormonal Forecaster Synchronization Setting to “Synchronize the files,” and check the “Set as Default” checkbox and press Ok.
Close the Custom window by pressing “Done.”

Download and install the Hormonal Forecaster version 4.0 or higher if you have not done so already

If you have an earlier version of the Hormonal Forecaster (prior to version 4.0), you will have to upgrade to take advantage of the newest features supported by the Palm Edition.
You can download the Hormonal Forecaster by visiting http://www.hormonalforecaster.com

Setup the Hormonal Forecaster so that the desktop and Palm versions can find each other

From the Start menu (lower left corner), go to “All Programs” and find to the “Hormonal Forecaster” folder. Inside this folder, click on the “Link to Desktop Version” shortcut item.
A new program will launch. Either browse to the folder where you installed the Hormonal Forecaster or press “Auto Search” to have the utility search for it for you. This step will only work if the Hormonal Forecaster desktop version has already been installed (see step two above).

Specify a Hormonal Forecaster data file to synchronize with

This step can be done at a later time if necessary. If you’ve just started using the Hormonal Forecaster, run the desktop version and create and save a new file where you would like to maintain your data.
To specify which file to synchronize with, run the Hormonal Forecaster and select “Preferences” from the “Options” menu.
On the preferences screen, click on the “Palm PDAs” tab.
Click “Browse” next to the desktop data file to synchronize with field.
Find the file you wish to synchronize with (the file you just created if you’re new) and select it.
Press “Ok” to close the preferences screen.

Note that the preferences screen may also prompt you to search for a conduit. This search is not necessary if already performed in Step 3. Both programs have facilities to find each other if requested to do so, but it doesn’t matter which program is used. It is also acceptable to use both methods, although not strictly necessary since one or the other will do.

Keep in mind that the desktop version improves the performance of the Palm edition by assisting with the analysis of your data. Advanced data analysis is performed by the desktop version and then transferred to your Palm device. This permits more advanced interpretations and predictions as information is shared between devices. The Palm utility can be used by itself, but its preferred intent is to be used with the desktop version of the Hormonal Forecaster for maximum effectiveness.

Palm Synchronization Log Messages

There are several synchronization messages that can appear during a hotsynch. Normally, no messages should be posted by the Hormonal Forecaster. Occassionally some will be posted to the Hot Sync utility to identify possible configuration problems. Below are some common messages and possible solutions.

HFC Database Not Yet Created

The first time you run the Hormonal Forecaster Palm Edition on your handheld device, a user database is created to store all of your information. When you synchronize, this database is combined with the records on your computer so that information can be shared with the desktop version. This error simply indicates that your Palm handheld has not created its database yet, so no synchronization was performed. To automatically create this database, simply run the Hormonal Forecaster Palm Edition on your handheld by clicking on it. The database will be created automatically the first time it is run.

HFC Error Loading DLL

You are missing a DLL that is necessary for the Hormonal Forecaster Palm Edition (HFC PE) to synchronize. You may wish to try to reinstall it. One necessary DLL unique to the Hormonal Forecaster Palm Edition is "HFCNTS.DLL" which should be located in your windows/system32 folder. Normally the HFC PE installation utility should ensure that this file is there.

HFC Desktop Version Running

In order to avoid possible contentions between the desktop version of the Hormonal Forecaster and the Palm Edition, you must close the desktop version before synchronizing your handheld device. This ensures that no data files are currently being edited while the synchronization is being performed. If you receive this message, simply close the Hormonal Forecaster and try to synchronize again. When this message appears, the Hormonal Forecaster Palm Edition will abort its synchronization attempt without making any changes.

Desktop HFC Communication Failed

For some reason, the Palm Edition was unable to find the desktop version of the Hormonal Forecaster. Make sure that you have completed step three as outlined above in the post installation instructions. By allowing the desktop version to search for the Palm version (accessible by going to the Options menu and selecting Preferences) or by allowing the Palm to find the desktop version (through the "Link to Desktop Version" Utility), you ensure that the link is solid. This is an important step since the Palm Edition relies on the desktop version to offload some of its computations and organize its data to ensure that you receive the most accurate information. If despite recommendations, you wish to use the Hormonal Forecaster Palm Edition without the desktop version, you should customize the synchronization for it to "do nothing." See the first item in the installation instructions to navigate to this location.

Couldn't find specified desktop HFC data file

In addition to linking to the desktop version, the Palm Edition also needs to update records with a specific user data file. This file is specified by the desktop version of the Hormonal Forecaster. If you specify a file that does not exist, the Palm Edition may give this error. To remedy this problem, simply specify which file you would like the Palm Edition to synchronize with. This is a useful step since the file selected can also be used to view and edit data using the desktop version. During synchronizations, the latest data from both the desktop and palm sources will be combined. To specify this file's location, select "Preferences" from the "Options" screen from within the Hormonal Forecaster desktop version. On the "Palm PDAs" tab, you will be able to "Browse" to select a file. If it is your first time using the desktop version, start a new file and save it using the "File" menu on the main calendar screen prior to doing this. Once you have created a file, you will be able to browse to find it and specify that it should be synchronized with.

Note: The Hormonal Forecaster desktop version comes with an example data file (example.hfc) to illustrate the capabilities of the program. It is not recommended to select this file since it will copy over numerous factious records to your Palm. You are better off creating and saving a new, blank *.hfc data file and adding your own records to it.

Windows System Call Failed

This can occur for a number of reasons. The most likely is an installation problem. Many times files needed by one application will be removed when another application is uninstalled. Reinstallation will often fix this situation. Make sure that the desktop version of the Hormonal Forecaster is operating normally if you receive this error. Sometimes the specifics of the error causing this will be more clearly explained by the Hormonal Forecaster's desktop version if it knows more about the specific problem you are encountering. For this reason, it can be useful to run the desktop version to see if it displays any error messages.