getting started with your dell axim - Training

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GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR DELL AXIM
Denver Public Schools
Department of Technology Services
780 Grant St.
Denver, Colorado 80203
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR DELL AXIM...................................................................... 3
A NOTE ABOUT RESETTING YOUR DELL AXIM ............................................................... 13
Acknowledgements
Authors: Brian Dolezalek, DoTS Application Support
David Howard, DoTS Network Support
On The Web
www.dell.com
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GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR DELL AXIM
The following is a guide to getting started with your Dell Axim PDA. It is designed to
supplement the Getting Started guide that comes with the Axim, and focuses mainly on
connecting the PDA to a PC.
Connecting the PDA to a PC allows you to synchronize data between the two devices. You can
synchronize such things as your calendar, your address book, and even Microsoft Word or Excel
files between your PDA and your PC. Synchronizing these items keeps the information up-todate on both devices, so that any new data you enter on one device will automatically show up
on the other device as well.
Before you begin connecting your Axim to your computer, make sure you do the following:
-- If the Axim is displaying a message that says “Tap the screen to begin using your Axim”,
then tap the Axim’s screen using the stylus. (Note: to extract the stylus from the Axim,
simply press down on the stylus, then pull it out of the Axim.) Then, align the Axim,
according to the instructions that appear on the screen. Once you see the Start screen on
the Axim, you may proceed with connecting it to your computer. Note: the manufacturers
of most battery-powered electronic devices (PDAs, cell phones, laptop computers, etc.)
generally recommend charging the battery for at least 24 hours before using the device,
and we would recommend this for your Axim as well.
-- Windows 2000 users: be sure you’re logged into your computer as yourself (rather than as
Administrator).
-- Make sure that Microsoft Office (any version) and Adobe Acrobat version 5.5 are installed
on your computer.
-- Make sure that the battery is inserted into your Dell Axim. The battery is located on the
back panel of the PDA. The battery should already be in place; if not, then place the
battery onto the back of the PDA, and press upward until it snaps into place.
1. Plug the AC power supply into the cradle, and place the Dell Axim PDA into the cradle.
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Next, plug the AC power supply into a wall socket or power strip. Note: DO NOT plug
the cradle’s USB cable into the PC. This must be done at a later step!
2. Insert the Dell Axim CD into the CD-ROM reader on the PC. The following window will
be displayed on your screen:
Click on the blue button (with the yellow triangle) to continue.
3. The main menu of the Dell Axim CD will be displayed.
Click on the Start Here button to continue.
4. The Start Here menu will be displayed.
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Click on the Install ActiveSync 3.5 option. This will install ActiveSync 3.5 on your
computer.
5. The Install ActiveSync 3.5 screen will be displayed.
Click on the Install button.
6. An installation message will appear on the screen, reminding you to select “Run this
program from its current location” when prompted.
Click on the OK button. (If you don’t quite understand what the message is talking about,
don’t worry. This installation guide will tell you exactly what to do at each screen.)
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7. A File Download window will be displayed, asking if you want to open the program
SETUP.EXE, or save it to disk.
Click on the Open button. (Note: although this window says “File Download”, this step
does not involve downloading anything from the Internet.)
8. The initial Microsoft ActiveSync installation window will be displayed.
Click on the Next button to continue.
9. A window will be displayed, providing details about the installation (the install folder,
disk space required, etc.).
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Click on the Next button to continue.
10. The Get Connected window will be displayed.
Plug the cradle’s USB cable into one of the USB ports on the PC. Then, power on the
Axim, by pressing the top button on the front panel.
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Note: if a “Found New Hardware Wizard” message appears on your computer, click on
the Cancel button in the message. You may see an additional message pop up in the
lower right corner of the computer screen, indicating that the new hardware was not
completely set up; click on the X button in the message.
Click on the Next button. The ActiveSync program will attempt to connect to your Dell
Axim PDA.
Note: This may take up to a minute or more; please be patient! Once the computer
successfully connects to the PDA, this message will disappear automatically.
11. Once the ActiveSync program has connected to your PDA, it will automatically display
the Set Up A Partnership screen.
A partnership is a means of communication between a PDA and a computer. You need a
partnership between your Dell Axim and your PC in order to synchronize data between
the two devices.
Make sure that the Standard Partnership option is selected; then click on the Next
button to continue.
12. The synchronization method window will be displayed.
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Make sure that the Synchronize with this desktop computer choice is selected; then
click on the Next button.
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13. The Partnership Settings window will be displayed.
This is where you tell ActiveSync what you want to synchronize between the PDA and
the PC. Uncheck the Inbox and Favorites items, and check the Files item and the Tasks
item.
Note: when you click on the Files item, the installation program may display the
following message:
Click on the OK button to continue.
When you’re finished, the Partnership Settings window should look like this:
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This will tell ActiveSync to synchronize your Outlook calendar, contact list, and task list,
as well as any Word or Excel files you wish to synchronize. It will also tell ActiveSync
not to synchronize your Favorites folder or your Outlook inbox. Click the Next button to
continue.
14. The Setup Complete message will be displayed.
Click the Finish button to continue.
At this point, ActiveSync will synchronize the PDA to the PC using the partnership you
just created.
The window will display the progress of each item as it’s being synchronized. When the
synchronization is finished, all items will show Synchronized.
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You’re finished! You may now disconnect the cradle from the PC, and/or remove the
Dell Axim PDA from the cradle.
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A NOTE ABOUT RESETTING YOUR DELL AXIM
Occasionally, you may need to reset your Dell Axim. The Reset button is on the left panel of the
Axim.
Use the Reset button if:
--your PDA freezes.
--an application in your PDA behaves abnormally, and closing/restarting the application
fails to resolve the problem.
--a peripheral device attached to the PDA (such as a keyboard) malfunctions.
Notice that the Reset button isn’t an actual button per se, but rather an indentation in the side
panel. To reset the PDA, press the PDA’s stylus gently against the indentation for roughly 3
seconds.
Note: the procedure described above is known as a soft reset, because it clears only the PDA’s
RAM memory (just like pressing the Reset button on a PC). You can also use the Reset button to
perform a hard reset, which erases ALL the information you’ve saved or synchronized in your
PDA (similar to reformatting the hard drive on a PC). DOTS does NOT recommend performing
a hard reset without first consulting with your school’s application support specialist.
To perform a hard reset:
1. Press and hold the Power button.
2. With the stylus, hold the Reset button down for about two seconds.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen.
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