Pleco 2.0 Instruction Manual : Palm OS Installation

Pleco 2.0 Installation Manual

for Palm OS

 

Contents

  1. System Requirements
  2. Installing Pleco
  3. Purchasing Pleco
  4. Unlocking Pleco
  5. Uninstalling Pleco
  6. Upgrading to Pleco 2.0.4 from Pleco 2.0 / 2.0.1 / 2.0.2 / 2.0.3
  7. Backing Up and Restoring Your User Data (flashcards / user dictionaries)
  8. Transferring Pleco to a New Handheld
  9. Installing Add-Ons (including the extended audio files)

 

Important Note

For performance and stability reasons, Pleco 2.0 on Palm OS stores flashcards and user-created dictionary entries in a format that is not automatically backed up whenever you HotSync your Palm with your desktop (or even when you run a backup utility program). So if you make regular use of Pleco's flashcard or user dictionary functions, please see "Backing Up and Restoring Your User Data" for instructions on how to back up your data.

 

System Requirements

Handheld

Pleco 2.0 for Palm OS should work on any handheld running Palm OS version 5.2 or later with a flash memory expansion slot; i.e., the Palm Tungsten E, E2, T2, T3, T5, and C, Zire 31, 71, and 72, Palm TX, and every Palm OS-based Treo and Centro smartphone (except for the very old Treo 90/180/270/300 models). It should also work on most Palm OS 5-based Sony Clie handhelds, though it does not support the extended-length displays on those Sony handhelds (so everything appears within a square window).

Pleco 2.0 for Palm OS also appears to be compatible with the new Palm Pre smartphone, though there are some minor issues with handwriting recognition / ease of hitting buttons - see this thread in our discussion forums for the latest information on Palm Pre compatibility and preliminary instructions on how to install / activate Pleco on a Palm Pre. (we plan to release a specifically Pre-optimized version of Pleco sometime soon)

Please feel free to contact us with any questions about hardware compatibility.

Memory Card

A full install of Pleco 2.0 can get very large (almost 500 MB with the complete set of audio files), so your handheld will need a memory expansion card in order to have enough storage space for a complete install of Pleco. These are generally quite inexpensive; 1 GB cards are about the smallest you can find nowadays, they have more than enough memory for a full install of Pleco and can usually be found for under US$10 / 100 RMB (or equivalent), or even less if you shop around online.

All Palm handhelds use either SD (Secure Digital) memory cards, or their smaller relatives, miniSD and microSD memory cards. microSD memory cards usually come with adapters that allow them to work with full-sized SD / miniSD card slots too, so if you buy a microSD card you should be able to use it on handhelds with all three types of memory card slot.

Some older Palm OS handhelds only support SD cards as large as 1 GB, and even many newer ones only support cards as large as 2 GB, so if you're not sure your handheld can take a larger card we recommend limiting yourself to a 1 GB card. (or checking with Palm to see if your handheld is compatible with a larger card)

Sony Clie handhelds use Sony Memory Stick flash memory cards instead of SD cards - Palm OS 5 Clies should all be able to use the newer Memory Stick "Pro" format.

 

 

Installing Pleco

There are several different ways to install Pleco to a Palm OS handheld, depending on your particular computer setup.

If you run into any any problems with a non-Card install procedure, see "Dealing With A Failed Install" for instructions on how to clean out the remnants of a failed install and try again.

The demo and paid version data files for Pleco are identical, so the installation procedure is the same for both. With the paid version, once you finish installing Pleco follow the steps under Unlocking Pleco to unlock it.

 

 

Automated Install

  1. If you haven't already done so, install the Palm Desktop software that came with your handheld. If you've lost it, you can download it again from Palm's website at:

    http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/win_desktop.html
  2. HotSync your Palm with your computer, by connecting it to your computer and pressing the sync button on the connection cable or cradle. This will ensure that Palm Desktop's configuration settings for your handheld are up-to-date.

    If you've purchased a memory expansion card for your handheld, make sure it's installed before you HotSync, and make sure NOT to cancel the HotSync until it finishes.
  3. Download the “Win Auto” version of Pleco for Palm OS from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  4. The Pleco installer runs on Windows, not on your Palm (it copies files over to your Palm), so just double-click on that downloaded file to bring up this screen:

    autoinstallprompt

    Make sure your Palm's username is selected in the "Username" box, leave the "Install to Card if Present" box unchecked, and click OK.
  5. HotSync your Palm with your computer again to copy the files over. This may take a while; if it goes on for longer than 2 hours, cancel the install, try the instructions under Dealing With a Failed Install (you might want to retry with a Manual install instead), and if that doesn't work, contact us for assistance.
  6. After the install finishes, go back to your Palm's program launcher screen by pressing or tapping on the button / icon with a picture of a house on it. Tap on the little menu at the top right corner of the screen and select "All," then scroll down to the icon for "Pleco" and tap on that icon to launch the software. If you see the numbers "1 2 3 4" at the top right corner of the screen instead of a little menu, tap on the "Applications" icon at the top of the screen and the menu should appear.

 

 

 

Windows XP Manual Install

  1. If you haven't already done so, install the Palm Desktop software that came with your handheld. If you've lost it, you can download it again from Palm's website at:

    http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/win_desktop.html
  2. HotSync your Palm with your computer, by connecting it to your computer and pressing the sync button on the connection cable or cradle. This will ensure that Palm Desktop's configuration settings for your handheld are up-to-date.

    If you've purchased a memory expansion card for your handheld, make sure it's installed before you HotSync, and make sure NOT to cancel the HotSync until it finishes.
  3. Download the “Win Manual” version of Pleco for Palm OS from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  4. Double-click on that downloaded file and it should open like a regular Windows folder:

    Opened Zip
  5. Inside of that folder, you should see a file called "Pleco.prc" or just "Pleco." Double-click on that file to bring up this window:

    Quick Install

    You might see this window on top of it:

    Confirm Add

    if so, make sure your Palm's username is selected at the top of the screen and click OK.

    If you see an "Install Tool" window here instead of "Quick Install," continue from step 5 of the Vista Install Instructions. (some versions of Palm Desktop on XP actually behave like the Vista version)

    If none of these windows appears, or you get an error message about Windows not being able to open the file, try reinstalling Palm Desktop again, and if that doesn't work contact us for assistance.
  6. The left side of this "Quick Install' window should be divided into two sections - "Handheld" and "Expansion Card." (there may also be a third "Internal Drive" item there on some Palms)

    If you only see a "Handheld" section, close Quick Install, double-check that your memory expansion card is inserted correctly, then HotSync your Palm with your computer again (making sure NOT to cancel/disconnect it until it finishes) and retry the install starting from Step 5.
  7. Inside of the Pleco installation folder, you should see a bunch of other folders - "Dictionaries," "Fonts," etc. Open up each of these folders, and double-click on each of the files inside of them to add them to the file list in the Quick Install window.
  8. Click-and-drag each of the files in the "Handheld" section of the screen to the "Expansion Card" section, EXCEPT for "Pleco.prc" and "Pleco HWR Database.pdb" - both of those should be left in the "Handheld" part. You can drag those items to "Internal Drive" instead if your Palm supports that.
  9. Close the Quick Install screen, and HotSync your Palm with your computer again to copy the files over. This may take a while; if it goes on for longer than 2 hours, cancel the install, try the instructions under Dealing With a Failed Install, and if that doesn't work, contact us for assistance.
  10. After the install finishes, go back to your Palm's program launcher screen by pressing or tapping on the button / icon with a picture of a house on it. Tap on the little menu at the top right corner of the screen and select "All," then scroll down to the icon for "Pleco" and tap on that icon to launch the software. If you see the numbers "1 2 3 4" at the top right corner of the screen instead of a little menu, tap on the "Applications" icon at the top of the screen and the menu should appear.

 

 

Windows Vista Manual Install

  1. Install the latest version of Palm Desktop from:

    http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/win_desktop.html

    Note that the version of Palm Desktop that ships on CD with most Palms is not compatible with Vista, so you'll need to go to that website and download/install the latest, Vista-compatible version before continuing.
  2. HotSync your Palm with your computer, by connecting it to your computer and pressing the sync button on the connection cable or cradle. This will ensure that Palm Desktop's configuration settings for your handheld are up-to-date.

    If you've purchased a memory expansion card for your handheld, make sure it's installed before you HotSync, and make sure NOT to cancel the HotSync until it finishes.
  3. Download the “Win Manual” version of Pleco for Palm OS from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  4. Double-click on that downloaded file and it should open like a regular Windows folder:

    Opened Zip
  5. Inside of that folder, you should see a file called "Pleco.prc" or just "Pleco." Double-click on that file to bring up this window:

    Install Tool

    If this window doesn't appear, or you get an error message about Windows not being able to open the file, try reinstalling Palm Desktop again (make sure it's the Vista version), and if that doesn't work contact us for assistance.
  6. There should be a clickable (not grayed-out) "Change Destination" button at the bottom of this screen. If it's not there, or if it's grayed out, close Install Tool, double-check that your memory expansion card is inserted correctly, then HotSync your Palm with your computer again (making sure NOT to cancel/disconnect it until it finishes) and retry the install starting from Step 5.
  7. Inside of the Pleco installation folder, you should see a bunch of other folders - "Dictionaries," "Fonts," etc. Open up each of these folders, and double-click on each of the files inside of them to add them to the file list in the Install Tool window.
  8. Click on the Change Destination button to bring up this screen:

    Change Destination

    For each file in the list on the left side of the screen, EXCEPT for "Pleco.prc" and "Pleco HWR Database.pdb," click on the file's name, then click on the right-pointing arrow button in the middle of the screen to move it over to the right side of the screen. So in the end, you should be left with Pleco.prc and Pleco HWR Database.pdb in the left list and everything else in the right list.
  9. Close the Change Destination and Install Tool screens, and HotSync your Palm with your computer again to copy the files over. This may take a while; if it goes on for longer than 2 hours, cancel the install, try the instructions under Dealing With a Failed Install, and if that doesn't work, contact us for assistance.
  10. After the install finishes, go back to your Palm's program launcher screen by pressing or tapping on the button / icon with a picture of a house on it. Tap on the little menu at the top right corner of the screen and select "All," then scroll down to the icon for "Pleco" and tap on that icon to launch the software. If you see the numbers "1 2 3 4" at the top right corner of the screen instead of a little menu, tap on the "Applications" icon at the top of the screen and the menu should appear.

 

 

 

Mac Install

  1. If you haven't already done so, install the Palm Desktop software that came with your handheld. If you've lost it, you can download it again from Palm's website at:

    http://www.palm.com/us/support/macintosh/mac_desktop.html

    A few Palm OS handheld models (mostly those made by Sony) may not be compatible with Palm Desktop; if so, you can also try using Missing Sync, which supports a greater range of Palm OS handhelds than Palm's own software does. (the following instructions are only for Palm Desktop)
  2. HotSync your Palm with your computer, by connecting it to your computer and pressing the sync button on the connection cable or cradle. This will ensure that Palm Desktop's configuration settings for your handheld are up-to-date.

    If you've purchased a memory expansion card for your handheld, make sure it's installed before you HotSync, and make sure NOT to cancel the HotSync until it finishes.
  3. Download the “Mac OS” version of Pleco for Palm OS from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  4. After the download finishes, you should see a drive called "pp204" appear on your computer's desktop. If not, double-click on the downloaded file and that should get it to appear.
  5. Inside of that drive, you should see a file called "Pleco.prc." Double-click on that file to bring up this window:

    Install Handheld Files

    If you get an error message, or "GraphicConverter" or another program opens instead of Palm Desktop, go to Macintosh HD, Applications, Palm, and open Palm Desktop. Choose "Install Handheld Files" from the "HotSync" menu at the top of the screen, then drag Pleco.prc into the file list.
  6. Inside of the "Pleco 2.0" drive, you should see a bunch of other folders - "Dictionaries," "Fonts," etc. Open up each of these folders, and drag each of the files inside of them into the file list in Install Handheld Files; you can also double-click on each file, or click on the "Add to List" button to add them to the list through an Open dialog.
  7. Once you've finished adding files to the list, click on the "Change Destination" button to bring up this screen:

    Change Destination

    For each file in the list on the left side of the screen, EXCEPT for "Pleco.prc" and "Pleco HWR Database.pdb," click on the file's name, then click on the right-pointing triangle button in the middle of the screen to move it over to the right side of the screen. So in the end, you should be left with Pleco.prc and Pleco HWR Database.pdb in the left list and everything else in the right list.
  8. Close the Change Destination and Install Handheld Files screens, and HotSync your Palm with your computer again to copy the files over. This may take a while; if it goes on for longer than 2 hours, cancel the install, try the instructions under Dealing With a Failed Install, and if that doesn't work, contact us for assistance.
  9. After the install finishes, go back to your Palm's program launcher screen by pressing or tapping on the button / icon with a picture of a house on it. Tap on the little menu at the top right corner of the screen and select "All," then scroll down to the icon for "Pleco" and tap on that icon to launch the software. If you see the numbers "1 2 3 4" at the top right corner of the screen instead of a little menu, tap on the "Applications" icon at the top of the screen and the menu should appear.

 

 

Dealing With A Failed Install

If you run into any errors attempting to install Pleco on your Palm using one of the above methods, here's how to clear out the remains of the failed install and try the install again with a smaller set of data files.

  1. Open up your Palm Desktop user folder.

    On Windows XP, it's at My Computer, C, Program Files, Palm (or palmOne, or Palm Desktop), and then a folder with your Palm's username (probably last name followed by first initial).

    On Windows Vista, it's at My Computer, C, Users, (your Windows username), Documents, Palm OS Desktop, and then a folder with your Palm's username as above.

    On Mac OS X, it's at Macintosh HD, Users, (your Mac username), Documents, Palm, Users, and then a folder with your Palm's username.
  2. Rename the "Backup" or "Backups" folder inside of there to "Old Backup". If you see any folders named "Install," "CardInst," "QuickInstall," "Packages," or "Files to Install," delete those folders. (don't worry, Palm Desktop will rebuild them the next time you HotSync)
  3. On your Palm, go to the program launcher screen, tap on the clock at the top of the screen to bring up the menu bar, and select Delete from the App menu. In that screen, select and delete any item with "Pleco" (but not "PlecoDict") in its name.
  4. If you were using the Automated installer before, try the install again with the Windows XP Manual or Windows Vista Manual installer instead of the Automated one. If you're doing a Manual install already, skip any dictionaries from the "Dictionaries" folder that you're not planning to purchase - "p2oxec" and "p2oxce" are the only ones required for the "Basic" bundle, and "p2abc" and "p2abcec" are the only ones required for the "Professional" bundle.
  5. If that doesn't work either, clean the install out again and then try it one more time with only the two Oxford files from the "Dictionaries" folder, font18 and font24 from the "Fonts" folder, all the files from the "Handwriting" and "Encodings" folders, and the Pleco application file (Pleco.prc) from the main install folder.

 

 

 

Card Install

  1. Obtain a flash memory card for your Palm, and a memory card reader for your computer. See System Requirements for more information on flash memory cards.

    A memory card reader is a small device that plugs into your computer’s USB port; it lets you read / write these flash memory cards just like CDs or floppy disks. Many computers actually have a memory card reader built in; if yours doesn’t, almost any electronics store will carry them and they’re generally quite inexpensive.

    If you're located in China, the Chinese translation of "memory card reader" is dukaqi du2ka3qi4 and the translation for "SD Card" is just sd ka S-D-ka3 - any electronics market in China should have lots of vendors selling memory card readers, and you can probably find one for around 20 or 30 RMB.
  2. Download the “Win Card” version of Pleco for Palm OS from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  3. Double-click on the downloaded file (a Zip archive) – it should open up just like a regular Windows folder. You should see a “Palm” folder inside of it - drag that folder to your computer's desktop.
  4. Connect the memory card reader to your computer; it should just plug into a free USB port, and in most cases you won't need to install any drivers. Wait a moment while Windows detects the card reader and configures it for use.
  5. Insert the memory card in the memory card reader. If you’re prompted to reformat the card and it asks you what filesystem to use, choose “FAT,” or if that’s not available, “FAT32.”
  6. Double-click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop. If you don’t see one, go to the Start Menu and select the My Computer icon in there.
  7. You should see the memory card listed as one of the drives on your computer. If you’re not sure which one it is, open up each icon until you find one with no files in it (or with files that you’ve already put on the memory card) - it'll most likely be something in the E/F/G/H/I/J/K drive letter range.
  8. Double-click on that memory card icon to open it, and drag the "Palm" folder onto the card. If it asks you if you'd like to replace any files with the same names, click Yes.

    If you encounter an "out of memory" error message, cancel the file copy, delete the already-copied files, then look around the card to see if there are any other files you can safely delete. If that doesn’t free up enough space to allow the install to work correctly, contact support.

    If you encounter a “read only” error message, remove the flash memory card from the reader and make sure that the "lock" switch on the side of the card is turned off, then reinsert the card and try installing again.
  9. Once the copy finishes, remove the memory card from the reader and insert it into your Palm.
  10. Go back to your Palm's program launcher screen by pressing or tapping on the button / icon with a picture of a house on it. Tap on the little menu at the top right corner of the screen and select the last item listed - it should have a little SD card icon next to it and may be called "Card" or "Card1" or whatever you named the card when you formatted it. Then, scroll down to the icon for "Pleco" and tap on that icon to launch the software. If you see the numbers "1 2 3 4" at the top right corner of the screen instead of a little menu, tap on the "Applications" icon at the top of the screen and the menu should appear.
  11. Once you've launched Pleco successfully, you can move part of it to your Palm's internal memory to get it to load faster. To do this, go back to the program launcher screen (make sure it's the one with the menu at the top right corner and not "1 2 3 4"), tap on the clock at the top LEFT corner of the screen, and choose "Copy" from that menu. Make sure "Handheld" or "Phone" is selected from the "Copy To" menu at the top of that screen, and your card is selected from the 'From" menu. Highlight the item labeled "Pleco" or "Pleco 2" and tap the Copy button to copy it into your Palm's internal memory.

 

 

Mac Card Install

  1. Obtain a flash memory card for your Palm, and a memory card reader for your computer. See System Requirements for more information on flash memory cards.

    A memory card reader is a small device that plugs into your computer’s USB port; it lets you read / write these flash memory cards just like CDs or floppy disks. Many computers actually have a memory card reader built in; if yours doesn’t, almost any electronics store will carry them and they’re generally quite inexpensive.

    If you're located in China, the Chinese translation of "memory card reader" is dukaqi du2ka3qi4 and the translation for "SD Card" is just sd ka S-D-ka3 - any electronics market in China should have lots of vendors selling memory card readers, and you can probably find one for around 20 or 30 RMB.
  2. Download the "Mac Card" version of Pleco for Palm OS from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  3. After the download finishes, you should see a disk called "pp204-card" appear on your computer's desktop. If not, double-click on the downloaded file and that should get it to appear.
  4. Inside of that "pp204-card" disk, you should see a folder called "Palm" - drag that folder to your computer's desktop.
  5. Connect the memory card reader to your computer; it should just plug into a free USB port, and Mac OS should automatically detect / enable it.
  6. Insert the memory card in the memory card reader. If you’re prompted to reformat the card and it asks you what filesystem to use, choose “FAT,” or if that’s not available, “FAT32” - DON'T choose HFS, as your handheld won't be able to read a card in that format.
  7. The memory card should now show up as a drive on your Mac's desktop. Double-click on that memory card drive to open it.

    If you see a "Palm" folder on the memory card, open it, open the "Launcher" folder inside of it, then open up the "Palm" folder on your desktop, open up the "Launcher" folder inside of that, and drag all of the files from the desktop Launcher folder into the memory card Launcher folder. If the system asks you if you'd like to replace any files with the same names, click Yes.

    If you don't see a "Palm" folder on the card, simply drag the Palm folder on your desktop onto the card to copy it over.

    If you encounter an "out of memory" error message, cancel the file copy, delete the already-copied files, then look around the card to see if there are any other files you can safely delete. If that doesn’t free up enough space to allow the install to work correctly, contact support.

    If you encounter a “read only” error message, remove the flash memory card from the reader and make sure that the "lock" switch on the side of the card is turned off, then reinsert the card and try installing again.
  8. Once the copy finishes, remove the memory card from the reader and insert it into your Palm.
  9. Go back to your Palm's program launcher screen by pressing or tapping on the button / icon with a picture of a house on it. Tap on the little menu at the top right corner of the screen and select the last item listed - it should have a little SD card icon next to it and may be called "Card" or "Card1" or whatever you named the card when you formatted it. Then, scroll down to the icon for "Pleco" and tap on that icon to launch the software. If you see the numbers "1 2 3 4" at the top right corner of the screen instead of a little menu, tap on the "Applications" icon at the top of the screen and the menu should appear.
  10. Once you've launched Pleco successfully, you can move part of it to your Palm's internal memory to get it to load faster. To do this, go back to the program launcher screen (make sure it's the one with the menu at the top right corner and not "1 2 3 4"), tap on the clock at the top LEFT corner of the screen, and choose "Copy" from that menu. Make sure "Handheld" or "Phone" is selected from the "Copy To" menu at the top of that screen, and your card is selected from the 'From" menu. Highlight the item labeled "Pleco" or "Pleco 2" and tap the Copy button to copy it into your Palm's internal memory.

 

 

 

Purchasing Pleco

See this page on our website for information on our current pricing and dictionary bundles.

When you purchase Pleco, you receive a special "keyfile" to unlock the software on your handheld; this keyfile is uniquely generated for your handheld's System ID, and won't work on any other handheld. If you upgrade or replace your handheld with another Pleco-compatible Palm OS or Windows Mobile handheld, you can obtain a replacement keyfile for that handheld without having to buy the software again.

If you prefer, we also offer the option of tying your keyfile to an SD flash memory card instead of to a specific handheld; this will allow you to run Pleco on any Palm OS or Windows Mobile handheld as long as that card is inserted in it.

Here are the exact steps to purchase Pleco:

  1. Open Pleco, and tap on the "Ordering" button in the demo version warning dialog that comes up to bring up this screen:

    Palm Ordering

    You can also get to this screen by choosing "Ordering" from the "About" menu.

    Copy down the System ID listed here (where the XXXXXes are in this screenshot). You can check the "Installed Components" list to make sure the items in the bundle you want to purchase have all installed correctly.

    To tie your copy of Pleco to an SD card instead of a specific handheld, tap on the "Card ID" button at the bottom of the screen to obtain an alternate Card ID; use that ID instead of the System ID in the next step. This makes absolutely no difference in where Pleco can store / access its data files; it only determines how the software unlocks itself when it first starts up.
  2. Go to http://www.pleco.com/store/ and select the Pleco bundle you want to purchase. Enter your System ID or Card ID in the appropriate blank on the order form.
  3. Finish checking out, and you’ll be given a link to download your Pleco “keyfile.” You’ll also receive a copy of that keyfile as an e-mail attachment, and it can be re-downloaded at any time from http://www.pleco.com/orders.html. (this is also the page you visit to obtain a replacement keyfile for a new/upgraded handheld)
  4. Use this keyfile in the "Unlocking Pleco" procedure below to unlock your new copy of Pleco.

 


Unlocking Pleco

To unlock a paid copy of Pleco, simply copy your keyfile over to your handheld and then run Pleco and it should detect the keyfile and unlock itself.

If you installed Pleco to your Palm using an Automated Install (on Windows), simply double-click on the keyfile and it should queue up to install to your Palm; then, HotSync your Palm and the keyfile will transfer over.

If you installed Pleco to your Palm using Palm Desktop (i.e., a "Windows XP," "Windows Vista," or "Mac" Install), you can install the keyfile to your Palm the same way you installed the other files - i.e., double-click on it and then HotSync your Palm with your desktop to copy it over.

If you installed it using one of the Card-based install methods, insert your SD card into your card reader again, copy the keyfile over to the card (the root directory is fine, you don't need to put it inside of a folder on the card), then insert the card back into your handheld.

After you've copied the keyfile over, simply launch Pleco and it should automatically detect the keyfile and unlock itself. You no longer need to run PDUnlock as in version 1.0 - we've eliminated that step in 2.0.

 

 

Uninstalling Pleco

  1. On your Palm, go to the program launcher screen, tap on the clock at the top of the screen to bring up the menu bar, and select Delete from the App menu.
  2. In that screen, select and delete any item with "Pleco" (but not "PlecoDict") in its name.
  3. After you've deleted all of the Pleco items, tap on the little menu at the top of the screen next to "Delete From" and select the next item in it (probably "Card" or "Card1").
  4. Again, delete any item with "Pleco" in its name.

 

 

Upgrading from Pleco 2.0 / 2.0.1 / 2.0.2

The following instructions describe how to install a minor upgrade (2.0.4) when you've already installed Pleco 2.0. To upgrade from PlecoDict 1.0 or an earlier version, see the separate upgrade guide.

We strongly recommend backing up your flashcard and user dictionary databases before installing any Pleco update - see Backing Up and Restoring Your User Data below for instructions on how to do that.

To install the upgrade on Windows using the Automated installer:

  1. Download the “Win Auto” version of Pleco 2.0.4 "Update" from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  2. The Pleco installer runs on Windows, not on your Palm (it copies files over to your Palm), so just double-click on that downloaded file to bring up this screen:

    autoinstallprompt

    Make sure your Palm's username is selected in the "Username" box, leave the "Install to Card if Present" box unchecked, and click OK.
  3. HotSync your Palm with your computer again to copy the files over. This may take a while; if it goes on for longer than 2 hours, cancel the install, try the instructions under Dealing With a Failed Install (you might want to retry with a Manual install instead), and if that doesn't work, contact us for assistance.
  4. After the install finishes, launch Pleco and you should now be running the new version. To verify that you actually are, choose "About..." from the "About" menu and check that the version number listed there is 2.0.4.

To install the upgrade on Windows (XP or Vista) using a Manual install:

  1. Download the “Win Manual” version of the Pleco 2.0.4 "Update" from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  2. Double-click on that downloaded file and it should open like a regular Windows folder.
  3. Inside of that folder, you should see a file called "Pleco.prc" or just "Pleco." Double-click on that file to queue it up to install to your Palm.
  4. If you'd like to install the new / updated dictionaries (Tuttle, ACED, ABC C-E and ABC E-C) as well, double-click on the other four files (p2tuttle, p2aced, p2abc, and p2abcec) in that folder. Then, if you're using Windows XP, drag the two dictionary files (but NOT Pleco.prc) to the "Expansion Card" section of the "Quick Install" window. If you're using Windows Vista, click on "Change Destination," highlight each of the dictionary files (but NOT Pleco.prc), and click on the right-pointing arrow to move them to the right side of the screen.
  5. HotSync your Palm with your desktop.
  6. Launch Pleco and you should now be running the new version. To verify that you actually are, choose "About..." from the "About" menu and check the version number listed there.

To install the upgrade from a Mac OS computer with Palm Desktop: (Mac OS Install)

  1. Download the “Mac OS” version of the Pleco 2.0.4 "Update" from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  2. After the download finishes, you should see a drive called "pp204-update" appear on your computer's desktop. If not, double-click on the downloaded file and that should get it to appear.
  3. Inside of that drive, you should see a file called "Pleco.prc." Double-click on that file to queue it up to install to your Palm.

    If you get an error message, or "GraphicConverter" or another program opens instead of Palm Desktop, go to Macintosh HD, Applications, Palm, and open Palm Desktop. Choose "Install Handheld Files" from the "HotSync" menu at the top of the screen, then drag Pleco.prc into the file list.
  4. If you'd like to install the new / updated dictionaries (Tuttle, ACED, ABC C-E and ABC E-C) as well, double-click on the other four files (p2tuttle, p2aced, p2abc, and p2abcec) in that folder. Then, in the "Install Handheld Files" window that comes up, click on "Change Destination," highlight each of the dictionary files (but NOT Pleco.prc), and click on the right-pointing arrow to move them to the right side of the screen.
  5. HotSync your Palm with your desktop.
  6. Launch Pleco and you should now be running the new version. To verify that you actually are, choose "About..." from the "About" menu and check the version number listed there.

To install the upgrade from a Windows computer via an SD Card using a memory card reader: (Card Install)

  1. Download the "Win Card" version of the Pleco 2.0.4 "Update" from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  2. Double-click on that downloaded file and it should open like a regular Windows folder.
  3. Inside of that folder, you should see a file called "Pleco.prc" or just "Pleco." Copy that file to your computer's desktop.
  4. Connect the memory card reader to your computer; it should just plug into a free USB port, and in most cases you won't need to install any drivers. Wait a moment while Windows detects the card reader and configures it for use.
  5. Insert the memory card in the memory card reader.
  6. Double-click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop. If you don’t see one, go to the Start Menu and select the My Computer icon in there.
  7. You should see the memory card listed as one of the drives on your computer. If you’re not sure which one it is, open up each icon until you find one with no files in it (or with files that you’ve already put on the memory card) - it'll most likely be something in the E/F/G/H/I/J/K drive letter range.
  8. Double-click on that memory card icon to open it, open the "Palm" folder on the card and the "Launcher" folder inside of that, and drag the "Pleco.prc" file into that folder, replacing the file that's already there.

    If you'd like to install the new / updated dictionaries (Tuttle, ACED, ABC C-E and ABC E-C) as well, drag those four files (p2tuttle, p2aced, p2abc, and p2abcec) to the "Launcher" folder too.

    If you encounter a “read only” error message, remove the flash memory card from the reader and make sure that the "lock" switch on the side of the card is turned off, then reinsert the card and try installing again.
  9. Once the copy finishes, remove the memory card from the reader and insert it into your Palm.
  10. Go back to your Palm's program launcher screen (make sure it's the one with the menu at the top right corner and not "1 2 3 4"), tap on the clock at the top LEFT corner of the screen, and choose "Copy" from that menu. Make sure "Handheld" or "Phone" is selected from the "Copy To" menu at the top of that screen, and your card is selected from the 'From" menu. Highlight the item labeled "Pleco" or "Pleco 2" and tap the Copy button to copy it into your Palm's internal memory.
  11. Launch Pleco and you should now be running the new version. To verify that you actually are, choose "About..." from the "About" menu and check the version number listed there.

To install the upgrade from a Mac OS computer via an SD Card using a memory card reader: (Mac Card Install)

  1. Download the "Mac Card" version of the Pleco 2.0.4 "Update" from:

    http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html
  2. After the download finishes, you should see a disk called "pp204-update" appear on your computer's desktop. If not, double-click on the downloaded file and that should get it to appear.
  3. Inside of that "pp204-update" disk, you should see a folder called "Palm" - drag that folder to your computer's desktop.
  4. Connect the memory card reader to your computer; it should just plug into a free USB port, and Mac OS should automatically detect / enable it.
  5. Insert the memory card in the memory card reader.
  6. The memory card should now show up as a drive on your Mac's desktop. Double-click on that memory card drive to open it.
  7. Open the "Palm" folder on the card, and the "Launcher" folder inside of it, then drag "Pleco.prc" into that Launcher folder, replacing the file that's already there.

    If you'd like to install the new / updated dictionaries (Tuttle, ACED, ABC C-E and ABC E-C) as well, drag those four files (p2tuttle, p2aced, p2abc, and p2abcec) to the "Launcher" folder too.

    If you encounter a “read only” error message, remove the flash memory card from the reader and make sure that the "lock" switch on the side of the card is turned off, then reinsert the card and try installing again.
  8. Once the copy finishes, remove the memory card from the reader and insert it into your Palm.
  9. Go back to your Palm's program launcher screen (make sure it's the one with the menu at the top right corner and not "1 2 3 4"), tap on the clock at the top LEFT corner of the screen, and choose "Copy" from that menu. Make sure "Handheld" or "Phone" is selected from the "Copy To" menu at the top of that screen, and your card is selected from the 'From" menu. Highlight the item labeled "Pleco" or "Pleco 2" and tap the Copy button to copy it into your Palm's internal memory.
  10. Launch Pleco and you should now be running the new version. To verify that you actually are, choose "About..." from the "About" menu and check the version number listed there.

 

Backing Up and Restoring Your User Data

Backing Up

If you're using a Palm Tungsten E, T2, T3, Zire 31, 71, or 72, Treo 600, Tapwave Zodiac, or Sony Clie, your flashcard and user dictionary databases are stored in your Palm's internal memory and will be backed up to your computer whenever you HotSync. To back the files up to an SD card, you'll need to use our PlecoMover utility (see below).

If you're using a Palm Tungsten E2, T5, TX, or a Palm Treo or Centro other than the Treo 600, your flashcard and user dictionary databases are stored in a special hidden internal flash memory volume on your Palm. To get them out of there and back them up, you'll need to use our PlecoMover utility (see below).

 

PlecoMover

If you followed our installation instructions, PlecoMover should have installed automatically along with the other Pleco 2.0 files, and you should see an icon for it along with the icons for Pleco and PlecoConverter. If you don't see it, look for a file called "PlecoMover" inside of the Pleco 2.0 installation archive and install that to your Palm.

Before launching PlecoMover, open and then exit Pleco - this will make sure that any temporary database files are cleaned up correctly.

To use PlecoMover, tap on the PlecoMover icon in your Palm's program launcher and you should see the following screen:

PlecoMover

Select the file you want to back up (PlecoFlash is your flashcards database, PlecoCUser/PlecoEUser are user dictionary databases) and tap on the "Backup to SD Card" button to back it up to an SD card, or the "Backup to Internal" button to back it up to internal memory for a HotSync. Wait a minute or so while it copies the file and it should then put up a message telling you it's finished copying. Repeat this for each file you want to back up.

If you're backing up to an SD card, this is all you need to do. With a HotSync backup, after PlecoMover has finished, HotSync you Palm with your desktop to back up the files. If your handheld is low on free storage space, after HotSyncing , follow the instructions below to make an extra backup, then go back into PlecoMover, tap "Restore" at the top of the screen, select the backed-up file and tap the Delete button to delete it.

 

Making an Extra Backup of HotSynced Files

We strongly recommend making an extra backup copy of files backed up by a HotSync, since it's very easy for the contents of the HotSync backup folder to be erased / corrupted.

To make an extra backup copy of files you've HotSynced, go into the "Backup" (or on Mac OS X, "Backups") folder inside of your Palm Desktop user folder - see here for help finding that user folder. Inside of that folder you should see one or more files named "PlecoFlash" - back up all of those files to another location on your computer. Also back up any files named "PlecoCUser" or "PlecoEUser."

 

Making an Extra Backup of SD Card Files

To make an extra backup copy of files on an SD card, use a card reader (see the Card Install instructions for help finding one of those) to access the card from your computer and copy any "PlecoFlash," "PlecoCUser" and "PlecoEUser" files on the card (they'll be in the root directory of it) to your computer.

 

 

Restoring From A Previous Backup

To restore backed-up user data files from an SD Card, run PlecoMover again, tap the "Restore" button at the top of the screen, select the file you want to restore, and click on the "Restore from SD Card" button to restore it.

To restore backed-up user data files with a HotSync, reinstall them to your Palm (like any other Palm database files) from wherever they were backed up to. (if you made an extra backup copy like we recommend, reinstall them from there)

If you're restoring the backed-up files to an E2/T5/TX/Centro/Treo, after the HotSync, run PlecoMover again, tap the "Restore" button at the top of the screen, select the file you want to restore, and click on the "Restore from HotSync" button to restore it.

 

 

Transferring Pleco to a New Handheld

If you've created flashcards / user dictionary entries that you want to transfer over to the new handheld, follow the steps above under "Backing Up" to copy them to your computer before you transfer the software over, then follow the steps under "Restoring" after you finish transferring the software to copy them to the new handheld. Make sure to make an extra backup copy (per the instructions) if you back them up using a HotSync, since they could be overwritten when you're setting up the new handheld.

 

If you've locked your copy of Pleco to a specific handheld (System ID):

  1. Uninstall Pleco from your old handheld, using the uninstall procedure above.
  2. Install Pleco on your new handheld, using the appropriate install procedure for that.
  3. Open Pleco on the new handheld and tap on the Ordering button in the demo version warning message that comes up. Copy down the System ID listed on that screen.
  4. Go to the My Orders page on our website, and log in using the information from your order confirmation e-mail.
  5. Enter the new handheld's System ID in the form under "Keyfile Replacement," and click on the "Agree" button to download your new keyfile.
  6. Unlock Pleco with that new keyfile per the instructions under Unlocking Pleco.

 

If you've locked your copy of Pleco to an SD Card (Card ID):

  1. Remove your SD card from your old handheld and insert it in your new one.
  2. If you installed Pleco using a Windows XP / Windows Vista / Mac Install, repeat the install procedure for that again, but this time ONLY install the file "Pleco.prc" - the other files should all still be on the SD card.

    If you installed Pleco using a Card-based install, the Pleco application icon should show up in the application launcher screen just like it did on the old one - assuming it is, you don't need to reinstall anything.
  3. Unlock Pleco again per the instructions under Unlocking Pleco.

 

 

Installing Add-Ons

Officially Supported

Extended Audio Files

Along with the basic set of audio files included with Pleco 2.0, we also offer an extended set of audio files which add support for a total of about 34,000 words. These are available as a free upgrade to anyone who purchases the regular set of audio files. The extended audio files are available at http://www.pleco.com/palmdownload.html - they're very large (180 MB) so make sure you download them on a fast internet connection.

The procedure for installing the extended audio files is exactly the same as the procedure for installing the basic software, just with different files - download the same version (Windows Automated, Windows Manual, Card, Mac OS, or Mac Card) and follow the same procedure that you used with the original Pleco install.

 

Unsupported

Alternate Audio Files

There's also an alternate set of audio files available with a female instead of a male speaker. These too are available as a free upgrade for anyone who owns a copy of the regular audio file set; we don't include them in the main package because unfortunately the recordings are of significantly lower quality than the ones in the male set (not on purpose; we had some issues with the contractor we hired to record them for us). They can be downloaded from http://www.pleco.com/dictaddons.html, and you can customize which set Pleco uses in the Misc panel of Preferences.

Free Dictionaries

We also offer several free add-on dictionaries for Pleco 2.0, based on various online and other free dictionary projects. These can be downloaded from http://www.pleco.com/dictaddons.html.

Flashcard Lists

Along with all of this, we also offer a selection of free flashcard lists for Pleco 2.0, providing vocabulary for several popular textbooks / Chinese language exams. These too can be downloaded from http://www.pleco.com/dictaddons.html.

To install any of these add-ons, open up the downloaded file (it should extract to a folder), then copy each of the .pdb databases inside of it to your Palm's memory expansion card via a HotSync (Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Mac OS install), or copy them directly to the /PALM/Launcher directory on your SD card (Card or Mac Card install).

After you've installed an add-on flashcard list, it won't actually show up in Pleco's flashcard system until you import it - i.e., add the vocabulary in it to your personal flashcard database. See the reference manual for details on how to import a flashcard list. The lists on our website are all UTF-8 encoded and in PalmDoc format - if you don't see the list under "PalmDoc File (Int)," try it under "PalmDoc File (Card)" instead.

 

Installing Text / Document Files

To convert a document file for use with Pleco's document reader, or convert a (correctly formatted) flashcard word list to import into Pleco's flashcard system, first save it as UTF-8 encoded text. If you have Microsoft Word, save the file as "Encoded Text" (in newer versions of Word it may be just "Plain Text") in the Save As window, then select UTF-8 encoding in the dialog box that pops up asking you to choose a text encoding. If you don't have / can't get this working in Word, another good Unicode-friendly text editor is EmEditor on Windows; it lets you select the text encoding right in its Save As dialog box. For help with text encoding conversion on Mac OS X, see the excellent [chinese mac] site.

Once you've saved your document as a UTF-8 .txt file, the next step depends on whether you're installing files with a HotSync or from memory cards.

If you're installing files with a memory card (Card Install or Mac Card Install), insert that card into your card reader again and simply copy the file to the card - it will be available as a "Text" format file in the Import / Pleco Reader screens. (make sure to select "UTF-8" text encoding from the Text Encoding popup list)

If you're installing files using HotSync (XP Install, Vista Install, or Mac Install), and you have an SD memory card for your Palm, you can usually install a text or XML file just like you installed Pleco's data files; open up Quick Install, Install Tool or Install Handheld Files and drag the file into that window (or click on the Add / Add to List button) to add it to the list of files to install; the file will be copied directly to your handheld's memory card on the next HotSync.

If that doesn't work, or if you don't have an SD card, you can install the file to your Palm's internal memory by converting it to PalmDoc format. Note that this only works for text files and not for XML ones.

If you're using Windows, download the free MakeDoc utility from our website; save that file to your desktop, open it (should act like a regular Windows folder), and open the program "makedocw" or "makedocw.exe" inside of it. In the screen that comes up, go to the "Advanced" tab and make sure "Ignore Single-Line Breaks" and "Tabs -> Line Breaks" are both un-checked, then go to the "Line Breaks" tab and make sure both options are set to "None." Then, go to the Conversion tab, click the Browse button, and select the text file you want to convert. Enter the name you want the file to have on your Palm in the "Title" field, then click the Convert button to convert the document to PalmDoc format.

If you're using Mac OS X, you can use Palm Doc Converter to convert the document to PalmDoc format - instructions for converting documents with that can be found on the publisher's website. (they also have a handy utility for syncing Chinese-language contacts / memos / etc between your Palm and your Mac)

Once you've finished converting the document, install the resulting .prc or .pdb database file to your Palm like you did all of Pleco's other data files, double-clicking on it or dragging it into / opening it from the Install Tool or Quick Install screen. Once it's installed to your Palm, the file should appear under the list of "PalmDoc" files in the Import / Pleco Reader screens. (make sure to select "UTF-8" text encoding from the Text Encoding popup list)

 

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