HotSync Palm works, can't use iSync

Question

We can sync our old Palm m505 using HotSync 3.2.1 to Palm Desktop 4.2.1 with no problems.
My daughter wants to sync instead with iCal, though.
When we launch iSync 2.4 and select Devices, Enable Palm OS Syncing..., click Continue, it says the HotSync software is not properly insatlled or it has never been opened.
We open HotSync Manager and try again, no luck.
The first time we tried, we were apparently using an older version of HotSync, but downloading and installing a newer version didn't help, we're getting the same error.
We'll try renaming the Palm account so there are no spaces and see if that helps, but I'm not holding my breath and am hoping someone here can suggest something.
TIA

Answer 1

Welcome to Apple Discussions.
This, or a slight variant of the message you report, is the most common issue encountered with synchronizing a Palm device under OS X. It usually occurs as a result of a user electing to install Mac OS X using the archive and install option.
Here are two methods you can use to correct the problem:
Take a look at the permissions of the folders listed below by selecting each folder, one at a time, and—either using the I key sequence or the Get Info option in the File menu of the Finder—opening the information box for the folder. Your permissions for the folders listed below should appear as described below the pathname to that folder:
For the Macintosh HD:Applications:Palm folder:
Ownership & Permissions
You can: Read & Write
Details
Owner: <shortusername>
Access: Read & Write
Group: admin
Access: Read & Write
Others: Read only
For the Macintosh HD:Library:Application Support:Palm Desktop folder:
Ownership & Permissions
You can: Read & Write
Details
Owner: <shortusername>
Access: Read & Write
Group: admin
Access: Read & Write
Others: Read only
For the Macintosh HD:Library:Application Support:Palm HotSync folder:
Ownership & Permissions
You can: Read & Write
Details
Owner: <shortusername>
Access: Read & Write
Group: admin
Access: Read & Write
Others: Read only
You can either reset those values manually, then restart and recheck them to be sure that they are set correctly or use the Terminal application by typing these strings listed below this example—substituting your short user name—as shown below:
sample: "sudo chown -R <shortusername>:admin /Applications/Palm"
actual: "sudo chown -R michaellafferty:admin /Applications/Palm"
…where michaellafferty is the <shortusername> in my case. Be sure to pay attention to the spaces in each string, and the direction of the / or \ forward and back slash characters.
Here are the appropriate Terminal entries. Each is is shown bulleted below, but actually begins with the term sudo:
• sudo chown -R <shortusername>:admin /Applications/Palm
NOTE: at this point, you'll be asked to enter your login password
• sudo chmod -R 775 /Applications/Palm
• sudo chown -R <shortusername>:admin /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ HotSync/
• sudo chmod -R 775 /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ HotSync/
• sudo chown -R <shortusername>:admin /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ Desktop/
• sudo chmod -R 775 /Library/Application\ Support/Palm\ Desktop/
Again, pay particular attention to the spaces and to the \ characters, as both are critical to the syntax of these commands. Remember to place your actual shortusername in the string where the <shortusername> placeholder is shown, as in the sample above. Do not include the < and > characters around your actual shortusername.
As a Palm user, don't elect to archive and install Mac OS X unless there is no other method to do so which insures that your applications and data are preserved.