Apple Newton Connection Utilities User Manual

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1 Getting Started

This chapter describes how to connect your Newton device to your computer, install the Newton Connection Utilities, and use the utilities to create your first backup.

About the Newton Connection Utilities

With the Newton Connection Utilities, you can connect your Apple

MessagePad or other Newton device to your computer and do the following:

mBack up Newton information and store it on your computer.

mInstall packages (applications, system updates, and so on) on your Newton device.

mUse your computer’s keyboard to enter information on your Newton device.

mImport information from your computer to your Newton device and export information from your Newton device to your computer.

mImport information from your computer to your Newton Works application on your Newton device and export Newton Works information from your Newton device to your computer. (Not available if you’re using the Newton 2.0 operating system.)

mKeep your applications synchronized by updating information on both your computer and your Newton device.

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mAutomatically back up and synchronize your information when you connect your Newton device to your desktop computer using the Auto Dock feature. (Not available if you’re using the Newton 2.0 operating system.)

The Newton Connection Utilities work with the Newton 2.0 and 2.1 operating system. If your Newton device has the Newton 2.0 operating system, the Auto Dock feature, transferring information to and from Newton Works.

Installation requirements

To use the Newton Connection Utilities, you need the following:

mAn IBM PC or compatible computer with an Intel 80486 DX2166 or later version microprocessor

mA VGA display or better

mWindows 3.1, Windows NT 3.5x, or Windows 95

m8 megabytes (MB) of total RAM

mA hard disk drive with 12 MB of available disk space

mAn available serial (COM) port

mA serial cable (9-pin or 25-pin corresponding to the available serial port). This cable is not included with the Newton Connection Utilities package. See “Connecting a Newton Device to Your Computer,” next, for more information about obtaining a cable. If you have a MessagePad 2000, you also must have the Newton Serial Adapter that comes with the MessagePad.

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Connecting a Newton device to your computer

Before you can transfer information between the PC and your Newton device, you need to connect the two machines with a serial cable. The Newton Connection Utilities communicate with the Newton device through a serial port on your PC.

PC serial ports come in two sizes—9-pin or 25-pin. On some computers a serial port may be labeled COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, or SERIAL.

9-pin serial port

If your computer has a 25-pin serial port,

 

you can use an adapter to connect.

To connect your Newton device to your PC, you need a serial cable with an 8-pin to 9-pin connector. If your computer’s serial port has a 25-pin connector, you also need a 9-pin to 25-pin adapter.

If you don’t have the serial cable you need, you can purchase one from an Apple-authorized dealer.

Attaching the cable

To connect your Newton device and PC by cable, follow these steps:

1Turn off your computer and your Newton device.

2Choose an available serial port on your PC.

3Connect the end of the cable with 9 holes to the appropriate port on your PC.

If you have a 25-pin serial port, attach the adapter to the cable. Then plug the larger end of the adapter into the serial port.

Getting Started

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4Plug the other (eight-pin) end of the serial cable into the Newton InterConnect port (or Communication port).

If you are using a MessagePad 2000, you must use the Newton Serial Adapter to connect your cable to the Newton InterConnect port. Be sure to connect the cable to the serial adapter first and then connect the adapter to your MessagePad 2000. Otherwise your MessagePad may not establish a connection properly.

Serial ports

Newton device communication port

Serial cable

That’s it! You’ve connected your Newton device to your computer.

Installing the Newton Connection Utilities

Before your computer can communicate with your Newton device, you need to install the Newton Connection Utilities on your computer. You’ll need the disks that came with this manual.

The Newton Connection Utilities installation program, Setup.exe, installs the Newton Connection Utilities software. For more information about the files installed on your computer, see the Readme file that’s installed with the Newton Connection Utilities software.

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To install the Newton Connection Utilities software, follow these steps:

1Insert the Setup 1 disk for the Newton Connection Utilities into a floppy disk drive.

2In Windows 95, click the Start button and then select Run. (If you’re in the Program Manager of Windows, select Run from the File menu.)

IMPORTANT The illustrations used in this manual show the Windows 95 versions of the application. If you are using a different version of Windows, the windows you see may look different, but the procedures are the same.

A window appears.

3Type A:\Setup and press Enter.

Enter the drive letter (usually A: or B:) corresponding to the disk drive that holds the installation disk.

4Follow the on-screen instructions.

Depending on the version of Windows that you’re using, you may be asked to restart Windows. When installation is complete, the Newton Connection Utilities program group appears in the Explorer or Program Manager, and the Newton Connection Utilities program (Ncu.exe) is installed in the

NCU directory.

IMPORTANT Don’t move the Newton Connection Utilities software or Backups directory from the NCU directory. The application and Backups directory must remain in this location to create backup files automatically. You can change the location where backup files are stored from within the Newton Connection Utilities, using the Settings command in the Newton menu. See “Changing the Location of the Backups Directory” in Chapter 2, “Backing Up and Restoring Information.” If you’re running Windows 95, you can also use a shortcut to access the application from a different location.

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Preparing your computer

To prepare your computer for communication with a Newton device, follow these steps.

Opening the Newton Connection Utilities

To open the utilities, follow these steps:

1On your computer, open the Newton Connection Utilities program group and doubleclick the Newton Connection Utilities icon.

The Newton Connection Utilities window appears on your computer.

Newton Connection

Utilities menus

Buttons are dimmed until you establish a connection from your Newton device.

Displays connection messages and other information

Next a window appears explaining that you must make some communications settings to complete your setup.

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2Click OK and continue following the procedure in “Selecting the Type of Connection on Your Computer,” next.

Selecting the type of connection on your computer

The first time you use the Newton Connection Utilities, you need to specify how the Newton device is connected to your computer.

Note: If the Settings window already appears on your screen, skip to step 2.

1To open the Settings window, choose Settings from the Newton menu.

2Click the Communications tab.

3Select the COM port to which the Newton’s serial cable is connected, using the “Select Port to Listen On” drop-down list.

If the port is already in use by another device, its name will not appear in the list.

Note: If you have trouble establishing or maintaining a connection between your computer and Newton device, you may need to select a lower communication speed. See “Problems Establishing a Connection” in Chapter 12, “Troubleshooting.”

4Click OK.

The type of connection you select is saved and remains set until you decide to change it.

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Preparing your Newton device

Before you use the Newton Connection Utilities, you need to tell your

Newton device how it is connected to the computer.

IMPORTANT Make sure you follow the setup instructions on your Newton device to enter your name and other owner information. The computer uses this name when it creates a backup file. See your Newton device user’s manual to learn how to enter your name. Also, it’s a good idea to name the storage cards you use with your Newton device.

Selecting the type of connection on your Newton device

1Tap Dock on your Newton screen.

Note: If you have a MessagePad 120 or 130 that uses the Newton 2.0 operating system, you use the Connection application in the Extras Drawer to select a connection type and establish a connection. On your Newton screen, tap Extras E , then tap Connection. You may have to show all icons to see the Connection icon. (Tap the Extras folder tab and then tap All Icons.) Then follow the remaining steps in the procedures for selecting settings and establishing a connection provided here.

A slip appears showing the type of connection currently set for your Newton device.

Tap to select another

 

 

 

Shows the type of connection

type of connection.

 

 

 

set for your Newton device

2 If necessary, tap “Connect via” to change the type of connection and choose Serial.

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Apple Newton Connection Utilities User Manual

Click to update information on both your Newton device and your computer.

Click to back up Newton information and save it on your computer.

Click to restore information you’ve backed up.

Click to import information from your computer to your Newton device.

Establishing a connection

After you select the type of connection, you need to establish a connection between your Newton device and your computer.

m Tap Connect in the Dock or Connection slip.

Slip for a

serial connection

Tap here to connect.

After a few moments, the connection is established. The buttons in the Newton Connection Utilities window are no longer dimmed.

Click to install a package on your Newton device.

Click to use your computer’s keyboard to enter information on your Newton device.

Click to export information from Newton Works to your computer.

Click to export information from your Newton device to your computer.

Click to import information from your computer to Newton Works.

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Newton Connection Utilities buttons also appear on your Newton screen.

You can use these buttons to select a utility. (However, exporting and transferring information to or from Newton Works are available only from your computer.)

Note: For simplicity, the instructions in this book describe using the Newton Connection Utilities from your computer, but you can also start the utilities from your Newton device. See Chapter 11, “Using the Utilities From Your Newton Device,” for more information.

Creating your first backup

After you establish a connection, you can make a backup of information and packages on your Newton device and store it on your computer.

Backing up your Newton device provides a safe way to store information in case it gets lost or deleted by mistake. It’s a good idea to back up your Newton device before you import, export, or synchronize information.

To create your first backup, follow these steps:

1 Click the Backup button in the Newton Connection Utilities window.

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Because this is your first backup, the Newton Connection Utilities automatically create a full backup of all your Newton information and packages. If you have a storage card inserted in your Newton device, information on the storage card is also backed up.

During the backup, a status window appears on your computer screen to show what information is being backed up.

After a few minutes, the window disappears and the backup is complete.

2Check to see the Backups directory on your computer.

When you back up your Newton device, a backup file for your Newton’s internal memory and one for any storage card that’s inserted are created and placed in a directory named Backups. By default, the Backups directory is located in the NCU directory.

For more information about backup files and directories, including how to change the location of the Backups directory, see Chapter 2, “Backing Up and Restoring Information.”

Setting a connection password

If desired, you can set a connection password for the Newton Connection Utilities. This password prevents others from using the Newton Connection Utilities without your permission.

To set a connection password, follow these steps:

1Open the Newton Connection Utilities and select Settings from the Newton menu.

The Settings window appears.

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2Click the Password tab.

The password options appear.

3Type your old password, if you set one, in the Old Password box. If you haven’t set a password, leave this box blank. Type a new password in the New Password box. Then type the new password again in the Confirm New Password box to verify the spelling of the new password.

4Click OK.

The window disappears.

The next time you establish a connection between your Newton device and your computer, a prompt appears on your Newton device asking you to enter your desktop connection password.

Note: The password you enter for the Newton Connections Utilities is not the same as the Personal Identification Number (PIN) you enter on your

Newton device.

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Setting up for Auto Dock

You can set up the Newton Connection Utilities to automatically back up or synchronize your Newton device when it’s connected to your computer. (The Auto Dock feature is not available on Newton devices that use the Newton 2.0 operating system.)

To set up Auto Dock, follow these steps:

1Open the Newton Connection Utilities and select Settings from the Newton menu.

The Settings window appears.

2Click the Auto Dock tab.

The Auto Dock options appear.

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3Select the options you want.

m Click the Backup checkbox to indicate that you want to back up all the information on your Newton device during an Auto Dock session.

m Click the Allow Selective Backup checkbox to indicate that you want to select the information to back up during an Auto Dock session.

m Click the Synchronize checkbox to have the Newton Connection Utilities perform a synchronization.

You can have the Newton Connection Utilities perform both a backup and a synchronization by selecting both options.

4Click OK.

The window disappears.

To turn on Auto Dock, you must also set preferences on your Newton device.

5On your Newton device, tap Dock, tap the Information button ; , and in the list that appears, tap Prefs.

A slip appears.

6Tap the Auto Dock checkbox.

You can also select the checkbox labeled “Always backup all information” to have your Newton device back up all your information during an Auto Dock session. If this box is not checked, a slip appears when you dock that allows you to back up selected applications using your connection software.

7Tap X to close the slip.

To turn on Auto Dock, you must also make settings in the Prefs area of your Newton device.

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8Tap Extras E , and then tap Prefs .

9Tap Auto Dock in the Preferences slip.

10Tap the checkbox labeled “Enable Auto Docking” to select it.

11Tap all X icons to close the slips.

To perform an Auto Dock session, start up the Newton Connection Utilities. Next connect the cable (and Newton Serial Adapter, if you have a MessagePad 2000) to your Newton device. A slip appears on the Newton device that enables you to begin the Auto Dock procedure. The Newton Connection Utilities perform a backup or synchronization according to your selected preferences.

Exiting the Newton Connection Utilities

To end a connection and exit the Newton Connection Utilities: m Select Exit from the File menu on your computer screen.

The connection ends and the Newton Connection Utilities window disappears.

You can also end a connection from your Newton device by tapping the close box (marked X ) next to the Newton Connection Utilities buttons.

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2 Backing Up and Restoring Information

The previous chapter described how to use the Newton Connection Utilities to create your first backup. This chapter describes how to do additional backups and how to restore information you’ve backed up.

About backup files

It’s important to back up your Newton information. Backup files provide a safe way to store a copy of information in case the original gets lost or deleted by mistake.

With the Newton Connection Utilities you can back up all information on your Newton device or you can choose information to back up.

The first time you create a backup, the Newton Connection Utilities back up all information on your Newton device (including any storage cards you’ve inserted) and store the information in a directory named Backups in the NCU directory.

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Inside the Backups directory is a file with a name derived from the owner’s name you entered on your Newton device. This file contains the latest backup information. If you haven’t entered an owner name on your Newton device, the file is called Newton.

By default, the Backups directory is located in the NCU directory. You can change the location of this directory. See “Changing the Location of the Backups Directory” later in this chapter.

Backing up cards

When you back up a storage card, a separate backup file is created with the name of the card. If you haven’t named your card, the file is called Card.nbk. If you back up more than one unnamed card, the backup files are named

Card.nbk, Card2.nbk, Card3.nbk, and so on.

Note: To avoid potential confusion and loss of information, you should name your storage cards. For more information on naming storage cards, see the user’s manual that came with your Newton device.

Previous backups

Every time you back up, the Newton Connection Utilities make a copy of the previous backup file and store it in a directory called Previous located in your Backups directory.

For example, if the owner’s name for your Newton device is Mike Chen, the Newton Connection Utilities create a file named Mike_Chen.nbk the first time you back up. The next time you back up, the Newton Connection Utilities copy the original file and place it in the Previous directory within the Backups directory. Then the utilities create a new backup, again called

Mike_Chen.nbk.

The Newton Connection Utilities maintain a current and previous backup file for all information in your Newton device’s internal memory and for each storage card you back up.

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Creating backup files

You can back up all information and packages on your Newton device, or you can just back up selected information and packages. The following section describes how to back up all information. To back up selected information and packages, see “Backing Up Selected Information and Packages” later in this chapter.

Backing up all information and packages

Before you begin, make sure your Newton device is connected to your computer. For instructions, see Chapter 1, “Getting Started.”

To back up all information on your Newton device, follow these steps:

1On your computer, open the Newton Connection Utilities.

To open the Newton Connection Utilities, double-click the Newton Connection Utilities icon in the Explorer.

2Establish a connection from your Newton device.

See Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” for instructions.

3On your computer, click the Backup button.

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A window appears with a list of items to back up.

List of information on your Newton device.

To see more items on the list, use the scroll bars.

Select to include all packages (including packages from other software publishers) in the backup.

Note: When you back up your Newton device for the first time (no backup file exists), this window doesn’t appear. Instead, a full backup of the Newton device begins as soon as you click Backup.

4Click Select All.

Select All selects all information. If a Clear All button appears instead of Select All, all information is already selected.

5Click the box labeled “Include all packages” to put a mark in it.

Doing so will select all your packages for backup.

6Click Backup.

A status window appears indicating a backup is in progress. Messages in the window show what information is being backed up.

When the window disappears, the backup is complete.

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Backing up selected information and packages

In general, it’s a good idea to back up all information on your Newton device. However, if you’ve only added information to one or two applications, you can select specific applications and information to back up. For example, you can choose to back up only the information in your Newton Dates application.

Typically, selective backup is faster than backing up all information and packages. When you selectively back up information, the new information is added to your most recent backup file and your previous backup file doesn’t change.

WARNING If you selectively back up, be careful when you restore information. You may lose information that has not been backed up. Apple recommends you restore only from a backup that includes all information and packages. See “Restoring Information and Packages” later in this chapter.

To back up selected information on your Newton device, follow these steps:

1Open the Newton Connection Utilities and establish a connection.

See Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” for instructions.

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2On your computer, click the Backup button.

A window appears with a list of information to back up.

Select this box to

 

 

 

Select the information

include all packages

 

 

 

 

 

 

you want to back up.

(including packages

 

 

 

from other software

 

 

 

 

publishers) in the

 

 

 

 

backup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3Select the information to back up.

To select an item to back up, click the box next to it so that you see a checkmark. Only checkmarked items are backed up.

4Click Backup.

A status window appears indicating a backup is in progress. Messages in the window show what information is being backed up.

When the window disappears, the information you selected is added to your latest backup file.

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Backing up a storage card

You can use the Newton Connection Utilities to back up the contents of a storage card.

To back up a storage card, follow these steps:

1Insert the storage card into your Newton device.

2Open the Newton Connection Utilities and establish a connection.

3Click Backup.

The Backup window appears. The bottom of the window includes a list of cards currently inserted in your Newton device.

Select the information you want to back up.

Select to back up a card.

4Make sure the card you want to back up is selected.

To select an item to back up, click the box next to it so that you see a checkmark.

5Click Backup.

A backup file with the name of the card appears in your Backups directory.

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Changing the location of the Backups directory

By default, the Backups directory is originally created in the NCU directory on your computer.

You can create a Backups directory in another location:

1Open the Newton Connection Utilities.

2Choose Settings from the Newton menu.

The Settings window appears.

3Click the General tab.

The General options appear.

Shows the current

location of the

Backups directory Click to change the location of the Backups directory.

4Click the Browse button and select a new location for your Backups directory.

5Click OK.

The new location you specified is saved and the window disappears. From now on, when you back up your Newton device, the backup files will appear in the directory location you chose. The original Backups directory and its contents do not change.

Note: To avoid confusion, you may want to remove or rename older backup files you’ve stored in other locations.

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Restoring information and packages

If something goes wrong and you lose information on your Newton device, you can restore information from the latest backup file on your computer.

You can restore all information in a backup file or choose specific information to restore. You can also restore information from storage cards you’ve backed up.

WARNING Restoring replaces information on your Newton device with information from a backup file on your computer. Make sure you select the correct information to restore or you may lose information you need.

Before you begin, make sure your Newton device is connected to your computer. For instructions, see Chapter 1, “Getting Started.”

To restore information, follow these steps:

1Open the Newton Connection Utilities and establish a connection.

2Click the Restore button.

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3In the window that appears, select the file that contains the information you want to restore.

Select the latest backup file for your Newton device.

Note: With the Newton Connection Utilities, you can restore information from a card backup file only to a card. You cannot restore information from a card backup file to your Newton’s internal memory.

WARNING If you selectively back up, be careful when you restore information. You may lose information that has not been backed up. Apple recommends you restore only from a backup that includes all information and packages.

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4Click Open.

You see a list of information and packages that can be restored. You can choose items to restore or you can restore all the items. To select an item, click the box next to it so that you see a checkmark.

Select the information

 

 

 

 

List of information to restore.

 

 

 

 

To see more items in the list,

you want to restore.

 

 

 

 

use the scroll bar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select the packages

 

 

 

 

List of packages to restore

 

you want to restore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5Select the items you want to restore.

6Click Restore.

A message appears asking you to confirm that you want to restore information from your computer onto your Newton device.

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7Click OK.

Information you selected is restored to your Newton device. A status window on your computer keeps you informed of the progress.

When you restore, only information and packages on your Newton device that correspond to information and packages in the backup file are replaced. For example, if your backup file contains Names and Dates, and your Newton device contains Names, Dates, and Notes, the Names and Dates files on your Newton device are replaced by the Names and Dates information from the backup file, but the Notes file on your Newton device is not replaced.

When the restoration is complete, a message appears on your Newton screen asking you to restart.

8Tap Restart.

Your Newton device restarts.

Note: If you have a personal identification number (PIN) assigned to your Newton device, the number is not restored. You’ll need to assign a new PIN. For more information on assigning a PIN, see the user’s manual that came with your Newton device.

Tips on managing backups

The following tips can help you back up and restore files on your

Newton device.

mIf you’re using more than one computer, you can set up a central location for backup files. That way, you’ll always know where the latest backup files are located. See “Changing the Location of the Backups Directory” earlier in this chapter.

mYou can copy backup files and rename them (or store them in a separate directory) to prevent them from being replaced by later backups. This is useful for managing or storing different sets of information.

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3 Installing Packages

This chapter describes how to use the Newton Connection Utilities to install packages.You can install packages on your Newton device or on a storage card.

Installing a package on your Newton device

A package is a special file that adds features to your Newton device. Examples of packages include applications, electronic books, and system updates.

Before you begin, make sure your Newton device is connected to your computer. For instructions, see Chapter 1, “Getting Started.”

IMPORTANT The package you install is added to the information already on your Newton device. Nothing is erased.

To install a package, follow these steps:

1Insert the floppy disk containing the package into your computer.

If the package is already on your computer’s hard disk, skip this step.

2On your computer, double-click the Newton Connection Utilities icon in the Explorer or Program Manager.

The Newton Connection Utilities window appears on your computer.

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3On your Newton device, establish a connection.

See Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” for instructions.

4Click the Install Package button.

5 In the window that appears, select the package you want to install and click Open.

The package is installed on your Newton device. A status window on your computer keeps you informed of the progress.

Note: If you stop a package installation, the connection between your Newton device and your computer ends. You'll need to reestablish the connection from your Newton device.

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