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Configuring CompanionLink

These are general configuration issues relating to the configuration of the CompanionLink program. Please see the sections specific to your handheld and contact manager for more detailed information about configuring CompanionLink. If you are configuring DoubleLook or DoubleNotes, please see the sections specific to those programs instead.

ALWAYS Backup Your Data Before Configuring CompanionLink.

  1. How do I configure CompanionLink?
  2. The user profile screen:
    1. What is the user profile screen?
    2. I already have a profile, but it's telling me to create a new one.
  3. Handheld configuration:
    1. Will CompanionLink work if my handheld is not in the drop-down list?
    2. I selected my handheld and CompanionLink gives me an error.
    3. Can I sync direct?
    4. Can I sync wirelessly?
  4. Contact manager configuration:
    1. What contact managers are supported?
    2. How do I keep my personal data from synching? (CompanionLink Express)
    3. How do I map phone numbers and fields from my database so that they sync to my handheld?
    4. How do I sync the notes on my contacts?
    5. How do I synchronize my group or filter?
    6. Should I select my User ID or All Users?
    7. What are custom fields?
    8. What does the Memo Info tab mean?
    9. What is Purge And Reload? Do I need to do this?
    10. What is the Category Field tab? How does this work?
    11. What is the Datebook Map / Todo Map tab?
  5. Finding your database:
    1. ACT!
    2. GoldMine
    3. Lotus Notes
    4. Outlook
  6. Category Manager configuration:
    1. How do I configure CompanionLink to sync with two different databases?
    2. How do I keep my personal data from synching? (CompanionLink Professional)

How Do I Configure CompanionLink?

  1. Install the software for your handheld. Prior to configuring your handheld, you must install the software for your handheld and make sure that your handheld can synchronize with this.
  2. Disconnect your handheld. If you will be synching direct to a Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile handheld, you MUST disconnect your handheld before running CompanionLink.
  3. Open CompanionLink Setup.
  4. Click on Settings. This button is where you choose your overall sync settings.
  5. The user profile screen may open. This is a feature of CompanionLink Professional, version 2.0 and higher. You may choose to remove an existing profile, create a new one or modify an existing one. Choose one of these, then click Next.
  6. The handheld selection screen will come up. Please select your handheld. If your handheld is not in the list, you would want to choose the generic option for your handheld's operating system. Typical generic choices are Palm - Other Palm operating system Device, Pocket PC Sync Through Outlook and Pocket PC Sync Direct. You may also select Outlook or Palm Desktop as the handheld to sync to these programs instead of a handheld.
  7. Click Next.
  8. The contact manager configuration screen will come up. Select your contact manager from the dropdown menu. If your contact manager is not listed, CompanionLink is not compatible. If your contact manager version is not listed, CompanionLink may still be compatible with it. Please see the list of supported contact managers and versions or contact our Technical Support department for assistance.
  9. Click Configure.
  10. The configuration tabs for the contact manager will come up. The most important tabs here are those that determine which database you are synchronizing with and the Purge And Reload tab. As long as the correct database is selected, you will be able to synchronize. All of the other settings may be configured however you wish.
  11. Click Apply, OK and Next.
  12. A summary screen will come up that describes your Category Field selection.
  13. Click Finish.
  14. The main screen will come up.
  15. If you wish to use the Category Manager, click on the Category Manager button. Note: If you are synching direct with a Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile handheld, you will not be able to use this feature.
    1. The user profile screen may open. If it does, select the correct option and click Next.
    2. The Category Manager will open. Please see the Category Manager section for help with configuring this area.
    3. Click Finish.
  16. CompanionLink is now configured.

The User Profile Screen

What is the user profile screen?
The user profile screen is a feature of CompanionLink Professional and was added in CompanionLink version 2.0, build 2544. This feature enables you to synchronize on multiple computers, or to synchronize multiple configurations on one computer. The limitations on this include:

  • Cannot be used to synchronize two Pocket PCs on the same computer.
  • Should not be used to synchronize two databases to the same handheld. (This should be done with the Category Manager instead.)

If you wish to do this, please contact our Technical Support department to determine whether your desired configuration will work and for help in configuring this.


I already have a profile, but it's telling me to create a new one.
Sometimes, when you get to this screen, the option for Update Existing Profile will be grayed out, even though you have previously created a profile. This is a known issue with CompanionLink version 2.0, build 2544 through build 2546. Please make sure that you are on CompanionLink, version 2.0, build 2554, or higher. If you are and you are still having this problem, please contact our Technical Support department.


Handheld Configuration

Will CompanionLink work if my handheld is not in the drop-down list?
CompanionLink supports all Palm operating system and Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile operating system handhelds. CompanionLink can also sync handhelds with other operating systems (such as the Blackberry and the Symbian) by selecting Outlook as the handheld type.

Due to the number of different handhelds available, it is difficult to list every possible choice. We have listed the major varieties available; however, CompanionLink itself is designed to recognize particular operating systems. Choosing a generic choice will work the same as selecting your individual handheld model. If your specific handheld (for example, Palm m500) is not listed, you may either select the closest model available (Palm m100/m105/m505 Series) or the generic choice (Palm -- Other Palm OS). There are also generic choices for both Windows CE and Pocket PC operating system handhelds. If you are wondering whether your particular handheld is supported, please contact our Technical Support department.


I selected my handheld and CompanionLink gives an error.
In order for CompanionLink to function correctly, the chosen handheld device must be able to communicate successfully with the appropriate desktop software (Palm Desktop, Outlook and/or ActiveSync for Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile devices). This software must be installed and the handheld must be able to synchronize to it before configuring CompanionLink.


Can I sync direct?
The direct sync is supported for all Pocket PC and Windows Mobile operating systems, including the Smartphone versions. It is also supported for the Windows CE operating system, for versions 3.0 and higher. If your handheld does not have one of these operating systems, then you will need to sync through Outlook.

To find your handheld's operating system, please see the Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile Operating System section of our page, How to find versions.


Can I sync wirelessly?
The wireless sync is compatible with all BlackBerry, Palm and Windows Mobile/Pocket PC handhelds.

In order to use the wireless sync for Palm and Windows Mobile/Pocket PC handhelds, you must have CompanionLink Professional 2.0, build 2642, or higher installed. In order to use the wireless sync for BlackBerry handhelds, you must have version 3.0 or higher. You must also sign up for the wireless sync service, which costs $9.95/month. The sign-up is done within CompanionLink Professional.

Other than the handheld setup, the setup for this is the same as our existing CompanionLink program. CompanionLink must be installed on the same computer on which you are accessing your contact manager database. All of the contact manager configuration options are the same. The primary difference is that the handheld does not need to be connected to this computer.

The handheld setup guides may be found on our website at:

BlackBerry: http://www.companionlink.com/support/setup_bb_wireless.html
Palm: http://www.companionlink.com/support/setup_palm_wireless.html
Windows Mobile/Pocket PC: http://www.companionlink.com/support/setup_ppc_wireless.html

If you wish to cancel wireless synchronization, please see our webpage, How To Cancel A Wireless Account.

Contact Manager Configuration

What contact managers are supported?
CompanionLink is compatible with the following contact managers. We intend to be compatible with all future releases of these contact managers.

  • ACT! 4.0, 5.0 (2000), 6.0, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. (Note: ACT! 3.0.6 will work but is not recommended.)
  • GoldMine 5.0, 5.5, 5.7, 6.0, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7 dBase and SQL, 7.0 SQL and Firebird. (Note: GoldMine 4.0 will work but is not recommended. Firebird support was added in CompanionLink 3.0.)
  • Lotus Notes r4.6.7, r5, r6, r7.
  • Outlook 97, 98, 2000, 2002 (XP), 2003, 2007, 2007 BCM.
  • Outlook Express
  • Palm Desktop 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 4.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.4.

Notes:

  • Starting with version 1.3, build 500, CompanionLink no longer supports Lotus Organizer, Schedule Plus, Windows Address Book, or TeleMagic. If the version of software you are using is not present in the drop-down list, please contact our Technical Support department.
  • Palm Desktop 4.1.2 and higher are only compatible with CompanionLink 2.0 and higher. The one-step sync is supported only in build 2591 or higher.

How do I keep my personal data from synching? (CompanionLink Express)
With CompanionLink Express, you are able to keep some data from being synchronized by CompanionLink data to or from your contact manager. In order to do so, you would want to categorize this data as Personal in your handheld and/or contact manager, then go to the Personal Category tab in CompanionLink and select 'Exclude Personal Category'. Once this has been selected, CompanionLink will ignore all records in the Personal category. See Personal Category for more details about this.

At the present time, CompanionLink does not have a way to exclude records flagged as private from synchronization.

Note: This feature was added for the Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile direct sync in CompanionLink 2.0, build 2591.


How do I map phone numbers and fields from my database so that they sync to my handheld?
The Custom Fields, Palm Phone, Phone Fields, Phone Labels, and Field Mapping tabs allow you to customize which fields are synched between your contact manager and your handheld. The specific tab(s) you have available is dependent on your handheld, contact manager and version of CompanionLink. Please see the Configuration Options table to see which tabs you have with your configuration.

Depending on the specific tab you have, you may have a two column or a three column layout. The three column layout works the same way as the two column layout; a list of numbers has simply been added to the left to help organize the list.

In the two column layout, the first column are the fields from the handheld and the second column are the fields from your contact manager. The first column will either have the names of the handheld's fields in gray text or will have drop-down menus for each field. If you see the names in gray text, this means that it is not possible to change the fields available on your handheld. If you see drop-down menus, then you may change the fields on the handheld. The second column will always have drop-down menus. These drop-down menus will include all of the fields from your database. You may select any of these.

Note: We do not recommend putting data of different types into a field. For example, we do not recommend putting a birthday into a phone number field.

Table 1. Field mapping for a Palm and ACT!

Number Palm Field ACT! Field
Phone 1 Work Phone
Phone 2 Mobile Mobile Phone
Phone 3 Fax Fax
Phone 4 Other Alt. Phone
Phone 5 Email Email Address

 

Table 2. Field mapping for a Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile handheld with GoldMine (Companion Link Express options)

Pocket Outlook field GoldMine Field
Work Phone1
Fax FAX
Home Phone2
Mobile Phone3
Pager No Mapping
Other No Mapping

Note: "No Mapping" indicates that data will NOT be transferred to the field on the organizer.


How do I sync the notes on my contacts?
By default, CompanionLink synchronizes the five most recent notes on a contact from your contact manager to the handheld. You may increase this number to the maximum of 25 notes per contact. Selecting the maximum number of notes may cause your syncs to go more slowly. By default, notes on contacts which you enter on the handheld will also sync to your contact manager.

CompanionLink sees two line breaks (a paragraph) as a new note. Please make sure not to paragraph your notes when creating them or each paragraph will sync as a new note.

Please see the ACT! and GoldMine configuration pages for more information about how to synchronize notes on your contacts.


How do I synchronize my group or filter?
CompanionLink allows ACT! users to synchronize to a group or groups from ACT!. Please see our ACT! configuration page for more information.

CompanionLink allows GoldMine users to synchronize to a group or to a filter from GoldMine. Please see our GoldMine configuration page for more information.


Should I select my User ID or All Users?
The User ID tab selects which calendars from the contact manager will be synchronized to the handheld. Selecting your user ID will transfer just your calendar to the handheld. Selecting All Users will send the calendars for every user listed to your handheld. Since CompanionLink transfers every pending or uncompleted activity regardless of date, this may result in a very large amount of data being sent to your handheld's calendar area. In most cases, selecting your own user name is the best option.

Please see the ACT! configuration page for information about the additional options available to ACT! users.


What are custom fields?
In Palm operating system handhelds, contacts in the Address Book each have a minimum of four custom fields. These are usually called Custom 1, Custom 2, Custom 3 and Custom 4 in the handheld. You may map these to any field in your database using the Custom Fields tab in CompanionLink Setup.


What does the Memo Info tab mean?
The Memo Info tab explains how to sync your Palm Memo Pad data with ACT! or GoldMine.

Neither of these contact managers have specific memo areas. In order for CompanionLink to synchronize data between ACT! or GoldMine and your Palm Memo Pad, it has to put this data into a specific area in these contact managers. You also have to designate your data in a special way in order for CompanionLink to recognize it as something which should be synchronized with the Palm Memo Pad.

For ACT!, Palm Memo Pad items are transferred to the Notes/History area of the database's MyRecord contact. To create a note in ACT! that will transfer to the Palm Memo Pad, you would create a note in the MyRecord contact and put an asterisk (*) as the first character.

For GoldMine, Palm Memo Pad items are transferred to the Personal Base tab of the InfoCenter. To create a note in GoldMine that will transfer to the Palm Memo Pad, you would create a note in the Personal Base tab of the InfoCenter and put an asterisk (*) in the Keyword, Subject, Topic or Book field.

For Lotus Notes, Palm Memo Pad items are transferred to the Comments section under the Briefcase tab of the contact. To create a note in Lotus Notes that will transfer to the Palm Memo Pad, you would add it in this same section.


What is Purge And Reload? Do I need to do this?
The Purge And Reload option is a tab in CompanionLink Setup. What this feature does is to delete all of the data from the handheld in the selected area(s) and replace it from your contact manager. No data is deleted from your contact manager. You may do this to all areas of the handheld, or only to certain areas, such as only your contacts.

If you are synching for the first time, have changed computers, or uninstalled and reinstalled CompanionLink, you need to do this. This is typically done in these situations in order to prevent duplications. On a first sync, by default, all of your data from the handheld will synchronize into your contact manager and vice versa. If you have similar data in both places, the data will be duplicated. If you have used another synchronization program, or have uninstalled and reinstalled CompanionLink, or are changing computers, you are strongly urged to do this.

This may also be done to remove corrupt or duplicate data from the handheld, or to make sure that current data is being sent to the handheld.

Note: Categories EXCLUDED from synchronization will NOT be affected by the Purge And Reload process.


What is the Category Field tab? How does this work?
The Category Field tab allows you to select a field from your main contact manager to use to categorize their contacts on your handheld. If the contact in the contact manager has data in this field, a category for it will be created on the handheld and the contact will be placed in this category.

Linked activities from the contact manager will be filed in the same category as the contact.

Lotus Notes and Outlook have their own category arrangements and therefore do not have this tab.

With Palms, if there are more than 13 entries in this field, the additional entries will be ignored. CompanionLink will choose 13 entries from the Category Field at random. (The Palm is limited to 15 categories; Business and Unfiled cannot be removed as categories.) To reset these selections, open Palm Desktop and delete the unwanted categories. On the next sync, CompanionLink will randomly add new categories from the field in your database.

Examples:

  • If the Category Field is set to No Mapping, then all of the contacts and linked data goes into the Unfiled/None category (depending on the handheld).
  • If the Category Field is set to Business, then all of the contacts and linked data goes into the Business category. (Note: If you select this option, then all of your current data on the handheld will also be recategorized as Business unless the handheld categories have been excluded from the synchronization.)
  • If the Category Field is set to Group Name, then all of the contacts and linked data goes into the same category as the contact's group (ACT! only).
  • If the Category Field is set to any other field, then all of the contacts and linked data will go into a category based on what the contact has in that field. (For instance, if you select ID/Status as the field, and the contact had Vendor in the ID/Status field, it would go into a category called Vendor.)
IMPORTANT: Do NOT delete the Business category from a Palm handheld or from CompanionLink's Category Manager under any circumstances. CompanionLink relies on the presence of the Business category to sync correctly. Do NOT set Business as a special category or exclude it in Category Manager, as this will also cause serious problems with your synchronization.


What is the Datebook Map/Todo Map tab?
CompanionLink Professional users have the ability to choose whether their activities show up in the Datebook/Calendar or the Todo List/Tasks area of their handheld. The Datebook Map tab and the Todo Map tab control which ACT! or GoldMine activities show up in which area.

CompanionLink Express users cannot choose this option and are limited to the default mapping for their contact manager. The Configuration Options table lists these.

Please see the ACT! and GoldMine configuration pages for more information on how to use these tabs.


Finding Your Database

ACT!
The ACT! Data tab lists which database you are synchronizing with. By default, this will be the database that was selected in ACT! the last time that you closed the ACT! program. You may change it at any time by clicking the Browse button and browsing to the database you wish to synchronize with.

Note: There is no easy way to determine the path of any ACT! database you may have open in ACT!. ACT! does not list this information by default, only the database name. You must have the full path as well as the database name. If you need help locating your ACT! database, please contact our Technical Support department.


GoldMine
The Executable File and Database tabs determine which calendar and database you are synchronizing with. In order to configure these tabs, four pieces of data are needed.

  • Executable File tab:
    1. Executable file path. To find the executable file path: Right-click the GoldMine shortcut that you use to launch the program and choose Properties. Click on the Shortcut tab. The Target line contains the executable file path.
    2. User ID. To find the User ID: Open GoldMine. In the lower righthand corner, to the immediate left of the date should be the GoldMine user ID. This is not case-sensitive.
    3. Password. If you have a password, you will need to enter this here. If you do not have a password, leave this blank.
  • Database tab:
    1. Database name. To find the database: Open GoldMine. Make sure you are in your database. In the lower lefthand corner will be the name of the database. (You may also find this by clicking on the File menu, choosing Open Database, and then looking at the Description for the highlighted database.

    Note: Do NOT browse to the database. If your database name is not listed in the dropdown menu, then either there is a problem with the information on the Executable File tab, or CompanionLink is not able to see your GoldMine database. Please contact our Technical Support department if this is the case.

Lotus Notes
The Notes Data and Notes Login tabs determine which database are you synchronizing with.

On the Notes Login tab, you must fill in your Lotus Notes password.

The Notes Data tab defaults to server for the Mail And Calendar File and local for your contacts. Do NOT change these unless you are certain that your data is stored elsewhere. If you need help changing the location of either of these, please contact our Technical Support department.


Outlook
The Outlook Folders tab lists which Outlook folders (database) you are synchronizing with. You may select any folder on your local computer or on your Exchange server, if you have Exchange. This tab will default to your local Outlook folders.

IMPORTANT: Do not click Cancel on this screen. This tab can take several minutes to come up as it must read all of the folders on your computer and Exchange server. Please wait for this to finish. If you cancel this process, you will receive an error on all subsequent attempts to configure CompanionLink. Please see The parameter is incorrect or Please check configuration/folder settings depending on the error you are receiving.


Category Manager Configuration

How do I configure CompanionLink to sync with two different databases?
CompanionLink is able to synchronize to more than one database from a contact manager, with more than one contact manager, or multiple databases from multiple contact managers.

CompanionLink Express can be configured to synchronize different areas of your handheld to different databases and/or contact managers. For example, you can synchronize your Palm Address Book with ACT! and your Palm Datebook with Outlook.

CompanionLink Professional can be configured to synchronize your handheld with multiple databases with multiple contact managers. For example, you can synchronize your Palm Todo List with both your GoldMine todos and your Outlook tasks.

Please see our page, Using Category Manager, for detailed instructions on how to do this.

Note: This is not supported for the Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile direct synchronization.


How do I keep my personal data from synching? (CompanionLink Professional)
With CompanionLink Professional, it is possible to keep personal data from any category other than Business, None or Unfiled from synchronizing. You would want to make sure that your data is categorized in your handheld/contact manager and then, in Category Manager, exclude those categories. Please see our Category Manager section for more detailed instructions.

Note: This feature is not available if you are synching direct with a Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile handheld.