This is a generally confusing question, and covers Macs, PCs and various flavours of Windows, so bear with me.

We were given a Mitac Mio "DigiWalker" 168, running Windows Mobile with a Navman satnav appendage. It's never been used properly, has a dead battery and is at least five years old. We've acquired a USB cradle so at least we can try and fire the gizmo up, and it kind of works. It knows where we live - until you unplug it and the battery croaks!

We're currently investigating methods of syncing it so we can install the other maps in the collection. However, we only have Windows XP Home running on Parallels, and it's not being very helpful when we try to find the attached Mio. The Mac, obviously (and probably very sensibly) refuses to have any truck with it at all. If we can get the thing to talk to either the PC or the Mac so we can add more maps, then it might be worth looking to update said maps and get a new battery for the machine.

Now, I don't particularly care if the Mio ever works properly. It was free, and I don't feel a need for satnav, especially when it's so out of date. The thing is Best Beloved wants to try to make it work. Unfortunately, the Mio's system discs weren't in the package we were given (along with most of the cables), and the donor doesn't have them. All we have is the Navman map discs and utility. Only we can't get the Mac or PC to see the Mio in order to install the stuff.

So, what I'm after is cheap (=free!) syncing software for WinXP if anything like it exists. Alternatively, I'd like to locate an older copy of The Missing Sync suitable for Windows Mobile devices of around 2003 vintage.

I said it would get complicated. I'm off to lie down in a darkened room for the rest of the night, so any potential solutions may have to wait until morning.

Thank 'ee.

You want a program called Activesync to sync/browse the device clicky

Crikey! That was painless.

Excellent. Best Beloved is now synching all over the place.

Thanks!

the pc tailor might be a good place to look for maps and how to get it to work on a mac (bing it )

Now all you need to do is get a battery from here and some new maps. You could probably load tomtom on it as it's just a WM2003 smartphone.

Thanks chaps.

It's Best Beloved's toy, so I'm leaving him to find accessories and batteries and whatnot.

Last thing, after installing ActiveSync, we got as far as registering the Navman software, but it all kept failing. Probably because it's already been registered once and then never used.

Still, I'm sure he'll work it all out.

I'll have a look to see if I've got some maps for it somewhere.