I've had my Palmtop for two years and really like it. For the first year I had no problems other than the occasional crash but I was able to recover from those without any data loss. However, for the past year, whenever I need to change batteries, I find that either my C: drive is messed up or totally missing. This has taught me the value of keeping a good backup on my A: drive, but it's getting to be a nuisance.
My hunch is that you have not replaced the backup battery yet. I've learned this lesson the hard way.To replace ALL batteries:
1. Connect the Palmtop to an AC adapter.
2. Stop any charging, if you're using rechargeable batteries.
3. Turn the Palmtop off.
4. Pull main batteries and put in fresh ones.
5. Pull the backup battery and put in a new one.
If you're on the road without an adapter, you can change the main batteries but be sure that the backup battery has enough power to keep the Palmtop alive while you put in the new AA batteries. BE SURE to close all applications and turn the Palmtop off during the AA battery replacement.
If you pull ALL the batteries, you will effectively return the machine to its "factory settings":no software, no data and no user configurations.