ipaq file store data loss! HELP!

[sphinxzhu]

The nightmare started from the wireless problem many users have experienced. The wireless suddenly stops working and soft reset won't help at all. So I backed up everything through both desktop backup and handheld backup to SD card.
But since I have stored many important information (including some samll listpro files) to ipaq file store, the default backup won't backup these persistant data. I thought ipaq file store is a safe place.
Then came the hard reset, restore (default restore). .... Then, my god... Everything is working (including wireless) excepts there is nothing in ipaq file store!!! What could possibly be the reason?? Please save me!

Another strange thing is that listpro won't work now including creating new files. It stops at the list file open screen and won't response to any click on any listpro files.

So my suspisions
1. Will it be possible that the default restore configuration has ipaq file store ticked? So a file store not included backup will overwrite the file store with nothing. I am doing another restore from desktop now so I can't check it out. It is awfully slow!

BTW: Anyone notices that backup(first time)/resotre through desktop is much slower than to SD card. (sometimes it takes an hour)

2. Before I did the hard reset, I played with the replacable battery. ( I thougt it is a good time to have a thorough look.) I played it for some time and found there is a sim-card like plastic stuff at the right upper cornor of the battery compartment. I moved it and placed back. Is this could be the reason? What is it anyway??

Please help. Some listpro data is really important!! Any recovery possibility????

[Shadowcat]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a hard reset was designed to wipe out everything, including the iPAQ file store. If that is the case I don't think you can recover it at all. Next time manually backup your iPAQ file store.

[Fishie]

Urm no, the filestore is in non volatile ROM area(where the OS also resides) so a hard reset wont delete the data placed there.

[sphinxzhu]

I have checked reference manual. It says "Programs and data stored in iPAQ File Store are not automatically deleted. You must manually delete the files."

I heard that the flash card is managed like a harddisk file system. Deleting files are only done by changing the fat table. I forgot the software that can recover the files. Is there any software that can do the same thing to ipaq file store?

[WyattEarp]

1. If you used the iPAQ Backup it will backup all "Persistant Storage" (memory cards, iPAQ File Store, previous backups, etc.) if you uncheck it from the "Exclude" feature.

2. Backup/Restore through ActiveSync backs up everything wihout asking and yes, it is very slow.

3. That SIM Card slot is for GPRS, CDMA, etc. provided by wireless companys (wireless internet, cell phone capabilities, etc). I don't know if it can actually be used or if it is a "dummy slot". But it is a dummy card in the slot.

4. If you used ActiveSync to backup then everything is there unless there are corrupted files. Then you have a biger problem.


Question: Did you backup before or after you lost the file store information? Did you check the file store before you backed up?

[sphinxzhu]

Thank you for your reply.

I didn't change any configuration on backup/restore though I check it out. In the handheld version ipaq backup, the ipaq file store is not ticked for backup.
I backup it up right before I decided to do a hard reset. I didn't check the file store before I backup but I have been using it for a month and maybe a couple of minutes before I did the backup. So I suspect more of the restore/backup prodedure instead of mysitical loss before backup.

I did have one item that can't be backup. It displays as a deteled item in my mailbox. I just skipped it. I don't know whether that is the problem.

About the sim card, it is interesting. Do you mean it can have phone and data transfer capabilities just by inserting a spical sim card (maybe in the futhure)?

[WyattEarp]

Well, if you didn't change the iPAQ Backup settings then it backed up only what it was set to, therefore it will only restore the same. Now if you used the ActiveSync then you can get everything back as it was before. I presume your File Store info is in there and there is only one way to find out. It can't hurt, you still have the iPAQ Backup if things don't go right giving you the same problems you had before you started.

Yes, about that SIM card, I read somewhere that in the future iPAQs may have celluar type (GPRS for example) capabilities and possibly even the Phone Edition to come.