Good Practice?

[Paula]

Hi,
I am a new PPC owner (h2215) and I have a few "Good Practice" questions.

1) how many back ups do you keep at one time?
1a) what is in the backups?

2) When you install new utilities or do software upgrades do you also go back to your first back up (the one with all the "will always have" utilities and upgrade that as well? My example of this.

I have just done a hard reset then changed all of my settings then did a back up(1). I then went in and upgraded the alarm (sprite wake up service), installed check notifications and check notify then did another back up(2).

now lets say in a week check notifiactions has a new version do you only upgrade the current version of your PPC or do you go back and restore backup(2) and install the new version of Check notifications and do another backup(2) and save that as (2)?

3) After a hard reset have you ever gone back to your initial backup and started over again?

4) Do you keep upgrades somewhere after you have already installed them? ie new version or a fix for a utility.

5) How anal should I be about backups?

Paula

[Steven Cedrone]

I have a backup that I did after I loaded my initial "must have apps"...

Now, I backup before every new product install (these are kept on my PC) and I keep a running backup (every day) that I keep on my SD card...

The "Product install" Backups are kept indefinately, the daily backups are overwritten every seven days...

But that's just me... :wink:

Steve

[Ripper014]

How often should you back-up... that is an easy question to answer... how many days of data are you willing to lose...? I always keep at least two back-ups on my storage card... If I was smarter I would probably keep more on my desktop machine... in an archive.

Backing up your device after loading in all the pertinent patches is always a great place to start. Adding programs is something I would choose not to do only because applications always seem to be updating... as do patches... but with me... I am one to forget which patches I have loaded...

[Paula]

Steve,
What are your must haves?

Ripper,
I am backing up all over the place. I have only installed 1 fix and 2 must haves so far (the notify apps) and I have 3 backups on my CF card for this hard reset. I have 8 for my initial "playing time" before the hard reset. What are your must haves?

------

I have already set up an excel worksheet log of backups and what is in them or what I have added.

I have gone as far as backing up the most important backups to my SD card. I will not be caught without backups.

Every bit of software I load will be recorded. I hate when I don't know what I have installed or where I put original software bundle. :cry:

Paula

[Ripper014]

Paula...

Here is another nice backup tip.. once you have created the perfect starting point... and have created the back-up... move a copy to your PC... for safe keeping... You can never have enough copies of that back-up....

As far as must have apps...?

I will give you my current list.

Financial Management:
Cash Organizer


Games:
I don't consider anything I have here as a must have...

Graphics & Multimedia:
GSPlayer2 - ***Free***
Magic SS - ***Free***
Picture Perfect
PocketMVP - ***Free***

Worth looking into:
nfCanvas2 - ***Free***
nfPencil2 - ***Free***

Information Management:
Code Wallet
ListPro
uBook - ***Free***
MDictionary - ***Free***
Resco Explorer

Worth looking into:
Journal Pro
eWallet

Internet & Communication:
ftxPBrowser - ***Free***
vxUtil - ***Free***

Productivity Software:
SpreadCE - ***Free*** (with nag screen)
Textmaker
VisualCE

Utilities:
Pocket Mechanic
StopTime - ***Free***

Other apps:
Wisbar - ***Free***
Agenda Fusion or Pocket Informant (PI is still available at a reduced rate 50% off)
CalcNOW - ***Free***

Plug-ins:
Owner Info X - ***Free***
Calendar + - ***Free***
Todays Info - ***Free***

These are the applications that are currently on my PDA... there are others worthy of mentioning that do the same thing as the ones that I have mentioned but these are the mainstay of my unit currently.

Note that the majority of the applications that I have mentioned are Freeware... another good reason for using them... the price is right.
[/b]

[tanalasta]

Wow... such a long list of must-have programs :P Not everyone can afford such a large list... although i've broken my bank account enough trying :oops:

1) how many back ups do you keep at one time?
1a) what is in the backups?

I keep a hardcopy (i.e. CD-R) of all my program installation files so i don't have to download them again should i have to reinstall a program i have deleted or otherwise "broken".

However, I use sprite's premium backup service to backup EVERYTHING on my device. By everything I mean that at a click of a button i can restore my device to exactly the way it was when i performed that backup. This includes programs, registry data, calender/outlook/PIM etc...

If i download new/updated software, yes i backup first my device. Then the new installation program (which is non-urgent so whenever i get around to the latter).

5) How anal should I be about backups?


Firstly yes, I have started over again. That was when my SD card corrupted and I didn't have a backup of that. Only my device RAM so i still had to reinstall everything and decided to start from scratch. Usually, there's no reason to.

I believe once a day is enough for backups. And i usually copy once a week or so the latest backup file onto my desktop. I keep my last 3 backups at one time to be safe.

I'm not going to post the DSM-IV criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder but I believe that should be sufficient ;)

[Steven Cedrone]

My "Must Have's"...

Well the list that Ripper014 has put up includes most of the software on my list (slight changes, Ewallet instead of Codewallet, etc.)...

Steve