ROM update - preparations before updating

[wilsojer]

have an iPaq 4150 with a ROM version of 1.00.14 which I want to update to 1.10. I know how to do the update, but it is the preparations prior to doing the update that I am concerned about.

I have taken a full backup (just in case anything goes drastically wrong). I now want to make a list of everything that I have installed along with version numbers, etc. so that I can make sure that I have all of the installers or cab files ready to reinstall everything. Does anyone know how I can do this without having to start up everything I have installed and check version numbers ? Is there a utility that will show me all installed apps with version numbers ?

On a separate (although related) note, I have SPB PocketPlus installed - does anyone know if you can backup the setting on that ?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Jeremy

[TheOrange]

dude - I just updated my rx3115. Took like 10 minutes.

Did a backup (onto my SD card)
Reset my PPC
Installed the new image
Played with the updated PPC for a minute
Restored from my SD card

No data loss, nothing. It all went perfectly!

[Darius Wey]

Be wary though - not all images can be backed up on a newly flashed ROM, as some images are ROM dependent. If I were you, I'd backup your essential data (e.g. PIM info, etc.), and ditch the rest.

You don't really need to put yourself to the arduous task of worrying about CAB versions, and this and that. Just know which version of the program you are running (e.g. Spb Pocket Plus 1.x or 2.x, etc.), and head over to the developer's website, and download the latest update. As long as your licenced version confirms to the version number updates (e.g. if you own 2.x, you may not always be able to update to 3.x without having to pay for the latest version), you should be fine.

So backup your data, flash the ROM (ensure you follow the directions very carefully), and then install your programs. Simple. :D

[ctmagnus]

fyi, Sprite Backup version 3.1.3 or 3.13 or something like that has a ROM update option. I haven't tried it yet, as HP hasn't released any ROM updates for the 5550 series in the last six hours ;) but it's there if you might need it.

And two things I do are:

1) Grab all the cab files for everything I ever install on my device, just in case. The two exceptions to this (so far) are TextMaker and PlanMaker since they don't install via cab files. Do a search for *.cab in your Program Files directory on the desktop and you should find a ton if you've been using Pocket PCs for a while. It's easy to drag the cab files to a SD/CF card for easy installation on the Pocket PC.

2) Keep a list of all programs I have installed on my Pocket PC. I use ListPro for this. I have all my programs prioritized 1 to 5; the priority 1 applications get installed before priority 2, etc. I also have a date column in this file. Whenever I install/upgrade a program on the Pocket PC, I update the date field for that program in the list. This makes restoring from not-so-recent backups very handy as you just sort the list by the date column and reinstall anything that you installed since the date of the backup.