i use the dell backup program. i prefer it because there have been times when i have been messing around and really hosed my system. and im not always at home when this happens. its just nice to have it with me, and has come in handy more than once.
here is what i do.
First... set your power settings so that your axim wont shut off in the middle of the backup and you dont have to keep tapping the screen to keep it awake.
Second... I have found it doesn't like things running in the background. what i do is use the task switcher to close all running apps then close the switcher. then the backup should work fine.
Hope this helps.
