:idea: Just a point about scheduled backups :
If you don't want to have an increasing list of backups on your storage, just uncheck the option to have the file name automatically set (as date is chained to ne name, it will create a new backup file everyday).
This way, backup file name will be the same and last backup will replace previous one without creating useless stack of old ones
piperpilot; As to the backups not being self-extracting executables, sounds like you have version 2.0 installed, not the current 2.01. We testers discovered just as the release was being readied that the program was actually 'forgetting' to make the EXE version backups properly, while still naming them as such. If you just rename such backups to *.pbf from *.exe, then install Pocket Backup, they will be perfectly usable for full or partial restores. Version 2.01 repaired this, and all the EXE backups I've tested have been se;f-extracting, as promised.
Further refinements are due to be released soon, such as a patched version which will not allow PB to be installed to the \iPAQ File Store directory in 38xx series iPAQs, as these devices have some quirky file system structure that makes the program behave inconsistently. I also found that when installed there successive tries, it would vary in exactly what components were installed. PocketMon, especially, would not work correctly. Of course, as such locations fall late in the startup order, it is generally not a good plan to install Today items or Startup group items there, or on an SD card for that matter. However, I have been using 2.01 installed to SD for a few weeks, all components, without problems. I've had several hard resets or partial restores necessary in that time (I test a lot of stuff), and it's been good. Never more than a few minutes to get back to normal, and with just registry restores it's only a few seconds.
An older problem, due to major difficulties in how the PPC OS handles the Start Menu structure, made for some real misery for some users. The new version has a simple checkbox which enables 'automatic menu handling', and this it does flawlessly now.
The last time i had to do a "restore" was when my wife put my new HP 1910 thru the washer. I just did a restore (from a backup done the month prior), then synchronized, and viola, I was back.
The 1910 survived the washing machine?!?!?!?! Did it go through the entire wash, rinse and [gulp] spin cycle? How come your wife didn't notice that your pants pocket was unusually heavy?
OOps- I should have been more specific.
The 1910 didn't (fully) survive the wash cycle (yes, the entire cycle). Amazingly, after I dried it out, and plugged it in after a day of waiting, I did see the HP logo briefly and fainly on the screen, but that was as far as she went.
Luckily, I had bought the dumb "TAP" warrantee (not so dumb now) at CompUSA, so I exchanged it for a new one.
I don't know how my wife missed it - maybe that's the price of a PDA that's TOO light!! :-) She's wasahed my wallet twice also, so....
anyway
sorry about the confusion. I backed up to the new 1910, and did a sync, and was back in business like nothing had changed.
I've been using this for a while now, it really saved my bacon when I got my E740 back from "repair" and it had more hard resets the first 30 minutes than in the 10 months I've owned it. Every time it reset, I just set the date and time, tapped the backup executable, did a sync (combine/replace) with no problems. I was never down for more than 10 minutes, and I have a LOT of stuff. Highly recommended!
This is what (typos and all) I posted to their site...
"what I woudl like to see in future releases (and the reason I am not buying now) is the ability (if I am reading the comments correctly) to schedule backups, as opposed to scheduling running the program. Also, I would like to see an ability to (not sure ho to describe this) preset backup names within a range... For example, for daily backups, have the first one be named Backup-M (for Monday), then the next one be Backup-T (for Tuesday), Backup-Th (for Thursday), etc. for the week and then repeat. that way, you always have the last 7 backups in case you did something stupid in the last week, you can restore from right before that."
piperpilot; As to the backups not being self-extracting executables, sounds like you have version 2.0 installed, not the current 2.01. We testers discovered just as the release was being readied that the program was actually 'forgetting' to make the EXE version backups properly, while still naming them as such. If you just rename such backups to *.pbf from *.exe, then install Pocket Backup, they will be perfectly usable for full or partial restores. Version 2.01 repaired this, and all the EXE backups I've tested have been se;f-extracting, as promised.
Gerard, you were right. I was using the older version. As a little test, I installed the new version, backed up my device, then did a hard reset. The restore went flawlessly and within minutes, my 5455 was humming right along. Thanks for the heads up!
I thought you could use the backup as long as you uncheck the registry box so that the registry is not restored.
The problem with that is you lose any modifications your programs have made to the registry during install...
Also, if you restore the windows directory(even though you don't restore the registry), the older files there will be used by the system, not the files in ROM...
It will be a mess and a probable hard reset anyway...
On a Dell Axim I think that this is incorrect. Dell itself advises you when doing the ROM upgrade to do an ActiveSync backup, do the ROM upgrade, and then an ActiveSync restore as Guest, followed by a soft reset. If you can do an ActiveSync restore, you should be able to do a Pocket Backup Restore.
Anyway, that's exactly what I did for both Dell ROM upgrades so far, with no ill effects.
The only issues that I have had are that I have to reenter my Pocket Backup registration key, and I have to change some of the "Settings" options (I have mine set so that button presses do not power on the device, and that does not survive a restore). Otherwise everything works fine.
doogald; It sounds to me a lot like Activesync is not backing up or restoring your device registry, or at least not properly. Pocket Backup always restores its registration key with a full Pocket Backup restore, as it always restores all other aspects of the registry, and all other software registrations, and all user settings like button mappings. Activesync Backup is, I think, primarily aimed at backup and restore of user data files, like the stuff in \My Documents. I have never once had a successful Activesync Backup, the backup failing part way through at best, so I cannot tell you anything much from personal experience. Still, if you have Pocket Backup installed, I'm puzzled as to why you'd use that other. Following instructions, it seems... I don't do that a lot. Like to find out what happens when I don't, learn from that, and eventually learn the better way, which seems rarely to be the one Microsoft spells out. Go figure.
After ROM updates, I use raw files, database imports (via Pocket Backup) of all PIM stuff, and an otherwise manual rebuild. My experience restoring one 'image' via Pocket Backup after my first ROM update told me that a few things in the registry had changed enough to make for a mess if I restored that way, so starting from a clean registry seems advisable. With the help of CabInstl, it's pretty easy to get a custom setup going in a few hours, as I keep copies of all my CAB files in a couple of locations. There are only a few apps that need a PC link in my device, like Stowaway, Textmaker... I forget what else. Been a couple of months since my last rebuild. Hmm. Maybe time for a new go. I've probably tested 30 new programs since then.
I was not clear enough with my post. Actually, the issues that I mentioned were after a very successful Pocket Backup Restore. I actually used ActiveSync Backup and Restore once just to test it, for Disaster Recovery testing, right after I bought the Axim. I also heartily recommend Pocket Backup to *anyone* over ActiveSync. It is worth every penny if you need access to your device on the road and are away from your host computer.
Button mappings are fine, by the way; it is the power options to turn on the unit when the buttons are pressed that does not get successfully restored. (I turn that option off because I carry the device in my pocket with a soft case and occasionally it was getting powered on inadvertently). It's not that big an issue to me. I can simply go into the settings to check everything after a restore.
I only mentioned the ActiveSync backup and restore cycle because that is exactly what Dell recommends with the ROM upgrades. My point is that they do not say that you must reinstall all of your applications, etc., after a ROM upgrade and restore. You do the ROM upgrade, you do the Restore, you soft reset and you are back in business. It is the same with Pocket Backup.
That's been exactly my experience twice now (though using Pocket Backup rather than ActiveSync).
Re: don't have the need...
Linear Mode
