07-23-2002, 10:10 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,350
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Pocket PC backup solutions
http://www.davespda.com/features/backup.htm
Dave's PDA features a good article dealing with different ways of doing a Pocket PC backup. He discusses Activesync Backup, Art Soft's ArtSSave, Sunnysoft Backup Manager, CF Backup / Restore (as provided with some Pocket PCs) and Sprite Software's Pocket Backup.
Of course you'd want to read to complete review for his comments, and speed test, but his conclusion is: "After taking a look at all these solutions, I found that anyone needing to do backup should probably spend the money and buy a solution. All the solutions except ActiveSync and CF Backup/Restore have to be purchased, but for the money you get a product that is 10 to 20 times faster then the free solutions. In the end, the solution I would likely choose would be Sprite's Pocket Backup, though I would also consider Art Soft's ArtSSave. Sprite Pocket Backup is an incredibly easy to use solution. When my device is full, I would like to have the compression option just to keep the backup size as small as possible. The only thing I would worry about with Pocket Backup is that an uncompressed file would be much larger then needed but there would be no real reason to run Pocket Backup uncompressed when it only takes a little longer to run compressed. My other choice, ArtSSave, comes instead of Backup Manager because Backup Manager was difficult to use. Though it doesn't have as many screens as ArtSSave, it doesn't automatically allow you to backup to a storage card, but instead you have to setup association yourself. Though it isn't really that hard to actually do this, it isn't as simply to figure out how to do this in Backup Manager. ArtSSave's primary feature I most like it the automatic backups when your device hits the low battery warning or to have a backup created at a certain time each day."
I have to admit that before I bought Pocket Backup a while back, I only performed a backup once a month or so. I've severely cut my fingers because of this, and that's when I bought Pocket Backup. Since then, I perform schedules backups and as my Pocket PC has a better mind than me, I ended up with recent backups with my latest beta testing invoked crash.
Question: do you backup your Pocket PC, and if so, what solution do you use?
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07-23-2002, 10:33 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Pocket Backup - love it! It also encrypts your backup.
One caveat to these non-internal backups. Be sure you have a .CAB install available either in the FileStore/SafeStore or on a CF/SD card along with your registration key (keep mine in a word file with the .CAB file) so if you are out and you do a hard reset, you will be able to install the app and do the restore. Shame the installs on these apps don't stress the importance of this.
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07-23-2002, 11:02 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 252
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Must admit I can't really see the need to backup my PPC.
All my outlook stuff and various data files are synced each time it is connected.
All my software is available in the event of a failure and all my software keys are in codewallet pro (desktop version as well as PPC)
I have only had to do one hard reset since using an Ipaq (pretty much from launch) and that was peace of mind rather than actually needed.
The only thing I think I would loose would be some preferences on the apps but the time to put that right would be less than the time to backup on a regular basis.
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07-24-2002, 12:05 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 792
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
...One caveat to these non-internal backups. Be sure you have a .CAB install available either in the FileStore/SafeStore or on a CF/SD card along with your registration key (keep mine in a word file with the .CAB file) so if you are out and you do a hard reset, you will be able to install the app and do the restore. Shame the installs on these apps don't stress the importance of this.
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That is a perk to Sunnysoft Backup Manager. You don't need the software to open the backup (assuming you use the make EXE button). It makes a little app to restore your device.
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07-24-2002, 01:02 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 667
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dochall
Must admit I can't really see the need to backup my PPC.
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I basically agree with dochall. I sync with two computers and so have three copies of the information on my PPC. Even if I have one of those ActiveSync disasters that deletes everything on both desktop and PPC, I can still go back to the other desktop to recover the information. (It's never happened, but it's there if I need it.)
The only time I actually make formal backups is when I travel. Naturally, if I'm separated from my desktop systems, and if all of my travel information, powerpoint presentations, .pdf's of research documents, etc. were to disappear on a trip, I'd be up the creek. So for that, I use the CF Backup/Restore. So far, I've never had to use it, but I couldn't depend on my Pocket PC as an indespendible travel tool without the added security of a backup.
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07-24-2002, 01:27 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dochall
Must admit I can't really see the need to backup my PPC.
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I don't backup because of data integrity. There is nothing on my PPC that I would miss if I ran over it with a car. Everything is on my PC and then backed up to tape.
I backup for convenience. Errant program install or hard reset for whatever reason, I am back up and running within minutes using Pocket Backup. Obvious advantages when traveling.
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07-24-2002, 03:05 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 137
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I backup my iPaq using ActiveSync about once per week - yes, I sync with my workstation as several of you have mentioned, but I do backups not only for the data but for the different applications that I have on the PPC. It is a pain in the rear to get those restored - especially with all of the registration codes.
When I know that I will be away from my workstation for any length of time I use the CF backup - I have a 256 meg card so have plenty of room (well, I will as long as I don't get too carried away with putting music on it...).
Guess I have either been in IT too long (35 years) or am just a pessimist - I expect the worst to happen and that I will end up having a hard reset at the worst possible time.... 8O
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07-24-2002, 04:01 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by iPaqDude
Guess I have either been in IT too long (35 years)
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35 years in IT!?! :shocked!: That is the days of vacuum tubes isn't it? 
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07-24-2002, 05:44 AM
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Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,878
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by iPaqDude
I backup my iPaq using ActiveSync about once per week - yes, I sync with my workstation as several of you have mentioned, but I do backups not only for the data but for the different applications that I have on the PPC. It is a pain in the rear to get those restored - especially with all of the registration codes.
When I know that I will be away from my workstation for any length of time I use the CF backup - I have a 256 meg card so have plenty of room (well, I will as long as I don't get too carried away with putting music on it...).
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I do the same, the only thing I would add is that when I do the ActiveSync backup, I use my Pretec CompactLAN card. It makes the unbearable, tolerable (as far as speed goes)......
Steve
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07-24-2002, 09:23 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 633
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Ditto Dochall - Then I use Handy Backup with a daily 'overnight' schedule onto a a spare hard drive.... having burnt my fingers as well (haven't we all?) this solution seems to work very well for me.
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