Pocket PC backup solutions

[marlof]

<a href="http://www.davespda.com/features/backup.htm">http://www.davespda.com/features/backup.htm</a><br /><br />Dave's PDA features a good article dealing with different ways of doing a Pocket PC backup. He discusses Activesync Backup, <a href="http://www.artsoft.ru/eng/artssppc.htm">Art Soft's ArtSSave</a>, <a href="http://www.sunnysoft.cz/en_clanek.php?clanekid=51">Sunnysoft Backup Manager</a>, CF Backup / Restore (as provided with some Pocket PCs) and <a href="http://www.spritesoftware.com/pocket.html">Sprite Software's Pocket Backup</a>.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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. <br /><br />Question: do you backup your Pocket PC, and if so, what solution do you use?

[Ed Hansberry]

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.

[dochall]

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.

[Dave Conger]

...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.

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.

[Rob Alexander]

Must admit I can't really see the need to backup my PPC.


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.

[Ed Hansberry]

Must admit I can't really see the need to backup my PPC.
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.

[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...).

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

[Ed Hansberry]

Guess I have either been in IT too long (35 years)

35 years in IT!?! :shocked!: That is the days of vacuum tubes isn't it? http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/smiley_oldman.gif

[Steven Cedrone]

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...).


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

[DrtyBlvd]

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.

[DrtyBlvd]

One thing I would add though- Outlook on the PC doesn't (seem to?) have a facitily for creating backups of the .pst - so I do have to create those manually in order that Hnady Backup will then do it's stuff and save a copy - an irritation rather than a problem - but it would be nice were outlook to allow you to enable a schedule and a location? Seems strange to me that they wouldn't think to enable such functionality?

[iPaqDude]

Guess I have either been in IT too long (35 years)

35 years in IT!?! :shocked!: That is the days of vacuum tubes isn't it? http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/smiley_oldman.gif


Well... um... yeah... my first computer had a memory of 512... bits... those little donut thingies that you had to measure the voltage &amp; amperage through to "align" memory.... and we won't go into papertape readers....

[MacBirdie]

Question: do you backup your Pocket PC, and if so, what solution do you use?

I use faith in that nothing happens :wink:

I use ActiveSync Backup once in a while but since all my files are synced with my PCs my documents folder I fear not. I keep the rest of important data in Built-in Storage.

[edgar]

Happy with Sprite Pocket Backup, which I run while I drive to work (start at first traffic light stop, exit when I stop car in parking lot). I have reminder to run scehduled for 7:00 a.m. daily. Avoids hassle of having to reload all my software in addition to calendar, contacts, etc. in the event of hard reset. Compressed operation takes about 20MB on 256MB CF. Uncompressed operation takes about 30MB. I have a lot of stuff on an hp568.

[Jason Dunn]

One thing I would add though- Outlook on the PC doesn't (seem to?) have a facitily for creating backups of the .pst - so I do have to create those manually in order that Hnady Backup will then do it's stuff and save a copy - an irritation rather than a problem - but it would be nice were outlook to allow you to enable a schedule and a location? Seems strange to me that they wouldn't think to enable such functionality?

Why not just back up the PST file directly? It you close Outlook, Handy Backup will be able to copy the PST file. I've moved mine into the My Documents folder for easier backups...

[Barak]

I use the free version of pocketbackup. I like that you can do selective backup and selective restore of individual folders.

I also like the Casio card backup, which worked flawlessly on my E-200. I had to hard reset after rom update and the restore worked perfectly.

[timmy]

I use the active sync backup for my iPaq and it has worked well so far.

However there is a warning here which I found out the hard way yesterday.

My wife has used my old Compaq Aero 1530 for some time and she didn't like the idea of syncing with Outlook for some unknown reason... But I have done Active sync backups at home for her every week.

But yesterday disaster struck. She dropped the Aero and the screen cracked. At the same time the backup battery AND the main battery popped out as well. So now the Aero is broken with a Aero (MIPS) backup in active sync. But the Aero is discontinued so she has to buy another PocketPC now. But then the question is:

How to restore the MIPS backup? So the advice from me would be to additional to a regular backup, always sync to Outlook as well....

/Timmy

[clach04]

Check out STGViewer, it can extract files from an activesync backup - The URL I have for it is: http://www.wincecity.com/software/pocketpc/ActiveSync-Backup-File-Restorer-2001-10-15-ce-pocketpc.html

I've not tried it though.

Good luck!

Chris

[mmidgley]

I used to use SBM Utils on my Apple Newton (which allowed scheduled and selective backup/restore) and really liked it. Now that I've owned an iPAQ for 2+ years, I'm getting by with the occasional Activesync backup, and more recently a flash card backup every couple weeks. Someday I will spend $$ on something that can do the schedule/selective features for this device. I just hate doing that everytime I get a new handheld.

I have used a flash backup to restore while on the road, so I definitely recommend it. (My long-out-of-warranty iPAQ's power button slid off proper alignment, and I ended up taking it apart-including pulling the battery cable off.)

I also do backups where I use Activesync to copy all files to my desktop, and then just ZIP them up. That way, if my PocketPC dies, I can get to the files before getting new PocketPC hardware to restore to.

m.

[timmy]

Check out STGViewer, it can extract files from an activesync backup - The URL I have for it is: http://www.wincecity.com/software/pocketpc/ActiveSync-Backup-File-Restorer-2001-10-15-ce-pocketpc.html

I've not tried it though.

Good luck!

Chris

Thanks for the tip! If this can restore the files, there is only one problem.
How to extract the appointments database and replace the one on the new PPC. Anyone done this?

Thanks,

Timmy

[Gerard]

Well, since I beta tested for the version of Pocket Backup which is part of the 3900 series iPAQ, I suppose it's obvious that this software is my choice. It's now saved my neck through 5 forced hard resets on the 3835, the device simply failing to complete a reset (a 'known issue' in the quaint terminology of the business world). Beta testing other stuff has forced a few other hard resets, on both the iPAQ and my EG-800. But Pocket Backup fixes things, get's it all back to normal in a few moments. All I have to do is set the clock! I run two backups each night just before sleep, one of main memory only to an SD card, compressed. The second to my external (Accurite) hard drive, uncompressed, of the whole device including my \Storage Card\Programs folder (in case the SD fails too), as well as the \iPAQ File Store directory as a whole (in case the device gets killed utterly). I don't want to start over from scratch. This is my main computer, with all my Outlook data on this and my Casio but not on my PC, which has proven unreliable. I also use Phatware's dbExplorer for a Contacts backup daily, just in case... And Pocket Backup can dump Contacts from an ARM machine into a MIPS machine without a hiccup, along with all my files. The only thing non-transferable is programs, but hey, that's whay I keep a current ZIP of all my MIPS CAB files and another with all those for ARM. With CabInstl, it's a bit of a chore, but standalone from-scratch rebuilds are at least possible. I also keep Pocket Backup in the iPAQ File Store directory, making restoring without re-installing the backup program easy. It runs just fine without being re-installed, and without a registration code (for basic restores).

[ExtremeSIMS]

Trying out Sprite Software's Pocket Backup, and it's MUCH faster than the built-in Toshiba tool! I like that you can specify what to backup. I am using PocketMac, and the new build was causing dupes on my Toshiba. I can just reset my device, restore the apps, and then restore the data - over and over, if need be. :)