Re-synchronizing Profile back to Pocket PC

[kuki]

I recently upgraded my IPAQ 3950 to Mobile 2003 (from 2002 version). When I tried to synchronize IPAQ with my PC after installing the software upgrade, it said that my (old) profile is already in use and that I have to create another profile. How can I re-synchronize my old profile back to the updated PAQ, WITHOUT creating a new profile

Many thanks for any advise

[ctmagnus]

In ActiveSync on the PC, click on File -> Mobile Device -> [partnership name] to select the partnership you no longer need, then File -> Delete Partnership.

[kuki]

Many thanks for this hint. However, my question is as follows:

I had a number of programs etc. installed on my IPAQ. If I decide to upgrade its software from 2002 to Mobile 2003, I would loose all these programs after the completion of the upgrade is done. So, in order to save the time and NOT to re-install all the programs back to IPAQ after the upgrade, what shall I do before I start the upgrade installation in order to just transfer all my programs back to IPAQ when the software upgrade is complete.

I thought it had only to do with a profile, hence my question regarding a profile.

Any idea, how can I back up all my programs that are now installed on IPAQ before I commence my upgrade.

Tks a lot

[Pony99CA]

In ActiveSync on the PC, click on File -> Mobile Device -> [partnership name] to select the partnership you no longer need, then File -> Delete Partnership.
That allows recreating a partnership with the old name, but not truly reusing the old partnership.

To truly reuse the old partnership, you have to mess around in the registry of the Pocket PC and the PC. If you do a search in the registry of your PC on the name of your partnership, you can get a lot of hits. However, you're looking for one named:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows CE Services\Partners\<some number> (the number for my iPAQ 5550 is 41895e10)

That number is what I call your partnership key. On your Pocket PC, go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows CE Services\Partners

You'll see subkeys P1 and P2. If one of them is empty, add the following keys:

PId <partnership key>
PName <Network name of your PC>

If the keys are already there, just change them as necessary. I have found that the key names above are the same on Pocket PC 2000 and Windows Mobile 2003, so I assume they'd also work for Pocket PC 2002 (for those people using Pocket PC 2002).

You should also make sure that you put in your original partnership name in the About settings applet's Device ID tab, of course.

That may allow you to reuse your partnership. I haven't tried it, so I can't say if that's all you need to do, though. There may be other values stored in Pocket PC databases that cause problems.

For example, I know that you lose your E-mail synchronization after a hard reset because the E-mail databases have new internal names for your E-mail folders.

Also, synchronization with other items in Outlook may get screwed up by doing this.

I would suggest that kuki try this and see what happens. Whatever happens, he should report back here. At worst, if things get screwed up, he can just hard reset again and delete the partnership.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

I had a number of programs etc. installed on my IPAQ. If I decide to upgrade its software from 2002 to Mobile 2003, I would loose all these programs after the completion of the upgrade is done. So, in order to save the time and NOT to re-install all the programs back to IPAQ after the upgrade, what shall I do before I start the upgrade installation in order to just transfer all my programs back to IPAQ when the software upgrade is complete.

[...]

Any idea, how can I back up all my programs that are now installed on IPAQ before I commence my upgrade.
You posted that as I was writing my previous reply. :-(

ActiveSync remembers most of the programs you had installed, and you can just reinstall those at once using the Add/Remove Programs... programs action.

Programs that don't use ActiveSync to install themselves (for example, EXE files you just copy to your Pocket PC and CAB files you install directly) would have to be done manually.

If you want to keep all of your settings and programs, you'd have to at least backup the Program Files folder, anything in the Windows folder dealing with those programs and any registry keys set by those programs.

I suspect that finding all of that information would take longer than using ActiveSync to just reinstall the programs, reinstalling those that don't work by hand and recreating your settings.

I would recommend ensuring you have your registration keys and backing up your Microsoft Reader activation, though. See the "A Warning To All Pocket PC Owners Regarding ROM Updates" thread (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4452) for details and suggestions of what to do after a hard reset. Read the whole thread (there are only 21 posts), and look for a post by me that lists six things to watch out for.

Steve

[kuki]

Many thanks Steve:

Also one more question:

I have H3950 with an expansion Pack with CF slot and Bluetooth which I have been using with my previous IPAQ H3650. After I bought 3950 and installed the 2002 OS, it worked OK with Bluetooth.

However, when I bought the 2003 Upgrade disk and installed it on my 3950, bluetooth does not work both ways (IPAQ can recognize my Sony T68I, but the phone can not recognize IPAQ. This scenario is with the Expansion pack attached to my 3950. All other functions of the expansion pack are fully supported by 2003 OS.

My question is whether Bluetooth (mutual) recognition between IPAQ and mobile phone can be done directly through 2003 software (without even having an Expansion Bluetooth pack attached to IPAQ 3950) or is there any way around to fix this bug so taht the phone can recognize IPAQ via bluetooth link.

[Pony99CA]

I have H3950 with an expansion Pack with CF slot and Bluetooth which I have been using with my previous IPAQ H3650. After I bought 3950 and installed the 2002 OS, it worked OK with Bluetooth.

However, when I bought the 2003 Upgrade disk and installed it on my 3950, bluetooth does not work both ways (IPAQ can recognize my Sony T68I, but the phone can not recognize IPAQ. This scenario is with the Expansion pack attached to my 3950. All other functions of the expansion pack are fully supported by 2003 OS.

My question is whether Bluetooth (mutual) recognition between IPAQ and mobile phone can be done directly through 2003 software (without even having an Expansion Bluetooth pack attached to IPAQ 3950) or is there any way around to fix this bug so taht the phone can recognize IPAQ via bluetooth link.
I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. It sounds like you either have a Compact Flash sleeve with a Bluetooth card or a Bluetooth sleeve which has a Compact Flash slot, and you want to know if you can use your 3950 without the sleeve at all.

If that's correct, then the answer is a definite no. The 3950 does not have Bluetooth hardware in it (like the 3970 did).

If you have any more questions about Bluetooth, though, I'd suggest you start a new thread -- people who know Bluetooth might not be watching this one.

Steve