3955 battery dead - complete data loss

[Bam Bam]

I have lost battery power before, plugged in (just to charger -- not to cradle) and all my data was still there... but not this time... it was a complete new start as if first time every using the PPC.

I know on my Mac computers I can recover data using software like undelete or unerase...

I would think my files are still on the PPC "hard drive..." Is there anyway I can see, and therefore, recover these files. Most of them are expendable... but about 3 or 4 are really critical... And I'm bad because I haven't Active Sync'd in about 2 months...

THANKS!!! for any help!

Bam Bam

[yankeejeep]

Your device does have a component similar to a hard drive. It has ROM that holds the operating system image and this will reload when you do a hard reset. Data and application storage is in RAM and that is maintained by power flow, just as on your desktop system. And just like on your desktop system, no power means no memory. If your device went completely dead and did a hard reset, what was stored in RAM is gone. This is the same on your desktop. When you turn off the computer's power, whatever is sitting in RAM is wiped.

Some devices have a limited flash ROM storage on which backup copies of certain PIM items and databases are held. You can check to see if there is a ROM safestore on yours. Most of what was loaded, both apps and documents, is gone unless you have a recent backup that you can restore.

[Ultima]

My question is why you have not backed up your device by activesyncing or using a backup progam to stick the contents onto a memory card or such in TWO MONTHS....especially with "critical" files on your handheld.

You do back up your computer, right? How often? I do a total backup every month or so....but my iPaq charges in the cradle, which syncs at least once a week. The short answer is that no, there is no way to rescue the "critical" files you lost, the only way to recover them would be from a backup on a storage card or from the computer which the iPaq is synced.

I don't know how many times I have to stress this to people. BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP!! Your iPaq, your computer setup, and hell, life in general is NOT FAIL SAFE.

Live and learn...