Help needed on deleted files please

[bigvern]

Hi all. New member here with a question. i have the ipaq 4150 and have upgraded the ROM with a link on the HP site. Now I know that before activating the process i was supposed to save everything. i thougty I did this using HotSync backup/restore heading. This has worked fine for the programs i was using (just need to reactivate certain ones with registration key. easy). However i have lost everything in my Files folder and also my Splash ID program has lost all my passwords. Question is: Is there any way I can retrieve the lost data from my laptop where the Hotsync connection is, or have i totally lost this info for ever?
thanks form someone just learning and until this, lovin my little machine

[applejosh]

As far as the SplashID data, try looking for *.vid on your system. Supposedly, the desktop version makes a backup everytime you open it. (At least that's what I think I read in their group.)

As far as the other files, look in your "My Document" folder to see if there is any Pocket_PC Documents folder (or whatever the name of your device was prior to the ROM upgrade). Also, check your Recycle Bin to see if they ended up there.

And now that you're using the PocketPC platform, it's ActiveSync (or ActiveStink depending on who you talk to). HotSync is specific to Palm devices. (We all knew what you meant; just trying to save you aggrevation later.) :)

Good luck!

[applejosh]

I just re-read and saw that you thought you did a backup using ActiveSync. I've personally never used it (I use Sprite Backup Premium which has saved my keester a few times), so maybe someone who's familiar with the restoration process of ActiveSync will chime in.

[bigvern]

correct i meant Activesynch. will try when i get home later to retrieve the lost data. hopefully its still hidden deep inside the laptop. at least its a lesson learnt to do a higher quality back-up. thanks

[yankeejeep]

If you did a full backup using ActiveSync, you will now need to do a restore through ActiveSync. The backup is stored on an .stg file under the profile of the partnership name. If you can still connect using the old partnership name, do the restore process while connected. If you have had to create a new partnership after your ROM update, you will need to browse to the proper .stg file. However, since you have changed the ROM image, you may receive an error message telling you that the PPC OS is different. When you backup, you are creating an image of your device's RAM area that can be restored later, but the restoration takes you back to the time of the backup and wipes any RAM changes that have taken place since. Good luck.

[PetiteFlower]

You can't restore a backup made under a previous ROM version to a new one, or at least you shouldn't, it will confuse your PDA! The best thing to do before a ROM or OS upgrade is to SYNC all your data(even if you don't normally sync a particular item like calender) so that it will all be there and available on your PC. You can sync the files also, it should create a folder on your desktop for your PPC files. Then do the upgrade, create the new partnership, and sync again. Now all your data is on your device! You will have to re-install all your programs but there's just no way to avoid that.

Activesync's backup isn't terrible, I use it, but you can only restore a full system backup(that includes all your installed programs and settings) if you're restoring to the same version of the OS as you created the backup under. The most annoying thing about AS backup is that it is SLOOOOOW. The incremental backup it does every time I sync isn't too bad, but every time I have to create a new backup from scratch it takes at least an hour, maybe more, and if I ever have to RESTORE a backup that takes even longer!

Sorry I can't help with trying to retrieve lost data, but good luck!

[bigvern]

Thanks all for your help... have now managed to retrieve my lost files via the backup/restore setting. No luck with the SplashID but hadn't used it too much anyway...