Sprite Opens Public Beta for Sprite Backup For WM5 Devices

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.spritesoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1836">http://www.spritesoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1836</a><br /><br />As far as I know, it is impossible to back up your Windows Mobile 5 device right now. So much changed from 2003SE to WM5 that existing backup solutions have to be reworked and Microsoft ActiveSync 4.x lacks the backup feature found in all previous versions. iMate doesn't include an onboard backup solution either as they did with WM2003SE. I am not sure if other OEMs like HP and Dell are providing a backup solution or not. Of course, with persistent storage, you are far less likely to lose your data as a battery drain won't do it, but it is still possible to have a bad software install or a glitch that will force a hard reset and it would be nice to have a backup to fall back on. Sprite Software, the makers of the popular Sprite Backup, have started a public beta of their software for WM5.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2005/20051222-spritesoftware.gif" /><i>Sprite Software is delighted to announce a BETA release of Sprite Backup V5.0.0 for Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. This BETA release is an important step in preparing for the full commercial release of Sprite Backup and we are very keen to hear feedback and improve the backup experience if possible.</i><br /><br />Please note this <i><b>is</b></i> beta software. The page I've linked to above notes eight major issues currently under review and I am sure there are a lot of smaller ones. If you are looking for a safe and secure method of backing up your device, hold off until they release it as a finished product. If you are interested in testing the software though, download and get busy!

[pocketpcadmirer]

Too bad to hear that OEMs arent providing any sort of backup solutions.

The worst part is that even MS crippled the activesync(may be the xbox guys made this !! :wink: ) by REMOVING the backup feature(I'd feelings that they would have enhanced it more)(and yes I dont think they increased the security by removing wi-fi activesync) :(

Its nice that company like sprite are there who care for us.
THank you sprite people :D

Sunny

[ronh]

There is already a backup program for WM5 since december 12. Backup Manager from Sunnysoft, see http://www.sunnysoft.com.

I've also already reviewed the product at the dutch pocketpc-club, see:
http://www.pocketinfo.nl/artikel/4801

So that Sprite now is coming with a working beta.... :?:

I think they are really late, all of Sprite users are waiting for a release, NO beta product!

[DaleReeck]

Unfortunately, there are a lot of vendors who are late. Microsoft hasn't released a fully compatible Voice Command version yet and AvantGo hasn't done squat for WM5 compatibility. Many other major vendors are still just in beta. Some guys like Alex at PI had WM5 compatible apps (Pocket Informant) before there even were any WM5 devices so it was possible to get a head start. But a majority of vendors were simply not interested in being ready for WM5.

[Clinton Fitch]

I am not sure if other OEMs like HP and Dell are providing a backup solution or not.

Ed, Dell does provide a backup solution on the x50/x51 series. If you upgrade the Dell x50v to WM5 - as I did - there is a Data backup application installed that allows you to store the backup file on a Storage Card. This is the same application that is in the x51 series ROM.

Regards,

[Phillip Dyson]

[quote="ronh"]There is already a backup program for WM5 since december 12. Backup Manager from Sunnysoft, see http://www.sunnysoft.com.

Sunnysoft seems to be a forgotten software resource in these parts. Granted its probably their fault. You're known in a community when you participate in a community.

I own a license for their World-Offline webcaching product and actually fire it up from time to time.

I'm currently a Sprite backup user on the WM2003SE platform. To be honest, it works so well, that I've never had any reason to explore other products. &lt;RANT>Unlike ActiveSync and Intellisync.&lt;/RANT>

[adamz]

ActiveSync backup never really worked with Phone Edition devices. It just made things worse. And I never met 3rd party backup program that didn't screw up the Inbox database on WM2003.

Now that we have persistent storage on WM5, backups aren't nearly as vital.

[spinedoc]

Sunnysoft backup has been around since before Dec 12, its been out nearly as long as the 6700 has been out. I have had hard resets and sunnysoft configured everything perfectly afterwards.

[jamesbe2759]

There is already a backup program for WM5 since december 12. Backup Manager from Sunnysoft, see http://www.sunnysoft.com.

I've also already reviewed the product at the dutch pocketpc-club, see:
http://www.pocketinfo.nl/artikel/4801

So that Sprite now is coming with a working beta.... :?:

I think they are really late, all of Sprite users are waiting for a release, NO beta product!

I've used Sunnysoft Backup Manager SEVERAL times since upgrading to WM5 and it works great. It's cheaper than Sprite also.

[jngold_me]

I've used Sunnysoft Backup Manager SEVERAL times since upgrading to WM5 and it works great. It's cheaper than Sprite also.

The only real big problem with Backup Manager is that it screws up Mailboxes after a restore.

[EvilOne]

I've used Sunnysoft Backup Manager SEVERAL times since upgrading to WM5 and it works great. It's cheaper than Sprite also.

The only real big problem with Backup Manager is that it screws up Mailboxes after a restore.

I have used this too, but I wasn't able to install any cabs on my device after restoring a backup and I was not able to connect as anything other than guest. So for me it has just been a bad experience with their software. I have never had any issues with Sprite Software so I hope that it continues with their upcoming release for WM5 machines.

[jngold_me]

I've used Sunnysoft Backup Manager SEVERAL times since upgrading to WM5 and it works great. It's cheaper than Sprite also.

The only real big problem with Backup Manager is that it screws up Mailboxes after a restore.

I have used this too, but I wasn't able to install any cabs on my device after restoring a backup and I was not able to connect as anything other than guest. So for me it has just been a bad experience with their software. I have never had any issues with Sprite Software so I hope that it continues with their upcoming release for WM5 machines.

Ouch, sorry to hear that. For now BM serves only as a way of restoring certain files rather than a full system restore.

[Paragon]

I've used Sunnysoft Backup Manager SEVERAL times since upgrading to WM5 and it works great. It's cheaper than Sprite also.

The only real big problem with Backup Manager is that it screws up Mailboxes after a restore.

And, it's slower than molasses during the month of February in the Yukon.

[EvilOne]

I've used Sunnysoft Backup Manager SEVERAL times since upgrading to WM5 and it works great. It's cheaper than Sprite also.

The only real big problem with Backup Manager is that it screws up Mailboxes after a restore.

And, it's slower than molasses during the month of February in the Yukon.

Noticed that too!

[Jason Lee]

even sprite backup borks the mail boxes... I had to restore my device once and it was quite the chore fixing it all.

[thenikjones2]

Now that we have persistent storage on WM5, backups aren't nearly as vital.

Hmm... I've hard-reset my JasJar a couple of times - a backup application would've been nice at the time! I found on the web the location of the pim data (I think it's PIM.VOL) so manually copy that to my SD card once a week. If you hard-reset away from a PC, you really need your PIM data. I can wait to reinstall 3rd party apps, so this system has, for me, replaced the need for a backup solution.

thenikjones

[fredng]

Has anyone used this software to restore applications/data after a ROM upgrade? I'm eagerly waiting for the eventual release of the JASJAR/Universal ROM upgrade incorporating AKU2 and more importantly performance/stability improvements, but reinstalling everything really isn't an option since it really took me a while to set things up.

[adamz]

Now that we have persistent storage on WM5, backups aren't nearly as vital.

Hmm... I've hard-reset my JasJar a couple of times - a backup application would've been nice at the time! I found on the web the location of the pim data (I think it's PIM.VOL) so manually copy that to my SD card once a week. If you hard-reset away from a PC, you really need your PIM data. I can wait to reinstall 3rd party apps, so this system has, for me, replaced the need for a backup solution.

thenikjones

Yeah, but it won't hard-reset when the battery dies. You have to consciously wipe everything out, and if you're going to do that, you're going to realize that you're going to lose everything that you don't have backed up. The only times I've had to hard reset the K-JAM is when installing non-supported software that screws everything up and I try not to do that while away from a PC. In the passed, when spending time away from a PC you really needed to have a backup on the SD card in case your battery died. With WM5, that's no longer vital (though still a good idea I'm sure).

But thanks for that PIM.VOL tip! That's a very easy backup.

[adamz]

even sprite backup borks the mail boxes... I had to restore my device once and it was quite the chore fixing it all.

I never met a backup program that didn't screw up the Inbox database (unless you're using Pocket PC 2000 or older). It's a feature of the "New improved" Inbox that was created for Pocket PC 2002.

[hamishmacdonald]

I recently bought Sunnysoft's backup program because it was cheaper. Yesterday I lost a file and tried to restore from the .EXE, only to have it instantly say "Invalid password" when I clicked on it -- I wasn't even asked for a password, nor had I told the program to use one. So I had the pleasure of rewriting an article from scratch and re-editing another 'cause the file was well and truly gone.

With backup software for me, it's "one strike and you're out". So yesterday I ponied up the money for Sprite's program, which I owned years ago and was always very pleased with. It saved me on several nerve-wracking occasions.

I tried a manual backup with Sunnysoft's program yesterday, since I'm away from home and only have access to Macs (i.e. can't install the Sprite program yet). It made an executable archive just fine, and would restore a file from it. But I have to be able to rely on the automatic backup.

(I just checked this morning's backup, and it looks fine. But I don't need it this morning.)

Also, Sunnysoft's scheduling is unintuitive. You set battery level backup and date/time backup under two different tabs, and the confirm is set in the bottom bar. I never quite feel sure that I've done it right.

[Darren Behan]

Does anyone know how I uninstall this software manually? I have tried uninstalling from the application, the PPC and the PC and nothing works. I tried manually uninstalling and now every time I power off and on it generates a notification error telling me that it can't find Windows\SpriteStart.exe. I must be missing a registry entry somewhere but have searched for it to no avail. Unfortuantely, so far my question to the Sprite team has gone unanswered.

Thanks,

db