Menneisyys
07-17-2007, 11:58 AM
I often receive questions about quickly transferring contacts / calendar items from one Windows Mobile device to another. Because of the frequency of these questions, I deemed it necessary to devote a quick tutorial to the question, temporarily stopping my Next Big Thing: at last, a full review and roundup of ALL Windows Mobile-based database programs.
With devices running operating systems prior to WM5 this (at least as far as transferring contacts is concerned) was pretty easy: you just brought up the built-in keyboard SIP and tapped Ctl, and, then, A, to select all contacts. After this, you could mass-transfer all this via both infrared and Bluetooth to any other device. Alternatively, if you needed to transfer other (for example, Calendar) databases, you just fired up Pocket dbExplorer (my old, often-discussed (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?s=dbExplorer&sentence=AND) favorite), backed up the database and just did the opposite (restored) it on the target machine.
Not so with WM5. Here, unless you use a (commercial) PIM extender like Pocket Informant, you can’t mass-select any kind of PIM data for transfer (yes, not even Contacts – Ctl-A doesn’t work any more) and Pocket dbExplorer no longer works either.
If you don’t have a desktop Outlook for quick synchronization of these types (the easiest way to do this is, again, Outlook on the desktop) and you don’t have access to any Exchange server either, you’re shot.
You may ask whether it’s possible to use, for example, Sprite Backup (or, for that matter, any other commercial Windows Mobile full(!) backup solution - see the Backup Bible (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1270&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1) for more info) to separately, selectively backup / restore ONE PIM database only (only all of them). That is, you would need to back up / restore all PIM databases, not only, say, Calendar (or any other database you select for transfer). This has the following major problem: While restoring the Calendar may work, doing the same with Contacts will most probably result in major problems (the built-in Contacts application not starting at all any more, necessitating a hard / clean reset).
I've tested this between the three models (in addition to my previous experience: see my related remarks on the problems with starting Contacts after some kinds of restorations in the Backup Bible):
Source: WM5 AKU 2.2 Dell Axim x51v
Targets: WM5 AKU 3.5 HP iPAQ hx4700 (imported calendar items weren't visible and
Contacts stopped working)
WM6 HTC Universal (imported calendar items became visible and Contacts
stopped working)
Unfortunately, there are no other, "low-level" ways of doing this either. For example, SKTools' database export (screenshot HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SKToolsDBExp.bmp.png)) / import (using XML files), even as of the latest, 3.1.8 version, doesn't work either - I've tested this too.
Jeyo’s well-known, commercial (!) Mobile Extender is only able to backup / restore / transfer contacts, SMS messages and call history – nothing else.
Dotfred’s PIM Backup to the rescue!
I’ve elaborated several times (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?s=Dotfred+PIM+Backup+&sentence=AND) on Dotfred’s excellent, free and both Pocket PC and MS Smartphone-compatible PIM Backup several times and made sure it got nominated for both the Pocket PC and Smartphone (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/awards/category_all_2007_newquery.asp). It is certainly worth giving a try and worth switching to for even scheduled (!) backing up your PIM data and messages, not to mention transferring this data to other Windows Mobile devices.
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupMain.bmp.png
(WM6 VGA PPC; WM5 QVGA PPC HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/QVGAPPCMain.bmp.png))
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMainTH.bmp.png (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMain.bmp.png)
(QVGA Smartphone)
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMain176TH.bmp.png (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMain176.bmp.png)
(176*220 Smartphone)
Get the program HERE (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299705). Just transfer the single EXE file onto your handheld, let it be either a Pocket PC or a Smartphone. You can put in anywhere (I recommend \Program Files\PIM Backup or \Storage Card\Program Files\PIM Backup); of course, you will want to create a link to it from \Windows\Start Menu (on a Smartphone) or \Windows\Start Menu\Programs (on a PPC). Then, just start and enjoy it.
The user interface of the application is REALLY straightforward: if you’ve ever seen a Windows Mobile backup application, you’ll learn it in a second. Therefore, I don’t provide you a step-by-step tutorial; instead, some remarks on the compatibility and the main subject of this article: selective restoration and data transfer to other Windows Mobile devices.
Tips
It has excellent separate restoration capabilities: not only can you select what PIM type to restore (see THIS (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/QVGAPPCSelectRestore.bmp.png)), but also you can select the individual Messaging folders to be restored as can be seen in the following screenshot:
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupMessagingFolderList.bmp.png
(A quick note: of them, it’s only SMS messages (MMS messages are still not supported) that will be restored on another device!)
Also, it has EXCELLENT options on setting what to overwrite / delete upon restoring: 1 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupRestoreOpts1.bmp.png) 2 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupRestoreOpts2.bmp.png) 3 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupRestoreOpts3.bmp.png)
Cross-restoration
As has already been pointed out, you will not only want to use the excellent (for example, scheduled) backup features of PIM Backup, but also its cross-device restoration capabilities.
I’ve thoroughly these with all kinds of PIM data and messages between several of my WM5 / WM6 Pocket PC’s and no-touchscreen smartphones. As can clearly be seen, cross-restoration (that is, simple PIM database transfer to another device) works just great. All you need to do is select the only PIM database(s) to transfer for backup, transfer (for example, beam via infrared or Bluetooth or transfer via a memory card) the file to the other one (and, when needed, PIM backup’s EXE itself) and, there, just restore the data. It’s really simple!
The cross-restoration compatibility chart
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/table.png
As can be seen, in general, you can safely transfer between any kind of WM5 and WM6 devices, both Smartphones and Pocket PC’s, the results will most likely work. I’ve only encountered real problems with transferring PIM data and messages from my HTC Oxygen / s310 (a WM5 Smartphone) – the Universal (which was able to import the backup files of both the WM5 Dell Axim x51v and the WM6 HTC Vox Smartphone) just couldn’t import it.
Smartphone compliance
The only problem I could find was the inability to see files at the bottom of a directory tree as can be seen in HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPFilelist.bmp.png). This means you won’t probably want to put your backup files in, say, the root directory of your Smartphone or will want at least once start the backup app so that it associates itself with .pib files.
Works great even on 176*220 Smartphones; the only problem I could find was the slightly overlapping buttons HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/176SmartphoneOverlap.bmp.png).
With devices running operating systems prior to WM5 this (at least as far as transferring contacts is concerned) was pretty easy: you just brought up the built-in keyboard SIP and tapped Ctl, and, then, A, to select all contacts. After this, you could mass-transfer all this via both infrared and Bluetooth to any other device. Alternatively, if you needed to transfer other (for example, Calendar) databases, you just fired up Pocket dbExplorer (my old, often-discussed (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?s=dbExplorer&sentence=AND) favorite), backed up the database and just did the opposite (restored) it on the target machine.
Not so with WM5. Here, unless you use a (commercial) PIM extender like Pocket Informant, you can’t mass-select any kind of PIM data for transfer (yes, not even Contacts – Ctl-A doesn’t work any more) and Pocket dbExplorer no longer works either.
If you don’t have a desktop Outlook for quick synchronization of these types (the easiest way to do this is, again, Outlook on the desktop) and you don’t have access to any Exchange server either, you’re shot.
You may ask whether it’s possible to use, for example, Sprite Backup (or, for that matter, any other commercial Windows Mobile full(!) backup solution - see the Backup Bible (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1270&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1) for more info) to separately, selectively backup / restore ONE PIM database only (only all of them). That is, you would need to back up / restore all PIM databases, not only, say, Calendar (or any other database you select for transfer). This has the following major problem: While restoring the Calendar may work, doing the same with Contacts will most probably result in major problems (the built-in Contacts application not starting at all any more, necessitating a hard / clean reset).
I've tested this between the three models (in addition to my previous experience: see my related remarks on the problems with starting Contacts after some kinds of restorations in the Backup Bible):
Source: WM5 AKU 2.2 Dell Axim x51v
Targets: WM5 AKU 3.5 HP iPAQ hx4700 (imported calendar items weren't visible and
Contacts stopped working)
WM6 HTC Universal (imported calendar items became visible and Contacts
stopped working)
Unfortunately, there are no other, "low-level" ways of doing this either. For example, SKTools' database export (screenshot HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SKToolsDBExp.bmp.png)) / import (using XML files), even as of the latest, 3.1.8 version, doesn't work either - I've tested this too.
Jeyo’s well-known, commercial (!) Mobile Extender is only able to backup / restore / transfer contacts, SMS messages and call history – nothing else.
Dotfred’s PIM Backup to the rescue!
I’ve elaborated several times (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?s=Dotfred+PIM+Backup+&sentence=AND) on Dotfred’s excellent, free and both Pocket PC and MS Smartphone-compatible PIM Backup several times and made sure it got nominated for both the Pocket PC and Smartphone (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/awards/category_all_2007_newquery.asp). It is certainly worth giving a try and worth switching to for even scheduled (!) backing up your PIM data and messages, not to mention transferring this data to other Windows Mobile devices.
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupMain.bmp.png
(WM6 VGA PPC; WM5 QVGA PPC HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/QVGAPPCMain.bmp.png))
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMainTH.bmp.png (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMain.bmp.png)
(QVGA Smartphone)
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMain176TH.bmp.png (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPMain176.bmp.png)
(176*220 Smartphone)
Get the program HERE (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299705). Just transfer the single EXE file onto your handheld, let it be either a Pocket PC or a Smartphone. You can put in anywhere (I recommend \Program Files\PIM Backup or \Storage Card\Program Files\PIM Backup); of course, you will want to create a link to it from \Windows\Start Menu (on a Smartphone) or \Windows\Start Menu\Programs (on a PPC). Then, just start and enjoy it.
The user interface of the application is REALLY straightforward: if you’ve ever seen a Windows Mobile backup application, you’ll learn it in a second. Therefore, I don’t provide you a step-by-step tutorial; instead, some remarks on the compatibility and the main subject of this article: selective restoration and data transfer to other Windows Mobile devices.
Tips
It has excellent separate restoration capabilities: not only can you select what PIM type to restore (see THIS (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/QVGAPPCSelectRestore.bmp.png)), but also you can select the individual Messaging folders to be restored as can be seen in the following screenshot:
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupMessagingFolderList.bmp.png
(A quick note: of them, it’s only SMS messages (MMS messages are still not supported) that will be restored on another device!)
Also, it has EXCELLENT options on setting what to overwrite / delete upon restoring: 1 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupRestoreOpts1.bmp.png) 2 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupRestoreOpts2.bmp.png) 3 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/PIMBackupRestoreOpts3.bmp.png)
Cross-restoration
As has already been pointed out, you will not only want to use the excellent (for example, scheduled) backup features of PIM Backup, but also its cross-device restoration capabilities.
I’ve thoroughly these with all kinds of PIM data and messages between several of my WM5 / WM6 Pocket PC’s and no-touchscreen smartphones. As can clearly be seen, cross-restoration (that is, simple PIM database transfer to another device) works just great. All you need to do is select the only PIM database(s) to transfer for backup, transfer (for example, beam via infrared or Bluetooth or transfer via a memory card) the file to the other one (and, when needed, PIM backup’s EXE itself) and, there, just restore the data. It’s really simple!
The cross-restoration compatibility chart
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/table.png
As can be seen, in general, you can safely transfer between any kind of WM5 and WM6 devices, both Smartphones and Pocket PC’s, the results will most likely work. I’ve only encountered real problems with transferring PIM data and messages from my HTC Oxygen / s310 (a WM5 Smartphone) – the Universal (which was able to import the backup files of both the WM5 Dell Axim x51v and the WM6 HTC Vox Smartphone) just couldn’t import it.
Smartphone compliance
The only problem I could find was the inability to see files at the bottom of a directory tree as can be seen in HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/SPFilelist.bmp.png). This means you won’t probably want to put your backup files in, say, the root directory of your Smartphone or will want at least once start the backup app so that it associates itself with .pib files.
Works great even on 176*220 Smartphones; the only problem I could find was the slightly overlapping buttons HERE (http://www.winmobiletech.com/072007PIMBackup/176SmartphoneOverlap.bmp.png).