Database Info

How to Backup ???

Does anyone know or recommend a backup tool ?
I was really more concerned with restoring options at this point, not necessarily programs. Say the Quick contacts and stuff like that. Have to set those up is a pain again and again ever time you Flash the device.
Cheers!

I'm using PIMbackup 2.8 it's very easy to use and it's free
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299705

fllysurfer said:
Does anyone know or recommend a backup tool ?
I was really more concerned with restoring options at this point, not necessarily programs. Say the Quick contacts and stuff like that. Have to set those up is a pain again and again ever time you Flash the device.
Cheers!
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But why don't u use the sprite backup that comes freely with the phone in one of the cds ??!?

I have used SPB Backup on my TP and previous PPC's. The technology of SPB-Backup is clever. I choose it over Sprite years back after comparing the their respective methods.

This debate has been had many times on the forums.
PPCPimbackup is great but it will only do your SMSs/ emails/ contacts and call logs.
Sprite Backup is great for doing a full backup but you really should not use it to restore options / settings etc after flashing a new ROM, particularly one which has a different build of windows or different reg tweaks applied.
You can use UC or Sashimi to restore progs etc after a flash.

apd said:
This debate has been had many times on the forums.
SPBBackup is great but it will only do your SMSs/ emails/ contacts and call logs.
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Hi, i'm sorry but i have to correct you, this is not true (anymore). SPB backup does make full backups and does so VERY well.
I think you must've not looked at spb backup for quite a while.
My tp has scheduled backups with the newest spb backup and every night makes a full backup to my sd-card, reboots and voila, working phone when i wake up.
Mark

Trolly333 said:
Hi, i'm sorry but i have to correct you, this is not true (anymore). SPB backup does make full backups and does so VERY well.
I think you must've not looked at spb backup for quite a while.
My tp has scheduled backups with the newest spb backup and every night makes a full backup to my sd-card, reboots and voila, working phone when i wake up.
Mark
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Sorry - my mistake - I meant to say PPCPimbackup (will edit this). SPBBackup suffers the same problem as sprite when flashing a new ROM - namely you use it at your own risk given the potential differences in file structure / reg entries

How do you Back-Up before a flash?

Well just been reading the Flashers Anonymous thread and started to get the hint that you could back up all of your settings rather than just things like contacts w/ PIMbackup.
What do you use and what does it do?
Thanks.

I use sprite backup 6.5.4. Backs up contacts, registry settings, installed programs, preferences...pretty much everything.

telegraph0000 said:
I use sprite backup 6.5.4. Backs up contacts, registry settings, installed programs, preferences...pretty much everything.
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hello , see the bottom of my signature, Sashimi, its awesome, take the time to see the videos he has, awesome app, it will set up just about everything after a new rom flash.
lupe
sorry, was trying to quote mcspikesky, not telegraph000, my bad

i sync with activesync
stuff on sd don't for obvious reasons require backup
and to get back to the org rom if need be is just flashing
that version rom

If you want to take my advise do NOT NEVER EVER backup any thing else than your PIM because every new ROM WILL have different registry settings and custom chef tweaks!!!
You may backup your username and opera settings using Sashimi and Opera Backup but keep everything else out of you backup.
You may also play with installed programs on the SD card. A lot of them do work just by creating a link into the Windows\Start Up\Programs folder.
For my part I DO have a full backup all the time in case a ROM hard resets and you reinstall it but for new ROM flashes please use only PIM backup. Though SPB Backup for example offers a backup/restore mode to restore "after new ROM flash" it DOES NOT WORK if the new ROM has dramatic changes!
Note:
If you have programs which don't work linked really take a look into the Sashimi installer.

Right...I backup a rom to try out a new one...and if I don't like it, I go back to the previous one and restore. Yes...Sashimi rocks...
*Proud member of XDA's flashers anonymous.

Sashimi is a great way to go; it's a little more flexible than UC in my opinion, and I think it's a good idea to import your settings and install your cabs after you've messed around with the new ROM instead of during customization. That way, you know what cabs to install. I've got a small library of some useful reg settings over here, as well as some settings files and what-not that you can install to back up things (I need to update it one of these days). I've also got a step-by-step that does an ok job of backing up manila settings (it's far from perfect). In the very least, you should back up reg keys that hold registration info for software you've bought, like sk tools or mobile shell. It's easy to find the keys, and you really don't want to waste your time re-entering crap like that every time you flash, do you?
I agree, though, you don't want to do a wholesale import of the entire registry, which is what Sprite backup will do for you. That's just crazy. You want to be as selective as possible. I think that even using something like the rom upgrade backup mode with spb backup is a bad idea. There's a good chance you'll over-write some nice performance tweaks cooked in by the chef with old reg settings that don't work as well. You'll also never really know how well the new rom works, because you won't get to use it with the proper settings.

Is there any good software for backing up email account settings? I hate setting them all up after each rom flash.

Backing up email accounts and settings
I use SPB backup, well worth the money, to back up my PIM data and emails.
Didn't miss a single beat over God knows how many flashes.
I just back up prior flashing, flash, restore, done.

I have both Sprite & PIM running scheduled backups every day - but after a flash only use PIM to restore to prevent the registry complications.
Also have a decent UC setup installing apps, editing the registry for me etc, and have made some cab files (or edited install cabs) to register anything which requires it.
I've found that syncing with activsync before running the PIM restore prevents me getting duplicate contacts / meetings, but this might just be because i have a setting wrong!
Never tried Sashimi, i got UC working, and it does everything i need it to!
@ Maxh - i have an XML file which is called in the UC setup which restores all my e-mail accounts and settings (only leaves the password blank for me). UC isnt easy to get sorted first time, so have some patience, and build it up slowly (mine calls 33 cabs & 16 XML files, so if i change anything, i dont have to re-write the whole thing, just edit out the removed / changed file)

people should realize though that
take
joe have a tmobile branded rom version 1.234 that his device came with
joe upgrades to custom blabla rom version 1.567 don't like it and want to go back
joe will not get more back by flashing a backup he made himself of the 1.234 rom
then he will be just flashing the rom 1.234 he can download at tmobile
a rom is a rom and it makes no difference if it was the very bits originally stored on his device
then a rom from the site as long as version and branding is the same

Best Back Up? Question

After two weeks... and several soft resents and only two hard resets... I now have everything set up and working well and smooth on my TP2 (Sprint). All my email, preferences and setting are exactly what I want themn to be.
My question is. What is the best way to back ALL of this up. Is there a programs that can save this 'state' and created a sort of restore point; so that is everything goes kablooey, I can get the device back to this exact state easily? Freeware preferable, but not a must.
I know I am noob, but I am trying to learn so thanks. It was a long time coming and WinMo 6.1 is a so different to me that the Palm system I was using until now.
Please let me know... It is greatly appreciated.
Matt

As far as I know, you have 5 options
1) PIM Backup - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299705
FREE
Really good at backing up ALL your text messages, contacts, appointments, etc. It can run automatically if desired. I've had issues when trying to restore emails and email accounts to my phone, but those aren't that hard to setup without it.
2)Microsoft MyPhone - http://sn1-p3.myphone.microsoft.com/mkweb/Start.po
FREE
Service works well. It backs up your info (Text, contacts, appointments, email) to the "cloud". It will even backup your files too, like photos and songs. You can also have this run on a schedule as well. Also has tools to locate your phone if you lose it (GPS location, make your phone rings even if it's on silent) but you gotta pay for them.
3) Flexilis Mobile - https://beta.flexilis.com/
FREE
Same as Microsoft MyPhone, but it's all free. They're still working on the GPS location function for the TP2, however their "scream" function is pretty cool, even works of the phone is set to silent too.
EDIT: forgot to mention, I wouldn't advise setting up the firewall on this program, I've had issues when trying to connect to ANY wifi spot (even my home's) when the firewall is on.
4)SPB Backup - http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/backup/?en
$24.95
Haven't actually tried this one but from the looks of it, it can backup "System Data" which I think means system preferences.
5) Resco Backup - http://www.resco.net/pocketpc/backup/
$19.99
Looks like it will backup EVERYTHING, the new version will also upload your backup to the FTP server of your choice. Haven't tried this one yet either
Also I know there is a program floating around the Rhodium forums that will re-installed ALL your programs. I forgot the link though.

I use MS MyPhone and SPB Backup... SPB is pretty easy to use, but so is MyPhone, but with MyPhone there have been some glitches in the past (which I experianced, like the contact restore issue) but those seem to be resolved now at least ( I know I havent had the issue again since getting the new version). SPB costs money, MyPhone does not. Both are simple, and easy to use. I would suggest trying them all, find the one you like best and stick with it.

I use SunnySoft BackupManager 4.x.
This software will restore you to whatever point in time it was when you did the backup. This software can be customized to backup the whole device or just parts of it.
I tried SPB on previous winmo phones and did not like it.
I also have had no issues with getting the software from 1 phone to the other. All it took was an email with my new phones key sent to them to get a new code for the new phone.

+1 for SPB its worth the money backs up and saves everything.

Sprite Backup isn't bad. Used it a lot on my MotoQ9c with no issues.

huntm856 said:
Sprite Backup isn't bad. Used it a lot on my MotoQ9c with no issues.
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Yeah, just make sure you use the same version for restore as you did while backing up. Tried to restore my roommates palm treo (a couple years ago) and the program didn't want to because it said that the version I backed up with was to old.

+1 on SPB Backup. And when they say it backs up everything, they mean everything. Data, apps, the works. Great program and well worth the money IMHO.
I've tried Sprite Backup but it gave me problems. I tried doing a backup, reflashed my ROM, and when I tried to restore the file wouldn't work. All my data was gone. So -10 for Sprite Backup.

Sprite works for me
I've used Sprite on my Wizard and on my Fuze/Raphael.
This is the copy I'm using now, copied from my Fuze, and it is working fine:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jnxk4wzojh3
One thing you might find is that it usually works best to restore to a device that is factory fresh, i.e. hard reset to factory specs, or to your base ROM whatever that is. If you have a stock ROM you may get an error when you try to run the restore file directly.
I keep a copy of the Sprite Backup.CAB on my storage card, and load it after the hard reset, then use it to open the backup file.
If you have a cooked ROM you probably can just run the exe backup file.

colorado_al said:
If you have a cooked ROM you probably can just run the exe backup file.
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I am think about this... but I have not the first clue on how to flash a new ROM, where to find one that is right... is there a faq on this whole process.
I just want a nice stable system...

My vote is with SPB backup.
It makes backups on schedule, I do one every day, then automatically copies the backups to my desktop when I connect it by activesync.
Smooth, reliable, I've restored 1/2 a dozen times without a problem.
Worth the money.

ROM upgrade and Backup question.

Hi to All..
Hope everyone is well.
If this question has been answer else where then my apologies to all.
I have an XDA Orbit that came with WM6(prob 6.1) and am wishing to upgrade the rom to 6.5..... I regularly backup the internal memory to MicroSD using Sprite Backup.... I backup ALL internal content so apps, registry and settings etc are backed up. Now my question is this... If I do a rom upgrade can I simply restore the backup file thus returning the Orbit to original state before the upgrade with the change being of cause a 6.5 rom and not a 6.1 rom.. I just don't want to have to reinstall over 250 apps if I can help it....
regards
Lohtse

Hi,
Yes you can restore your apps from sd card after flashing (of course taking out your SD before flashing!)
Just remember that some apps may not be compatible with 6.5, also 6.5 takes a lot of more RAM so be sure you have enough to run all you need.
Hope it helped,

Doing a full sprite restore is kind of a lousy idea, if you ask me, especially when upgrading from 6.1 to 6.5. How many registry entries from 6.1 will either useless in 6.5 or in conflict? Beats me, but it will affect device performance. What's worse, if you're not happy with the new rom, you won't know if it's the rom's fault for sucking or if it's your fault for importing a lot of bad registry settings. In some cases, I've read that doing a full restore locks up the pda, with a hard reset being the only way to get it going again.
You have 250 apps installed? Holy crap, that's a ton!!! All I can say is this: keep your cabs. If you have them all, you can have them automatically installed with sashimi. (If not, you can use sk tools to re-pack any installed program back into a cab.) I guess it may be worth it to try the sprite backup just because of the enormous amount of crap you've installed (no offense, lol). I would actually recommend that you try out Resco Backup. I haven't used it myself (have the demo, though). It allows you to do more selective restores than Sprite. Also, you can unpack the backup on your pc later if you find that you're missing things. It costs about 20 bucks, but it's really the only backup utility that I've ever been tempted to buy. I already own sk tools, and it does a good job of backing up stuff, but Resco sounds pretty sweet.

[POLL] SPB or Sprite for Backups?

Which would you recommend for both FULL backups of EVERYTHING?
Which is better in terms of Ease of use?
Ideally It should be able to Backup and restore everything (ROM/OS, Apps, Settings, Contacts, messages etc etc) IN ONE GO While also being able to just restore Apps, Settings etc ONTO AN UPDATED ROM.
Can either Sprite or PSB do both of the above? and if they can both do it all....which is best?
As well as answering the poll, please feel free to post whether or not you have used BOTH apps or not, also pros and cons of each etc.
Thanks.

Neither. Just use PIM backup or activesync. Backing up the whole ROM and restoring is not advisable anyways, unless you use that over and over on a same ROM.

ai6908 said:
Backing up the whole ROM and restoring is not advisable anyways, unless you use that over and over on a same ROM.
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Isn't it the whole point of making the full system backup? Kind of like making ghost images on PC - so once system becomes unstable, we can easily restore everything without the tiresome reinstallation/reconfiguration?

ai6908 said:
Neither. Just use PIM backup or activesync. Backing up the whole ROM and restoring is not advisable anyways, unless you use that over and over on a same ROM.
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Click to collapse
Same here. Using a mix of PIMBackup, MyPhone, Outlook/WMDC, and Sashimi.

SPB all the way baby!
Not used anything else since i first tried it!
The beauty of it is, it backs up absolutely everything with a few clicks, and you can restore parts of a back up if you don't want a full restore (mainly contacts for me)
Was gobsmacked when it even backed up my opera settings eg. cache on mem card. Haven't found anything it wont backup.
So personally, SPB peeps!
Hope it helps you!

Been using SPB Backup for quite a while.
Being I flash so many ROM's, it saves me a lot of time.
I have also used Sprite, but normally use SPB.
​

Thanks for the input so far chaps, keep those oppinions coming peeps
ai6908 said:
...Backing up the whole ROM and restoring is not advisable anyways, unless you use that over and over on a same ROM.
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I think p107r0 hit the nail on the head with what I'm looking for... basically I want Norton Ghost For HD2 lol.... Or that type of FULL backup and restore.
BUT I also want the app to be able to restore everything EXCEPT the OS specific items (for if/when I flash a different ROM).
Sounds like SPB Does it all.
No votes for sprite then?
Early days yet but SPB is sounding like a winner so far (I'm lazy so I really wanted my backups 'centralised rather than having to use PIM backup AND MyPhone AND sashimi etc).
Thanks again peeps...
BTW... tkalli and snowblind: Would you say SPB is easy to use (noob friendly)?

not sure about Sprite, but SPB comes with a small desktop application similar to Ghost Explorer, enabling you to browse through the backup file and selectively extract selected files and/or even registry keys/entries

Resco Backup is very good program for Leo.

i also used it, but of no apparent reason it caused a problem on my phone. when i was changing the lockscreen wallpaper, my phone was freezing, had to take the battery out every time. with spb backup I use, no issues so far
Cyclu said:
Resco Backup is very good program for Leo.
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Thanks for all your input peeps.... much appreciated.
I know 27 isnt exactly a good sample size but the votes are so stacked in SPBs favour that it looks like a no-brainer already.
Talking of no-brains...
Can anyone who uses SPB Backup, and changes ROMs frequently, tell me if it is possible to restore a 6.5 backup to a 6.5.x ROM???
Would there be any parts of the backup which could be restored to 6.5.x? all of it? none of it?
I'm using a recent EnergyRom based on 6.5. I love it and have just got it set up how I like it so its time for my first full backup, which is where SPB now comes in.
BUT, if I decide to try out a 6.5.x ROM, will I have to start all over again or can all/part of my 6.5 backup be restored???
Thanks in advance.

thesweeney said:
Can anyone who uses SPB Backup, and changes ROMs frequently, tell me if it is possible to restore a 6.5 backup to a 6.5.x ROM???
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both apps seem to have "ROM upgrade mode", not sure though how it works,
unless someone more experienced in the subject gives his view, you could try to check in the manuals (if available online that is)

pim and core cell backup built into newer core cell roms