Database Users

Full Backup/Image of Device

Hello, everyone!
I've done some digging on this topic, and found some bits and pieces of information, but nothing definitive; so I'm gonna ask what I think is a really basic question...
...now that I've finally got my PPC-6800 just how I like it, how do I (i.e., what's the best way to) make a full and complete backup of it? That is to say, I simply wanna plug it in, and tell it to dump EVERYTHING onto my PC (which I also backup regularly). I want all data files, apps, settings, preferences, etc. backed up, so that if I ever have to do a hard-reset, or if I ever drop it in the toilet and have to buy another one, all I would need to do is plug that one up, and do a full restore so that it would be just like it was without my having to fuss with anything. This full backup may or may not have to include info stored on the micro SD card.
Sounds like a simple enough request, doesn't it? Well, can it be done? And if so, how? With something I that came with it (like ActiveSync), or will I need to purchase a 3rd party software app?
This can't possibly be that hard, can it???
Any guidance in this area is VERY much appreciated!
Thanks in advance!!!

i use Spb Backup, which does exactly what you are asking. You get your phone how you want it, make a backup, then you can go back to that point whenever and it is exactly the same.
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/ or pm me

Actually, I use Spb Clone which I think goes one step forward where you can load your image to several phones at once. Same great company.

Thanks a bunch, mac4lyfe and Sturatt!
I checked out the website, and you're correct...it looks like just what I was looking for. One question, though. I keep reading that it makes a backup onto the phone itself! It looks like it makes some sort of a self-extracting executable that is copied to the phone, and then can be run if you need a restore. I'm not sure how much sense it makes to put the backup file on the phone...what if the phone is lost, destroyed, or unbootable? So my question is, can you set up the backup so that the phone is backed up to your laptop or desktop PC? That way the backup file would be separated from the phone, and then could be used if and when the phone needed hard-resetting or replacing. I can't find anything in the documentation to let me know if this is possible.
Thanks again for your expertise!!!

sweet, thx man..

spb backup only backs up the main device memory, not the storage card. so it puts the backup exe on the storage card, which you can then move to your computer.

I use Sprite Backup, same concept, they also have a nice backup file browser for the PC that lets you get inidividual items out of the backup file should you just need one particular item. There is also the option to backup directly to the PC instead of the card with Sprite.

I have been using sprite backup.
the application performs a scheduled backup (password protected) to the sd card.
sometimes I manually backup just the personal databases as a standalone.
I manually transfer the entire sd card to the pc every once and a while (cause depending on the card usage may make the card die sooner).... can't wait till sprite can do this automagically via wifi.
the only time I had any issues is with sprite bacup is with the rom upgrade.... even though they say it can be done... it didn't take, from what I gather its best to reinstall all from scratch once a rom update is performed anyways.....
qu1nn

Sturatt said:
spb backup only backs up the main device memory, not the storage card. so it puts the backup exe on the storage card, which you can then move to your computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true. You can also have SPB backup all the contents of your storage card if you wish.
Of course, if you start getting backups that are huge, it becomes difficult to manage and takes FOREVER.
I use SPB Backup, and I have it scheduled to automatically run a full backup of my phone at 4am each morning. It backs up the entire main memory, and a few select folders on my storage card. All backups are kept in a folder on my storage card called.... Backups.
Each backup file for me generally averages about 40MB compressed.
I keep 5 days worth of backups, and once a week, I transfer one of these onto my computer for safekeeping as well. I also have it soft reset my phone each night so in the morning, I'm set to go.
I used sprite backup, it also works well, but I like SPB more. Highly recommend it.

Hard reset: check for safety

Hi there,
I've found a lot of information on the wiki and this forum, and maybe it's because I don't have any experience with this, but I'm still nervous about doing a hard reset... Yeah laugh if you like
I want to perform a hard reset because I've messed around with my HD a lot and want to start with a clean installation.
Because I already once lost all my contacts I just want check if I'll be allright if I do the following:
- All applications (cab), music, photo's, documents placed on storage card
- PIMBackup to make a backup of my contacts
I don't have any troubles reconfiguring my e-mail accounts.
But really, this is it? Or do I miss something? I can't come up with anything more I'd need to backup. Any tips?
Thanks in advance!

dusdus said:
Hi there,
I've found a lot of information on the wiki and this forum, and maybe it's because I don't have any experience with this, but I'm still nervous about doing a hard reset... Yeah laugh if you like
I want to perform a hard reset because I've messed around with my HD a lot and want to start with a clean installation.
Because I already once lost all my contacts I just want check if I'll be allright if I do the following:
- All applications (cab), music, photo's, documents placed on storage card
- PIMBackup to make a backup of my contacts
I don't have any troubles reconfiguring my e-mail accounts.
But really, this is it? Or do I miss something? I can't come up with anything more I'd need to backup. Any tips?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off welcome to XDA.
There is various backup software available which you can use. Best free one would be Sashimi which can be used to backup everything including contacts, emails, apps installed, registry changes, settings. However this takes a bit of settings up first time unfortunately. Another free backup tool is PIMBackup which can be used to backup contacts & emails.
There is also 3rd party backup apps like SPB Backup, Resco Backup & Sprite. A word of caution using these though. You can only really use these for contacts, emails etc as changing between roms means settings, registries etc would not be the same on each rom, so if you where to perform a full backup including settings, apps installed etc and then perform a full restore this could cause complications when changing between roms

Thanks a lot Enough confirmation to run it this evening.
I'm not feeling like changing to another ROM. I can't decide what ROM is a decent one, there's too much choice and too much testing involved. I've worked a lot with Linux and used a lot of beta-software, which ended in endless errorsolving. I kinda want a lite ROM which simply works. I already spend 3 hours reading the forum today (I love my job ;-) and can't find the right reasons to choose a lite and stable ROM
So I'll guess I'm going back to the original state of the phone as it was when I bought it a year ago. Or is there any ROM you'd specifically recommend?

All I do is sync with outlook. Then hard reset. It's then just a case of installing what apps you want and re-syncing. simples. By doing it that way you will only get back on your device what you actually want.

Freypal said:
All I do is sync with outlook. Then hard reset. It's then just a case of installing what apps you want and re-syncing. simples. By doing it that way you will only get back on your device what you actually want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this is very true, but if you use Sashimi, whole process can be done in 5-10 mins, i.e. everything from flashing to having apps installed, settings changed etc. Only difficulty with Sashimi is the initial setup of it.

Clueless !

Hello everyone...
Brand spanking new on here.
Been a keen watcher for a while...but i'm just not clever enough to join in with all the tech stuff !
However...i'm now at breaking point...
I've had the HD2 from O2 since the launch date, and find it unbelievably annoying...although i really do try to 'love it' so, so much !!!
Can someone please help with a few questions that i'm desperate for answers for ?
1. My internal memory just seems to 'seep' memory, by the day. I've no apps, a handful of photos and haven't messed with it. I clear the opera and Explorer caches and history every day.
I've now resorted to doing a system reset ( hard ), about every 6 weeks...and you know how annoying that is, when i have to reset EVERYTHING !!!
2. I regularly 'Sync' my phone via the Windows Device Centre on my desktop. After every 'upload sync' ( see above ), all my 'Windows Live' contacts drop into my 'Contacts' list, as though they're seperate contacts ? I have to go in and delete them all ! All these details are already contained within my 'Contacts' files anyway !
3. Is it correct, that after every system reset ( hard ), all my email settings ( and Windows Live contacts, come to that ? ) aren't saved upon sync-ing ? I have to manually go in and reset them, every time at the moment ?
4. When in Windows Live, i haven't got the ability to open hyperlinks, sent to me via Messenger ? They don't ever show up in 'blue' ? Is this right ?
I'm presuming i'm doing something wrong here ?
Apologies for droning on...especially in my very first post !
Please help me 'love' this phone a little more !
Please bear in mind, my 3rd paragraph on here, if you feel you can assist ?

I'm not sure why you would need to do a hard reset just to reclaim RAM but you could simplify the process by using software such as SPB Backup to take a full backup of your phone which could be restored after the reset. This would save you the hassle of having to set everything up from scratch.
However, it sounds like you might have some other problem if you are consistently running out of memory over time. Is it possible that you've installed an application that is running in the background and using too much memory? Have you tried a soft reset to see if that clears your memory?

Many thanks for your reply Jakem...
I've tried doing a soft reset and it's freed up a grand total of 1MB...i'm now roaring away with a whole 7MB of internal storage !!!
Can i just clarify that this SPB Back-Up, is a direct equivalent / improvement / superior option to the Windows Device Centre, for backing up my required info ?
Sorry for being a bit dense, but is it a 'Marketplace' app ?
Ive read about moving other caches onto my 2GB storage card, but surely, with my particular problem, it'll only fill the space up again ?
I'm lost !

I think jakem has got your issue mixed up.
He is talking about RAM, whereas you seem to be talking about ROM memory.
There are a few cabs on this forum which transfer the album cache and Opera cache to the memory card (although you have mentioned you use the album very little, and clear Opera/IE regularly)
I have a program called PMclean, have a search for it in google, this seems to clear a lot of crap that is hidden from view.

Many thanks rp...
Has anyone got any, slightly more 'direct' answers to my problem ???
I'm all ears !

Are you sure that you always store your photos (in the camera settings), Footprints (move manually to SD) and mail attachements (Email, Inbox, Menu, Extras, Settings, Storage, Store Attachements on SD) to SDCard?
Just to give you an idea: 1 Photo (5MP) --> 2MB --> 75 Photos = Memory Full

theleftside said:
1. My internal memory just seems to 'seep' memory, by the day. I've no apps, a handful of photos and haven't messed with it. I clear the opera and Explorer caches and history every day.
Read this thread...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=583638 and move your caches to the SD card. Also find and install one of the task managers to ensure that when you finish using a programme it is closed properly and not minimised in memory
I've now resorted to doing a system reset ( hard ), about every 6 weeks...and you know how annoying that is, when i have to reset EVERYTHING !!!
Not necessary if you act as indicated above.
2. I regularly 'Sync' my phone via the Windows Device Centre on my desktop. After every 'upload sync' ( see above ), all my 'Windows Live' contacts drop into my 'Contacts' list, as though they're seperate contacts ? I have to go in and delete them all ! All these details are already contained within my 'Contacts' files anyway !
I have always had issues with syncing data and contacts this way. If all you are looking for is a regular backup of your data, for safety purposes, then buy and install SPB Backup. Job done.
3. Is it correct, that after every system reset ( hard ), all my email settings ( and Windows Live contacts, come to that ? ) aren't saved upon sync-ing ? I have to manually go in and reset them, every time at the moment ?
System/hard reset, as opposed to a soft reset, will delete all of your data off your device and you will have to reinstall from scratch. Again if you take the advice above you should not need to do this.
4. When in Windows Live, i haven't got the ability to open hyperlinks, sent to me via Messenger ? They don't ever show up in 'blue' ? Is this right ?
Don't know, don't use windows live.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You asked for direct answers to your questions above so I will give it a go (see bold items above).
Take your time to go through the hints and tips thread I referred you to. Should help with some of your problems.
Need any further help, come back.
WB

As far as I can tell, windows live only does a one way merge from windows live to your phone, so your windows live contacts go into your phone, but phone contacts don't go up into windows live, and they don't merge very well so you get all the duplicate nonsense.
The way I do my contacts is to turn off the merge/sync option in windows live, then use outlook and WMDC/activesync to edit/sort the contacts. When it's in the state I want, I'll run the "myphone" app to create a backup of them and manage through the myphone web portal.
As regards the free space thing; if it's storage memory you're running low on, as recommended above, you should switch as much as you can to save on the storage card. If you have lots of email, then that might be a cause... as well as photos or whatever, so look in the account settings for that option too. If it's program memory, I've no idea without being able to look at what's running, etc!
I also have an O2 HD2, though I do recommend updating the rom to the latest HTC rom, as mine came with 1.43, and the newest HTC one is rather better. You'll have to make a "gold card" or use hardspl to install it though, unless O2 release an approved version. (I read in another thread one was promised for the end of March and it failed to materialise).

How to get back my pictures, contacts, text messages and other files?

Hi, there!
Yesterday, my little son formatted my Samsung Galaxy phone as he was playing with it. All my saved pictures, contacts, text messages and other files on the inner memory card were gone. So, I am wondering whether there is a way for me to get them back. Do you know any way to help me get them back? Any idea can be appreciated! Please, help me!

......:banghead:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Jhody4657 said:
Hi, there!
Yesterday, my little son formatted my Samsung Galaxy phone as he was playing with it. All my saved pictures, contacts, text messages and other files on the inner memory card were gone. So, I am wondering whether there is a way for me to get them back. Do you know any way to help me get them back? Any idea can be appreciated! Please, help me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK! Don’t worry! In this technological era, the accidental formatting problem cannot be a big deal. The deleted files often can be easily restored with the help of a data recovery program.
So, in your case, I hope you can act carefully to restore all your wanted files back as below:
1. Stop using the Samsung phone right now in case that any new file on it may overwrite your original data.
2. Plunge this phone to you computer so that you can begin to retrieve your data.
3. Download a phone data recovery program to retrieve all your lost data back.
Nowadays, there are plenty of data recovery programs available online. But, not all of them can work as efficiently as you think. So, you should select a most proper one for your data after doing much searching.
But, if you still doubt, you can firstly take chances with some phone data recovery freeware that work much more efficiently than some paid ones, such as Recuva, TestDisk and iCare Data Recovery Free, etc.
4. Do not save or back up all the restored data on the same phone in case of any data loss.
In the future, you should learn a lesson to be more careful about your data and always back it up well.
I hope my words can help you out!

Clair0048 said:
OK! Don’t worry! In this technological era, the accidental formatting problem cannot be a big deal. The deleted files often can be easily restored with the help of a data recovery program.
So, in your case, I hope you can act carefully to restore all your wanted files back as below:
1. Stop using the Samsung phone right now in case that any new file on it may overwrite your original data.
2. Plunge this phone to you computer so that you can begin to retrieve your data.
3. Download a phone data recovery program to retrieve all your lost data back.
Nowadays, there are plenty of data recovery programs available online. But, not all of them can work as efficiently as you think. So, you should select a most proper one for your data after doing much searching.
But, if you still doubt, you can firstly take chances with some phone data recovery freeware that work much more efficiently than some paid ones, such as Recuva, TestDisk and iCare Data Recovery Free, etc.
4. Do not save or back up all the restored data on the same phone in case of any data loss.
In the future, you should learn a lesson to be more careful about your data and always back it up well.
I hope my words can help you out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5. Forget the technological era... Honestly, you are ****ed... If you do find a software that recovers the data... Let me know... Try google + (for pictures) this time around... At least pictures will not be lost the next time. Also always try to configure apps to save data on sdcard instead of internal memory. Take care...
Sent from my GT-N8000 using XDA Premium HD app

Always R-Studio was saved my ass in many catastrophes that happened to me, as previous said you only need not to use the phone until you are rdy with the program in a pc and then plug it and try to recover. I wish you luck m8
Sent from my 9100

Help with Secure Folder Recovery

So I thought I had all the backups enabled for everything, including my Secure Folder.
I used smartswitch to make a backup of my phone before I reset it. It never occured to me to check my secure folder.
Apparently Smart Switch doesn't back up the secure folder, and I didn't have the backups enabled.
I reset my phone and now I'm frantic looking for a folder full of hunderes of photos from a relationship that just ended and I can't find it anywhere.
Is there ANY possible way for me to recover these photos? I'll even trip Knox and root if I have to just to recover them.

Have you tried the restore option in secure folder?

blackhawk said:
Have you tried the restore option in secure folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No backups found because it apparently wasn't set up.

Maybe with Samsung cloud?
You might be boned. Sorry.
The problem being the secure folder content is encrypted and that key was lost with the factory reset. Try setting up Secure folder and see if it will repopulate. Worth a try...
Never trust SmartSwitch with critical data. I always use cut/paste for that. SmartSwitch is nice to save the homepage but I don't trust it.
I use my SD card as a data drive, all critical data goes here as well as backup and installable copies of all my apps. I can do a full restore without internet connection from here. I then redundantly back up the SD card to at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC.
Only the loaded apps, the download folder and the DCIM folder (it's transferred to SD card regularly*) go on internal memory ie the OS drive. You have a dual drive PC in your hands, use it as such! Get a Sandisk. 5-1tb V30 Extreme card for it.
*never create more than one DCIM folder as it will cause issues, call the 2nd one Pic Master, etc

blackhawk said:
Maybe with Samsung cloud?
You might be boned. Sorry.
The problem being the secure folder content is encrypted and that key was lost with the factory reset. Try setting up Secure folder and see if it will repopulate. Worth a try...
Never trust SmartSwitch with critical data. I always use cut/paste for that. SmartSwitch is nice to save the homepage but I don't trust it.
I use my SD card as a data drive, all critical data goes here as well as backup and installable copies of all my apps. I can do a full restore without internet connection from here. I then redundantly back up the SD card to at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC.
Only the loaded apps, the download folder and the DCIM folder (it's transferred to SD card regularly*) go on internal memory ie the OS drive. You have a dual drive PC in your hands, use it as such! Get a Sandisk. 5-1tb V30 Extreme card for it.
*never create more than one DCIM folder as it will cause issues, call the 2nd one Pic Master, etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reset up my Secure Folder, nothing was in there. I thought I had all the proper backups set, but apparently I didn't.
So I guess whatever I had in there is gone forever, and there's nothing I can do, even if I root?

You could try a factory reset, set up Secure Folder then use the SmartSwitch copy.
I don't think it will work but it's a thought.
The root problem is the encryption key, without it there's no hope.
The Samsung members site may have some better ideas as you're not the first to have done this. Usually if you do a Google search like "Samsung, secure folder recovery" or such results from the Samsung members site will show.
Speaking as someone who has lost a database, sometimes all you can do is to learn from the mistake and not repeat it.
Store backup hdds in more than one location. A safety deposit box is earth grounded (shielded from near lightning strikes) as well as being physically secure.
Keep all magnets away from hdds.

blackhawk said:
You could try a factory reset, set up Secure Folder then use the SmartSwitch copy.
I don't think it will work but it's a thought.
The root problem is the encryption key, without it there's no hope.
The Samsung members site may have some better ideas as you're not the first to have done this. Usually if you do a Google search like "Samsung, secure folder recovery" or such results from the Samsung members site will show.
Speaking as someone who has lost a database, sometimes all you can do is to learn from the mistake and not repeat it.
Store backup hdds in more than one location. A safety deposit box is earth grounded (shielded from near lightning strikes) as well as being physically secure.
Keep all magnets away from hdds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've searched the net. All I can find is bogus 'guides' with spyware/malware to download. From everything I can see Knox is just too strong of security. Also learned it's certified by the US DOD and NSA, so that really tells me the photos are gone to the digital graveyard never to return again.
I guess it's a sign. It was only photos from 10+ years of a relationship with a soon to be ex-wife. Sign to let go and move on I guess.
And a tough lesson in data management.

There are no other backups or copies? 10 years?
Google backup maybe? It retains data sometimes even after being turned off.
Yeah, Knox is all that. I never encrypt devices or data as you are the most likely to lose access to it rather than a stranger. No password on my 10+, double tap on/off... protected by blackhawk.