Instead of cloning... - JASJAR, XDA Exec, MDA Pro General

Forgive me if this is a silly question but instead of making a clone/ghost image of my Universal, would it be possible to just copy the entire contents of the thing to my PC hard drive, there to copy back over if I ever have to hard reset?

No.
Due to the way files are stored and the crappy ActiveSync you can't copy some of the ROM files from your device.
If you want to do a backup it will take a lot less space (I'm doing a full backup at less than 10MB) and time, and you can do it to your SD card any time any place.
SPB Backup is trouble free, but Sprite is going to be better when they have sorted out a few issues. I'd like to say that Sprite will work even after a ROM upgrade, but that has caused some problems recently for some people.

Related

All the files are gone!

Hi Guys,
The strangest thing just happened. I'm on panic right now.
I left the phone unattended for a couple of hours today and when I came back I notice that the start menu was EMPTY, and when I say empty I mean completely empty.
So I soft-reset the device and is still the same. So I plug the phone with the PC and browse the device over ActiveSync and
ALL THE FILES ARE GONE FROM THE MEMORY, STORAGE AND SD CARD.
All the folders are still there, but they are empty. Only the files are gone!
I had a back-up of everything but the STORAGE (big-storage mod). Does anyone any idea on how to recover the files? Is this possible?
I tried to search on the forums, and I couldn't find anything on this.
I don't know if this might be related but a week ago I upgraded the ROM and used the BIG Storage mod.
My phone details are
Qtek S100
ROM: 1.13.00 WWE
Radio: 1.13.00
Any advice is welcome.
Thanks!
I'm guessing this means you don't use a backup program? It sounds like you'll have to hard reset the phone to recover to a basic startup condition. As for the card you can probably recover all that is on it using an inexpensive recovery program such as Photo Rescue(yes it recovers more than just photos). I've used Photo Rescue to recover a couple of different cards to my computer and then retransfer the information to my phone. Try the trial version at http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/download.htm There are other programs that will recover your card, just Google file recovery and try a couple.
If you are using a backup program on your card, hard reset the phone and use a file explorer to start your backup program. I sometimes have to run my backup twice to get everything back as it should be.
I'm guessing this means you don't use a backup program? It sounds like you'll have to hard reset the phone to recover to a basic startup condition. As for the card you can probably recover all that is on it using an inexpensive recovery program such as Photo Rescue(yes it recovers more than just photos). I've used Photo Rescue to recover a couple of different cards to my computer and then retransfer the information to my phone. Try the trial version at http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/download.htm There are other programs that will recover your card, just Google file recovery and try a couple.
If you are using a backup program on your card, hard reset the phone and use a file explorer to start your backup program. I sometimes have to run my backup twice to get everything back as it should be.
Was there some kind of not properly licensed software installed?
I'm guessing this means you don't use a backup program?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was using Sprite Backup, but turned out that by default it won't backup the contents of the Storage folder. I changed the settings and from now and go on it will do ;-)
As for the card you can probably recover all that is on it using an inexpensive recovery program such as Photo Rescue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already recovered all my data from the SD card using OnTrack Easy Recovery Pro. Great and powerful soft.
Was there some kind of not properly licensed software installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To tell the truth the last soft I used was a new Sudoku game that I was "trying out" before purchasing. So this might have been the "killer"
Anyway, I had an old backup on some CD, so after a Hard Reset and some work, everything is back to normal now, or I hope so.
Thanks for the replies.
lol
i can tell you for sure it was that sudoku game you installed.. it waits till you play.. when you cleared one puzzle it crashes and deletes everything exept the folders.. even on your sd card..
That is the risk of downloading illegal stuff..
Greetzz
DvL
Funny, how can the data in storage(which is NAND ROM) gets erased by itself. I m hearing this for the first time in my life
It seemed some evil (not properly registered) software deleted all the files as "punishment". He was able to recover files with an undelete tool.
So you still have to wait for NAND ROM forget its data for the first time

back up everything to PC

I have a simple question to ask involving back up everything after a hard reset. How to accomplish this? From the instruction given on the T-Mobile website, it instructs only copying the files outside the mobile device to the PC but does not talk about the files on the device itself.
I am wondering if anyone has a better idea on making a complete back up of my T-Mobile MDA (US) for quick restoration?
Thanks a lot.
The easiest way is use a backup app that backs up the unit to the miniSD card. You have a backup and can use it even if you are not at your PC. Three of the big players are Sunnysoft, Sprite and SPB.
I go one step farther and backup my miniSD card to my PC every week or so, just ot be extra safe

Backing up my device with spb backup

Ok, I am exchanging my phone tommorrrow because.... well I should do it at least once... LOL, no just some issues... but seriously I am using spb backup and I want to know does this program save everthing and then I will be able to load my programs and files onto my computer when I am done and then load my phone with the same programs and what have you...
sorry I am a noob and don't want to screww this up...
christian15213 said:
Ok, I am exchanging my phone tommorrrow because.... well I should do it at least once... LOL, no just some issues... but seriously I am using spb backup and I want to know does this program save everthing and then I will be able to load my programs and files onto my computer when I am done and then load my phone with the same programs and what have you...
sorry I am a noob and don't want to screww this up...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in spb backup, you can selesct what you want to backup. if you want to backup your entire phone memory and microsd memory you can. you then specify the save location (specify microsd location) and its done after a few minutes.
when you receive your new pdaphone, just double click the cab file in the microsd and the restore process will begin. Just ensure that your new replacement has the same ROM as the one you have backed up from.
I'm a noob myself, but I will swear by this program. I have had to do a few hard resets with my TyTN and have loaded a specific back up day and voila...everything was great again.
I didn't notice that anything was missing. And heck...even if there was something missing, I didin't feel it.
Ok, but the memory on the microsd card? not the whole sd card right... but the stuff on the phone like any files and what have you that will sync correct... lastyly there isn't a cab file it is a WCE file. just making sure because that is what it made...
oh and one more thing... do you use the unpackage tool from the pc or just use the file on the micro device and place it in the new phone...
in spb backup, you can backup your entire phone with all the settings and apps etc as well as all your files on the microsd card.
spb backup should create a .cab file. to restore, you simply click that cab file and the restore process will begin
jasjamming said:
in spb backup, you can backup your entire phone with all the settings and apps etc as well as all your files on the microsd card.
spb backup should create a .cab file. to restore, you simply click that cab file and the restore process will begin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I am crazy but I don't think it does the cab thing... and the file it saved is only 15 megs big... I know my sd card has about 800 megs on it...
can't be that small of a back up could it?
nope, something is seriously wrong.
800mb cannot be compressed into 15megs
jasjamming said:
nope, something is seriously wrong.
800mb cannot be compressed into 15megs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol lmao... I knew that sounded wierd as heck... but, I don't think it backs up the card. I think just the device onto the card. I don't think this backup program would back up a card because you would have to back it up through the pc... that is not what this does.
my version of spb backup backs up all files - phone mem and sdcard, and places the cab file on he sd card.
not sure which version you have, mine is the latest
how could it compress the file of the storage card and place it on there. If I have a gig card and have used 900 megs... what size file would this possibly create to back up the card and the device. 900 megs is a lot. I am thinking minimum I dunno 300 megs. perhaps 600 megs. Where would this posibbly go to. not the storage device. SPB backup?
OH GEEZ/... I appologize... I am MORON... I was using the full backup selection ASSuMING it meant full back up including card. LOL... NOPE.. you have to choose custom... ahhh so silly.
now I have to remove the musica on the card... but really right now i don't need to deal with the card huh...
also... do you use WMP sync with WMP 11 on the pc... I need to reset my sync... I will post to my other thread so you can see what I mean... it will be at the top.
I have never successfully restored a phone with any of the backup programs availible.
They always miss something (like owner configuration, phone config, e-mail settings and so on..)
i have always done full backup included the sd-card. My reason for doing this was that I were the projectleader for buying and configuring 10 Hermes phones to my Boss's that would look the same, and then be able to restore everything in a flash..
although, this didn't work very good, i went fine as long as I used the backup on my phone, but when trying it on another phone (same model, same rom etc. ) some things would be restored and some weren't
so , just be careful, it might not go well, but then again , it might go very well.
I've never understood the logic behind SPB Backup. From what I understand, it's supposedly possible to back up the entire device, including the SD card, however, from the trial version that I used, it was not possible to save this file on the PC when connected with ActiveSync. So the problem is, if one has a full storage card, and wants to back up their entire device including the storage card, where could the output backup file be stored?
I use SPB Backup and I dont know why I would want to include my storage card in the backup. If I want to back up my storage card I just put it in a cardreader or use sync and copy the entire card over to a directory on my computer. If your device crashes or you just need to do a hard reset, programs installed on your storage card will not be effected. If you have a backup that works, all you need to do is restore from that file. Any program that was installed on your storage card will work fine as ong as you still have the card in your device.
Worked flawlesly... Thanks so much... but I think the card back up is just smarter to just put the whole card on the computer then take it back off...
christian15213 said:
Worked flawlesly... Thanks so much... but I think the card back up is just smarter to just put the whole card on the computer then take it back off...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
glad to see you got it working
brettatk said:
I use SPB Backup and I dont know why I would want to include my storage card in the backup. If I want to back up my storage card I just put it in a cardreader or use sync and copy the entire card over to a directory on my computer. If your device crashes or you just need to do a hard reset, programs installed on your storage card will not be effected. If you have a backup that works, all you need to do is restore from that file. Any program that was installed on your storage card will work fine as ong as you still have the card in your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true, but for the same reason, SPB is not a complete backup solution. Do you backup your storage card every time you back up your device internal memory? I have many files that I store on my storage card that are working files - that is, they change in content frequently. Included is an 80Mb SQL Mobile replicated database file. I have actually had a program corrupt my SD card at one point - such that I had to restore it (I did have a manual backup of this, but it was out of date).
At the moment, I still do SD card backups manually anyway, and just use Activesync for incremental backups every time I connect, because it's basically the same as using SPB, and saves having to use a 3rd part program to swap and copy files.
When restoring from Activesync, all I need to do is a soft reset, do a forced refresh of PIM data (contacts, tasks, appointments) from the PC, and everything else is fine. The only thing I find necessary is, after a hard reset, to soft-reset my device on the first 'boot' before the 3 second auto-installation. I don't use a cooked ROM because the programs I like to have on my PPC change all of the time.
Clarify
Just to clarify for me as I am a noob to WM5 and HTC.
If I use SPB to backup EVERYTHING except my SD card (which I can manually backup whenever and often using a card reader and PC), I will have a single CAB file with all settings.
So if I do a Hard Reset and lose everything, then before the 3-sec auto installs from the service provider I do a Soft reset to stop those. Then I run the backup CAB file and supposedly everything will be back to the way it was...meaning all registry hacks, email accounts setup, user info, today screens, ringtones, and other installs like previously installed jars and other cabs I had before.
Is this an acurate description of the SPB program?

Whats the best way to upgrade to WM6?

hi there.
Ive a 2 gig sd card and loads of stuff stored all over the place. if i download Windows Mobile 6, whats the best way to migrate everything? will the unit upgrade link win2k does to XP ?
Mark
No. Rom upgrades wipe the device clean. You will lose all files and programs on the device. Files stored on a memory card will still be there but any programs installed to a card may not function after the upgrade.
yup. And usually you need to perform a hard reset before your upgrade process. So, don't forget to backup all your important stuff.
Also, you might not want to restore your files from a wm5 back-up. I tried it and nothing worked correctly. Had to load each program and tweak from scratch so make note of any serial numbers you may have for your programs.

Accessing files in a Nandroid backup?

Hi,
Probably a silly question, but is there a way of accessing some of the files in a nandroid backup? I recently flashed a new ROM and in preparation I completely re-formatted my sdcard. I did take the precaution of doing a nandroid backup but I didn't copy over an important folder - my holiday snaps.
Now, rather than nandroid restore completely, I'm just wondering if there is a way of opening the file and extracting just what I need?
Thanks
Nandroid only back-ups your system files on the phone not the SD card. If you think about it, it is backing up to the SD card so if your holiday snaps were stored on your card you will have lost them.
Aha! Yes, of course. Bottoms!
Recovering files from SD
stupid suggestion but did you try a program that undeletes/retrieves data from memory cards?
No, I've moved on and, formatted Fat32/Ext3/Linux-Swap and flashed a new ROM
I'll just say I deleted the piccies by mistake and take the flak from the missus.
Thanks all.
palexr said:
No, I've moved on and, formatted Fat32/Ext3/Linux-Swap and flashed a new ROM
I'll just say I deleted the piccies by mistake and take the flak from the missus.
Thanks all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the portion of the SD card your photos were sitting on hasn't been over written yet by new data, a recover program may work. The longer you use the card the less likely you are to recover them.

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