Database Users

Full bakup question

I am wondering if there would be a problem restoring a full backup to a different ROM with SK tools backup.. Give it that is form WM6 to another WM6. For example, I have Helmi's WM6 ROM and I want to flash to xplode's WM6 ROM.

It "may" be OK, but I wouldn't do it. Usually is a bad idea to restore a backup to a different cooked ROM (by the way, xplode one is 6.1, not 6).
The SPB Backup 2.0 is advertise as restoring backups to a different ROM version, but I didn't try it...yet... "Starting with version 2 it allows you to restore your data after ROM upgrade or on another device. With the desktop Backup Sync tool you can save your backups on desktop in automatic manner for later archive review or restoring on another device."
If you are decide to flash a new ROM, you can let as know if the backup work or not.

I will try it tonight, though I'm very wary as I don't want get stuck with hours of flashing back and forth.

spb backup
I am used the spb backup 2.0. It's really a very good backup system.
Try it, or look a demo Here!

So does the SPB Backup actually back up all your installed programs, register codes and stuff?
It's really annoying to try a ROM, install all your stuff, then decide you want to try another ROM only to have to re-re-re-reinstall everything.

Unless you belong to the type of people that think its a good Idea to put desel in a lead free petrol car or think that drink toilet cleaner will help with bad breath, I would not suggest using a back up of one device rom version to another. (even less if you want to from one device to another).
The issue here are the system files as they can be part of your back up (CAN as in its up to you to define) and the version of these files can be different,
The best praxis is always to syn your data (contacts, my docs) over your PC.
As for backup tools for things like Call logs you shuld try Dotfred pim backup
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=299705
This has worked fine for me in the past (with in the same rom Version).
My thoughts, how ever it might work fine for you, again it might be also be fine for you to have a brick. Myself I would follow best praxis

Keep Softs after ROM Upgrade

Hi Guys,
I'm looking for a solution that can give me the possibility to upgrade my Polaris ROM without loosing all installed softs and parameters. Is it possible?
Thanks for your help.

lionelfryd said:
Hi Guys,
I'm looking for a solution that can give me the possibility to upgrade my Polaris ROM without loosing all installed softs and parameters. Is it possible?
Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This topic is a perennial. There are many definite opinions on the wisdom of doing this, with some people absolutely sure that it simply won't work ...
BUT
1) make sure you have HardSPL installed 1st, before any cooked ROM upgrade
2) backup your Registry with a Registry program (eg PHM Registry). This is purely a last line of defence if you have to revert to the original ROM
3) backup to your micro-SDHC card with either Spb Backup 2.0.1 or Sprite 6.2.2. I use both for "belt and braces" security
4) flash cooked ROM of choice
5) use backup from 3) to restore over ROM upgrade. Mostly I have found the Sprite restore with Merge Level 1 + database restore to work OK, but the Spb restore with Overwrite files unchecked will probably work just as well
If in the end, none work properly, then just revert to your original ROM and use 3) backups for a full restore ... no harm done !!
I have done this many times on both a Polaris and an X500. Sometimes it doesn't work (eg. the earlier swtos and pdaviet Polaris ROM's) but I eventually found ROM upgrades for both devices that did work. Occasionally for the Polaris I found some Registry entries repeated - eg. \HKLM\Control Panel\MyCtrl - but these are easily deleted.
Be adventurous - you can easily revert if it stuffs up.

Spb Backup too "smart"?

I'm using Spb Backup to make full backups. So far it's OK I even tried to restore after HR and it always worked.
Recently I made another full backup and upgraded to the latest stock ROM from SE service site.
Made restore... I mean the full restore and now I'm trying to figure out did I ruin the ROM upgrade?
I do understand that Spb Backup doesn't change the ROM itself. But what happen when I restore the full backup made with previous R2A to my X1i upgraded to R3A? Does it somehow substitute system files of the newer WinMobile 6.1 R3A with older files from 6.1 R2A?
I don't want to use partial restores (PIM etc.) as soon as it's a long and difficult process to restore all the software and features installed.
Thanks in advice.

The general recommendation is to have a clean start on a new ROM and not to restore from backups - for precisely the reasons you say.
It is indeed a long chore to reinstall everything, but that's the safest way to ensure a clean start.
Some backup programs claim to be able to do upgrade restores, but I've never had much success with them.

Understood. Thanks.

this probably isn't much help but I recently put the r3a on a new xperia from this site then used spb to restore a previous backup from r2a on my previous phone straight from the exe backup (did not install spb backup first).
The only problem i encountered was having to reinstall 1 or 2 applications.

sms2000 said:
I'm using Spb Backup to make full backups. So far it's OK I even tried to restore after HR and it always worked.
Recently I made another full backup and upgraded to the latest stock ROM from SE service site.
Made restore... I mean the full restore and now I'm trying to figure out did I ruin the ROM upgrade?
I do understand that Spb Backup doesn't change the ROM itself. But what happen when I restore the full backup made with previous R2A to my X1i upgraded to R3A? Does it somehow substitute system files of the newer WinMobile 6.1 R3A with older files from 6.1 R2A?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an old and somewhat hoary question.
In short, ROM upgrades always re-organise chunks of the Registry from earlier ROM's. So restoring a previous backup over a ROM upgrade risks conflict with these changes
There are several safer methods for rebuilding on a new ROM:
1) use UC ... many, many posts on this + a 150+ page thread
2) there is a thread on this X1 sub-forum showing how to use a \2577 folder on the card to re-install CAB's as an automated process (Flashaholics Anonymous, I think)
3) if you have most apps installed on the card, a lot will run without re-installation, or at least just the addition of SN etc. Then they won't show up in the "Remove Programs" utility, but to de-install, just delete the folder from the card and then delete the shortcut.
I keep a relatively up-to-date copy of all \Windows\Start Menu\Programs shortcuts in a mirror folder set on the card so restoring these is simple
To test the differences in Registry, use the "Compare" function in the excellent freeware editor CeRegEditor

You will eventually find a bug if you restore a backup file after changing rom versions.

There is a "Force ROM update" mode in the options when you restore. I've never tried it because I like the idea of a clean install when i upgrade a ROM. But if your keen, give it ago.

Scott Whitmore said:
There is a "Force ROM update" mode in the options when you restore. I've never tried it because I like the idea of a clean install when i upgrade a ROM. But if your keen, give it ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And report back with your findnings
I've always wanted to try it, but am too scared

That's a problem that I have no problems...
I restored full SpbBackup without "ROM restore". System reports it's R3A, but Windows Mobile version seems to be the same with R2A. Should it be the same or not?
First I upgraded, second - I restored my backup and only third - I decided to ask this question.
OK with another system Registry organization, I can understand it very well but why any major changes from any 6.1 to another 6.1?
Jumping from 6.1 to 6.5 may and should introduce completely new Registry hives.
Still after restoring full Spb Backup everything works fine, including Hebrew support and fonts, iGo8.3 with A-GPS, additional panels etc.
Anybody with stock [ENG] R3A, please report your Windows Mobile version?

It isn't the operating system that changes - it is all the configurations, tweaks and add-ons that change.
The base OS will still be WM6.1, but there are lots of things that HTC and SE have thrown in to customise the device, and change the look and feel of it, but underneath the hood it is still basically WM6.1.
Your problem will be that you took a backup of the R2AA version which will include lots of settings, registry tweaks, software versions and suchlike. When you restore this over R3AA then you might find that the new and (hopefully) improved R3AA settings/files/whatever get overwritten with the old R2AA settings/files/whatever.
You may be okay and never notice the difference, or you might run into any number of problems...freezes, lockups, crashes, instabilities...and you're unlikely to ever figure out why.
Hence, the generally accepted wisdom is to use backup restorations to test experimental ROM upgrades, but to install from scratch if you decide to settle on a different ROM.

I think the only thing that will harm your system is when you choose to merge the old registry values with the new one. It's all the registry settings that can get confused with the new ROM.

Mr Anderson said:
It isn't the operating system that changes - it is all the configurations, tweaks and add-ons that change.
The base OS will still be WM6.1, but there are lots of things that HTC and SE have thrown in to customise the device, and change the look and feel of it, but underneath the hood it is still basically WM6.1.
Your problem will be that you took a backup of the R2AA version which will include lots of settings, registry tweaks, software versions and suchlike. When you restore this over R3AA then you might find that the new and (hopefully) improved R3AA settings/files/whatever get overwritten with the old R2AA settings/files/whatever.
You may be okay and never notice the difference, or you might run into any number of problems...freezes, lockups, crashes, instabilities...and you're unlikely to ever figure out why.
Hence, the generally accepted wisdom is to use backup restorations to test experimental ROM upgrades, but to install from scratch if you decide to settle on a different ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But isn't it fine to restore just emails, contacts, tasks?
Without all the tweaks, settings...

doministry said:
But isn't it fine to restore just emails, contacts, tasks?
Without all the tweaks, settings...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yes, that kind of stuff is alright - things like emails, PIM data and any other database files used by the software (stuff like saved game files, SplashID databases, saved settings for things like PhoneWeaver, PocketPlus etc).
If you sift through the backup and do selective restoration of just the databases then you should be fine.
It's mainly the registry settings you have to worry about, as poetryrocksalot says. However, you should also avoid restoring anything which comes with the HTC or SE customisations (such as panels, HTC task manager etc) because you risk losing newer software versions and could introduce incompatibilities between old/new files.

Backup and ROM-Update. How to?

Hello Forum!
I would like to update Leo's ROM (HTC, German Stock-ROM) from 1.43.407.1 to 1.48.407.1. BUT, I don't want to install all programs and tweak my baby again (not to forget all the emails and outlook settings, SMS etc.). Is there a way of doing a backup, which can effectively "survive" a ROM update, or is this simply not possible without coruption? Normally I use Sprite Backup 6.5.5 for my phone backup, but it does not tell me to many things about what will happen if a backup would be applied to the phone after ROM update. By the way. I don't think Sprite Backup will backup the ROM itself but just the other data on the internal memory, does it?
Thank you in advance folks!
Studebaker

hi,
spritebackup is trying to be smart on restore, so you can chose how it should behaive on restoring after romupdate. when i remember it rigth there are 3 or 4 options to choose from when you start a restore, they are listed at there website and in the manual/helpfile.

Hello madbird,
Yes, I noticed that. I just want to make sure that it really does work even after ROM update. What I do not want is problems afterwards. Anybody tried already?
Thanks guys!
Studebaker

I have been using SPB Backup's ROM upgrade mode on my Polaris for restoring of my settings & applications over sequential ROM upgrades.
Apart from some minor issues it really saved me a lot of reconfiguring time.
Naturally I haven't been able to try it on Leo, since custom ROMs can't be flashed yet.

Studebaker72 said:
Hello Forum!
I would like to update Leo's ROM (HTC, German Stock-ROM) from 1.43.407.1 to 1.48.407.1. BUT, I don't want to install all programs and tweak my baby again (not to forget all the emails and outlook settings, SMS etc.). Is there a way of doing a backup, which can effectively "survive" a ROM update, or is this simply not possible without coruption? Normally I use Sprite Backup 6.5.5 for my phone backup, but it does not tell me to many things about what will happen if a backup would be applied to the phone after ROM update. By the way. I don't think Sprite Backup will backup the ROM itself but just the other data on the internal memory, does it?
Thank you in advance folks!
Studebaker
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In order to restore and at the same time 100% incorporate all changes introduced by the rom upgrade you need 2 additional procedures (apart from a backup software).
1) Overwrite the new registry over the old registry
2) Overwrite the new double copy files over the old double copy files.
The first Step can be easily done in the following way
After upgrading you install Resco Registry.
You export the entire registry.
You restore the old backup image
Finally you re-import the previously exported reg file.
This will overwrite all keys that were changed during the rom upgrade.
Regarding the second step, let me quickly explain to you what I mean with double copy files.
After hard resetting your device and during the first boot, a customization tool is running in the background that copies some files from the rom (and the windows folder) to the storage memory (and different folders).
If you restore the previous rom image, these files will be overwritten with old versions. You can partially overcome this issue if the double copy files are both found in the same directory (f.e. Opera9.exe and OperaL.exe in Windows folder).
In this case you delete the duplicated file in storage and apart from releasing some mbs of free space you also use the latest version, which always resides in rom. This procedure can not be followed with files and folders that are copied during the customization process from Windows folder to other folders.
In order to overcome this issue and to be able to restore a previous image incorporating at the same time all the changes introduced by the upgrade, we have to find a way and activate the customization tool after completing the restore process. In this way the double copy files will be re-overwritten with the newer ones.
Check also this thread.
Finally another way to rebuild your system without much effort is to setup Sashimi once and then use it to quickly reinstall everything.

Hello Step2p!
Thank you so much for taking some time for that really interesting answer. The registry, yes, I guesses that could be a problem. Please let me comment to your points, because I'm in no way an expert in that:
The first Step can be easily done in the following way:
-After upgrading you install Resco Registry. => OK
-You export the entire registry. => Ahm, OK...
-You restore the old backup image => Yes, because I want to have my tweaked registry from the "old" ROM back.
-Finally you re-import the previously exported reg file. => Ouch. Than my tweaked and modified entries will all be gone. Right?
This will overwrite all keys that were changed during the rom upgrade. => And also all the former ones will be overwriten by new ones??
Did I get that right? After your procedure my old tweaks will be history, just because the new registry that we will have remaining at last will be pure as snow. New and unmodified.
Thanks again,
Studebaker

Studebaker72 said:
Hello Step2p!
Thank you so much for taking some time for that really interesting answer. The registry, yes, I guesses that could be a problem. Please let me comment to your points, because I'm in no way an expert in that:
The first Step can be easily done in the following way:
-After upgrading you install Resco Registry. => OK
-You export the entire registry. => Ahm, OK...
-You restore the old backup image => Yes, because I want to have my tweaked registry from the "old" ROM back.
-Finally you re-import the previously exported reg file. => Ouch. Than my tweaked and modified entries will all be gone. Right?
This will overwrite all keys that were changed during the rom upgrade. => And also all the former ones will be overwriten by new ones??
Did I get that right? After your procedure my old tweaks will be history, just because the new registry that we will have remaining at last will be pure as snow. New and unmodified.
Thanks again,
Studebaker
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you will lose all system registry tweaks (but not 3rd party tweaks). Unfortunately it is almost impossible to have the latest registry without losing these tweaks.
But updating the registry is an important step, because many of the bug fixes are actually registry tweaks that we never find.
In order to overcome this issue you have 2 options
1) Use an application like BsB tweaks which allows you to quickly setup the main registry tweaks
2) Create a reg file (or better a cab file) with all the tweaks that you are doing. After importing the registry you can run it in order to re-overwrite the tweaks.

Oh yes, a cab file sounds great to restore my tweaks! I just have no idea how to do that. How to convert my registry tweaks into a cab file, is there some software available to do the trick? Sorry for my stupid questions, that's like rocket science for me....

WinCe CabManager is very easy to use.
If you find it difficult you can export your keys using Resco Registry and then join the individual keys using a text editor.

Yes! said:
I have been using SPB Backup's ROM upgrade mode on my Polaris for restoring of my settings & applications over sequential ROM upgrades.
Apart from some minor issues it really saved me a lot of reconfiguring time.
Naturally I haven't been able to try it on Leo, since custom ROMs can't be flashed yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Yes!
May I ask what kind of "minor issues" you are refering to?
Thank you!
Studebaker

Studebaker72 said:
Hello Yes!
May I ask what kind of "minor issues" you are refering to?
Thank you!
Studebaker
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, firstly i had some issues with the mail accounts.
After restoring in ROM upgrade mode all mail accounts were available and working. However it seemed like their configuration had not been fully restored.
When i wanted to modify an account (i.e. synch frequency) i had to completely reconfigure the accont, since its configuration wasn't there.
The issue only became noticeable when the account option need to be adjusted.
Secondly i also had the feeling (might be subjective) that the cycle of backing up, upgrading, restoring (in ROM upgrade mode), backing up (from previously restored rom), upgrading, restoring (in ROM upgrade mode) etc....pollutes the image somehow.
I have gone through the cycle for 5 or 6 upgrades without noticeable problems, but i'm not sure how it will behave after more cycles or after a major upgrade.
For so far i've only used ROM upgrade restores on my Polaris but i will try it on my Leo tonight.
I will post my findings here after upgrading.

Thank you, that is very interresting! Sprite Backup is a very powerful tool, no doubt! But to recover every little detail after a ROM update seems too good to be true. The registry scares me, the registry from the 1.48 might not be identical to the 1.43. But the backup will plaster all the old settings over it, can that be OK?? Who knows...

Backup Solution like Nandroid?

Hi all,
i've searched for thread talking about backup solutions, but no one talk about something like Nandroid for Android device, that is a complite image of the phone.
I come from an HTC Hero phone, and this function was really important explecially when i wanna try other ROM.
Now with HD2, there are more ROMs and my tentation to try all is blocked by the fact that if i don't like them, i must re-install all the device (Rom, Apps, Tweaks, PIM...).
With the HTC Hero, in case i didn't like a ROM, in boot mode i selected "Nandroid Restore" and in 5 minutes the phone return exactely as before try the new ROM.
Is there any possibility to create somethig like this for our Leo?
Thank in advance. (and sorry for my english)

complete backup solution
SPB Backup does save EVERYTHING from your phone including ROM !
I once had to restore my HTC HD (after ROM change) from my SPB complete Backup .exe file and the phone was set back to the previous setup completely including the previous ROM.
If you look here:
http://www.spb.com/pocketpc-software/clone/
they are also developing a pure CLONE tool.

ombuddy said:
http://www.spb.com/pocketpc-software/clone/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Purchase ($299)"
Lol...