[Uncorrected OCR text; may include adjoining page content]
Dealer and Reseller enquiries welcome
Powering communications
with Security
WORKSHOP
Back ’em up
Backing up a PDA involves more than just synchronising your PIM.
Anthony Caruana explains how to recover lost data.
Skill level
Beginner
Requirements
Pocket PC running
Windows Mobile for
the Pocket PC, or Palm
PDA running Palm OS 5
• desktop connection
software * external
storage card.
You're on the road, out of power and it'll be a few
days before you can recharge. When you get
home, you discover that all of your precious data is
gone. Or perhaps some beta software has
stopped your system from functioning properly.
Too often, it's not until disaster strikes that most
of us think about backing up.
In the scenarios above, if you use a Pocket PC
you can re-synchronise the device to get some of
the data back, although all application settings
will be lost. With a Palm OS device, a HotSync
restores all information that was on the PDA at
Time to complete
One hour (approx)
■ Backup Strategies for
the Road
www.pcworld.com/howto/
article/0, aid, 109562, OO.asp
■ Protect Your Pocket PC Data
www.pocketpcmag.com/
archlves/jul03/protect
data. asp
■ ActiveSync Backup File
Restorer
www.apcmag.com/lnfo/
ActlveSyncrestore
Backup | Restoie |
J
& Fiji backup' . i
{Back up a I information.;
r lre*menlal!
Back up to Ms f
|j\Mic(c»ok\ActiveSync\Profile$\Spike\Backup.stg
r Automatical^ back up each time the device connects.
the time of the last PC connection.
But before you back up your device, it's
a good idea to make a plan. How are you going
to back up the data? What are you going to back
up? Do you need to save everything, or only the
information in the system's RAM? Where are you
going to store the backup and how will you test
it to make sure it all works?
MAKING SOME RULES
Of all these questions, the last — relating to testing
the backup and keeping it secure — is the most
crucial. The first rule is to store the backup away
from your PDA — an easy solution is to keep the
storage card in your wallet. Sure, it's convenient to
back everything up to the storage card that stays
inside your device, but if you lose your PDA, you
also lose the card.
The second rule is to test
your backup strategy. Once
the backup is complete,
reset the device to its factory
defaults and restore the
data. But before you do, it's
a good idea to perform a
few backups using different
tools in case one doesn't
work. The backup process
is useless if the data can't
be retrieved.
A storage card is
mandatory if you want to
take advantage of backup
software. In corporate
environments they can be
used to quickly build a fleet
of devices. All you need to do
is back up the configuration
Back Up How |
etup
correctly to a card, then
restore it to all other devices that require the
same settings. However, this only works if
all the devices are the same model running
the same OS.
Sprite Clone (www.spritesoftware.com) is
a utility that can clone a number of Pocket PCs. It
builds devices to a corporate standard quickly and
easily, making it possible to prepare a device in
under 10 minutes. At US$100 for 10 Pocket PCs, it's
perfect for users streamlining the deployment of
new corporate devices.
THE DESKTOP BACKUP SOLUTION
Palm users are well served by HotSync. Along
with synchronising PIM data and other files
between your PC and PDA, it backs up all
installed applications. If your device loses its
data, reconnecting it to the PC repopulates the
calendar, contacts and tasks, and reinstalls all
applications — a very simple way to get your
device up and running.
While ActiveSync can restore PIM data and
the My Documents folder back to your device,
it won't automatically reinstall all Pocket PC
applications and settings. However, it does have
a full Backup and Restore utility that can be run
manually, or set to run every time you connect
and sync the device.
To complete an ActiveSync backup, connect
the Pocket PC to your main computer. Open
up ActiveSync from the icon in the system tray and
go to Tools > Backup/Restore. Then decide
whether to do a full or incremental backup, and
where to store it.
A full backup involves copying everything
on the PDA. If this is your first time, choose a full
backup. Once that's complete, you can use the
incremental option to just back up anything that's
changed since last time.
It makes sense to perform a full backup every
now and then, because if an incremental backup
file becomes corrupt, subsequent incremental
backups will be rendered useless.
To restore a backup, connect your Pocket PC
to the desktop PC and go to the Restore tab
of the Backup/Restore dialog. Unfortunately,
ActiveSync won't permit you to just restore
a single file — you have to restore everything
since your last backup.
However, a free beta tool called ActiveSync
Backup File Restorer (www.apcmag.com/info/
ActiveSync_restore) allows you to retrieve
individual files from an ActiveSync backup
file. Simply open up the backup file, then
copy and paste each file that you want to restore
using the Explorer-style interface.
handhelds backup
WHEN ON THE ROAD…
While connection to a desktop is an easy
way to back up and restore data, it's not
particularly helpful when you're travelling.
If you're running a Pocket PC, many
manufacturers include a backup utility
within the system ROM which, when
coupled with a spacious storage card, keeps
your data safe while away from a PC.
If your Pocket PC doesn't have backup
software. Sprite Backup (www.sprite
software.com) is a great solution. In
fact, the software bundled on Pocket PCs
such as the iPAQ is a lite version of this
application. It also supports Windows
Mobile Smartphones.
After installation, launch Sprite Backup
from the Programs folder (Start > Programs)
or from the Today screen plug-in. By default.
Sprite backup starts in Basic Mode. There
are just two buttons to choose from. Backup
and Restore.
Choosing the Advanced Mode from the
Options menu lets you select what you plan
to backup by placing checkmarks against
the items you need to save. Make sure that
the backup is sent to a storage card with
enough space (this needs to be the size of
your device's RAM).
About five minutes later, you'll be
alerted that the backup is complete and to
perform a soft reset with the reset button.
The soft reset is important, as the backup
program may have shut down applications
that were running in the background.
Within the Advanced Mode Options you
can choose to automatically save your data.
Spritely assistant: schedule Sprite Backup to
automatically run daily or weekly.
A good buddy: coupled with a storage card,
BackupbuddyVFS is a sound and simple solution.
Even better, a backup can be executed
automatically when your PDA's battery
drops to a particular level. If your Pocket
PC is on a LAN, there's even an option to
execute a remote backup.
To restore a backup, launch Sprite
Backup in Basic Mode and hit the Restore
button. Choose the file you want to restore
from, and a few minutes and a soft reset later
your system will be recovered.
While this requires Sprite Backup to
be reinstalled, you can also create a
self-restoring backup. This is a must for
mobile users as it means that you'll be
able to return your device to a usable state,
with all its data, by simply running an
executable file.
PALM ON THE RUN
BackupbuddyVFS (www.bluenomad
.com) is a full backup solution for many
Palm devices. With support for Memory
Stick and Secure Digital Cards, it keeps your
data safe if your device is damaged or lost.
After completing the simple installation
procedure, start BackupbuddyVFS. Place
a storage card in your device and a small
program will be copied to the card. This
is an important step as you'll be able to
restore your device from the card without
-^installing the application. The initial
backup is thorough, and all subsequent
ones are incremental.
PDA backups are often overlooked.
However, if you value the data stored
no your PDA, a solid backup strategy is
crucial. Don't take a haphazard approach
by only saving data when it's convenient for
you. It may seem time-consuming, but it
only takes one disaster to ram home how
worthwhile backups are. EEE
The hardware solution
If you're looking for an all-in-one
solution. Proporta's ProBackup
( www.proporta.com ) might be
just the thing you need. This is
a MultiMediaCard (MMC) with a
preloaded backup application.
All you need to do is pop the
MMC into your Palm or Pocket PC's
SD slot and the backup software
automatically launches. There are
three versions of the card:a 128MB
card for PDAs with any version of
Pocket PC or Palm OS and 128MB of
storage (US$71.95 ); a 64MB version
for Pocket PC and newer Palm devices
(US$54.95); and a 32MB version for
Palm devices with 16MB of internal
storage (US$49.95).
If your PDA's memory has been
wiped, all you need to do is put
the card into its slot and press the
Restore button. The initial backup
only takes a few minutes, and future
incremental backups will be even
quicker. A complete restore takes
the same time as the initial backup.
hardware and software solution for keeping
your data safe.
apcmag.com ► january 05 ► workshop ► backup
WORKSHOP
Xbox Media Center
If you think media centre PCs are overpriced for what they
offer, you can achieve a similar result using an Xbox.
Jarrod Spiga explains how.
SkHI tevel_
Advanced
Requirements
• Xbox • Set of alien keys
/Torx-10 and Torx-20
screwdrivers • flat head
screwdriver • soldering
iron and solder • Xbox
Mod chip* PC with
CD-RW drive (DVD-RW
preferred) and NIC
•CD-RW or DVD+/-RW
media • Internet
connection • crossover
cable, or passthrough
cable and network.
Time to complete
8 hours (approx)
^ Caution
Opening an Xbox voids
its warranty.
Not everyone is keen on the idea of media centre
PCs (see APC September 2004, page 92). Who
needs a PC to watch and record TV broadcasts?
Most people already own VCRs for that purpose.
About the only thing a media centre PC could
do that existing standalone home entertainment
components can't is play the plethora of digital
audio and video formats available on the PC
through a TV. However, a modified Xbox running a
copy of the Xbox Media Center (XBMC) can do the
same thing at a fraction of the cost.
XBMC is an open source project developed
by enthusiasts. While images of ghastly freeware
interfaces may spring to mind, XBMC is a
professional product that's just as simple to use
as Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center edition.
Originally published in APC (Australian Personal Computer) on 1 January 2005: https://archive.org/details/apc-2005_01