(Last edited Feb 29, 2008)

This is part five of the Putting it all together series. If you haven’t read part one, you can read it here. In this part, I will be discussing several third party backup program solutions.

Shortcomings of Hotsync as a backup solution

In the previous post, I have discussed that although the Hotsync does attempt to back up most of the data and files on the Palm to your computer, it isn’t a very reliable means of a backup.

You are relying on the data that was on your Palm since your last Hotsync. Depending on how often (or not) you do a Hotsync, that may be both an advantage or disadvantage. If your last hotsync was done a day ago, and you don’t have a tendency to install new programs or update or make changes to files, you may be able to restore most of the files back onto the Palm. But if your last hotsync was done a week ago or longer, then, all the extra data and programs that you’ve added since then will not be in the computer’s backup folder. If you’ve lost battery (letting drain completely) or power, restoring from the last hotsync won’t help restore all the data that wasn’t backed up. Nothing can be done if the storage in RAM is lost due to lost power.

Another point about using Hotsync as a backup is that there is no archive of backups. You don’t have a collection of different backups ranging from a day or two day to weeks or months to restore from. I guess you can try to create an archive by manually copying and moving all the files in the Backup folder to somewhere else for the archive every day, or everytime you install a new program. But doing so, can be a hassle and I doubt that many people will be willing to do this. Although it is possible and can be done. But most of us want to minimize work, not create more work. That’s why we got a Palm in the first place, right?

So, we’ve discovered that Hotsync isn’t a very reliable method of backing up the Palm data. What are the alternatives? Here are a few popular third party backup program suggestions.

THIRD PARTY BACK UP PROGRAMS

BackupBuddyVFS

BackupBuddyVFS Pro has been a favorite amongst many Palm users for a while. BlueNomad, the developer of the software has various backup softwares available ranging from BackupBuddyVFS Pro to BackupBuddy Windows edition. I will only be focusing on the BackupBuddyVFS Professional edition, which is mainly for the Palm device. The Pro version has the capability to schedule automatic backups, as well as backing up and restoring individual files, capabilities that the cheaper Personal Edition does not have. You can make the whole backup process very simple by only using their Basic screen in the program. Or, you can go into the Advanced screen and select individual files for backing up or restoring.

Simulation of creating and restoring a backup with BackupBuddyVFS Pro

Alternative Flash links: Image Shack

This simulation shows how to create a backup onto the expansion SD card as well as demonstrating how to restore a backup on the BackupBuddyVFS Pro. I have also provided a brief overview of the menu and options of the program.

The simulation will play through to the end unless I’ve inserted a pop up note for specific points.

To continue playing the simulation, press the button.
To go back to a previous paused segment, click on the button.
To pause the simulation at any time, press the button. To continue after it’s paused, press the button again.
To scroll forwards or backwards in the simulation, click anywhere on the left (to go back earlier in the simulation), or right (to go forward in the simulation) on the progress bar.

BackupMan is another popular backup program that many Palm users swear by. The price of $10 (or less depending on current specials) is great and the program offers automated backups and backing up and restore of individual files. BackupMan offers a simple to use interface but there’s still a lot of features offered. It’s a great value for the price. It’s very stable and reliable. I’ve restored many times using BackupMan without any problems.

Simulation of creating and restoring a backup with BackupMan

Alternative Flash links: Image Shack

This is a simulation showing how to create and restore a backup with the BackupMan program. I have also provided a brief overview of the various menus and options available in it.

Resco Backup	OnGuard Backup	TealBackup
FlyBackup	Right Back Up	Botzam Backup
BackUp Pro	SaveBackup	BlueSync
Mobile Backup	Pi Backup II	McFile
BackItUp	Pocket Backup	XMGR Expansion Manager
BackupEZ

For Mac users, there’s SyncBuddy

Freeware Backup programs

And here’s a list of freeware backup programs available too:

BackupLite	Smart Backup	Red Feline VFS Backup
PowerGuard Lite	Vfs backup	Inner Backup
Card Backup	NV Backup

File Manager programs with backup capability

Here are some file manager programs that offer back up capability.

UniCMD is a freeware file manager program, that has backup capability. You may also want to check that one out. Resco Explorer is another file manager that has backup capability although it is not free. MegaLauncher is a multi-functional launcher program that offers backup capabilities as well.

Automating backups with freeware

While most of the freeware backup programs probably won’t have an automated backup option, here’s an article written by a Palm Addicts reader, Hassan on how he’s able to automate backups using only freeware LINK

Crony, it seems may not work very well with the newer Palm devices (I personally have experienced problems myself) so a better alternative is to use another similar program called 2PlayMe by Metaviewsoft. Here’s a link to headcronie’s posting at Brighthand on how to automate the backup with 2PlayMe and the long discontinued (for obvious reasons) free version of BackupBuddyVFS.

Backup program for non OS 5 Palms or Palms without an SDIO slot

And for those Palm users who do not have the current OS 5 Palm and their Palm device does not have the SDIO (expansion card slot), here’s a backup program that works for OS 3.5 and up. It’s called SyncAll. What it does is it sets the backup bits to be enabled for every file so that the Palm will back up all the files and data in RAM to your computer’s hard drive. So, those who can’t use any of the previously mentioned backup applications because they don’t have an OS 5 Palm or an SDIO slot, can try this application. It supports OS 3.5 and up. A similar application to SyncAll is BackupAll, also freeware.

I will not be discussing these programs (maybe in a future posting). I have not personally tried them so I can’t comment on how well they work. I have tried both BackupBuddyVFS and BackupMan and prefer BackupMan for the price and reliability.

Reliability is key

Here’s an important note regarding backups. Remember that you want a stable, reliable program that will correctly back up all data files so that you can restore them exactly the way it was. You can’t settle for data corruption due to a buggy program. If the backup program can’t restore the files without any problems or corruptions, then it’s not something you can risk. Keep that in mind when deciding on a backup program.

Archiving is essential to backups

One other main important note is that although you may have a backup program and create backups, what’s extremely important is not just having a backup, but having AN ARCHIVE OF BACKUPS readily available so that you can restore a specific day’s backup. Why is that important? Let me explain.

Sometimes, data corruption occurs in the Palm and in the programs without affecting the overall running and use of it. It may take days or weeks or even months before the data corruption finally causes problems like resets, error messages, crashes, etc. So, when you have an archive of backups, you can easily restore a previous day or week or month’s backup should a later one turn out to also contain the corrupted problem. I have personally experienced something like that and found that having the archived backups very important.

My backup strategy

This is my backup strategy. I schedule a daily backup at 1:05am since I usually don’t stay up then so schedule it at a time when you are not using the Palm. I keep about 8 daily backups in the BackupMan directory. I set up an alarm in my Date Book every Saturday to move the last day’s backup to another directory (so that I keep a weekly archive) so that it doesn’t end up getting wiped out or deleted by BackupMan. Once every few months, I would move the weekly archives from my Palm over to the computer’s hard drive with all my other BackupMan weekly archives. Doing it this way allows me to have a weekly archive somewhere so that I can go back by days (the previous 8 days worth of archives) and by weeks (the weekly archives). And eventually, burn these archives onto a CD or save onto a floppy (do people still use those?).

- Schedule a daily backup at 1:05am

- Keep up to 8 daily backup archive in the BackupMan program

- Every week, I move a specific day’s (in my case it’s Saturday morning at 1:05am which is really Friday’s backup) over to another part of my SD card so that I don’t let BackupMan write over and delete the old archive.

- Every few months, I move all the weekly archives from the SD card to my computer

- Eventually, burn them onto a CD.

In my view, stick with the popular ones like BackupBuddyVFS, BackupMan, Resco Backup. Many Palm users have been happy with them. You want something that can give you a piece of mind, not something that you discover doesn’t work. There’s nothing worse than finding out in an emergency, when you really need it, that your backup doesn’t work.

Now that I’ve provided some backup software program suggestions, including some freewares, you have NO EXCUSE to not have some kind of backup program installed and running.

Here’s also a great posting by Brighthand member, AKAJohnDoe on a more extensive backup strategy

Back up your Palm and software CD(s)

Okay, this is an addition to the backup theme. I’ve read and heard many of the same stories in the Palm forums that I’ve decided to add this important info in my posting under the “backup” theme.

Many people have discovered for whatever reason that they’ve either “lost” their original Palm installation CDs and software. Or, that they’ve discovered that it was “broken”, or “unreadable” or “corrupted”. In other words, their CDs can no longer install the software.

Again, this is another preventitive measure. Make a backup of your Palm installation and software CDs. If you are backing up your Palm files, why aren’t you backing the most important software, namely all the software in the original CDs? That way, in case your CDs get scratched, damaged, lost, etc, you will still have a copy of it available to use.

Although many people have mentioned that if you have your device registered with Palm that you can contact Palm and provide your credit card number to pay for a replacement CD for $15. But, if the device is quite old, there’s the possibility that they no longer have any replacement disks available. Which brings me back to the reason of having a back up copy of the install disk. Yes. You can download Palm Desktop from the Palm website but usually the install CD contains extra licensed software from Chapura like Pocket Mirror or others that you would need to pay for. So, do yourself a favor and take a moment to copy your Palm install and software CDs.

In the next part of this Putting it all together series, along the lines of protecting yourself, I will be discussing the various ways to protect your Palm from unexpected mishaps.

Thanks for visiting and supporting Palm Discovery. If you are not reading this article from Palmdiscovery.com or palmdiscovery.net, the website you are reading it from is guilty of copying and posting my content without consent. Please visit Palm Discovery for the original source of the material.

: archives categories backup backupbuddy backupman strategies gettingstarted palm RescoBackup OnGuardBackup TealBackup FlyBackup RightBackup BotzamBackup BackUpPro SaveBackup BlueSync MobileBackup PiBackupII McFile BackItUp PocketBackup XMGRExpansionManager BackupEZ SyncBuddy BackUpLite SmartBackup RedFelineBackup PowerGuardLite VFSBackup InnerBackup CardBackup UniCMD Resco Explorer MegaLauncher SyncAll BackupAll

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