Patent ID: 8825712

Claim:
A method for asset management utilizing a network, comprising: accessing the network via a handheld computing device; transferring hardware-related information and user-preference information from the handheld computing device through the network to a remote storage medium; receiving from the remote storage medium, via the network, at least a portion of the hardware-related information and the user-preference information; and determining additional user-preference information that was not received from the remote storage medium; prompting a user to provide the additional user-preference information that was not received from the remote storage device; receiving the additional user-preference information; in response to receiving the: additional user-preference information, at least a portion of the hardware-related information received from the remote storage device, and at least a portion of the user-preference information received from the remote storage device, restoring user preferences on a new handheld computing device; and displaying a status of at least a portion of the restoration of the user preferences on the new handheld computing device.