yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] YoLoLo:
Some guys around me have bought new phones... But PDAphones !

I've been using PDAs for 5 years now, and i'm considered as a guru :rolleyes: (in the kingdom of blinds people, one-eyed are considered as kings !!!)

So, i've prepared a "bunddle" of vital-small-effiscent programs kit...

With T-man, Gsfinder, BatteryStatus, TodayAgenda, PhoneProfile (V1, M Panzica)... and of course PIMbackup ! :D

It wasn't unusefull, because a colleague of mine have got a problem with his PDA's digitalizer... He will have a new PDA soon... but without PIMbackup, he would have lost all his contacts (sync don't work with his laptop...)

So, i would like to THANK you again for this great piece of soft ! :D

Here is a little advertissement, on PocketPCfreeware

http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/fr/index.php?soft=1806

Keep up the good work !:cool:
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] bod:
I can't restore my messages form a backup, but the rest of data(contacts, calls) works. I use wm6 smart1 v2 on the qtek s200. Is possible to recover the messages from a backup?
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Salut Yololo,

Merci beaucoup, je fais de mon mieux, mais comme tu peux le remarquer, tout le monde ne semble pas aussi content!:o

A+,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi bod,

Are you sure the type of messages you're trying to restore exist, because if the account doesn't exist, it won't work. BTW, the mms backup/restore still doesn't work completely, the objects contained in the mms are lost, still working on it, but not easy. Also, bear in my mind that Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items,... are the main directories of any account, if you try to restore messages from a backup made in another language, it won't work, you have to rename these directories first in the backup file.

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Yep, I know, this is the test I intended to use in order to delete them. BTW, it seems it is only under WM6, I don't have those files appearing under WM5.

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] bod:
Hi, i'm will restore only the sms messages. What are you thinking when you said "if the account doesn't exist"??

The messeges isn't in a another language...
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] CWKJ:
I am using Universal Helmi Aku 3.5 v1.3. Not really WM6 yet.

I can make the test if you include in the next version or the next beta.

Anyway, I delete them manually. :D
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] thevirus:
dotfred:

first of all, a very big thank you for this simple but yet very precious program.

however, i have been struggling with the transfer for a month trying to sort it out. but to no avail. as such, i need advice from you.

pda source: hp ipaq h6365 on wm2003se

pda target: o2 atom life on wm2005 (soon to be on wm2006)

i've downloaded both versions of pim backup v1.8 for wm2003se n wm2005.

actions taken in this order:

- backup call logs on ipaq with using pim backup v1.8 (wm2003se). file named bu_h6365_call. file in storage card. 2997 entries recorded.

- backup sms on ipaq with using pim backup v1.8 (wm2003se). file named bu_h6365_sms. file in storage card. 3184 entries recorded.

- hard reset atom life.

- popped storage card in atom life.

- synchronised contacts in atom life via activesync 4.5.

- set option under clear call history to “never”.

- restored bu_h6365_call using pim backup v1.8 (wm2005).

- restored bu_h6365_sms using pim backup v1.8 (wm2005).

weird symptoms:

- restoration of call logs yield only 2345 entries. why?

- restoration of sms yield on 1500+ entries. why?

- after restoration of call logs, i viewed the phone history (entries are there) and made 1 call. after the call, all the restored logs disappeared, showing only that 1 call. why?

- after restoration of sms, there were 84 sms in inbox and 1312 sms in sent folder. sms in sent folder were only headers (ie, contact, date and time). there were no message bodies. why?

was there something I did or did not do? i’m in dire straits. somehow, it seems like i’m going to lose all my history. help please.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi thevirus,

Can you tell me if you saw anything special in the restore log.

What kind of restore did you do?

Could you show me the screenshot of the messages that should have been restored. So this is the window with a tree where you can select which messages you want to restore. Show me the tree with nodes expanded.

Thanks,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] liay:
hi fred,

I found the new Spb Backup 1.6 can restore the MMS perfectly, even I modi the default 'UAContentsPath' and put the attachments *.DAT files in storage card.

hope u take a look at it and find the final solution
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi liay,

I don't know exactly how Spb Backup works, but what I know is that none of the messages are stored in plain text, I think it just stores the cemail.vol as it is. That's why you cannot restore a backup on another device or on another OS. I analyzed how mms are stored in cemail.vol, and what I noticed is that Arcsoft MMS uses own-defined properties and not the default ones for storing mms contents. What I still don't know is how I can use the information stored in these own-defined properties, because simply adding them as they were doesn't work.

My point is, even if I find a solution for mms, it will only work for Arcsoft MMS, and not other MMS softs.

Cheers,

Fred.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] lukacs.attila:
Hello,

I've tried to set up a scheduled backup. Settings are the following: every day @ midnight. Got the confirmation popup, so it should be ok - but nothing happens (with ASUS P535). Any ideas?
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] limpwaster:
Hi Fred, great program and great support for it is well. It works perfectly with my HP ipaq rx1950

I would like to make a simple PC program to view all the info backed up from my device. Could you tell me the format / structure of the backed up files so I can import them successfully? I know things like messages and contacts as the format is listed at the top, but call logs, speed dials, etc dont list the format at the top. Im sure I could work out some of it by trial and error, but it would be nice if you could tell me :)

By the way, by format I mean things like time and date of call, duration, caller id, and call type.

Thanks Fred, keep up the good work! :D
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] thevirus:
i did not see anything special in the log. just your usual suspects. here are the extract:

for call logs:

- preparing restore...

- starting call logs restore...

- retrieving file records...

- valid call logs header format.

- retrieving file records...

- 2997 records found in file.

- connecting to the call logs database...

- connected to the database.

- inserting call logs...

- 1. call '#0' inserted.

- "

- "

- 2997. call '#2996' inserted.

- 2046 call logs successfully stored in database.

- disconnecting from the call logs database...

- disconnected.

- restore ended successfully in 00:06:48.968

for sms:

- preparing restore...

- starting messages restore...

- analysing file structure...

- 1824 records found in file.

- connecting to outlook...

- connected to outlook.

- inserting messages in the da...

- 1415 messages inserted in the database.

- disconnecting from outlook...

- disconnected from outlook.

- restore ended successfully in 00:07:02.660

sorry, i dunno how to screenshot, but this is the expanded tree:

+-v Text Messages

l----l-v Inbox(1504)

l----l-v Sent Items(221)

l----l-v Deleted Items(34)

l-v IPM.SMStext

l-v Text Messages

l-v <---this is blank.

what do you mean by what kind of restore did i do? restore using pim backup v1.8. restored call and sms files separately.

thanks you sir.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Strange, for the call logs, because it seems to insert them.

Anyway, for the sms, there is something wrong, it seems the parser does not its job as it should, because there is a misalignment (IPM.SMSText shouldn't be there, it is a type of message, not a directory. There is something in the file that is misinterpreted (badly parsed) by the application. Sorry about that, could you provide the backup, in order to see where the problem resides, except if you're data are sensitive!

Cheers,

Fred.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] Szappy:
Dear dotFred

As natzakaria said in post #233:

"Restore tasks dont work - shows as corrupted data."

OK, it wasn't an informative post, but unfortunately I can confirm this. I don't know whether the actual backup is corrupted, or only the restore process, but all my restored tasks are :

- long overdue (they all get a ridiculous start and due time: 1899.12.30)

- have no description/name

- are low priority

- uncompleted

I hope you can help me, and that I have not lost them :(
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi,

I know, this is a bug introduced in v1.8, it will be fixed in next release. This is only in restore, nothing is lost.

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] Szappy:
OK, thanks.

In the meanwhile, is it possible to restore a 1.8 backup with an earlier version?

And if yes, where can I find the earlier versions (unfortunately I have only the latest one) ?
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
I don't keep older versions sorry. But version 1.9 will be available in a few minutes...
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] meehaa:
new

sounds great

waiting for 1.9

:)

u are the man
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Done, see first post!

Nothing new though!:o
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] Szappy:
Tested / works :cool:
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] thevirus:
i agree with you on the call logs, it should be fine. but it all just disappear after making the first call. this might be an os issue.

here are the files. i'll email them to you. nothing sensitive in there.

also, i've notice that when i try to extract the .pib file with winzip, i get a .csl extension instead of .csm that you've mentioned in early threads. just to let you know. is it a problem?
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] apd:
Thanks yet again:D
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
I received them, thanks, I will investigate...

BTW,

.csl is for call logs

.csm is for messages

.csc is for contacts

.csa is for appointments

.cst is for tasks

.csd is for speed dials

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] xact1440:
been reading the posts.. can't figure out clearly whether I can backup my SMS text messages and copy to my desktop. I need this because I am sending back my Cingular 8125 and I want to maintain a copy of my text messages.

So...Can the PIMbackup file be exported to .csv file ?

I saw an entry about the format of the pib file for SMS that would need to get updated. Can it be read as .csv format ?
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] limpwaster:
You can use winrar on the backup file to take out the seperate files in the backup (ie messgaes, contacts). You can then open the message.csm file in wordpad and do a find/replace, replacing ; with ,

rename the file to csv and your done.

Not sure if there is a better way?
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Well, you didn't read well, because it is very easy to understand... ;)

The .pib file created by PIMbackup is just a zip file containing the different files related to each kind of backup. All these files are .csv files but the extension has been changed to be associated with PIMbackup.

So just do your backup, then copy .pib on your pc. Either rename it as a zip file, either associate .pib with winzip/winrar utility. Extract .cs files you need (.csm is for messages).

Caution, these files are plain text files in unicode, so maybe you will have to save them in ascii, before import in excel.

Cheers,

Fred.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] JBabey:
Just wanted to thank you for your continued work on this application, I use it at work frequently for customers with 6700 and are to ..... uh.... ya.... they dont sync their phones and i need to hard reset it.

anyways. i appreciate it.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] meehaa:
this is cool, it lets me to back everything I want,
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] xplode:
Another great relese from dotfred, thanks a lot man for the update
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] Mark Crouch:
Thanks DotFred!!!!

Thanks - I've been using PIM Backup since v1.4 and it's definitely *the* must-have application for my Hermes device. It's been an invaluable tool for the recent batch of ROM flashings I've done :)

Are you getting any closer with the MMS stuff - or is that gonna be in the big "2.0" release :eek: ;)

Keep up the good work!

Mark.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] c_shekhar:
Rightly said @explode. It is indeed a very very useful application. I have been using it sinse the time .fred added call log backuo to it...Thanks a lot .fred and keep it going. More powers to you...
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] neoxlefou:
link broken ?

i'd like too give a try to this software.

I can acces the download file but I get an empty file called PPCPimBackupV1.9_wm2005.zip

idem if i try to download the 2003 version :-(

am i doing something wrong ?

edit : i found my mistake, i can't download directly from internet to my ntfs disk when under linux.

I have to download to ext2 then move the file.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] p0peye:
Error executing program!

Hi, this program cold be very interesting - if I could install it... :confused:

I have downloaded this 1.9 version for wm5, wm2003 (just to see what will happen; I have downloaded v1.9 from other sites; v1.8, 1.7, v1.5 - that is what I found on internet... I have tried to start every one and I always receive the same message:

Error executing program!

it is a .exe program and I am (trying to) starting it in win xp, not on my PPC...

I have searched this forum and found no error reports, so I tried to start the program on my friend's computer - but it reports error also...

Any ideas?

Best regards,

Popeye
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi Popeye,

This forum is dedicated to pocket pcs, so it is normal that cab files, exe, dll you will find here around are for pocket pcs.

I don't provide setup exe or cab files, because most of people are not interested in that, they just want the application in order to use it directly.

So to answer your question, just extract the exe from the zip file, copy it on your pocket pc and launch it.

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] p0peye:
Hm. :o

This is the first time that I see a .exe file is using on PPC (and I have NOT seen lots of install programs for PPC) - Regarding PPC - I have seen .exe files that are desktop setup files, and they will add .cab file to PPC.

I have seen that one can manually add .cab file to PPC and run it from there - and not just seen - done it :rolleyes:

And this is the first time in my modest experience with PPC that I see (and use - tried it - IS working) that .exe can be used on PPC...

Thanks very much and sorry for bothering with stupid questions.

I am learning, but when one is concentrated on complicated solutions - some really simple slips away...

Thanks again and cheers!

Popeye

p.s. - making BU passed with no problems :)
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] xact1440:
you are right... i didn't read it through. I got it now and was able to view the text messages :D thank you
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] toblo:
Hi dotfred,

I think I found a bug in the scheduling. I'm in +8 time zone. Everytime I schedule the backup to run before 8am, the backup will run over and over and over again. Not sure if it will stop after 8am though. As if when PIM Backup is done with the backup and adding itself to the notification list again for the next run, the date added is still today instead of the next backup day.

But if I schedule it to be run after 8am, then it works perfectly.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] Zgembo:
@dotfred:

just to report, backup/restore of yomi field in contacts is working without problem. tested version 1.9. Thank you for this app. It is one of the most useful!
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] neoxlefou:
I found my mistake, i can't download directly from internet to my ntfs disk when under linux.

I have to download to ext2 then move the file.

your server was OK, it was my fault.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi toblo,

Ok, thanks for the observation, I will investigate and find a solution.

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] neoxlefou:
just to say thanks you

i did not know your software until today.

I tried it, and...

it works, great.

windows mobile 5

QTEK9000 (HTC Universal).

I tried :

backup, full reset, restore.

I hope it might work as well after a rom upgrade.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] sammelsurium:
I also would like to try it, but the file (WM5) is empty.

Hi, Fred - could you check this in the first page...
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] BRSG:
Hi... I'm having problems with the SMS/MMS restore at my Herald... forgot to test the backup before the hard-reset and now, and for some reason unknown to me, PIM Backup starts to restore the messages, finds the correct number of messages in the backup file, but when I go to see if everything is OK, nothing is there, zero SMS/MMS. Everything else is restored correctly :confused:

I'm using a HTC Herald, with WM5 WWE ROM...

UPDATE1: I've managed to get SMS's from a personal folder restored, but that's it... inbox, sent items, etc, etc appears empty. Same thing with MMS... zero restored :(

UPDATE2: It seems to be a language problem... the folders in the backup are in a different language. Copied the backup file to pc, extracted the messages, opened with wordpad and changed the names of folders. Put the file back to the backup file, back to ppc and it worked :D The only problem are the MMS files that aren't being restored :(
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] BRSG:
UPDATE3: Now every time I try to restore the modified .pib archive it says

How can I change the backup file correctly so this error disappear? :confused:

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM... now it says the original backup file is corrupted? WTF :mad:

How can I restore my SMS/MMS completely? I realy need them :(
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi BRSG,

Recreating the pib file is not necessary. It is only done to gain space on "disk". All extensions of the files stored in pib are associated to Pim backup, so you can directly restore a csc or csm file, ... by double clicking it.

BTW, as mentioned in first post, I still haven't found the way to backup/restore mms properly, so sorry to tell you that but you lost them.:(

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] se4me:
Just a quick reply to say thanks for this cool app, installed and worked well I did notice the mms backed up but file wasnt there after restore, but i thought that was due to the pic being deleted during the rom upgrade.

anyway thanks again, great app
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] silverpal:
Hi, I have been using your app v1.9 and loving it. No more lost data after hard reset.

I do encounter a problem while using your schedule function tho. I set it to backup everyday at 8.30 (local time is +8). THe maximum number of backups is 3. The back up works fine for 3 days and on the 4th day, an error message would be displayed telling me that the backup failed. This has happened many times.

Another problem (not really a problem but more an enquiry) is the size. Since I do back up everyday, the changes in my data is not very drastic. Yet the size can inflate from 40kb one day to 80kb the next day. Is this the normal behaviour?

Thanks for your help.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dknix:
;) Thanks so much. You have just saved me many hours of manually restoring my contacts, appointments, and speed dials again.

I have been looking for something to backup my contacts since my new iPAQ hw6945 doesn't have backup software like my hw6510 did. I have already lost my contacts and messages once, due to a hard reset. Your a lifesaver, many thanks!
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] cheewee:
Hi Fred,

Firstly, thanks for coming up with this useful utility and releasing as freeware. There seem to be an irritating bug with PIM Backup. If you create custom folders within Text Messages to sort your messages, after you backup and restore, all messages in custom folders will not appear. I'm using the latest version.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] J_Kirk:
Won't restore smses and tasks on imate jamin WM5 :(

I used v1.9 to backup my data. On restore, it restores everything fine, EXCEPT:

1. Smses. It would parse through the whole file, but restore nothing. On subsequent runs, it would maybe restore only the inbox, but interestingly enough, on next soft reset, all those messages would disappear!!

2. Tasks: On parsing the tasks file, it simply reports 'invalid file structure' and quit.

I've unzipped all the files separately. How can I restore my messages and tasks manually? I really need them on my jamin.

Thanks.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Can you provide the tasks file, because I don't understand how it could contain an invalid file structure...

What kind of restore are you doing? Delete everything first or add only new?

BTW, which OS is on your ppc? Is the backup/restore made on the same device?

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] mih_:
The same, I can't restore SMS from backup.

Backup goes fine, it verbosely shows backup in progress.

But "restore" doesn't see even SMS structure, it shows in

"Select account and directories to restore:" marked box with _empty_ name.

Backup/restore are made on the same device, just one by one.

TyTN, WM6
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] J_Kirk:
Reply to dotfred's questions

Dotfred,

My tasks file is attached zipped.

I'm deleting everything first and then restoring.

Its WM5, factory installed. No fancy roms here, only the latest officially released by imate for jamin. Exact same device. Restoring after a hard reset.

Any ideas about sms'es as well? Restoration of smses doesn't give any error.. it just doesn't do it.

Thanks.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
This is different, if what you see in the three showing accounts and directories is not correct, it is due to a bad parsing of the file.

The layout of the csm file will change in v2.0, to avoid that kind of problems.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
I cannot reproduce it, it works just fine on mine and on the emulators. Can you provide a sample of backup, so I can test it?

Thanks,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi J_Kirk,

I found the problem for the tasks, the 4th one begins with :

"10 sq tiles 40 1'x4" skirting", just replace it by 10 sq tiles 40 1'x4" skirting

(without the first and ending quotes) and save the file, doing then the restore works just fine.

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] mih_:
Does it mean, that PIM Backup can't parse own backup file ?

When will be released v2.0 mentioned above?

Thank you.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
As mentioned on the first post, even with a very intelligent parser, it is sometimes difficult to get the results as expected. I made some tests with excel and it encounters the same problems, the solution would be to add first the length of the text...

I don't know, asaic...

Cheers,

Fred
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] toblo:
I know it can be very tricky to dump some data into a text file. Sometime the separator is found inside the data. So I usually use pipe as the separator "|" or sometimes the tab character. Not sure if this can make sense for PIM Backup.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] J_Kirk:
Hey thanks! Any solution for smses?

Thanks Fred!! Any solution for smses? Should I send that file too? :)

Interestingly enough, it shows strange folders in the messages tree, while restoring smses. Folders names 0,36542 (or something like that),-1 etc. Again, seems like a parsing problem to me.

Farhan.

Farhan.
[Windows Mobile Apps and Games] dotfred:
Hi Farhan,

Yes indeed, if you find strange names , or funny things in the restore messages treeview, then it is due to a parsing problem.

Yes you can send it to this address dotfred@dotfred.net, and I will be able to determine which records cause problem.

Cheers,

Fred