Problem with Sprite Restore with Strong Password Set?

FrinkTL · 04-27-08, 09:45 PM

I just had to do a restore of a backup in transferring my data from the iPAQ with no external speaker sound to its replacement, and the restore worked (maybe), but I couldn't unlock the restored iPAQ as it wouldn't recognize the password I had set. I know I entered it correctly because I used the soft keyboard to enter it. I had to do the "Octopus Salute" to initiate a "clean boot" on the replacement iPAQ.

Then, I cleared the password on the old iPAQ and created another backup. When I restored that backup, it worked without a hitch! I will file a question with Sprite to see if they are aware of this issue, but I thought I'd also ask if anyone else on the forum has noticed this. (And to warn you to clear the password before doing your backup so that you will actually have a usable backup file to restore - it's not much good if it scrambles the password.)

Theemed · 04-28-08, 08:47 AM

Huh, interesting input... I don't use a strong psw as I think a long PIN is way easier to insert (read: bigger buttons, and the "aggressor" wouldn't even know how many numbers form the whole PIN), but I don't think it should vary from alphanumeric to PIN. The reality is that I am avoiding to do a hard reset as much as I can, so instead of trying it only to confirm the issue, I suppose I'll have to remember to disable PIN every time I backup, so I don't take chances. Boring.
Anyway, how did it happen that you had both the old speakerless 210 and the replacement one at the same time? Didn't the courier get the old one contextual to the shipping of the replacement?

FrinkTL · 04-28-08, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by Theemed

...
Anyway, how did it happen that you had both the old speakerless 210 and the replacement one at the same time? Didn't the courier get the old one contextual to the shipping of the replacement?

Nope, and it's a good thing or I would have been up the proverbial creek in a leaky canoe without a paddle! For how I did this, please refer to this thread: http://www.aximsite.com/boards/ipaq-...aker-died.html.

BTW, Sprite in one of its forum threads states that you can just restore the backup but DE-select the Security settings to avoid restoring the password. I'm not sure which poison is easier to swallow, remembering to turn off security before the backup or when I start the actual restore process.

Theemed · 04-28-08, 01:17 PM

If choosing NOT to restore security settings is a feasible way, then obviously I'd say, much better do that than having to remember to unset security and actually doing it at each backup (as if double reset wasn't a pain enough).
On the other side, if they steal your device, and you manage to not save any confidential data in iPAQ File Storage, but you have the SD inside with all the backups saved on it... someone, other than keeping for himself a perfectly working device, could still dig in your private, sensible data after a hard reset, just by choosing not to restore security settings with sprite... uncomfortable thought.

Edit: I was forgetting the possibility to encrypt the backup files, silly me ;)

FrinkTL · 04-29-08, 08:41 AM

BTW, the files to NOT restore are:
"\Pocket PC\System Data\File System\Windows\System\Default.mky" AND "\Pocket PC\System Data\File System\Windows\System\System.mky")