Dell Axim x51v users: refrain from using the built-in Data Backup! It's unreliable!

Menneisyys · 02-15-06, 01:34 AM

Now that the final version of the WM5-compliant Spb Backup is released and I've been doing serious compatibility, stability and compliance tests for my next article, I've also run these tests on the Data Backup shipped with Dell Axim x51v Pocket PC's (ROM version A06; that is, the latest, most stable one).

As you may have already guessed (I wouldn't have posted anything otherwise), Data Backup has miserably failed these tests. It didn't restore the test WindowsCE mail databases and caused other problems too. For example, after a restoration, the beta version of Opera Web browser started to behave strangely – it just crashed on me almost every time I tried to enter something in its address bar. Opera has never done the same otherwise; neither after a restoration with the (final) Spb Backup or Sprite Backup 5.0.

All in all: forget Data Backup and go for either Sprite Backup or Spb Backup! (I'll soon publish their thorough, comparative review so that you will have an easier time choosing between the two.)

permalink · 02-15-06, 01:38 AM

thanks for the headsup wont touch,bad button bad. :jd: il be waiting for your revue.

fry · 02-15-06, 03:34 AM

Agreed. I did a PIM restore and it corrupted the messenger email app. Then I started getting something like grew.exe and devices.exe crashes at random times. I was able to recover by doing this. 1) backup all; 2) hard reset; 3) backup PIM (blank PIM database after hard reset); 4) restore all; 5) restore PIM (the blank database). This wiped out the PIM database and my X51v is happy again.

engineer · 02-15-06, 06:00 AM

I can not agree.
Because of hardwareproblems i had to hardreset the X51v several times (german A00 and german A01 ROM). After this i always used my complete-backup i did before with the integrated backup software. I never had a problem with this. Even when i moved the backupfile from my first X51v to a new device.
The only thing i wish MS could improve is to add compression of the backupfile.

DaViD_BRaNDoN · 02-15-06, 06:12 AM

Wow... And I thought I can save some money for not upgrading to Sprite Backup 5.0 by using the built-in Data Backup utility. Please do share with us your detailed reviews on Sprite Backup 5.0 and Spb Backup 1.0

disturbed6583 · 02-15-06, 08:18 AM

I have also had trouble with the data back up. i backed up my data before upgrading to the new rom and when i restored it I got a message that the file was from windows mobile 2003. I have an x51 that has never seen 2k3 luckily i had only had it about two weeks and didn't have much to loose.

Menneisyys · 02-15-06, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by DaViD_BRaNDoN

Wow... And I thought I can save some money for not upgrading to Sprite Backup 5.0 by using the built-in Data Backup utility. Please do share with us your detailed reviews on Sprite Backup 5.0 and Spb Backup 1.0

See my blog or http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=117316 :)

pdahound · 02-15-06, 08:46 AM

Is this an X51 issue or WM5? I know it works fine on my X50

Menneisyys · 02-15-06, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by engineer

I can not agree.
Because of hardwareproblems i had to hardreset the X51v several times (german A00 and german A01 ROM). After this i always used my complete-backup i did before with the integrated backup software. I never had a problem with this. Even when i moved the backupfile from my first X51v to a new device.

Did you try restoring mail? If it did work (and you didn't run into mysterious crashes, gwes.exe / device.exe problems) after the restore, it may have been the different, German ROM. (Albeit I seriously doubt it as the codebase is the same.)

Quote:

The only thing i wish MS could improve is to add compression of the backupfile.

Data Backup is solely a Dell product, not that of MS.

Menneisyys · 02-15-06, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by pdahound

Is this an X51 issue or WM5? I know it works fine on my X50

WM5's WinCE databases are entirely different from their previous form. This is why the WM2003(SE) Data Backups may work flawlessly on WM2003SE x50's.

permalink · 02-15-06, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by disturbed6583

I have also had trouble with the data back up. i backed up my data before upgrading to the new rom and when i restored it I got a message that the file was from windows mobile 2003. I have an x51 that has never seen 2k3 luckily i had only had it about two weeks and didn't have much to loose.

it is not advisable to do a restore when doing a ROM update anyway. You take the chance of restoring files from the old ROM that way. PIM stuff is ok but you can restore that by doing a sync after the update.

engineer · 02-15-06, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Menneisyys

Did you try restoring mail?

No, i had only appplications and some userdata on the device.

Menneisyys · 02-15-06, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by engineer

No, i had only appplications and some userdata on the device.

OIC. This is why you haven't run into PIM problems, then.

netsyd · 02-15-06, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by Menneisyys

OIC. This is why you haven't run into PIM problems, then.

I agree with this ... the application and user environment restore works wonderfully. The PIM restore failed miserably and left a ton of cleanup for me to do.

disturbed6583 · 02-15-06, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by bigdave240

it is not advisable to do a restore when doing a ROM update anyway. You take the chance of restoring files from the old ROM that way. PIM stuff is ok but you can restore that by doing a sync after the update.

Yeah i know that now. the only non PIM stuff i had on there was microsoft money and i didn't want to have to re-type all of my banking info again. I just thought that it was a weird error. I really should just buy money for my laptop that would save me some trouble.