Just hard-resetted my PDA. And no backup.

Alexander Turcic · 04-29-2005, 09:03 PM

I cannot believe my luck. Yesterday I performed a firmware upgrade on my Axim X50v (upgraded to A03), and it worked all fine. I could even restore a previous backup. Then today, while I was running a program (I think it was Resco Explorer, but I could be wrong), I switched off my PDA. And since then I wasn't able to turn it on again! At Aximsite I found a thread discussing a similar problem. It was recommended to push the hardreset button sequence (hold the power button while pressing the reset button) and then to press cancel. Well, indeed my device turned on again when I pressed the hardreset sequence, but when I pressed on cancel (Mail hardware button), my device was nevertheless hardresetted! Worst of all, I didn't keep the backup I had done last night before performing the firmware upgrade!

Oh well... it is weekend so I have some time to reinstall everything. But all my contacts and datebook items are gone forever. And I don't think I will use my PDA for these information again, but instead use my Nokia Communicator 9500. In other words, from now on my PDA won't be my organizer anymore, but only a e-book reader, movie player, mp3 player and so on.

Bob Russell · 04-29-2005, 11:38 PM

That's a shame. A horrible feeling. I feel less than comfortable with the safety of the info I have on my PPC also. But for me, I only carry one device which goes in my pant pocket, and it's not going to be a "dumb" smartphone, so my PDA wins until convergence is a bit less of a compromise. Good luck with the reinstall, but you had better do backups on the phone also, or at least on desktop Outlook! This is definitely a potential barrier to widespread adoption of PDAs by the general public.

cbarnett · 04-30-2005, 01:47 AM

Bad luck, Alexander! I've been in similar situations before, but have always had a backup to fall back on.

That said, I've still taken the step of moving my contacts into Codewallet (which works very nicely as a contact database). I can then also access it on my desktop with that version, which is constantly synced with the PDA.

Also, it's sometimes not a bad thing to start afresh with a clean hard reset. Clears out all the cobwebs...

Craig.

Francesco · 04-30-2005, 04:30 AM

Having all your contacts on your cell phone won't prevent you from losing them (what if it falls down the toilet) unless you keep a back up of either your phone or your pda on your desktop. My guess is that your mad at your PDA.

Alexander Turcic · 04-30-2005, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francesco

My guess is that your mad at your PDA.

You bet! And you are right, my data is probably not any safer on my cell phone. But fact is that I am taking more risks on my PDA; just by installing random applications, who knows what new bugs (or perhaps even viruses) get installed next. On my cell phone, on the other hand, I haven't installed anything since configuring it the first time. Plus I have my cell phone with me every time, while the Axim usually stays at home or in my suit case. So I guess the hard reset is my excuse for finally making the switch to the phone for storing contacts and datebook items.

Don't you think an Axim X50v deserves better than just to be an organizer?

Chaos · 04-30-2005, 03:31 PM

Data is safe anywhere - as long as you have more than one copy. Backups, a sync'd machine or other device, even a hard copy. Anything other than only one copy.

Because unless you fall into a river with your laptop bag, PDA, cellphone, hard copy, backup CDs, everything (and somehow manage to snap those CDs in half)... You won't lose it all.

Of course I don't do this most of the time. I have a copy on my Clie, and a copy on my Mac... So if my Mac dies, I'm pretty well screwed on some things... I suppose I should get into the habit of backing things up (*sweatdrop*).

Bob Russell · 04-30-2005, 08:48 PM

Of course you need not only to have the backup data, but to know how to preserve it before you sync on top of it by accident!

Alexander Turcic · 05-09-2005, 07:25 AM

Perhaps I was not alone:

http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=82935

Never had a hard-reset; upgraded to A03 firmware and lost all my data.

Pride Of Lions · 05-10-2005, 02:53 AM

It's such a sinking feeling to have a device fail and realize that I don't have a reliable backup. I keep having to learn the hard way. I finally learned to keep backups of my SD cards on my external hard drive and a copy of my Mac's inportant info. on my external hard drive (along with the only copies of my Movies and Music and Pictures and other media.) When my external hard drive hiccupped and decided to want to be reformatted, I was completely bummed. Luckily, I was able to restore my music from my iPod to the re-initialized external hard drive, but I lost all my movies and pictures and such.

I want to get into the habit of making regular DVD backups, but I feel like it's so wasteful to keep burning DVD's that I may not use until I make the next batch of DVD backups (I'm a recycle-reduce-reuse kinda guy), but I feel like that's the way the world is headed where data is an acceptable use of resources (ie, the bits and bytes are more valuable than the plastic they're saved on.) It's like in the Film/Video biz, before you shoot anything the camera and other pieces of equipment are th most valuable pieces of equipment on the set, but after you've recorded a scene or whatever that media is now the most valuable piece of equipment because it'll cost more than the sum of the moviemaking parts to recreate that footage if it's lost.

I also want to wait until I have enough of the right data before I make these DVD backups, but that's just another excuse. I really should be making backups as we speak. But I'm lazy.
POL9A

04-29-2005, 09:03 PM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,175 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Just hard-resetted my PDA. And no backup. I cannot believe my luck. Yesterday I performed a firmware upgrade on my Axim X50v (upgraded to A03), and it worked all fine. I could even restore a previous backup. Then today, while I was running a program (I think it was Resco Explorer, but I could be wrong), I switched off my PDA. And since then I wasn't able to turn it on again! At Aximsite I found a thread discussing a similar problem. It was recommended to push the hardreset button sequence (hold the power button while pressing the reset button) and then to press cancel. Well, indeed my device turned on again when I pressed the hardreset sequence, but when I pressed on cancel (Mail hardware button), my device was nevertheless hardresetted! Worst of all, I didn't keep the backup I had done last night before performing the firmware upgrade! Oh well... it is weekend so I have some time to reinstall everything. But all my contacts and datebook items are gone forever. And I don't think I will use my PDA for these information again, but instead use my Nokia Communicator 9500. In other words, from now on my PDA won't be my organizer anymore, but only a e-book reader, movie player, mp3 player and so on.

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04-29-2005, 11:38 PM	#2
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	That's a shame. A horrible feeling. I feel less than comfortable with the safety of the info I have on my PPC also. But for me, I only carry one device which goes in my pant pocket, and it's not going to be a "dumb" smartphone, so my PDA wins until convergence is a bit less of a compromise. Good luck with the reinstall, but you had better do backups on the phone also, or at least on desktop Outlook! This is definitely a potential barrier to widespread adoption of PDAs by the general public.

04-30-2005, 01:47 AM	#3
cbarnett MR prodigal son Posts: 1,085 Karma: 1083739 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura H2O	Bad luck, Alexander! I've been in similar situations before, but have always had a backup to fall back on. That said, I've still taken the step of moving my contacts into Codewallet (which works very nicely as a contact database). I can then also access it on my desktop with that version, which is constantly synced with the PDA. Also, it's sometimes not a bad thing to start afresh with a clean hard reset. Clears out all the cobwebs... Craig.

04-30-2005, 04:30 AM	#4
Francesco Aficionado Posts: 391 Karma: 710 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Denver, CO, USA Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Touch	Having all your contacts on your cell phone won't prevent you from losing them (what if it falls down the toilet) unless you keep a back up of either your phone or your pda on your desktop. My guess is that your mad at your PDA.

04-30-2005, 03:31 PM	#6
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	Data is safe anywhere - as long as you have more than one copy. Backups, a sync'd machine or other device, even a hard copy. Anything other than only one copy. Because unless you fall into a river with your laptop bag, PDA, cellphone, hard copy, backup CDs, everything (and somehow manage to snap those CDs in half)... You won't lose it all. Of course I don't do this most of the time. I have a copy on my Clie, and a copy on my Mac... So if my Mac dies, I'm pretty well screwed on some things... I suppose I should get into the habit of backing things up (sweatdrop).

04-30-2005, 08:48 PM	#7
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Of course you need not only to have the backup data, but to know how to preserve it before you sync on top of it by accident!

05-09-2005, 07:25 AM	#8
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,175 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Perhaps I was not alone: http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=82935 Never had a hard-reset; upgraded to A03 firmware and lost all my data.

05-10-2005, 02:53 AM	#9
Pride Of Lions just kinda geeky Posts: 381 Karma: 30 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Oakland, California Device: iPhone	It's such a sinking feeling to have a device fail and realize that I don't have a reliable backup. I keep having to learn the hard way. I finally learned to keep backups of my SD cards on my external hard drive and a copy of my Mac's inportant info. on my external hard drive (along with the only copies of my Movies and Music and Pictures and other media.) When my external hard drive hiccupped and decided to want to be reformatted, I was completely bummed. Luckily, I was able to restore my music from my iPod to the re-initialized external hard drive, but I lost all my movies and pictures and such. I want to get into the habit of making regular DVD backups, but I feel like it's so wasteful to keep burning DVD's that I may not use until I make the next batch of DVD backups (I'm a recycle-reduce-reuse kinda guy), but I feel like that's the way the world is headed where data is an acceptable use of resources (ie, the bits and bytes are more valuable than the plastic they're saved on.) It's like in the Film/Video biz, before you shoot anything the camera and other pieces of equipment are th most valuable pieces of equipment on the set, but after you've recorded a scene or whatever that media is now the most valuable piece of equipment because it'll cost more than the sum of the moviemaking parts to recreate that footage if it's lost. I also want to wait until I have enough of the right data before I make these DVD backups, but that's just another excuse. I really should be making backups as we speak. But I'm lazy. POL9A