PiBackup II

Description: 
PiBackup II is a safety solution to backup all data of your Palm powered PDA to external memory card. It supports VFS compatible with memory expansion slot devices. PiBackup II provides a user friendly interface to manage your personal and professional information. Every bit of your data will be safely archived on your memroy card.

Note:
VFS functionality must be present for any other PDA with memory expansion cards.


Product Features:

  • Simple "One Tap" Backup and Restore of your internal memory in Basic Mode.
  • Ability to choose specific files to backup or restore in Advanced Mode.
  • Time Scheduled Backups available in Advanced Mode.
  • Power Off Backups.
  • Ability to backup data for multiple users on a single memory card.
  • Expanded Backup Log for quick review of the finished backup.
  • Exception list to avoid the conflict with other software.
  • Fully compatible with mounting software such as PiDirect, MsMount or AutoCard.
  • Password protection plus encryption. It provides the highest security to your sensitive information.
  • Support multi - expansion card devices such as Hand Era.

Requirements:

  • Any HandSpring Visor Handheld computer with MemPlug Springboard Module and Memory Card. MemPlug firmware version 1.67 + PiVFSMgr version 0.5a or above. It is highly recommend that users should use MemPlug firmware version 2.1 or above(No PiVFSMgr is needed if you use v2.X
  • OR any PalmOS computer with VFS-compatible software such as TRG Pro.
  • OR Palm OS 4.0 or higher PDA with VFS and memory expansion card capability.

Note:
Please disable any hacks that patch the system APIs before performing a backup or restore.
If you receive a message "Your device doesn't support VFS." when starting PiBackup II then ensure that you have enabled PiVFSMgr or that your PDA is VFS capable.

Installation Guide:

1.      Remove PiBackup II using the "Delete" function in Palm default launcher

2.      HotSync or copy PiBackup II.prc to your device internal memory

3.      You shall see a new applications: "PiBackup II"

4.      You can now start PiBackup II by tapping the icon

Basic Mode:
  Backup
  Restore

Advanced Mode:
  Backup
    Password Protect
    Scheduled Backups
    New Backup Folder
    Exception List
  Restore

PiBackup II Preferences:

Frequently Asked Questions:
 
 

Basic Mode:

Backup


Step One:

Start PiBackup II by tapping once on the program icon located in your launcher list. PiBackup II will start in Basic Mode by default. You can change the starting mode from Basic to Advanced in the Preferences instructions.
 

Step Two:

Using the Basic Mode of PiBackup II is now as simple as tapping once on the large image in the center of the PiBackup II screen. You will be shown a Backup... Please Wait message along with a status bar as your data is backed up onto your memory card.

 

Step Three:

Upon completion, you will be presented with a Backup complete screen. All files that were stored on internal memory have now been successfully backed up and stored on your memory card. The default location for your stored data is \Palm\PIBACKUP\HotSync Username\, where the "HotSync Username" is replaced with the Username of your device. If you do not wish to view the backup Log, tap the OK button to return to the PiBackup II program screen and skip Step Four below.

 

Step Four:

If you wish to view the Log of your most recent backup, simply tap the Log button after completing your Backup. You will be presented with a listing of your file names and the status of each file. Tap the OK button in the top-right corner when you are finished viewing the log. Then tap the OK button again to return to the PiBackup II program screen.

 

 

After the first backup each progressive backup will be completed in less time, as any unchanged files on your handheld will be skipped during the backup process.
 

Restore


Step One:

Start PiBackup II by tapping once on the program icon located in your launcher list. If you have already performed a backup with PiBackup II you will find a Last Backup: date and time at the top of the screen. To begin a Restore of your data from the memory card simply tap the Restore button at the bottom-left corner of the screen.

 

Step Two:

You will be shown a Restore... Please Wait message along with a status bar as your data is restored from your memory card onto your PDA. If a file on your PDA exists with the same name as a file being restored but contains different data you will be given an Overwrite warning box. Choose Yes to overwrite just the one file, No to not overwrite the one file or Overwrite All to overwrite any duplicate files that appear in the remainer of the restore process.

 

Step Three:

Upon completion of the Restore, you will be asked to Reset your handheld. Tap OK to reset and finish your restoration. Your PDA will now be restored to the same settings as when your backup was created.
 

 

When restoring, any files that exist on both internal RAM and the memory card backup that are identical will be skipped during the restore process.
 

Advanced Mode:

Backup


Step One:

Start PiBackup II by tapping once on the program icon located in your launcher list. PiBackup II will start in Basic Mode by default. Switch to Advanced Mode by tapping the Advanced button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. You can change the starting mode from Basic to Advanced in the Preferences instructions.

 

Step Two:

There are many options available with the Advanced Mode of PiBackup II, so this tutorial will list them one at a time. The Advanced Mode will closely resemble the image below. At the top of the screen you will see the HotSync name of your device and information about your last backup(s), if you have already used the software.

At the bottom of the screen you will find several icons. The first icon allows you to schedule an automatic backup of your device. The second icon creates a new backup destination folder. The third button opens the Log of the last backup. The fourth icon performs a backup of your data onto the memory card. The fifth and last button performs a restore of your data from any previous backup found on the memory card.
 

Step Three:

Advanced Backup:
We will begin with the Advanced Backup function. To begin the backup, either for the first time or to update an existing backup, tap once on the fourth button at the bottom of the screen. It is the button shaped like a diskette with an arrow pointing to the right.

Note one: If you have two or more backup folders listed in the above screen, you need to choose the folder you wish to backup to before tapping the Backup button. Do so by tapping once on the folder name in the screen above to highlight it. Then tap the Backup button to backup your data to that folder.
 

 

Next you will see a Searching for Device info message as your PDA is scanned by PiBackup II. Once the scan is finished you will see a screen similar to the one below. Using the Advanced Backup you can choose which files to backup by placing a checkmark next to only those files you wish to have included. By default, all the files are checked. You can also view your file information by Size, Creator or Type by tapping on the small triangle next to the word Size at the top-right area of the screen.

Note one:You can also resort your file listing in several ways. Tapping the word Filename at the top of the list will sort it alphabetically by filename. Tapping the word Size, Creator or Type at the top-right will sort the list alphabetically by Creator or Type, or by number with Size.
Note two:You can also jump to a specific part of your file listing by entering any character in your graffiti area. The list will then adjust to show any files starting with the character you entered at the top of the list.
 

 

You can add a password to your backed up data, so that it can only be restored if the proper password is entered during the restore process. To add a password, tap the -Add password- text at the top-right corner of the screen and enter your password. Also, all of the backup data will be encrypted. The data will not be viewable anymore and can't be copy back to PDA using other file management tools. You can only get back the data by using PiBackup II restoration.  Once you set the password, you can never change/remove it later. Please keep your password carefully.

 

 

Once your options are set and the desired files are checked, simply tap the Backup button at the bottom-right corner of the screen. Your backup will begin and you will see a Backup... Please Wait message along with a status bar as your data is backed up onto your memory card.

Upon completion, you will be presented with a Backup complete screen. All files that were stored on internal memory have now been successfully backed up and stored on your memory card. The default location for your stored data is \Palm\PIBACKUP\HotSync Username\, where the "HotSync Username" is replaced with the Username of your device. If you do not wish to view the backup Log, tap the OK button to return to the PiBackup II program screen.

 

 

Scheduled Backup:
To set a Scheduled Backup with PiBackup II, first return to the Advanced Mode of PiBackup II. Once there, tap the first icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen to open the Scheduled Backup options.

 

 

Begin by first tapping the Enable button at the top of the screen. This will list the Schedule options on the screen, as seen below. Simply set the options available to what you would like to use. You can choose to repeat the backup by day or week in the first option. Then choose how many days or what weekday you want the backup to repeat. Choosing 0 will backup your data only once. Finally, choose a backup time by tapping the word None next to Backup Time:. Once your settings are correct, tap the Confirm button. A box will appear listing the next time your scheduled backup will occur. Tap OK to finalize the setting.

Note one: After a Scheduled Backup your data will be backed up to a second folder named \Palm\PIBACKUP\SCHEDULE\ that is separate from your default backup folder.
Note two: To remove a backup schedule tap once on the Schedule icon in PiBackup II. Then tap the Disable button and finally tap the Cancel button to actually disable your scheduled backup.
Note three:
The Scheduled Backup with PiBackup II will only occur if PiBackup II is stored in RAM or on the MemPlug ROM. If you are running PiBackup II from the external memory card the scheduled backup will not occur.

 

 

 

New Backup Folder:
To create a new folder with PiBackup II, first return to the Advanced Mode of PiBackup II. Once there, tap the second icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen to create a new folder.

 

 

Next, enter a name for your new folder in the box that appears. After tapping OK you will be taken directly to the Advanced Backup file listing with your new directory name listed at the very top of the screen. Tap the Backup button to perform a backup to the newly created folder.

 

 

Exception List:
If there are specific files that you do not want to backup during any Backup, they can be added to an Exception List. Any files found in the exception list will be completely ignored during a backup and will not be included in the backup process. To edit the list tap the menu icon of your graffiti area or the word PiBackup II at the top-left of the screen. Then choose Edit Exception List from the Tools menu.

 

 

You will see a small Update list note while your PDA is scanned for files. Once the scan is complete you will see the screen below. To add a file to the exception list and prevent that file from being backed up, first place a checkmark next to the Enable exception list option.

Now, you can start adding files by placing a checkmark next to the filename(s) of each file you wish the backup process to ignore. Once the checkmarks are added, tap the Add button at the top-right corner of the screen. Your files have now been added to the exception list.
 

 

To remove files from the exception list, so that they will be included in backups again, tap once on the second icon at the bottom-left corner of the screen. The icon should look like a medicine bottle. This will open the listing of files in your exception list.

To remove files from this list, place a checkmark next to the filename(s) of each file you wish to remove. Once the checkmarks are added, tap the Remove button at the top-right corner of the screen. Your files have now been removed from the exception list and will be included in the next backup.

Tap the Save button at the bottom of the screen to finalize your settings and return to PiBackup II.
 

Restore


Step One:

Start PiBackup II by tapping once on the program icon located in your launcher list. If you have already performed a backup with PiBackup II you will find a Last Backup: date and time at the top of the screen. You can perform a Restore from the Basic Mode of PiBackup II. If you perform a Restore from the Basic Mode the data will only be restored from the \HotSync Username\ backup folder, not from any other folders you have created with an Advanced Backup.

 

Step Two:

Begin by tapping the Advanced button at the bottom of the screen to enter PiBackup II Advanced Mode. From here you can restore your data from any folder that you have created at an earlier date with the Advanced Mode. To restore from a specific folder, if more than one exists, first tap once on the name of the folder you want to restore from. This will highlight the folder name. Once the proper name is highlighted, tap the Restore button at the very bottom-right corner of the screen. It looks like a small PDA with an arrow pointing to the left.

 

Step Three:

The Advanced Restore screen will appear next, with the name of the directory listed at the very top of the screen. Here, as in the Advanced Backup mode, you can choose what files to restore by placing a checkmark next to the ones you want. The same sorting and listing options are available in the Restore listing as in the Backup listing described earlier. Once you have selected the files you wish to restore, simply tap the Restore button at the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Note one: If you are restoring from a folder with a password you will be required to enter the correct password before the restoration will begin.
 

Step Four:

You will be shown a Restore... Please Wait message along with a status bar as your data is restored from your memory card onto your PDA. If a file on your PDA exists with the same name as a file being restored but contains different data you will be given an Overwrite warning box. Choose Yes to overwrite just the one file, No to not overwrite the one file or Overwrite All to overwrite any duplicate files that appear in the remainer of the restore process.

 

Step Five:

Upon completion of the Restore, you will be asked to Reset your handheld. Tap OK to reset and finish your restoration. Your PDA will now be restored to the same settings as when your backup was created.
 

 

When restoring, any files that exist on both internal RAM and the memory card backup that are identical will be skipped during the restore process.
 

Preferences:

Preferences


Step One:

Start PiBackup II by tapping once on the program icon located in your launcher list. PiBackup II will start in Basic Mode by default.

 

Step Two:

While you are in either Basic or Advanced Mode of PiBackup II, tap the menu icon of your graffiti area or tap the text PiBackup II at the top-left of the screen. From the menu that appears choose Preferences from the Options menu.

 

Step Three:

You should now see the PiBackup II Preferences screen. Here you have several options:

  1. After Backup, copy PiBackup II to...: This will copy the PiBackup II program to one of two selectable folders on the memory card if it has not been placed there already. This allows you to run the program from external memory with certain Launchers. However, it primarily creates a backup of the program on your card if you require a hard reset. After a hard reset of your PDA you can first restore the PiBackup II program, then proceed to restore the rest of your files from the memory card.
  2. Archive the unused files: Archives any unused files during a backup if checked.
  3. Enable Backup/Restore Alarm: Enables an audible alarm before a restore or backup, useful with scheduled backups.
  4. Overwrite ALL files without asking: This will overwrite all files stored on RAM during a restore without warning given during the Restore process.
  5. Always start in Advanced mode: With this checked PiBackup II will begin at the Advanced Mode rather than Basic Mode when started.
  6. Backup when Power off: This allows your scheduled backups to occur when you power off your PDA.



 

Step Four:

Once you have your settings configured, tap the OK button. You can also reset the preferences at any time by tapping the Default button at the bottom of the screen.
 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Q1:

What should I pay attention before I upgrade PiBackup II?

A1:

You should un-install PiBackup II first. Please follow the installation procedure in this manual. After you un-installed and installed PiBackup II, the PiBackup II setting will be reset and you will need to register PiBackup II again. Therefore, please remember your Reg. Code of PiBackup II.

 

 

Q2:

PiBackup II has strange behavior after my PDA got fatal error. What should I do?

A2:

You can go to the PiBackup II preference and tap the “Default” button. It will reset PiBackup II configuration and setting.

 

 

Q3:

Can I use PiBackup II to backup the data from two or more different devices on the same memory card?

A3:

Yes, you certainly can. PiBackup II will backup the data from a PDA into a folder with the same name as the HotSync Username of the device. As long as each device has a different Username, each device's data will be backed up to completely different folders.  

 

 

Q4:

Where can I download the latest PiBackup II for my PDA?

A4:

You can purchase and download PiBackup II public released version from www.Handango.com, www.palmgear.com or www.PiTech.com.

Also, you can get the latest beta released in our PiTech software discussion forum. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PiTech/

 

 

Q5:

Can I remove the PiBackup II program file from my PDA's internal RAM if it appears when stored

on the memory card?

A5:

Yes. After performing your first backup the PiDirect II program will be transferred to your memory card in the \Palm\Launcher\ folder by default. If you are using a third party launcher such as Launcher III, MegaLauncher or SilverScreen, or if your PDA supports programs stored on the memory card, then you can delete the original PiBackup II file from internal RAM. You can run the program from the memory card instead. However, your Scheduled Backups will not occur if the program is not stored in RAM. 

 

 

Q6:

I am a MemPlug user. Why my backup speed is so slow when it is compared with PiBackup?

A6:

PiBackup II is designed for our new file system. The speed performance will be much improved if you are using our latest Updater v2.X. You can download our latest updater in our company website

http://www.pitech.com

or our discussion group.

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MemPlug

 

 

 

If you have any questions, please go to,

http://www.pitech.com

or

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PiTech/