Quick Start Guide
A brief tour will show you what you can expect from Resco Backup.
Intro
The introductory screen you get right after the first launch — it is wise to follow the advice and read at least the topics related to the error handling.
Remember: A backup program is at mercy of the applications that are just running on your PDA. If you have a clean installation, you will never have any problem. Otherwise…
First Contact
The basic screen with pre-installed projects:
Default project serves to backup the complete RAM. Many users don't need more...
Camera Images is about the RAM images. Note that this project is created only for modern Palm handhelds and that the images are not included in the Default project. (The only exception.)
Contacts project takes care about all PIM data (incl. memos, tasks etc.). This data is included in the Default project, but if you want an extra level of safety — here it is.
First Backup
Let's start and press the big Backup button. First backup will take a while.
At the end you will get the results screen. Should anything go wrong, the list would start with red items containing brief error text.
If you don't trust the results, press the Verify button. We'll talk about it a bit later.
After Backup
Main screen after the backup completion — it says that the Default project was just backed up and (Next Backup) the project is not scheduled for automatic backup.
Press Backup again. Unlike the first backup, this one will take just an instant as it updates only modified files. (We call this incremental backup.)
Other Tools
Verify checks whether the last backup is up-to-date. It compares byte-by-byte RAM against the data stored in backup.
Scheduler allows you to setup backups performed regularly in your absence.
Select Files option allows you to create partial backup. Look at the files selected for the contacts project and you'll see why this option is here.
Setup allows you to modify the backup workflow. E.g. you can specify password encryption here.
Verify
See the Verify results: There are 3 differences (!= means not equal) and one of them is marked as red, i.e. it is worth of noting. (We intentionally modified this file.)
Black != items denote frequently modified items. E.g. apps use to save the preferences when they close.
Verify is an extremely useful tool as it provides:
- Extra level of trust
- Information about the status of the backup data
- Targeted update: Press Update to backup all "!=" items.
Restore
While Backup creates a safety copy, Restore does the opposite — it returns to the RAM snapshot saved in the past.
To see the Restore in action return to the main screen and press Restore. Then select a backup set and press Next.
A backup set is a snapshot of memory. (Or more precisely — of the databases selected for the project.)
So far we created just one backup set, but you can have more of them. (You specify the number of backup sets in the project setup. Scheduler will then maintain this number.)
Restore Type
The next screen:
Full Restore should be used after hard reset or at least after warm reset. (Warm reset = reset while holding "Up" key.) Remember this rule, it can save you from future problems.
Partial Restore allows selection of just those files you want. If you want this you can go either by databases (more technical) or by applications (easier).
Partial Restore
The screen after tapping Select Applications button:
You see application folders and individual files under these folders. You can select either whole applications or just some of their files. In the moment you press Restore button, all selected files will be restored.
Note that this screen offers a nice structured view of the RAM contents. And the advanced users will note that this view is better than the presentation used in many file managers.
Verify & Restore
Another cool Restore feature: When you press Verify in the first Restore screen, you start a comparison of the RAM against selected backup set.
The best of all is that you can restore just the differences. It is faster, it is safer and it allows you to resume an interrupted restore.
Some people would like to do more and to decide which of the different files will be restored. Well, it can be done, but you have to switch to the advanced mode and use the tool called Diff.
More...
A brief enumeration of the things we did not cover yet — they are not required for the normal use, but the power users may find them invaluable:
Verify's more complex counterpart — Diff. Enables e.g. selective backup/restore based on the comparison RAM vs. backup set.
Direct comparison of two backup sets.
Open format: Resco Backup stores the data in zip format. Hence, you can access the data e.g. with Resco Explorer.
Zip encryption is not considered as safe for the industrial purposes, but is safe enough for any normal use.
Selectable backup method: You can use incremental or full backup, comparison by date or by content.
Optional archiver stores deleted data and provides undelete functionality.
Scheduler can be set to run backup at given time or can be triggered by Hotsync, application exit or power-off. Scheduler maintains a rotating set of backup sets.
Scheduler failures are logged and the user is notified via Attention manager. (Blinking asterisk on Treo.)
Every project has its own location, settings, file selection and scheduler. Projects can take care about specific data. (Such as e.g. contacts.)
Exclude list allows you to avoid backup of certain databases.
Advanced NVFS-related tools: Application locking, DbCache flushing etc.
Resco Backup