FAQs, Problems

Backup is a safe action - if you have a safe installation.

Our topics on the Resco forum

• Preparation for restore after a hard reset
• Backup of the built-in drive
• Where is Resco Backup after a hard reset?
• I can't find my backup sets after a hard reset
• How to check the card

Backup crashes

First test: Backup after warm reset.
If the crashes disappear, then the problem must be outside Resco Backup.
The most frequent causes:

1. Failure of active background application. (Important mainly for NVFS systems)
   Symptoms: Random crashes during Backup/Verify or during Backup report.
2. NVFS errors. (mainly T5, partially T650, exceptionally newer models)
3. Card problems

Reset Loop

It is the state when the reset initialization fails to complete and induces next reset etc.

1. Try warm reset (reset while holding the "Up" key) - usually helps.
   
2. Can you start Launcher?
   If not, then you need to delete the launcher database - psyslaunchdb.
   If you can't start a file manager (FileZ, Resco Explorer), then use Prefs to map one of the HW buttons to the file manager.
   If you don't have a file manager, then try partial restore to restore just psyslaunchdb.
3. Launch all apps one-by-one to see if they work. (Any one can cause reset loop.)
4. Disable all background apps that you know and test soft reset.
   If it works, start enabling background apps one-by-one.
5. Delete installed applications one-by-one until you have a working device.
6. Hard reset and complete reinstall.

About warm reset

Warm reset (reset while "Up" button is pressed) starts just core system services without initiating other applications. This particularly implies that no background application is activated, which in turn greatly reduces the risk in the backup/restore operations.

Card testing

Get a file manager and browse the card to see if it has problems. Try to add/delete some files.

Tip:

If you can mount your card as Windows drive, then open Windows command prompt and run chkdsk /F. This will cure FAT errors.

T5, LifeDrive: Drive Mode enables mounting the card as Windows drive
TX,Z22: Read this TamsPalm article to see how to use Drive Mode.
Various card readers may offer similar functionality independently from your handheld type.
Or insert your card into some PocketPC device.

Problems with background applications

Note that these problems are becoming rather exceptional these days as more and more applications are becoming NVFS compatible.

Background apps run concurrently with the active application and if they are not properly programmed (e.g. TextPlus, Okey, ClipPro), they can crash - especially during a backup.

Typical crash scenario on NVFS systems
The background app asks Palm OS to receive user events (such as pen taps) and passes a callback pointer. If the app is not properly locked, then the Palm OS will displace it in memory during the backup and the pointer becomes invalid. Since then any call to the bkg app results in a crash.

Crashes typically happen at 2 places:

• Randomly during the backup
• After the completion - during the report. This is the instant when most events starts flowing.

How to identify background applications?

• Think. You know what you have installed on your system, which apps have various "Enable" buttons and look like acting on the background
• Try 'Lock Risky apps' dialog and use the "Set Defaults" action. The selection is based on a (simplified) analysis of the most dangerous notifications, but sometimes helps.

Crash testing:
Do not use backup as the crash-provoking tool - or you risk card corruption. Use instead Verify (crash probability is the same) or external apps such as Palm Internals.

Looking for miss-behaving background apps:

• Search the web for device compatibility list, e.g. for "T5 compatibility list". (Note that the T5 list has the most items, hence it might be interesting also for other device owners.)
• Trial & Error: Disable all BKG-apps. Enable one of disabled apps at a time and perform crash testing until you find the problem.

Old background apps:
Do not use backup programs or background applications that were last updated in the pre-NVFS era. They cannot handle moving databases etc.

Remark:
For the advanced techniques see Resco Backup manual.

Restore problems

Reset loop
See the chapter on Reset Loop.

Restore of the PIM databases
New Palm handhelds (since T3) maintain 2 copies of PIM databases. To avoid conflict, make sure that the Exclude List excludes old PIM DBs. (Default state)
If you have a backup set with these databases, use partial Restore and unselect AddressDB, DatebookDB, MemoDB and ToDoDB.

Restore after warm reset?
Depends on: Imagine the restore of a running background application = recipe for a disaster.
Full restore should be made after a hard reset, or at least after a warm reset to avoid conflicts with running apps.
Partial restore may not need specific reset - unless you restore a DB that is in use.

Restore with errors
You will notice the error - either as a crash or RscBackup will tell you. A good method to correct the problem is to call Verify from the Restore screen and to restore just differences.

Device specifics

Treo 650
You should turn the phone OFF on the Treo 650 prior to performing a restore operation

LifeDrive
Readonly flag is used to denote databases that are pre-installed after the hard reset:

• Do not modify readonly flags
• Exclude readonly databases (Exclude list dialog)/li>

New Palm handhelds
Starting from Tungsten T3 you should exclude old PIM databases (Exclude list dialog) or you may lose your contacts, appointments etc.

Tungsten/T5
Make sure you installed Tungsten T5 Update v1.1.

General
Check Palm OS version (Launcher "Info" menu, select "Version").
If you have PalmOS 5.4.5 then you should upgrade.