Windows HotSync

[#1]

I have numerous issues.  First I have Windows Vista 64 byte which does not allow a USB Hot Sync so I attempted the Wireless Hot Sync and killed my Palm Centro.  The information was restores going to the store and they did something.  So that is my first issues - I am unable to Hot Sync.  However the Hot Sync took place and I have found the 'Back-up' files on my Computer from that Hot Sync Operation. 

My new issue is that somehow I lost many addresses on my Palm Desktop Address File and that is a mystery to me.  

What I am trying to accomplish now is to restore those missing addresses on my Palm Desktop (Computer Files) using if possible those backed up files from the last Hot Sync as i do not believe I should try the Wireless Hot Sync again since that has failed me twice and my phone dies and it needs to be restored at the Sprint store.  I'm not even sure I remember now how exactly that was done....

So, is there a way to restore addresses to my computer Palm Desktop from those back-up files from the Hot Sync?  OR does anyone have a solution to actually performing this Wireless Hot Sync without killing  my Palm Centro again? 

Thank you for any ideas or suggestions to either or both issues.  

Restore Lost Addresses from Palm Desktop without a Hot Sync using back-up Hot Sync files on the same computer or

Performing a Wireless Hot Sync on a Windows Vista 64 byte system that actually works on a PALM Centro?  

Karen   

Post relates to: Centro (Sprint)

[#2]

You can recover the data from your user folder provided you have only sync'ed once with the PC when you discovered the data missing. When you sync to the PC there are files created for each PIM category in your user folder. For Example; datebook.dat or datebook (Depending on the version of Palm Desktop) and datebook.bak. Using 6.2 the file names are .mdb and mdb.bak. For 6.2, the files are located in the username folder in PalmOSdesktop in my documents.

The files are named .dat and .bak. When you sync, the current data is stored in .dat. The next time you sync the data in the .dat file is copied to the .bak file. You can rename the .dat to .old. then rename the .bak to .dat. If the data in the .bak file is intact, it will now be in palm desktop when you reopen Palm desktop. I have included a link to show you how to find the userfolder on the PC.

http://www.palm.com/cgi-bin/cso_kbURL.cgi?ID=26674


Here is another link regarding data loss;

http://www.palm.com/cgi-bin/cso_kbURL.cgi?ID=39503



The best way to backup your data is to use the export feature in Palm Desktop. Make a new folder on the PC desktop named Palm Desktop Backup data. Next, select the category you want to export. You will get a window that asks where you want to save the file, save in the folder created on the desktop. There is a button that allows you to select currently selected record or all, select all. If you don't select all, then only the record highlighted is exported. You will then need to name the file for export, I suggest the name of the category, eg: datebook (With current date). Do this for all critical data in each category. With the data exported to the folder on the PC desktop, you can save this data to a flash drive, external hard drive or a CD-RW. With this method you will have your data in a seperate place than Palm desktop and the device. If you "Lose" data again, you can import the data back into palm desktop.

Make sure that when you make changes in palm desktop or the device to export the data to the folder created for the backup.

Here is a link for other options for backing up your data;

http://www.palm.com/cgi-bin/cso_kbURL.cgi?ID=28751

Click on the following link to the kb.palm.com webpage for the article regarding Synchronizing under 64-bit Windows editions: Bluetooth HotSync setup.

http://www.palm.com/cgi-bin/cso_kbURL.cgi?ID=49229

For reference purposes, click on the following link for the support page for your device on the kb.palm.com webpage.
http://kb.palm.com/wps/portal/kb/na/centro/centro/sprint/home/page_en.html

There are links on the page to the user guide, troubleshooting, how to's, downloads, etc.

[#3]

I have a similar problem.  I can find the .mdb files, but not the .bak or .mdb.bak files.  I would like to restore my Centro and have only tried to sync it one time and it failed after Outlook crashed.  

[#4]

Do you have the data on the Centro? If you do, change the conduits to handheld overwrites desktop and sync.

If you are sync'ing to Outlook the .mdb files will not recover your data. Those only apply if you are sync'ing with palm desktop.

[#5]

no I lost the data on the centro when I was trying to restore the data on the phone to outlook (which crashed after a MS update, imagine that).  Hotsync said that my profile no longer existed and I should create a new one, I had changed the settings to "handheld overwrites desktop", but got the data from Outlook instead of the data from the Palm going into Outlook.  My old profile is still in Hotsync.  Can I get the data back from my old profile somehow?

[#6]

I am still not exactly clear on what you were doing.

Were you sync'ing with Outlook or Palm desktop?

From your post it looks like you were sync'ing with outlook.

The statement "I had changed the settings to "handheld overwrites desktop", but got the data from Outlook instead of the data from the Palm going into Outlook." I don't understand how data from outlook can go back into outlook during a sync.

[#7]

I was syncing with Outlook.  The data went from Outlook (which was mostly empty since the MS update wiped out all of my data) into my Centro.  Even tho' I had changed the settings to "handheld overwrites pc"  I am trying to find out if there is a backup that still exists in the PC that will restore the Centro to what it had before I synced it.  

[#8]

If you lost the data from Outlook and do not have a backup .pst file, the data is probably gone. Do a search on your PC for a .pst file.

Here is an article regarding using .pst files.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287070