Friday June 29, 2001 - 1:01 PM EST - By Scott Hanselman

Backup Software

Why does this Module include a Backup Application?  Why can't I just copy all my Databases to the Flash Module?  Because there are a whole pile of hidden databases, as well preferences (both saved and unsaved) to be backed up.  The Backup Module takes a memory snapshot of the entire Visor and stores it separately from the 8 Megs of Flash Memory, thereby guaranteeing a "complete" backup and complete restores.

I was able to backup my entire Visor Prism consisting of 228 files totally 6 megs in 2 minutes 15 seconds.  It's pretty darn fast, clocking in over 5 times faster than my fastest time backing up to CompactFlash or SmartMedia.  The included Backup Software is very simple, consisting only of a Backup button and a Restore button.

I was a little freaked out trusting a new Backup Application, as I've been burned before.  In a perfect world, when you have your Visor backed-up and you hard-reset, the Backup Application should be able to restore your Visor exactly.  So, I held my breath, backed up, hard reset, and restored.  Everything worked perfectly, didn't lose a byte.  I used it over the course of a week, backing up daily.  I hard reset occasionally, and simply restored without a problem.  Having confidence that your data is securely backed up does tend to make one HotSync less, at least I did.  I'll never leave home without a Backup module of some kind, and this one works great.  (The big "Back up now" button is also in color, which is a nice touch. :) ) 

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