For installation instructions and more information about BackupBuddy for Windows, please consult the manual. You may access the manual by clicking on the help button in the BackupBuddy Configuration Manager or online as described below.

Please note that currently our Windows version manual is only available in Adobe PDF format. If you do not have an Adobe PDF reader, you may download it for free.

BackupBuddy for Windows 1.X Manual

BackupBuddy for Windows 2.X Manual

Please see the link below for information on the Macintosh version manual.

Please see below for FAQs on BackupBuddy for Windows, or click for BackupBuddyVFS FAQ's and BackupBuddy for Macintosh FAQ's.

For Windows:

Which version of BackupBuddy do I use? Pro, Personal, Family, VFS? What are the differences? BackupBuddy for Windows, BackupBuddy.Net and BackupBuddyVFS are different and separate programs. Which you use depends on if you want to backup to a Secure Internet Server, your desktop PC when you HotSync, or if you only want to backup to your handheld device's memory card. BackupBuddy.Net is only for Treo Smartphones to backup to a internet server, BackupBuddy for Windows works when you hotsync, while BBVFS backs up to the card only. You can use more than one for the best backup solution. We have a Bundle that includes BB for Windows and BBVFS Professional version. (visit our online store) BackupBuddy for Windows Professional comes with BBVFS Personal version which is limited in options and prefs..

Here is a summary of our backup programs:

• BackupBuddy.Net- BackupBuddy.Net makes it easy for everybody to securely backup their Treo over the Internet. Please note this is only for Treo SmartPhone devices at this time.

• BackupBuddy for Windows and Mac OS X Professional- main program for your desktop or laptop, but includes BackupBuddyVFS Personal version for your handheld as an option. Also has many features and options including multiple backup sets, memory card backup, zoomback etc.

• BackupBuddy for Windows Personal- only for your PC and has no advanced options or prefs.

• BackupBuddyVFS Professional- only for your Palm device so you can backup to a memory card. Includes multiple backup sets (checkpoints), encrypted backup, compression and other features.

• BackupBuddyVFS Personal- only for your Palm device and has only basic backup/restore. No prefs or options.

• BackupBuddy for Windows and Mac OS X and BackupBuddyVFS Professional Bundle- includes both BB for Windows Pro and BackupBuddyVFS Pro.

• BackupBuddy for Windows and Mac OS X Family Pack- includes BackupBuddy for Windows and Mac OS X Pro and licensing for as many handheld devices you sync to your computer. This comes with BackupBuddyVFS Personal. If you would like the Family Pack and BackupBuddyVFS Pro, you would have to purchase the BackupBuddyVFS Pro separately. One Family Pack purchase and one BBVFS Pro purchase would cover your whole family's devices.

What version number is current? Do I have the latest?
BackupBuddy desktop application is 2.1.6, BackupbuddyVFS for the handhelds with VFS is 4.3, and BackupBuddy network version is 4.11.(discontinued) The main backup application for the desktop is BackupBuddy 2.1.6. You can check your version number on the desktop BackupBuddy in the about tab or main window. See the about screen on BackupBuddyVFS on the handheld. BackupBuddy's version history is available here and from the BB download page.

Does BackupBuddy work with Palm OS 5?
Yes, BackupBuddy for Windows desktop application is compatible with OS 5 devices. Note: ROM backup on OS 5 Devices is not supported with BackupBuddy Desktop for Windows. The good news is that ROM data doesn't really need a backup as it can survive a hard reset. We hope to add this support in the future.

How do I restore after a hard reset and loss of all my data?
All you need to do is hotsync your device to the PC. Your most recent backup set will be restored to the device. There is no need to change any conduit settings. All you do is hotsync the empty device, select to sync with your device name and that is all there is to it. Do not set BackupBuddy to Zoomback or do anything special, just hotsync. If it is the first hotsync after a hard reset/total data loss, the restore will be automatic.

Why are so many files excluded from my backup?
BBVFS and BB for Windows automatically exclude older "legacy" files on newer devices like the T5 and Treo 650. These new devices have different filenames for these databases. For example, DatebookDB file was renamed to Calendar, AddressDB is renamed to Contacts. On newer devices you need to restore Contacts backup files to the device not Address files. The reason for this is for better synchronization with Outlook. The old files are still on the devices to allow migration from an old device to a new one. Other than that the legacy files are useless and actually can cause a problem if you were to restore them instead of the newer files. This is why they are "excluded". Also excluded are OS 5 system file stubs. These are files with "a68k" in the filename. There can be a lot of these and they are not supposed to be backed up. We apologize for any confusion, not to worry, your data is backed up.

Why is my backup getting skipped? I have a Treo and my bluetooth is not enabled.
Please go into the desktop BackupBuddy options and select the option to allow backup during bluetooth sync for the Treo device. This may need to be enabled even if syncing with a cradle or cable. We apologize for any inconvenience. This appears to be a bug with some Treo devices.

I have errors in my log for Unable to create placeholder.. or Unable to rename backup folder. What's wrong?
We have an updated installer that may help with this issue. Please try a NEW download of the installer and save to your PC. Make sure you aren't running a previous installer of the same name after downloading. Reinstall over your current version and hopefully this will help. If you still have trouble, please try manually renaming the folder or try clearing out the backup folder and perform a new backup hotsync to refresh the files.

The Backup folders are usually here:

C:Program Files\Palm\username\Backup

or

C:Program Files\Palm\username\Backup.bb2

If this doesn't help you may also need to try removing your backupbuddy folder and saved backups. Delete this folder as well.

C:Program Files\Palm\username\BackupBuddy

This will remove ALL older saved backup sets and may help with this issue. Your next hotsync will refresh your current backup files.

I have trouble backing up a file: PMTraceDatabase. What's wrong?
This is a known issue with some newer Palm OS devices. The PMTraceDatabase file should be excluded from backup. Our latest version of BackupBuddy does exclude this. If you need to upgrade, install a newer version of BackupBuddy over your current version

I have trouble backing up a Bluetooth files on my Treo 700 or TX. What's wrong?
This is a known issue with Bluetooth files on the device and BackupBuddy 2.1.3. The Bluetooth files are not able to be backed up when Bluetooth is enabled on the device. If you disable Bluetooth, you can backup those files. If you ignore the error it does not affect the backup of any of your other files or data. We have updated BackupBuddy for Windows to fix this. You can install a newer version over your current BB for Windows to upgrade. If you are a Mac user, we are working on an update. You can contact support for a new BB prefs patch for your Mac OS X BackupBuddy if you have this problem.

I have trouble backing up a Tungsten 3 file: PIMsSupportStatus-pdmE. What's wrong?
There appears to be a problem with the ability of BB to access a file called PIMsSupportStatus-pdmE. We have upgraded BackupBuddy to handle this file properly, if you don't have the latest version of BackupBuddy, please contact our upgrades department. You have to upgrade to at least 1.52, preferably version 2.

I have selected to backup data in expansion cards. Why doesn't BackupBuddy backup my SD/MM card or MemoryStick?
BackupBuddy 1.52 or earlier needs to have a file called "CardSync_BB" installed on the handheld. BackupBuddy desktop configuration manager also has to have the option "backup expansion card data" enabled...Then the backup of cards can go to the desktop. This is only with version 1.52 or earlier of Windows BackupBuddy for your desktop. CardSync support is only available for devices with built-in VFS support.  Note: if your card name contains unusual characters it may affect the ability to backup to the desktop. You can rename your card in the card info application on your handheld. For example, some card's names have a space at the end of the name and this can cause cardsync to fail. Our latest version of BackupBuddy for Windows handles card backup differently. Make sure you are up to date! See the latest version number info above or on our BackupBuddy Download page.

I have an error message regarding the HSTraceDatabase3 file on my Treo when I backup. What's wrong?
This is a file associated with the GPRS update. It shouldn't be a problem with the majority of Treo GPRS users. Some users have reported problems with backup of this file using BackupBuddy. Our latest version fixes this issue. If you are getting the error, you need to upgrade your BackupBuddy for Windows software.

How do I restore files to my SD/MM card or MemoryStick?
BackupBuddy only handles the backup of your data to the desktop. Hotsync manager will handle any restoration of data to the handheld in the event of a restore. Only RAM data is restored by the hotsync manager. To restore data to an expansion card, you would have to manually install the files to the card from your card backup directory. Locate your card backup directory and then use the palm install tool to install to card. The palm installer only installs to the launcher directory, you may need to use a third-party application to recreate directories and organize your files. It's best to use a card reader to do this.

I just upgraded my Palm Desktop and now I am getting an error message involving BackupBuddy what's wrong?
There may be an issue regarding Windows registries needing repair once you upgrade to a newer version of Palm Desktop. This is seen as an error message when you launch the new desktop software. To fix this, just launch BackupBuddy from the desktop shortcut icon or from the program menu. This should repair the registries. If you continue to see this error message when launching Palm Desktop, you may need to reinstall our software to correct. Please contact support if you have any problems.

Since I upgraded my handheld, I'm getting a message in the hotsync log that backupbuddy has problems with an unsupported ROM and may cause long backups. What should I do?
This means you have need to upgrade your BackupBuddy to the latest version for compatibility.

After the daylight savings time change, my TimeSync on the palm is one hour off... how do I fix this?
The standalone TimeSync has built-in DST awareness. If you live in a time zone with DST and your time is off by an hour, you may need to check or un-check the DST setting in the TimeSync application. Open TimeSync 1.01 on your handheld and see what you have set and then change it. If this doesn't help, another thing to check is your handheld Prefs Date/Time settings. Some Palm devices allow you to set DST in the Palm prefs application. If you have TimeSync version 1.02 on your handheld and are using it with BackupBuddy, you may need to install the previous version 1.01. Please contact our support department for assistance. If you have both the standalone TimeSync conduit installed and BackupBuddy, disable the TimeSync option in BackupBuddy and just use the standalone conduit. Optionally, you may remove the TimeSync conduit and just use the BackupBuddy option.

How do I know that BackupBuddy is working?
When you HotSync, you should see the BackupBuddy progress dialog appear.  You can also examine the contents of your HotSync Log. BackupBuddy will print information in the log, such as "OK BackupBuddy" to let you know it's active. For a more detailed log, please select "verbose logging" option in BackupBuddy desktop.

Where is my backup directory?
You can see in your hotsync log where all your files are being backed up to. The location is usually in your Palm/username/backup directory or similar location. BackupBuddy 2.X has an option to view the card backup directory.

I'm syncing with BackupBuddy 1.52 and Bluetooth and I'm getting warnings that I'm unable to backup many files. What's wrong?
These are likely Bluetooth preference files and system files that are in use during the sync. If you do a regular USB hotsync you can back these files up and then exclude them from further backup in BackupBuddy's configuration manager. Our latest version of BackupBuddy handles these files correctly, you probably need to upgrade to the 2.x version of BackupBuddy for full compatibility.

Can I use BackupBuddy 2.x to transfer all my data to my new Palm Device?  Yes, but this can be tricky as there can be many factors involved. Different versions of Palm desktop software, hotsync manager, Palm OS on devices can be very different, files may be incompatible between devices etc. If the devices are both fairly new it could be very easy to do this. You could basically sync the new device and BB would restore the backup files to that device. It can get complicated if you are upgrading from an older device to a brand new Palm TX for example. In this case it may be best to start fresh with your new palm desktop software and device and manually install older backup files. Alternatively, you could beam your data to the new device.

If you do want to use BackupBuddy to help you transfer data, first do a complete backup of your old device. Save your backup files somewhere safe outside of the Palm directory on your PC. You may have to install a different version of hotsync manager and palm desktop included with your new device. This may not keep your older backup files intact so be sure you save them first. Your backup files should be located in

C:/Program Files/Palm/username/Backup

and

C:/Program Files/Palm/username/Backup.bb2

Then look over your backup files and see if you have any system update files (they will be named System_Update_x.x.prc). These are operating system update.prc files. The new device will not need these files and they may be incompatible.

Graffiti_shortcuts, system preferences and other built in Palm files shouldn't be installed to the new device as it already has these files and may cause a conflict. You may also only want to install files that you are sure will be compatible with the new device. If you aren't sure about a file, don't install it.

You should then be able to sync a new device and select to sync with your existing hotsync username. If you have any problems, you can try a zoomback to restore files manually to the device, or you could manually install selected backup files to the new device using the palm install tool.

I'm having a crash after or during a full restore to my device. What's wrong?   During a restore, the hotsync manager uses the regular backup directory: usually located in

C:Program Files/Palm/username/Backup

This location can differ depending on your version of Palm desktop software. If you have Sony device it could be in

C:Program Files/Sony Handheld/username/Backup

This is where BackupBuddy stores your handheld's backup files. If you want to stop a restore from happening, you can remove all files from your backup directory and set the BackupBuddy conduit to "do nothing" for one hotsync.

If you are having a crash after a restore or during hotsync, one or more of your applications or files is crashing your device and it can be a bit tricky to figure out - you can try holding down the "scroll up" button during the reset after the restore, which may allow you to get past this.

"Crashes" during a restore operation are generally caused by applications that can't properly restore themselves from backup copies (i.e., the copy of the program that BackupBuddy has placed in your backup directory). Another possiblity could be an issue with a corrupted file.

If you experience a crash, your organizer may tell you the name of the application causing the crash. Or you may see it in the hotsync log just before the restore fails.. To resume restoration, in the event of such a crash: 1. Make a backup copy of your backup directory 2. Open your backup directory and delete the offending program* 3. Hard reset your organizer (please consult your organizer's manual for assistance with this) 4. HotSync. The restore should proceed succesfully.

If you have continued problems, you'll have to figure out which file is causing the problem.

Make a Copy of your backup directory and save it somewhere safe. If you have an OS 5 device any files with a68k in the filename should be deleted from your backup directory. Next, move all of your files out of your original backup directory. You can toss these since you just made a copy of the backup or you can put them somewhere safe temporarily.

Now that you have hard reset your device and it's totally empty, and your backup directory is empty, hotsync your device and you'll get your built-in databases restored by the palm desktop hotsync manager. Any other files won't be restored since we moved them out of your backup directory. This is what we want for now.

If you were having a crash with hotsync, hotsync repeatedly and see if you can reproduce this crashing. If it syncs and backs up everytime no probem, then you can start installing files that used to be in your backup directory. Just install one at a time if possible or a few at a time. After installing, test the hotsync and backup again. If you start seeing the crash issue again, then remove the last file installed or the last few, see if it goes away. This way you should be able to locate any files that may be causing a conflict.

*Please note that the only way we know how to find the offending program is to make a copy of your backup directory and save it to a safe location. Next, remove all files from your backup directory. Put them somewhere safe then sync and the built-in applications will install. After that install each file that was in your backup directory, until one causes a problem. Another way to do this is to install groups of files at a time, then test the device. After each group is installed, see if you can run the device. If you get a crash, you know it is one of those files and you can isolate and remove the bad file. You can install a new copy of the application and this should solve the problem.

I'm having trouble restoring and can't figure out which application is causing trouble when I restore.. What do I do? You may want to try a free application called ResetEmu. This can help determine if an application has trouble with a restore. It sends every installed application a certain launch code to test whether it crashes. If it does, running ResetEmu again will tell you the name of the application that behaved incorrectly.

How do I get upgrades?  Upgrades and updates are provided by Blue Nomad, LLC in its sole discretion. That being said, all of our upgrades up to version 2.0 have been free to all registered users! If you haven't received the latest upgrade from us, please send us the following information: your order number and copy of your sales receipt email, your full name, and the email address you registered under. You can also include any previous download link and password info. Send to upgrades@bluenomad.com.

How do I get technical support?
Send email to support@bluenomad.com Before emailing a support request, please include a copy of your HotSync log with the verbose logging feature of BackupBuddy enabled. Also include information on your handheld device, version of Palm Desktop software, HotSync Manager version, and version of Windows. please be sure to use the above address for fastest service.

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