Backup Assistant Questions

[TBoltJ]

Im so frustrated with my Thundercrap. Each day something else stops working. My emails dont sync so I went to maildroid, which now doesnt sync on schedule either, My texts are screwy, I get no voicemail notices...

So, I want to do the evil factory reset but want to backup my phone etc. first. When I look at backup assistant online on my verizon page all of my contacts are not there. It looked like none of those on the sim card were taken so I imported them all to the phone and rebacked up. The new "phone" contacts synced but only to the letter 'I". Starting with "J" they did not appear. I reran BA and now got the first copied "J" SIM contact online but not the other J's. I did it a third time but no more updates. I cant find any doc that says how many contacts I can have on BA thinking maybe that was it or any doc on what it will and will not backup. I dont know the hierarchy here but google is backing up none of my contacts which is why Im relying on BA.
HELP! Thanks in advance btw

 

[defcon999]

Im so frustrated with my Thundercrap. Each day something else stops working. My emails dont sync so I went to maildroid, which now doesnt sync on schedule either, My texts are screwy, I get no voicemail notices...

So, I want to do the evil factory reset but want to backup my phone etc. first. When I look at backup assistant online on my verizon page all of my contacts are not there. It looked like none of those on the sim card were taken so I imported them all to the phone and rebacked up. The new "phone" contacts synced but only to the letter 'I". Starting with "J" they did not appear. I reran BA and now got the first copied "J" SIM contact online but not the other J's. I did it a third time but no more updates. I cant find any doc that says how many contacts I can have on BA thinking maybe that was it or any doc on what it will and will not backup. I dont know the hierarchy here but google is backing up none of my contacts which is why Im relying on BA.
HELP! Thanks in advance btw

Don't use backup assistant. The one I use is "MyBackup Pro". They have a free one, but I bought the pro for $5.00.....best money I spent!

If your phone is rooted, it will basically make an image of your phone and back it up.....everything.....game data, photos', system settings.

If you just use the free app it will back up everything but not your game data. When you restore you can pick what you want restored...my advice....DON'T RESTORE SYSTEM SETTINGS.

When I back up, I backup everything except the contacts, then I just back up contacts separately. My only issue I have had that after I restore my phone, it restores (not MyBackup), everything including contacts. But I use GoCONTACTS EX and it can find and eliminate duplicated (Merge) contacts.

This link will take you to the market and has a video of the product also.
MyBackupPro

You can always use ASTRO File Manager or ES File Manager to backup, but to be honest, that is more complicated to get the same result as using a backup program. Lot's of people use TITANIUM to back up......I have used it, but I prefer MyBackup Pro...been using it since my original Droid almost 2 years ago.

I know the TBolt can be a touchy product, but thanks to apps and developers, we can harness the beast and make it our own!

 

[FrankXS]

Verizon's Backup Assistant started life on dumb phones. Name (one field), email, phone number (usually only one even if you had more assigned to that person). Verizon has "forced" it to evolve to handle Smartphones, BUT NOT WELL! I agree with defcon, don't use it.

I wish you had spent more time diagnosing your Google sync issue because I think a lot of your frustration is from using Backup Assistant.

At this point, all you can do is to keep piecemeal'ing your contacts back together until you have a workable and demonstrated good copy. Probably then Factory Reset and restore those contacts.

After a Factory Reset (I've never done one) I'm pretty sure your phone will not automatically connect to Backup Assistant again because it won't have your password. I'd make sure not to enable Backup Assistant again. If it sounds like I have an "agenda" against VZW's Backup Assistant, I guess I do. It's just never been worth a darn for Smartphones (yet). Also, once you sign up for BA, I've read that the only way to turn it off is to do a Factory Reset -- Geeze...

-Frank

 

[TBoltJ]

Ok, sounds good. Why try to fix something that doesnt work. Just bought MyBackupPro. Hope it all works well. Guess I will find out, LOL. I will repost with my results. Thanks to all.

 

[defcon999]

After a Factory Reset (I've never done one) I'm pretty sure your phone will not automatically connect to Backup Assistant again because it won't have your password. I'd make sure not to enable Backup Assistant again.

-Frank

Yes, when you do a factory reset it will go through the whole "setting" up process and ask you if you want to use BACKUP ASSISTANT. I NEVER use Backup Assistant...it causes more frustration than it's worth. I got my contact list to the point I like and then I EXPORT just the list out into a file. Only problem is, it won't save the pictures that are associated with it, but, it is easier to attach pictures to contacts than to type all your contacts in one at a time.

 

[TBoltJ]

Update - First many thanks to Defcon999 for the excellent suggestion to use MyBackupPro INSTEAD of Backup Assistant. It made it a lot easier. Stupid me to expect Verizon bload to work correctly. I did the dreaded factory reset and then re-set up the email and it all worked good. The trick has been going from peak to non-peak and then back to peak. I have non-peak as manual and before it was not starting up again when it hit peak. This morning it started up and worked correctly as best as I can tell. I set up 3 yahoo, an aol, and a gmail account and sent emails at different times to myself to test the pick up. Two of the accounts lagged a while but eventually picked up the emails. So far so good. And one other thing. I chose not to load any task killers and Im trying not to do any myself and leave it to Gingerbread to figure out. I know scary isnt it?

 

[somnambulator]

how can i disable/remove backup assistant? im not rooted

 

[FrankXS]

how can i disable/remove backup assistant? im not rooted

If you have not enabled Backup Assistant, really, it is not worth trying to "remove". Just ignore it. However, if you have enabled Backup Assistant, it is my understanding that the only way to "disable" it is to do a Factory Reset. Then, when during setup you are auto-prompted to use Backup Assistant, decline it!

Note: Even if rooted, and even if Backup Assistant could be removed (I don't know if it could), I would not do it. Mainly because GB has Backup Assistant embedded into some of it's menus and removing the program entirely might cause issues. Best bet if you do not want to use it is to just not enable it in the first place.

-Frank

 

[Cyber Warrior]

Correct... the only way to remove BA is to be rooted.
You can disable it like mentioned... after a factory reset, skip the setup for it
Or if you did enable it to run and don't feel like doing a factory reset:
Log into MyVerizon from a browser.
Go to Account and delete any contacts that are saved with BA (make sure you have them backed up.. Google).
From the phone... go to... settings... applications... manage applications... all... backup assistant... delete data/cache.
The next time you open Backup Assistant, you will be back at the apps activation screen.. Do Not Activate it.
Agreed... BA should have ended with dumb phones.. don't ever use it.

Also: when rooted and you delete backup assistant... it removes itself from any menus. Its the first thing I delete on any new phone. Can't stand that app.

 

[somnambulator]

Correct... the only way to remove BA is to be rooted.
You can disable it like mentioned... after a factory reset, skip the setup for it
Or if you did enable it to run and don't feel like doing a factory reset:
Log into MyVerizon from a browser.
Go to Account and delete any contacts that are saved with BA (make sure you have them backed up.. Google).
From the phone... go to... settings... applications... manage applications... all... backup assistant... delete data/cache.
The next time you open Backup Assistant, you will be back at the apps activation screen.. Do Not Activate it.
Agreed... BA should have ended with dumb phones.. don't ever use it.

Also: when rooted and you delete backup assistant... it removes itself from any menus. Its the first thing I delete on any new phone. Can't stand that app.

thanks for all the info, but i followed your instructions and then ran the manual Sync All and BA came right back in the notification bar. I'm a very technically apt person and do not remember ever seeing a dialogue asking to activate/enable/etc backup assistant. ever. not when i turned the phone on for the first time in March. Not when i did a factory reset in april, and not when i did a factory reset in july. I deleted all contacts from My Verizon and deleted cache from Backup Assistant on my phone and as soon as i do a manual sync i get the BA icon in my Notification Bar.

edit: i dont know if BA actually synced. my contacts have always been through gmail so even if BA syncs it wont create new contacts ojn my phone. How can i tell if it's working/not working?