(Click here for a larger Sprite Backup screenshot)Sprite Mobile claims that Microsoft's ActiveSync, which is normally used for device backup, only syncs contacts, email, and documents. If a device has to be hard reset, all third-party applications will have to be reinstalled and settings recreated, the company says.
Another problem with ActiveSync, the company claims, is that after a hard reset, server certificates required to sync with an Exchange server for push email would no longer be present on a device. Additionally, this backup method has been known to make encrypted data on a storage card inaccessible, according to Sprite Mobile.
According to Sprite Mobile, Sprite Backup 6.1 is able to restore programs and data properly even from one Windows Mobile device to another without overwriting critical system files or registry settings, making upgrading easy. It is also claimed to be unique in properly supporting ROM upgrades, which normally not only require a hard reset but also make it difficult to restore to what ActiveSync considers a different device.
Said to have been written by the original authors of Symantec's Ghost hard drive imaging program, Sprite Backup operates similarly to that program in that normally all backed up data is stored in a single (.CAB) file. As with Ghost, however, a provided file explorer utility allows locating and restoring only selected files, if required.
Backups may be scheduled in time (daily or weekly, for example), stopping all processes and automatically soft-resetting afterwards, if desired. The company says the product can also backup wirelessly to an FTP server, for additional protection.
Sprite Backup is priced at approximately $30, or $20 in a "Lite Edition" that lacks the FTP backup functionality. It supports Windows Mobile 2003, 5, and 6 devices.
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