Storm Backup Problem

[ag5bpilot]

I have no idea if this is a Podtrapper problem or not. The Storm is quite capable of creating bugs on its own!

However, I think Podtrapper is the only application I've installed since the last time I backed up my phone. It worked last time, but isn't working today.

My question is whether anyone else is having trouble backing up their BlackBerries, specifically their Storms? Working? Not working?
Actually, after checking the version release dates, I'm certain I originally installed Podtracker before my last successful backup. So the question now becomes has anyone had trouble backing up their Blackberry after upgrading Podtrapper to Version 1.5.0?

Thanks,
Mike

[mike240se]

well my data isnt exactly helpful because i never tried backing up my storm before i installed podtrapper. But i can confirm I can not backup my storm with podtrapper installed.

I have tried all the work arounds, deleting the browser cache and histroy, pulling the battery, etc.

but first time mine was failing at "Voice dialing advanced options" and then it was failing on some kind of help, but that doest mean its not podtrapper either. it just says "Error backing up databases"

[Tom Munch]

It's not just on the Storm. My Bold is crashing on PodTrapper Settings during a backup as well. I can go to Advanced Backup & try to just back up this file, & it crashes every time. Nothing else crashes my back up.

This needs a fix or workaround.

[edited for typo]

[marwatk]

Hi guys, sorry for the bug. It'll be fixed in tomorrow's (or today's) release.

-Marcus

[mike240se]

awesome, thanks. now i knoiw what the problem was too which is great.

let me know if you need me to test the release, i have to backup my phone tonight anyways.

[mike240se]

Marcus,

Ok i can confirm that podtrapper was causing the backup to fail.

To confirm it 100% is tried a backup, it didnt work.

Then i uninstalled podtrapper, and then tried a backup, and it worked.

So its making the backup error out on the storm. As noted, you cant backup the podtrapper db manually either.

I have podtrapper uninstalled for now so i can do my backups to upgrade my os, but will reinstall it as soon as you get this fixed. keep up the great work marcus.

mike

PS. what do you use to make BB programs? I have a small amount of experience with visual basic 6.0 a tiny bit in .net 2003 and visual studio 2008.

how are blackberry apps done? i know they are java, but does java have a visual studio type of development enviroment?

also is it free to write programs for the blackberry or do you have to buy licenses or keys or someting from rim?

i wanted to experiment with making some simple little apps, just for myself, for fun. i am no where near good enough programmer to write an actualy production program.

[ag5bpilot]

BB apps are written in Java and you can use Eclipse as the development environment. You can download the java classes to interface with the BB from RIM's website.

It's free, unless you want to sign the application -- there's a one-time $20 to get set up for that. Signed applications are required if you use *certain* functionality. Other than that 20, it's all free.

[marwatk]

Yeah, the backup thing was a stupid bug on my part (I didn't realize how easy this was to test, or I would have tested). It's fixed in the version I have here, but I'm making some promised storm improvements also, so it won't go out until tomorrow.

ag5bpilot is on the mark with BB development. Though it's unrealistic to do pretty much anything without app signing ($20 from RIM). Maybe a game or something, but as soon as you start wanting to do anything serious a key for signing is necessary. If you're going to try it, definitely use eclipse (you can also use RIM's dev env, but it sucks for development. Debugging and profiling, on the other hand, it's killer for). I used to *hate* java, but eclipse has pretty much fixed that for me. (I don't have to hand type a lot of the cruft java enforces anymore).

I actually like writing for the blackberry, since it's such a limited device (optimization is one of the funnest parts of development for me). I can guarantee PodTrapper will never use any more CPU than necessary

For example, I had originally wanted to do Podcast browsing entirely on the device (like Viigo, sort of). Except I don't have the resources to be hand selecting podcasts for inclusion, so my DB is like ~35 mb. Compressed down it's like 2mb, easily downloadable to a berry. But there's simply no way (with the huge limitation of stream only file access) that it could be done on a berry. I ended up getting it down to like 2 minutes to search, but that's unacceptable.

Plus, I'm a big fan of multithreading development because it's so hard. It's a total pita to get waits and notifies and locks in the write place to do multithreading right, but it's super cool to see the app use zero cpu when it doesn't need to.

If I had to list out the issues RIM really really needs to fix on BB, these would be they:
1) Allow 3rd party apps access to keys when in background
2) Tangentially, allow access to AVRCP and headset buttons
3) Random file access (how do they get away without this? It's obvious it's present in their code, otherwise their media player couldn't seek so well)
4) A startup mode that is called after all filesystems are initialized (the annoyance this causes is unnecessary)

Wow, this turned into a bit of a rant, didn't it? Hehe, oh well. Back to work. Gotta make my app look like an 8th grader made it

[edzzik]

I can confirm that I have the same problem on Bold, but unfortunately have never tried backup without Podtrapper, so I cannot say with certainty that its the culprit.

-Ed

[marwatk]

Hi Ed, PodTrapper was definitely the culprit, as much as I'd like to blame RIM

It's fixed in 1.5.5.

-Marcus

[Tom Munch]

Hey Marcus, thanks for the inside look at coding for the BB. Hopefully other developers will start coding if Eclipse is as good for them as it is for you. With all the frequent OS updates, maybe RIM will make the changes have mentioned as well. They're only hurting themselves in the long run - unless it creates more support headaches for them. I may even download Eclipse & the java classes from RIM & try my hand at a couple utilities I've wanted to see.

[MobileKitty]

Hi Ed, PodTrapper was definitely the culprit, as much as I'd like to blame RIM

It's fixed in 1.5.5.

-Marcus

Sorry about posting in an older thread, but I wanted to thank you guys SO much for your walk-through of the same exact issue I was having with my Blackberry Storm . . .word for word, actually. Lil' bit freaky. At first I thought it was because it was a used phone (I tend to buy refurbished cell phones because they're cost effective)

Anyway, as mentioned, I know this is an older thread, but the PodTrapper update really did help! While I realize that there are now newer versions of this app, this is the one that just so happens to work on my device. I DID try to install newer versions, but it was actually messing up my phone. . . so I guess to keep this already long conversation going, how about tellin' me why this is? HA!

Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate you allowing me to babble.

[Vlad]

I had the exact same problem with Storm .. after playing around with the advanced settings in backup and restore I ended up deleting the MESSAGES list and the 1st Contacts listing (I had 2 Contact entries on the list "Contacts" and "All Contacts") You could try this... I did not lose any entries or messages! Hope this helps!!
Not sure which of the 2 resolved it and I even did it while I was on the phone w. the verizon tech.... He admitted he hadn't even heard of that kind of fix!