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Broken restore, Motorola backup dirs, Contacts.cdb and filestore.dat.txt on A1000

5 replies · 13,275 views · Started 09 April 2005

funkyberry 09 Apr 2005, 04:08

PART I � INTRODUCTION

Hi there all�

Ok, I�m writing this up here so that it can be advice and general help to anyone having any issues with backup/restores on their Motorola handsets, or to anyone who has the problem that I have just had!!

Intro
Well a couple of times now, just after I receive a text, my A1000 handset reboots and after about 6 minutes of a blank screen, I get a message like:

�There was a problem and the internal memory has been reformatted to clear it�

And so last time it happened, I plonked my phone into the docking station, restored, and it was fine�� This time however it was different!!

Restore problem
When I tried to restore the handset from ANY of the previous backups, it said:

- Closing applications,
- Copying files�[1/2 second later]
- Completed, Handset rebooting

And the handset powered off instantly, as if you took out the battery� and so when the phone came back again, it obviously hadn�t restored any of the data, and it was still on airplane mode�

So to summarise my problem:
- I could not restore ANY of my previous backups to the handset
- The Motorola directory is full of .dat files � not usable files
- Even when I made the files usable (see below), just copying the Contacts.cdb file onto C:\System\Data will not work, as the contacts file is in use the whole time the phone is on
- Even using Sman you can�t delete the contacts.cdb file (oh, and don�t kill the task called �Phone�!)
- You can�t use any other program to easily open the cdb file and get to your contacts

Motorola Backup files
Ok, I won�t bore you with the 3 hours I spent pulling things apart, I�ll just give you the details about how it works!

Wherever you backup your Motorola Files to, the directory structure looks like this:

\A1000 Backups\Motorola\Motorola Desktop Suite\Handsets\3549178533\Backup\BU200504

The �Backup� directory will hold as many �BU200504� backup directories as you request the backup program to keep.

Within BU200504 directory you have 4 basic files:

1.dat upto #.dat (# being number of files on your phone) - These are the ACTUAL files on your handset�. just renamed with a number and a .dat extension. You can go ahead and rename them to their original names if you desire, i.e. 3.dat -> funkymusic.mp3, and it will play � thus indicating an important point the files are NOT compressed or encrypted

filestore.dat � This seems to just be the computer friendly form of the following file. DON�T PLAY WITH THIS ONE

filestore.dat.txt � This file basically details what renaming has been done. So going back to what I said earlier� On the phone, the original music file was funkymusic.mp3 � but in the backup was renamed to 3.dat �. well this file tells you exactly what each .dat file was originally�. Here�s what it looks like:

1 C:\CrashDataLogs\2005-04-09_00.50.13.ApPanic 0x1e347280
2 C:\documents\agenda\Agenda 0x1e347280

modelname.dat � This just has the model number of the phone. I�d not mess with this�

The important files for getting back your contacts
Ok, lets assume you are like me� You NEED to get the contacts back to the phone no matter what� and you are happy knowing that you have all the other files safe and sound�. as even if you can�t automatically go back and restore them in one go, you can manually go through filestore.dat.txt and rename the .dat files to the original files, and copy them manually�

You�ll need the last Backup you made so you can get Contacts.cdb and contacts.ini

You will also need to install a copy of SMan from:

http://my-symbian.com/uiq/applications/applications.php?fldAuto=213&faq=2

So now all you need to do is to follow this guide step by step, and you�ll have your contacts back�.

Chris Hunter
www.funkyberry.com

funkyberry 09 Apr 2005, 04:09

PART II � PROCESS

Before you continue, you do this at YOUR OWN RISK!!! I spent 3 hours messing around with my phone to get this to work, so I�m just telling you how to do it� so it�s your responsibility if you decide to try it!

Step by Step process for getting back contacts onto phone from broken restore

Step 1
Take a copy of your last backup directory before you do anything else, and store it outside the directory that has the backups�. Like this:

\A1000 Backups\Motorola\Motorola Desktop Suite\Handsets\3549178533\Backup\BU200504 <---- original location and name

\A1000 Backups\Motorola\Motorola Desktop Suite\Handsets\3549178533\ BU200504_COPY <----- copied folder in new location with _COPY appended to filename

Don�t worry about this directory any more. Nothing I say will use the copy� it�s just there incase when you get the end, something�s screwed up!

Step 2
Take your handset that is totally wiped and after you�ve gone through initial setup, open contacts, and verify that there are the 5 basic entries.

Now using the Motorola Desktop Suite, Backup the handset. This will create a fresh backup that has a virgin Contacts.cdb file and Contacts.ini file.

Step 3
Go into your previous backup folder \A1000 Backups\Motorola\Motorola Desktop Suite\Handsets\3549178533\Backup\BU200504 (not the one we just created) and open filestore.dat.txt. Look for the line that refers to Contacts.cdb, and contacts.ini as here:

�68 C:\system\Apps\Contacts\Contacts.ini 0xe84e3a08�
�163 C:\system\data\Contacts.cdb 0xe84e3a08�

Make a note of that number, close the text document, and now drag 68.dat and 163.dat from that directory to the desktop.

Step 4
Go back into \A1000 Backups\Motorola\Motorola Desktop Suite\Handsets\3549178533\Backup\ and now go into the most recently created directory � the virgin backup you just

Open filestore.dat.txt and look for the line that references JUST Contacts.cdb. It should be a much smaller number:

�70 C:\system\data\Contacts.cdb 0x1e347280�

Make a note of that number, and close the text document. Now look for 70.dat and RENAME the file to 70.dat.TMP

Step 5
To trick the Restore program into copying back to the phone the original contacts file, rename the contacts.cdb dat file sitting on your desktop to the dat filename you just added .TMP to� so in our case, we�d rename the 163.dat to 70.dat.

Now copy (don�t move as we have to use it again later) that file into the virgin backup in \ A1000 Backups\Motorola\Motorola Desktop Suite\Handsets\3549178533\Backup\ .

Also put it into any TEMPBU directory you have.

Step 6
Before you do anything else, install Sman (URL above, or Google for it).

Once that software is installed, RESTORE THE MOST RECENT BACKUP.

The process will then copy the original contacts file in place of the virgin contacts file on the handset.

Step 7
When the phone has come back online, click the Contacts tab, or go to your phone book. The phone will fail, giving an error message �Not found�.

*SOMETIMES* This restores the contacts right away� so if when your phone comes back on after the restore it may work, and you don�t get the error!! So if this is the case, then go rejoice, and move onto step 10!!

Else, Go back to your PC�s desktop, and you need to rename the files once more.

File 70.dat will now need to be called (case sensitive) Contacts.cdb
File 68.dat will now need to be called (case sensitive) Contacts.ini

Connect the phone to the cable, and using normal Motorola Desktop Suite, copy them to the phone�s C:\System directory.

Step 8
Run Sman on your phone. Click the extras tab at the top right, and scroll right to the bottom. You�ll find it there if you�ve not used Sman before.

From within Sman, on the menu bar at the right hand side, click FN, then Modules, then File Manger

Now this is a critical part. Browse to C:\System\Data\Contacts.cdb �. put a check mark next to it, then click the funny red icon in the bottom right of Sman, and click Delete��

HOPEFULLY it will remove contacts. If it doesn�t, then try clicking the Contacts tab again. Or try rebooting the phone, and repeating this step.

Step 9
IF it deleted Contacts.cdb, then you�re very very close� now go back up a level. Put a check mark next to C:\System\Contacts.cdb , then click the red icon, and cut�

Browse to C:\System\Data\ then click the red icon, and paste�. And hopefully your contacts file should be there ok�

Now browse to C:\system\Apps\Contacts\ and delete Contacts.ini

Then go back and put a check mark next to C:\System\Contacts.ini �. then red icon, cut�..

now go back to C:\system\Apps\Contacts\ and click the red icon and paste����

If all that works�. then hold your breath, and click the Contacts Tab��.

If all goes well, then you should have all your contacts back!!!!

Step 10

DO A COMPLETE BACKUP OF YOUR HANDSET AND THEN TEST THAT IT WORKS. THEN INSTALL OUTLOOK OR SOMETHING ON YOUR COMPUTER, AND BACKUP YOUR CONTACTS TO OUTLOOK EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS!!

Of course, it�s at your own risk if you try this yourself. I accept no responsibility for loosing any of your data, and to be honest, if you were like I was 4 hours ago, then the data was as good as lost anyway, so I�d have taken a few risks to get it back�. but as long as you made the copy of the directory OUT of the directory that holds the backups, you should be ok.

Good luck!!

Chris Hunter
www.funkyberry.com

the_geek 09 Apr 2005, 16:06

Nice description!

When messing around with your backup files directly, you might be interested in this tool: http://www.nop.at/mdsbb

Another note: During a restore, almost all files are NOT locked anymore and you can copy them to the handset using the normal file browser on the PC, and then cancel the restore.

spudtheimpaler 09 Apr 2005, 16:33

the_geek wrote:Nice description!

When messing around with your backup files directly, you might be interested in this tool: http://www.nop.at/mdsbb

Another note: During a restore, almost all files are NOT locked anymore and you can copy them to the handset using the normal file browser on the PC, and then cancel the restore.

Hang on, what constitutes as almost all files? I REALLY want to change the startup video on my A1000, would this be included or is it just something I'm gonna have to test out?

the_geek 10 Apr 2005, 08:22

Almost means, I know at least one file (Cdbv3.dat) which is locked all the time.

Startup- and shutdown videos are stored in ROM and therefor cannot be changed except when the ROM is flashed.

BUT it's possible to replace those videos by storing empty JPGs with the same on drive C:

If you care, do a search in this and another forums, this "trick" has been posted a few time already.