It is no secret that I love my Windows Mobile Device and I will be finishing up my eBook on configuring and tweaking your handheld devices soon. I am also insane when it comes to backing up my data. I have used several third party programs before and I have even paid for one in the past. But now, Microsoft makes that a thing of the past when they introduced their MyPhone backup service for free.
Yes, I said “for free” and “from Microsoft” in the same sentence again! This little application installs on your Windows Mobile Device and then you can set a schedule for your data to be synced to the cloud. I am talking everything here: from text messages to contacts and back to audio and documents. This is awesome!
If you destroyed or lost your phone, restoring your data has never been this easy without having to sit in front of a computer with active sync.
Let’s see how it works.
First, we download the application directly onto our device by browsing over to http://myphone.microsoft.com/install and letting it install. Once it is installed ,you will need a Windows Live ID (your Hotmail account will work). The setup wizard will start and you will see this screen:
Simply click next and then accept the agreement to continue.
After you click Accept, you are ready to either enter your Windows Live ID or sign up for a new one. You can sign up for a new one by clicking the link that says “Create New Windows Live ID” at the bottom of the screen.
If you are going to have MyPhone sync on a regular basis, you will need to check the box next to “Save Password”.
You will see a confirmation that you have logged in successfully and your device is then configured to work with MyPhone.
You will be able to choose how you want to sync: either automatically on a schedule or manually. If you choose manually, you will need to open the MyPhone application on your phone to sync.
Your sync will start, and you will see each item sync as it goes. Contacts, calendar, photos, text messages, videos, audio and more.
After you are all synced up, you can browse over to http://myphone.micrsoft.com from your PC to view your data. Let’s check it out.
And of course, if you want to restore a device with your data, all you need to do is install the application on your device. After logging in, it will pull all your data back to this device. You can add multiple devices and keep them all in sync.
Are you using this or another similar service? Let us know in the comments!
Tagged: backup • handheld • restore • Windows mobile
